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2020 Awards Eligibility

Our awards-eligible titles for 2020:

Community of Magic Pens edited by E.D.E. Bell: Anthology, Short Stories, Multi-Genre. Selected stories are available to read for SFWA Members on the SFWA Reading List.

The Dragon of Ynys by Minerva Cerridwen: Novella, Fantasy, Fairy Tale, LGBTQIA+, Trans, All Ages – Note: this work was originally published by another press in 2018 but we believe the revisions and additions are substantial enough to qualify as a new edition.

Icarus by Gregory A. Wilson and Áthila Fabbio: Graphic Novel, High Fantasy, All Ages – Note: this work was originally published by another press in 2016 but this new edition contains all-new art and substantial additional storyline.

Lord’s Dome by E.D.E. Bell: Short Novel, Slipstream Fantasy, Multi-Genre, Self-Published. Available to read for SFWA Members on the SFWA Reading List.

Break of Darkness by Ryanne Glenn: Novel, High Fantasy, Middle Grade.

Diamondsong Part 07: Will, Part 08: Leap, Part 09: Depths, and Part 10: Rise by E.D.E. Bell: Novellas, Quiet Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Vegan, Self-Published.

Awkward Tomatoes by E.D.E. Bell: Collection, Short Stories, Fantasy, Multi-Genre, Self-Published.

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Community of Magic Pens: Story List

We are proud to announce the authors and stories that will be included in Community of Magic Pens. Story order has not yet been finalized; these are listed alphabetically by author last name.

Pre-orders will be open only for a limited time, likely through the end of March. During this time only, print copies will have an included e-book and limited edition hardcovers are available. Thanks for your support, and for spreading the word. We are looking at an early May release!

Pre-order at: https://magicpens.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Alphabetical list of authors and stories:

Z. AhmadQalam
J. S. BaileyInheritance
E.D.E. BellInk
Gustavo BondoniOld News
Kella CampbellThe Taste of Words
Minerva CerridwenMemory Malfunction
ZZ ClaybournePenultimate
M. R. DeLucaNothing to Write Home About
Anthony W. EichenlaubThe Cemetery Merchant
Joy GivensIllumination
Beth GoderMemories of a Rose Garden
Ethan HedmanA Blank Canvas
Andrew K HoeOf Signatures and Contracts
Victoria HollisMystical Woo
A. P. HowellShared Space
Stella B. JamesWritten with Love
M. KaurThe Healer
Ava KellyThe Confessionist
Robert KingettPointy Chances
Adam KisselPen ID
N.R. LambertDo Not Write to Wrong
Nicole J. LeBoeufOne Story, Two People
Gerri LeenInvisible Ink
Lawrence MillerToday, I am a Fountain Pen
Avery MontavonWerepen
Ether NepenthesWritink
Lena NgMagical Markers
Robert PerezLove in the Library
Mikko RauhalaRekindled
Rai RoccaA Pencil Golden and Rich
Jennifer Lee RossmanWrite Me a Soul
Lorraine ScheinThe Oneiric Archive
Holly SchofieldWrit Large
Elizabeth ShafferMightier
Jannae’ SifontesRhapsody in D Minor
K. Alysee SimonThe Drawing of a Sword
D.A. Xiaolin SpiresScrawls of Squid Ink
Tlotlo TsamaaseMaterialSkin
Vijay VarmanThe Last of Your Kind
Dawn VogelCharcoals from an Unidentified Chicago Artist

We hope you are as excited to read these great stories as we are to present them to you. For the latest, be sure to sign up for our email list at atthisarts.com.

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Community of Magic Pens Submissions Call

Submissions are closed for our 2020 anthology: Community of Magic Pens. The submission period ran from 15 December 2019 – 15 January 2020. We are thrilled with the results, and believe readers will be also. For updates on the process, follow editor E.D.E. Bell on Twitter.

We could use your help! This is going to be an expensive collection to create, and our crowdfunding did not come close to covering those expenses. If you’d like to help us cover the costs of paying professionally qualifying rates, pre-orders and limited editions of this collection are available until release at https://magicpens.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders. Sharing the link with a recommendation, both online and in direct communications, helps a great deal.


It was pointed out we don’t mention how to address the email – submissions will first be read by Emily (she/e). Sorry, sometimes I miss simple things. : )

*** Please – be creative! The pens don’t need to literally be pens (i.e. ink pens) and they don’t need to literally include magic (i.e. fantasy magic). Technology, inspiration, romance, psychology – there are many types of magic, and the magic doesn’t need to be discovered during the story. The story just has to evoke the theme of magic pens in a meaningful way. That said, if you are writing a more literal take: fantasy, whimsy, gold glowing pens – please keep writing those stories too. I love them and want them. I’m just making sure people know there is (and was intended to be!) a lot of flexibility with this theme. ***

Also, kindly ignore the line regarding the use of flash fiction for SFWA membership. I’ve been told differing things on this, so go to SFWA directly for the rules.

Submissions to this anthology must follow our Anthology Content Guidelines. Please read these guidelines prior to writing or submitting a story. One purpose of these guidelines is to ensure the collection is friendly to a diverse set of potential readers.


Submission Guidelines

Originally Posted 30 September 2019
Last Updated 19 December 2019

Bottom line:

  • Send your unpublished, original, beautifully authentic story of 1-3000 words to submissions@atthisarts.com between 15 December 2019 and 15 January 2020 with the subject “Magic Pens Submission”.

Updates:

  • Please pass the word to marginalized communities. Would love to feature writers including: Black, Writers of Color, Continents other than E/NA, Muslim, Arab, Latinx, Jewish, Immigrant. (Such lists are inherently awkward, but some perspectives I’d love to see come to mind.)
  • Please avoid the scenario of a character seeing magic for the first time and questioning if they have mental illness (e.g. crazy, delusional, lost their mind). There are many other ways to express shock, disbelief, or consider an alternative reason for why something is happening.
  • On that note, I want some stories that are not “discovery” stories – maybe someone is already familiar with their pen. Or maybe it’s not so literal at all.
  • Please be creative! I am seeing some patterns in the submissions. However, we want those stories too. So write your story; just know that I am looking for some unexpected stories.

Format:

  • Please submit your story in text or Word format. As long as I can read and edit it (for purposes of feedback only), it’s fine. Not trying to stress people out about submission format.
  • Sorry, I’m using email for submissions again. I wanted to use a submission program this time, but the fees have gone up and I want to concentrate all our resources toward paying professional rates.
  • Include your: name*, writing as, country, state (optional), and pronouns. If you are not familiar with specifying pronouns, this is not about the story (e.g. first/third person) this is about you: how we should refer to you (e.g. she/her). (*Whatever you go by; we just want to know if we should call you something other than your writing as name.)
  • Include the story’s: title, number of words, and primary genre(s) (e.g. romance, fantasy, contemporary, mystery). The genre designation isn’t important; just gives me an idea how you view the story.
  • Optionally, tell us anything else we should know: your background, whether the story has special meaning to you, etc. Please stay brief.
  • We are not trying to stress out writers with the guidelines. Not looking to get people on technicalities. If you have any accessibility needs beyond what we are providing, please let me know.
  • We are interested in new content crafted specifically for this anthology. We are not interested in reprints or works submitted simultaneously for other publication. Please only submit unpublished content, which also means it was not published online in any form. As for previously written (“trunk”) stories, we aren’t going to go check your files, but if you refurbish an existing story please make sure the story is organic to the theme as if it were written for this. Please don’t force a story to fit. (More directly, for Stormcove, I received a lot of hotel-unrelated-stories that said “at Hotel Stormcove” in the first paragraph so please don’t do that here.)
  • Please do not submit stories before the 15th of December. As long as it is between the 15th of December 2019 and the 15th of January 2020 in any Earth time-zone, end dates included, you are good to submit.

Theme goals:

  • I want to celebrate the joy, power, community, and diversity of writing.
    Also, in general:
  • Feature unique, original, diverse, artistic content from authors across fiction genres.
  • Provide an anthology theme that is workable within and between many genres.
  • Provide guidelines that will generate original content but are flexible enough, that if a story is not included, it can still be used or sold elsewhere.
  • Allow authors, editors, and readers all to have fun with the collection.

Payment and legal:

  • The anthology will be published by Atthis Arts, LLC. To learn about us, visit atthisarts.com.
  • All included stories will require a digitally-signed contract with Atthis Arts — we believe in pay, respect, and autonomy for authors, so we’ve done our best to make that contract friendly and fair for both parties.
  • We will pay $0.08 USD / word (minimum $25), based on the word count at time of contract signature, in alignment with minimum professional short fiction rates as defined by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SWFA). (*Please note that while this doesn’t affect our anthology decisions or your payment, SFWA will not currently count stories of less than 1000 words toward a membership application, no matter what the writer is paid for it.)
  • Authors will have the opportunity to buy copies of the anthology at a reduced price for personal use or event sales, as specified in the contract.
  • Authors with included stories will receive a digital copy; contributor print copies are prohibitive for us to send at this point given international shipping costs.
  • Accepted works will remain exclusive to publication by Atthis Arts for a limited time as set in the contract, likely two years. We require a longer time than some collections because of the nature of our sales and the unique, original content. We are not looking to engage in the reprint market. We are flexible regarding other opportunities and “best of” collections.
  • Stories must be original work and completely clear of any external publication rights or copyright claims. This includes modern quotes and song lyrics. We require stories that have not been previously published or posted online. If you have a previously posted or published story you’d like to submit, please contact me at submissions@atthisarts.com to discuss.
  • Further details will be in the contract; please contact us at submissions@atthisarts.com with any questions.
  • During the active submission period, you should hear back that I have received the story within a day or two, and you should hear back whether you will be included in the collection by the end of January. If you do not, please check to make sure an email wasn’t missed. (Don’t worry about emailing me. It’s fine. Better to prevent a misunderstanding.)

Representation:

  • All authors are welcome. If you are under the age of 18, please note that in your submission.
  • We take diversity very seriously and want a collection that reflects the writing community.
  • Authors with underrepresented and/or marginalized voices are encouraged to apply. You are welcome to, but not asked to*, let us know what group(s) and/or intersections of groups you represent. (*This means that sometimes the details can be personal or simply not something you want to provide. If you would like to tell us about yourself, please do. And do let me know if anything should be kept confidential.)
  • Please note: This collection will feature diverse writers, including writers with different cultural and belief systems, and will be queer-friendly. If any of that bothers you, our collection is probably not a good fit for your writing. On the other hand, the Anthology Content Guidelines should help ensure you won’t get published along with something problematic.

Editorial process:

  • We learned a lot from last year’s process and will be making big changes this year that should make the editing process easier, but know that we do not just print the story as-is. We review it with you for any changes you may want to make, and we also take our Anthology Content Guidelines very seriously.
  • Again, read the Anthology Content Guidelines before submitting. There may be an element you haven’t considered.
  • First, I (the anthology editor) will review included stories and provide feedback for your consideration, as well as any requested changes to align with our Anthology Content Guidelines.
  • Next, based on our assessment of the story, we may hire an external line and/or copy editor to review the story and provide you additional suggestions. I am planning on using multiple editors this time, based on the needs of the story. You and I will discuss whether it would benefit from another look.
  • All edits will be at the author’s discretion, but failure to reach an agreement on something we deem important will result in the story not being included in the collection.

General guidelines:

  • All stories must be no longer than 3000 words. There is no minimum length. Ideally we are looking for a mix of short stories (in the general range of 1500 to 3000 words) mixed in with some flash fiction (stories between 500 and 1000 words) but please write the story the way it is best written. (i.e., do not write to max out the word count; write to produce the best story.)
  • Each author may submit a maximum of two stories. Please don’t submit two stories because you think it will provide more chances at inclusion. Only submit two stories if you want to take a risk with one or want to try two different angles.
  • Don’t send two connected stories; if you want to tell a story serially, submit it as a single submission and stay under the word count overall.
  • All stories must follow our Anthology Content Guidelines. Please ensure you have read these guidelines before writing or submitting a story.
  • Poetry is welcome; non-traditional format is encouraged. (Try me!)
  • Please don’t submit novel excerpts or try to work in worldbuilding from other books. If it’s a cross-over and you think it really works, at least tell me, please.
  • The anthology will be multi-genre, cross-genre, whatever, so be not encumbered by bookstore bins. Non-fiction will be considered, if it disclosed as such, fits the theme, and is told in a creative style. Please do not submit erotica, horror, or dark fiction. While the story can include serious themes and doesn’t need to be all sunshine, I want to avoid overly violent or graphic content, including abuse or psychological torture, sexual violence, etc. There are several reasons for this. Most simply, graphic content upsets me, I’m not a good editor for it, and there are so many other small presses successfully featuring horror, gritty, and graphic short stories—the writing world doesn’t need me for this. Also, our reader base tends to appreciate this type of content. We are gentle folk.
  • If you’re writing from an underrepresented and/or marginalized perspective and you are thinking of writing a story about pain or struggle, you’re welcome to…but I’d ask you to consider first whether a story about joy, hope, or triumph speaks to you even more. I say this because I’ve received some really dark stories, and then the writers tell me they either feel they are almost expected to write this way, or they forget they don’t have to. Please—write your way. Whatever that is.
  • If you reference real people or places that aren’t obvious (e.g. New York City), please mark them so we can decide if there might be an issue.
  • Stories should be primarily in English. (Not a preference; it’s just what I can read and edit!) Please write in your preferred form of English (international, ethnic, or regional—for example, Black English is welcome); conversion to US or any standardized English is not requested. Non-English language content is welcome if the story is generally understandable in English. International writers and/or writers for whom English is a secondary language are all welcome.
  • Stories can be written in any person, plurality, tense, or mix of. If you’re not sure which way to go, the editor does have a fondness for third-person. But, she also wants your authentic voice, so write what you feel.
  • Be you.

Theme specific guidelines:

  • Stories must play in some fashion on the idea of magic pens. Not just about writing. About magic pens.
  • This theme can be interpreted in a broad context of ways, and I don’t want to spell it out too much, since I’ve learned my guidelines heavily influence the submissions.
  • Pens don’t need to be pens; they can be pencils, technology, or however you see it. They can be full-up Beauty and the Beast sentient (hopefully dancing) pens, merely enchanted pens, or just the metaphor of writing, as long as there is a sense of magic pens.
  • Go with whatever backstory appeals most to you. Like, is there literally a society of sentient pens that coordinate through the ages? Or does this refer to the writers who make magic? I don’t care. Make it an amazing and fresh story that speaks strongly to the theme. (Again, not just writing but magic pens.)
  • While speculative fiction writers have a whole lot to work with on this one (I know Stormcove was biased toward literary so I’m throwing the F&SF softball this time), I am still confident that literary, romance, humor, or historical fiction writers (etc.) can work beautifully with this theme. It is up to you whether the “magic” of the pen is overtly speculative or whether it’s more implied or metaphorical. The magic just has to be there.
  • This is a really good case to discuss the general advice of “don’t go with your first idea.” I mean, maybe you should. But this theme benefits from some brewing. Like, ok, someone is being repressive and the pen rebels and writes something brave. (Hey, kind of hoping to include at least one of those.) People are writing letters. But then you start thinking about it. And the number of directions you could go with this gets real trippy real fast. And, I hope, exciting.
  • Again, please be conscious that I am not looking to include dark content, for a host of reasons related both to me and our reader base. I am not looking for pen-eye-stabbing, life sucking, etc. Also, let’s assume the pens can turn any sentience on and off or at least teleport away, like they aren’t left suffering an eternity in a drawer.
  • Since we are potentially having people “owning” sentient pens, please stay away from anything that reads like slavery. If the pen is just enchanted, fine. If it’s sentient, let’s assume it can hop up and leave whenever it wants. Now, if the pen is being repressed and you can give it a satisfying arc, maybe, but you really have to be sensitive to ongoing social connections.
  • Political content or social statements are fine. We favor progressive content but are open-minded as long as what you say isn’t harmful to someone else. Again, please review the content guidelines for more.
  • Don’t mention Trump.
  • Be nice to the vegan editor. Like, so many of the stories for Hotel Stormcove featured boiled lobster, fois gras, and fur coats. So write your authentic story, but recognize gratuitous animal use is not a selling point with me.
  • While the anthology will be marketed as adult (not YA), please keep all material suitable for reasonable teenage audiences. (A little edge is fine.)
  • Feel free to push me a bit on any of the creative rules, just know that’s a risk. But maybe you like to take risks. As long as it’s in good faith, I won’t mind.

Let’s talk about something:

  • There are going to be a lot of submissions to this collection, and they are not all going to make it in. I expect hundreds of stories at a minimum, and depending on funding and other factors, I might take like 40.
  • You won’t be selected based on whether I know you, whether you’ve been in a previous collection, or how much being included would mean to you. I am crafting a collection based on the stories as well as the overall mix.
  • If not being included is going to make you really sad, this might not be the best place to submit, because I suspect it will be even more competitive than last year. However, if you’re willing to have some fun with it and then find the story a home or purpose no matter what happens, I’d love to read what you create.

And one more thing:

  • I believe in paying writers. And I know there’s the concern of why should I write something custom without knowing if I’ll be paid for it? I struggle with this too.
  • However, I really think the custom nature of these themed anthologies is the strongest way to highlight non-famous author voices and garner interest.
  • One way around this could be to move to more of an “invitation model” but I balk against this because I am too nervous that it would promote privilege and would get cliquey so fast, no matter what the intent. Besides, lots of people do this. The notable-author-collection world doesn’t need me. (Though, of course if you are notable, I would be so honored by your submission.)
  • One mitigation on this is that I’m keeping the stories short. So no one is out* too much.
  • *You’re only “out” it if you can’t sell the story elsewhere, use it elsewhere for promotion, and/or benefit from the writing exercise—and I’m hopeful these options are all viable for you. I promise no matter what (for any good-faith submission, anyway) I will enjoy reading your story. You are beautiful, and so is what you create.

I am excited about this project and hope you are too. I am very much looking forward to reading your stories and I thank you for your time!

Emily.

Anthology Content Guidelines

Our anthologies follow what we refer to as our Anthology Content Guidelines. Stories included in Atthis Arts anthologies must follow these guidelines. Please read through the details, as some aspects may be more familiar to writers (e.g. racism) than others (e.g. ableism). The purposes of these guidelines are primarily: 1) to do our best to produce content that provides positive, responsible social messages 2) to assure our readers that the stories will be friendly to each of them. (It’s a real downer to be reading a collection that suddenly takes a rando jab at people like you. The vegan editor can assure you she knows how this feels.)

Please note that our guidelines are not intended to be overly restrictive or applied across all fiction, as art thrives also on openness and edge. Thus, these guidelines are specific to our anthologies, primarily because 1) these collections are intended for diverse readership and 2) in a short story, there is often not space to develop a more complicated theme or intent.

No one is perfect, certainly including our team. But we are trying to do our best and really appreciate your participation and understanding.

The point of these guidelines is simply to be thoughtful.

They aren’t meant to be stressful. So just do your best, and I’ll let you know if I have recommended changes.

Race / Ethnicity

  • No story may degrade any racial or ethnic group or use related slurs.
  • Stories should not promote stereotypes of racial or ethnic groups.
  • Please use caution in describing race or skin. For example, unless these descriptions are part of your own culture, please avoid describing skin in terms of food (e.g. chocolate, spices, coffee). Also, avoid messages equating specific racial characteristics (e.g. light skin and straight hair) with beauty—or the reverse.
  • Especially in romance stories, please take caution that the story does not appear to romanticize a person based on their ethnicity or race.

Religion / Culture

  • Stories may not include any negative mention of any religion, ethic, or belief system.
  • Stories should not promote or casually portray harmful cultural stereotypes.
  • Please avoid the casual use of terms that are important to a culture or group or come with other cultural or historical concerns. Examples we’ve seen include: spirit animal, gypsy, binge-watching, oriental, hooligans, and Siamese.
  • Stories must be friendly to religious and non-religious people.
  • Stories containing religious references or themes are welcome but must be friendly to general audiences and not appear to pass judgment on others.
  • Stories should not be centered on a real-world religion or culture unless the author has a personal connection to that culture; for example do not write stories based on indigenous lore unless you have a direct connection to an originating group.
  • We prefer you avoid religious cursewords (e.g. the name of deities or words including “god”).

Gender / Orientation

  • No story may degrade any gender group or use related slurs, including the b-word, including when intended as humor.
  • Stories should not promote stereotypes of gender groups.
  • Stories should not make glamorizing or humorous references to gender-based or sexual harassment.
  • No story may make any negative or harmful mention of LGBTQIA+ characters, rights, or community.

Families / Parenting

  • No story may make any negative or dismissive mention of family composition.
  • Stories should not read as dismissive of adoptive or non-biological families. This includes making references to biological parents as “real” e.g. “finding her real mom.”
  • In particular, avoid fantasy stories relying on adoption or foster care scenarios. (Unless you know what you’re doing with it, and the message is constructive.)

Body / Disability

  • Stories should not contain any disrespectful or stigmatic treatment of physical or mental disabilities.
  • Stories should not casually use terms traditionally referring to physical or mental disability such as crazy, lame, stupid, or idiot, even if the intended use of the term is lighthearted. (Seriously, search your manuscript for these terms and try to say it another way. I am teetering whether to just ban these terms for purposes of this collection.)
  • Stories should not contain jokes about body shape and/or size. This includes making fun of a character for their size. (In other words: “Please, no fat jokes.”) Fat characters are super. Making fun of their fatness is not.
  • Take great care in writing stories based on a character being an outcast based on their physical or mental condition or disability so as not to further encourage stigmas.
  • Take great care in writing stories of disabled or disadvantaged (e.g. transient/homeless) characters as inspirational or magical, especially if you are not writing with personal experience to the referenced POV. If you are not sure about this, then best to avoid. (“Magic homeless people” is a specific trope discussed among editors.)

Violence

  • While there is no blanket prohibition against violence in our anthologies, we do favor stories that are non-violent in nature. (We think this provides good diversity against other small presses that prefer darker material.) This includes emotional, as well as physical, violence.
  • We request stories that are not casually or excessively violent, especially related to violence against marginalized persons, domestic violence, sexual violence, and violence against children.
  • Violence should never be glorified in our anthologies; it must always be a “bad thing.” That includes defense and retaliation.
  • Please avoid all torture, gore, sexual violence, and psychological terror.
  • Please no suicide references or stories. There is a place for these, but it is not our anthologies. (They must be handled with so much care, and with appropriate warnings.)
  • Please take the hint: you are better off avoiding violence with me. The reason we’re not prohibiting it at this point is we think 1) that’s too sweeping 2) too subjective and 3) sometimes a not-overly-violent reference can be used in a very important way.
  • As a note, I’ve had people with self-harm issues thank me for our collections being something they can more safely read. That consideration may help steer you.

Animals

  • The executive editor of Atthis Arts is a vegan, but she recognizes there are divergent views on animal use in our society.
  • Casual references to societally-acceptable animal use (e.g. characters wearing leather or lauding bacon) are permitted. (Though, for our anthologies, please consider whether these references are important to the story. Especially on more controversial topics such as fur.)
  • Stories centered on animal use, such as hunting, zoos, animal circuses, fishing, pet shops, whaling ships, or horse racing are best avoided.
  • Stories may not casually portray animal harm or abuse outside of societal norms.
  • If in doubt, remove the animal use. The reason I’m not prohibiting it is I don’t want to stifle people’s authentic cultures or voices. If it’s important, include it.

* Context

  • If your story includes terms or themes that would otherwise violate these terms, but it is done with responsible intention in a way that adds artistic or social value to the story (e.g. the negative activities are portrayed in a negative light and are important to the story or overall promote a positive message or character triumph), please note that in your submission. The point is to promote responsibility and thoughtful writing and to create a safe collection for a diverse audience, not invoke censorship or denial. One exception is suicide references. They are too sensitive, so I’d like to avoid them.
  • We welcome your continued feedback on these guidelines.
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Our First Graphic Novel

The Icarus and Jellinek graphic novels are about two unlikely heroes: a winged young man who falls into a dormant volcano with no memory of anything but his name, and a flamepetal prospector down on his luck (and everything else), with his two-tailed, four-legged, lava resistant companion, Rig. Together, they must discover the secret of Icarus’ identity if they are to save their worlds from those who want his powers for themselves. We are proud to present this story of wonder, of friendship, and of a battle to overcome tyranny, with creatures who discover that what unites them at the core is more important than what divides them on the surface.

Learn more about this elegant weaving of storytelling, prose, art, presentation, and light. We hope you will give it a look. Our Kickstarter runs through 12 July, offering some unique rewards including the original artwork from the books.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/icarus-0

July Update

The Kickstarter was successful! We are now taking pre-orders via Backerkit. Click the link above to learn more about Icarus and Jellinek, then click the button at the top of the campaign to back the project on Backerkit

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Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove: Available for Pre-Order

Want to pre-order a copy or limited edition hardcover of Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove? Our pre-order site is up: https://hotel-stormcove.backerkit.com/hosted_preorders

Paperback copies ordered through this site will be traditionally printed (not print-on-demand) and come with an e-book copy.

Limited Edition hardcovers will only be available prior to the book’s release and will be hand-numbered.

As a small press who has invested a lot into this project, your pre-orders help us a great deal. In addition to getting what we think is going to be a really cool (and quite eclectic!) book. Thanks for your support to indie fiction.

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Statement on Hotel Stormcove: Final Week

29 October 2018: For Immediate Release.

This statement addresses the situation of our campaign: (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/hotel-stormcove) with only one week to go. Topics covered include our bottom line, a summary of what all this means, and other factors, like why I didn’t pre-select authors and also the impact of current events and Kickstarter fatigue. Please read on!

We need a hand

We are not currently on a track leading to success for this project. But crowdfunding can turn quickly, so we can definitely still succeed. We ask people to continue to back the project if they are interested, and to continue to spread the word. Despite all my work to get the word out (much of which was behind the scenes and/or has not materialized), it’s clear we need an external boost of some kind: either some larger-size pledges or, better, a substantial signal boost. So if anyone out there has a hand to extend, we will gladly grasp it. However, I’m just not going to continue to reach out to individuals at this point. I’ve reached out as far as I’m comfortable and now, while I’ll continue to make general posts about it, I am putting this campaign in the hands of fate. I hope fate likes short stories.

Summary of our project and goal

This project takes pre-orders of a collection that, if successful, will be produced in the spring. The collection will feature a diverse set of indie writers writing high-quality, artistic short stories and flash fiction around a fun theme: five minute snapshots of life within an infamous hotel. This can go so many directions, both serious and silly, so it offers a broad palette for writers. Summary: People pre-order the collection so we know we have enough money to pay the writers. Your pre-orders are not donations—they are purchases—but they help a small press support indie writers by helping to fund our up-front costs. Consider it supporting the arts and supporting small creators in a world biased toward large creators. And if the project doesn’t reach the funding goal, we will lose all the pre-orders and all the funds. And then we’d have to regroup on what to do about this collection.

If you haven’t backed the project

If you enjoy short stories or like supporting indie writers, we ask you to consider pre-ordering a copy. To do this, you’d go to this website: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/hotel-stormcove, select a pre-order type on the right, and then check out. If the project doesn’t succeed, you won’t be charged any money. If the project does succeed, it will be because supporters like you joined us.

If you’re a current backer

Thank you so much. Your support means so much to me and to the writers who will be included, and I’m not giving up. And thank you for letting people know about the project: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/hotel-stormcove

It will be a good book

I can say this with confidence because 1) I believe in our production team 2) Writers are really interested and many of them are already preparing for the submission period.

Positive points!

Perspective time: Hey, we have over 50 pre-orders for an anthology that doesn’t exist yet, and isn’t hinged on specific names or a provocative theme. That’s awesome, and it proves people believe in us, our values, our commitment to art, and the quality of our work. However, without either more pledges and/or some higher-end pledges, it’s not getting us there. Not as it stands at the time of this post. (29 October, 51 backers, $819 in pre-orders.)

Pre-Selecting Authors

We’ve had a lot of people comment that our issue may be that we don’t have the authors up front. So, I actually thought I was doing something sort of nice by doing it this way. Something very equality-vibed that I thought people would connect with. There are two main points about this: So, say we could get a known name to agree to be in the collection, which I think I could. This just feels a little crossways with our whole point—which is supporting indie writers and amplifying unique voices. We’re not against established voices; we love them and hope they’ll submit their stories. But I thought people would like the idea of supporting a collection that will be selected on merit, not just who I think will bring more people in. Again, I know there’s a middle ground there. But, to be even more blunt, we’d probably have to guarantee a certain payment or exposure to that known voice. And now our whole equality vibe is starting to slip. If that makes sense. And…then the other point is, but if people knew they’d be included, their readers would be supporting it. Ok, honestly? The writers who would most enthusiastically promote the campaign are those who are not as established. And they are going to be buying copies themselves, bringing in their family, etc. And I didn’t want to get in that position: The whole point of this collection is to support talented indie writers, not to put the funding burden on them. Now, if this fails, maybe we’ll be forced to go back to selecting authors first. It’ll be an option on the table. I wanted to get away from that, if that makes sense.

The Election

Several people have told me that our problem is the election, the political environment, and of course a string of heartbreaking and deeply concerning attacks here in the US. I know these issues are important. None of us can stop thinking about any of it. And I hope everyone in the US who is able will do their research and vote. Yet—I believe art is important too. And while I appreciate the unapologetically angry political content of a lot of anthologies right now, we can’t live in that space all the time. It’s not healthy. And we can’t ask artists to either go into stasis during politically important times or only create art directly speaking to those issues. Besides, this anthology is meant to be unifying—our no harm guidelines ensure an inclusive, positive environment for art and diversity. So I’m not saying this collection is all fluffy either–we believe fostering and enforcing inclusive, non-harmful writing is a worthwhile contribution in these challenging times. We hoped people would see and support that, and if you’re reading this you probably have. Thank you. But, like, if the rationale out there is “you can’t make an artistic anthology because of Trump,” … I mean, that is some deflating logic. Especially if it’s true.

Fatigue

Hey, I know. And one reason I’m still hoping, really hoping, we can get this to succeed is I don’t want to have to impose another campaign on everyone again. Not saying we would, but that would be an option on the table. So, anyway, I made the call to make this collection separate from our catalogue campaign in August. I stand by that, but please know, we have no other campaigns planned right now. It would be at least a year before another collection, if we even go that way.

Way Ahead

So let’s reinflate! (pfffff…) I believe in this project, and I just know that if we succeed, we’ll put together a noteworthy collection that readers will enjoy.

But we clearly need some additional support at this point to succeed. We won’t give up, but if anyone able to offer a boost, we’d sure appreciate it. And we’ll craft a collection worthy of that support.

Again: none of the pre-order funds go to myself or my company. Every cent will go to paying indie authors. So if anyone out there has a hand to extend, we will gladly grasp it. Higher-level pledges are one way, but even better, that includes anyone out there who can boost our signal and/or get people excited.

Reasons to support: (Please feel free to share these in any way you see fit when talking about the project)

  • You enjoy short stories and flash fiction.
  • You want something fun to read or to give as gifts.
  • You like providing indie authors a paid, high-quality platform for their work.
  • You want to support a small Detroit-area press (we’re here in Funky Ferndale).
  • You believe in our values, such as amplifying unique voices or our no harm guidelines.
  • You like supporting small and indie creators, and not letting us get squeezed out by bigger companies (we aren’t against bigger companies, but there’s room for both).
  • Maybe you feel strongly about anti-oppression philosophies and want to see the only vegan-owned fiction press on Earth (to my knowledge) succeed – and you don’t need to be vegan to support this! You just have to believe in diverse voices and perspectives, and the idea of a fiction press run by someone fostering anti-oppression and non-violence ideas.
  • You like me or the team, and want to see our company succeed. (No, really, I’ll just take being liked. Yay!)
  • You believe in supporting the arts.

I do hope this perspective helps! If we don’t get there, we’ll regroup and decide what to do. But right now, I’m focused on the next week. And hoping the wind shifts our way.

Thanks for your time and support,

Emily.

 

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Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove – Now Live on Kickstarter!

Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove is now LIVE on Kickstarter. We’re hoping to raise enough money to pay pro rates, and we’ll need a lot of help to get there – so please check it out and share the link! Thanks!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/hotel-stormcove

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Stormcove Submissions: Now Closed

01 February 2019: Submissions for Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove are now closed. We are in the process of making selections and notifying authors. If you haven’t heard back by mid-February (could be the email monster), please drop us a note at submissions@atthisarts.com

Thank you for all your amazing submissions! And we hope you enjoy the final collection. Sign up for updates via our email list at atthisarts.com

We want the submission pool to fully reflect the diverse talent available. Please help us spread the word to writers of color, queer or gender non-conforming writers, international writers, or other potentially underrepresented voices.

Updates:

1) We are receiving a lot of 3995-word submissions (the max is 4000). Guidelines state we are looking for a mix of flash fiction (<1000 words) and short stories (1500-3000 words). Please only write the story at 4000 words if that’s the way it’s best written. A more limited number of 4000-word stories will be selected.

2) Please keep in mind that the multi-genre theme presents a wide-range of opportunities. Stories could be humorous but also thrilling, serious, or romantic. Stories with an original plot (and not the same location and feel as other stories) have an inherent advantage. So feel free to submit a haunted room or general paranormal story, but only a limited number of those stories will be included. (And I’m sorry if I scared people away from elevator stories; go ahead and submit your elevator story!) Also, keep in mind you can submit more than one, so if you have one you love but you worry it’s going to be a lot like others submitted, you can submit that plus something quite different.

3) While a five-minute story usually has an implied past or future, and leaving some mystery to the reader can be fun, the short story is expected to have a fully-realized plot. Please be cautious writing a story that reads as an introduction or prologue, for example with an open-ended cliffhanger.

4) We are all set on full moon transformations. If you’ve already written something or have an idea that’s amazing, go ahead and submit, but if you’re still deciding, I’d avoid this one.

If you are interested in submitting a story to our second anthology: Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove, the Submission Guidelines are posted below and also linked as a PDF to save off or print. We’re hoping to have some fun with this theme, and we’re excited to read your stories.

Submissions to this anthology must follow our No-Harm Guidelines. Please read these guidelines prior to writing or submitting a story. One purpose of these guidelines is to ensure the collection is friendly to a diverse set of potential readers.

Submission Guidelines

Originally Posted 15 September 2018

Last Updated 01 December 2018

Thank you for your interest in the Five Minutes at Hotel Stormcove anthology.

Bottom line:

  • Send your unpublished story of 1-4000 words to submissions@atthisarts.com by the end of January 2019, with the subject “Stormcove Submission.”

Format:

  • Please submit your story as a Word document.
  • Include your: name, writing as, country, and primary pronoun (e.g. she/he/they/e).
  • Include the story’s: title, number of words, and primary genre (e.g. romance, fantasy, contemporary, mystery).
  • Include for the subtitle, the: year (e.g. 2018, c1100), location (e.g. Room 102, Room 845, Ballroom, Lobby), and start time of the five minutes (e.g. 9:32 PM, 2315, sunrise). If the day or time of year is relevant (e.g. New Year’s Day or November), please include that information.
  • For this collection, we are not interested in reprints or works submitted simultaneously for other publication. Please only submit unpublished content.

Theme goals:

  • Feature unique, original, diverse, artistic content from authors across fiction genres.
  • Provide an anthology theme that is workable within many genres.
  • Provide guidelines that will generate original content but are flexible enough, that if a story is not included, can still be used elsewhere with small tweaks.
  • Allow authors, editors, and readers all to have a little fun with the collection.

Payment and legal:

  • The anthology will be published by Atthis Arts, LLC.
  • All accepted submissions will require a signed contract with Atthis Arts, LLC — we believe in pay, respect, and autonomy for authors, so we’ve done our best to make that contract friendly and fair for both parties.
  • We will pay $0.06 USD / word (minimum $25), based on the word count at time of contract signature, in alignment with qualifying short fiction rates as defined by Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).
  • Authors will be able to buy copies of the anthology at a reduced price for personal event sales, as specified in the contract.
  • Accepted works will remain exclusive to publication by Atthis Arts, LLC for a limited time as set in the contract. We require a longer time than some collections because of our passion for unique, original art. We are not looking to engage in the reprint market.
  • Stories must be original work and completely clear of any external publication rights or copyright claims. We require stories that have not been previously published or posted online. If you have a previously posted or published story you’d like to submit, please contact us to discuss.
  • Authors will be required to respond to requests for any necessary tax paperwork.
  • Further details will be in the contract; please contact us at atthis@atthisarts.com with any questions.

Representation:

  • All authors are welcome. If you are under the age of 18, please note that in your submission.
  • Authors from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. You are welcome to, but not asked to, let us know what group(s) and/or intersections of groups you represent.

Editorial process:

  • Authors will be requested to address two sets of edits: one developmental and one line/copy. All edits will be at the author’s discretion, but failure to reach an agreement will result in the story not being included in the collection.

General guidelines:

  • All stories must be no longer than 4000 words. There is no minimum length. Ideally we are looking for a mix of short stories (in the general range of 1500 to 3000 words) mixed in with some flash fiction (stories between 500 and 1000 words) but please write the story the way it is best written.
  • Each author may submit a maximum of three stories.
  • All stories must follow our anthology No-Harm Guidelines. Please ensure you have read these guidelines before writing or submitting a story.
  • Poetry or non-traditional format is welcome, but the focus of the anthology is short stories and flash fiction.
  • The anthology will be multi-genre. Submissions should be from fiction genres (e.g. contemporary, romance, fantasy, science-fiction, inspirational, historical fiction, literary, mystery, adventure, and genre-bending). Please do not submit erotica or horror.
  • Stories should be primarily in English. Please write in your preferred form of English (international, ethnic, or regional); conversion to US or standard US English is not requested. Some foreign language content is welcome if the story is generally understandable in English.
  • Stories can be written in any person, plurality, tense, or mix of. If you’re not sure which way to go, the editor does have a fondness for third-person. But, she also enjoys unique voices, so write what you feel.

Theme specific guidelines:

  • Stories must meet two basic criteria. First, they must take place over the span of five minutes. Second, they must take place at a specific era, location, and time of day within the rooms or grounds of the Hotel Stormcove.
  • In order to maximize ease of writing across genres, we are not adhering to a strict Earth location and timeline. Contemporary writers will find the current hotel equipped with modern amenities. Historical fiction writers would be best writing generic stories in an era, but not based on specific local events. Fantasy writers may find low or urban fantasy easier with this theme, but I don’t doubt your ability to work in high fantasy elements and hope you will enjoy the challenge. And steampunk writers, well you can stage a whole mechanical speakeasy in the cocktail lounge. Mystery has the gift of finding a dead body in the hotel room, but you know, have fun with it. And so on.
  • Earth locations and events can be generally referenced, e.g. a family who just arrived from France or a man who survived World War II, but the focus should be on the events in the hotel.
  • Historical accuracy is not a requirement, especially if it avoids unintended colonial or indigenous issues or allows the author to work in their own culture to the historical setting.
  • All characters should be fictional, so no stories about the time Abraham Lincoln visited, for example. (Though a fictional president could.)
  • The stories can be a little darker or more edgy than our previous collection, As Told by Things, but we are still looking for a collection that is appealing to a broad range of readers and is generally intriguing or uplifting.
  • We know the theme is a little campy, and that five-minutes could easily lend itself to tropes, so we encourage you to be creative. Campy theme, not tropey stories. Swing big!
  • While the anthology will be marketed as adult (not YA), please keep all material suitable for reasonable teenage audiences. (A little edge is fine.)
  • Feel free to push us a bit on the creative rules, just know that’s a risk.

A brief history of Stormcove

  • Hotel Stormcove is generically located on the East Coast of North America, in a region with warm summers and cold winters.
  • There is no set founding date of Stormcove, which was originally a natural cove with low stone walls. As far as recorded history provides, people have sought shelter here, mingling with other locals and travelers alike.
  • Sometime in the sixteenth century, a building was erected atop the stone walls, providing a long view out to the ocean. The building was originally three stories high. Later, as the building expanded and more formally housed travelers, it began to operate in a more formal manner and was called Stormcove Inn.
  • In the 1920s, after several expansions, the new proprietors changed the name to Hotel Stormcove in an effort to enhance its prestige. At this point, the hotel had twenty-two stories, with none labeled as floor thirteen. It attracted all kinds of wealthy visitors, or those who could find a way to stay there.
  • In 1994, the Hotel was remodeled and renamed The Suites at Stormcove, but most visitors continued to call it by its historic name, due to the large Art Deco sign atop its roof. By this point, the hotel had a modern hotel building behind the earlier structure, reaching to forty stories, but had been eclipsed in many ways by more modern hotels in the area.
  • In 2025, the hotel was offered a government-funded preservation grant, and was renamed after the sponsoring government official. Everyone ignored this change and began calling it Hotel Stormcove again. There were still forty stories.
  • In 2084, the hotel was registered under global naming convention, with English-speaking visitors reverting informally to the original name, Stormcove. By this point, the hotel had added three ninety-nine-story luxury towers, which did include a thirteenth floor.
  • In the age of space travel, the hotel is a known Solar destination, featuring historical artifacts across the extent of human history. Not expensive because of its antiquated design and lack of direct pod access, it attracts an eclectic clientele.
  • The Hotel building has always been known for its original lobby, set with two sweeping three-story curved staircases. The Hotel grounds are known for their unobstructed views of the water, and the nearby seaport, which has remained in some state of use over the years.
  • The managers of the Hotel have always quietly provided free rooms for those in need, as much as they were able. This was not communicated to the wealthy visitors.

We think this is a fun project and we hope you think so too. I am very much looking forward to reading your stories and I thank you for your time!

Emily.

No Harm Guidelines

Our anthologies follow what we refer to as our No-Harm Guidelines. Stories submitted to Atthis Arts, LLC anthologies must follow these guidelines for acceptance. Please read through the details, as some aspects may be more familiar to writers (e.g. racism) than others (e.g. ableism). The purposes of these guidelines are primarily: 1) to do our best to produce content that provides positive, responsible social messages 2) to assure our readers that the stories will be friendly to each of them, regardless of their beliefs or background.

No one is perfect, certainly including our team. But we are trying to do our best and really appreciate your participation and understanding.

Race / Ethnicity

  • No story may degrade any racial or ethnic group or use related slurs.
  • Stories should not promote stereotypes of racial or ethnic groups.
  • Please use caution in describing race or skin. For example, it’s best not to refer to dark skin in terms of food (chocolate, spices, coffee). Also, avoid messages equating specific racial characteristics (e.g. light skin and straight hair) with beauty.

Religion / Culture

  • Stories must be friendly to all religious and non-religious people.
  • Stories may not include any negative mention of any religion, ethic, or belief system.
  • While stories are always colored by and should align with the beliefs of the author, our anthologies should contain no overt religious messages. (A story containing religious references or themes is welcome as long as it is friendly to general audiences and doesn’t appear to pass judgment on others.)
  • Stories should not be centered on a religion or culture unless the author has a personal connection to that culture, for example do not write stories based on indigenous lore unless you have a direct connection to or coordination with an originating group.

Gender / Orientation

  • No story may degrade any gender group or use related slurs, including the b-word, including when intended as humor.
  • Stories should not promote stereotypes of gender groups.
  • No story may make any negative or harmful mention of LGBTQIA+ characters, rights, or community.

Families / Parenting

  • No story may make any negative or dismissive mention of family composition.
  • Stories should not read as dismissive of adoptive or non-biological families. This includes making references to birth or biological parents as “real” e.g. “finding her real mom.”

Ability

  • Stories should not contain any disrespectful or stigmatic treatment of physical or mental disabilities.
  • Stories should not casually use terms referring to physical or mental ability such as crazy, lame, stupid, or idiot, even if the intended use of the term is lighthearted.
  • Stories should not contain jokes about size. (Note: This has been the most commonly seen issue: well-intentioned authors writing stories making fun of a character for their size. In other words: “Please, no fat jokes.”)
  • Take great care in writing stories based on a character being an outcast based on their physical or mental ability so as not to further encourage stigmas.

Animals

  • The executive editor of Atthis Arts is a vegan, but she recognizes there are divergent views on animal use in our society.
  • Casual references to societally-acceptable animal use (e.g. characters wearing leather or lauding bacon) are permitted. (Though, for our anthologies, please consider whether these references are important to the story.)
  • Stories centered on animal use, such as hunting, zoos, animal circuses, pet shops, or horse racing are best avoided.
  • Stories may not casually portray animal harm or abuse outside of societal norms.

* Context

  • If your story includes terms or themes that would otherwise violate these terms, but it is done with responsible intention in a way that enhances the anthology theme or adds artistic or social value, please note that in your submission.
  • We welcome your continued feedback on these guidelines.
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Atthis Arts at Gen Con 51

Chris and Emily at Gen Con 51
Chris and Emily at Gen Con 51

We just got back from a busy week at Gen Con 51 in Indianapolis. Emily signed books and met readers in Authors’ Avenue, and I (Chris) spent time at the Gen Con Writers Symposium meeting authors and writers and moderating panels.

About Gen Con

If you are unfamiliar with Gen Con—Gen Con is the original, longest-running gaming convention in the world. It attracts about 60,000 unique visitors, taking over Indianapolis for 4 days of gaming, cosplay, entertainment, family events, and the Writer’s Symposium: one of the largest and fastest growing professional events for speculative fiction writers in the world.

Games

Here’s a secret: We especially love Gen Con because we love games. Emily and I grew up playing board games with our families and friends, and the idea of gathering around the table still brings us all the feels. We talked to a few of our favorite game creators: like Jason Anarchy of Drinking Quest fame and Jason Tagmire of Button Shy Games. I also stopped by and got a demo of Root by Leder Games and Lucky’s Misadventures by Great Northern Games, both of which we had backed on Kickstarter to play with our kids. We also picked up a fun game from Deep Water Games and managed to get a little time away to play it in the lobby—where Emily was happy to see some of the readers who had stopped by.

Do you play table top games anymore? If not, you should! It’s great fun for friends and family.

Panel Discussions

I loved moderating panels at the Writer’s Symposium this year. I had such a fun time meeting people, and I picked up new reads—I listened to Robyn BennisThe Guns Above on audiobook on the way home, while Emily worked edits for our upcoming titles.

I also learned some new things about Fantasy, that made me think about our current projects at Atthis Arts. I moderated a panel titled “What Makes a Story Fantasy” with Tor/Forge editor Chris Morgan, author and English professor Gregory Wilson, and best-selling author Erin Evans. This panel brought out a fascinating discussion on fantasy fiction that doesn’t rely on action and violence, but instead explores a non-violent approach to conflict resolution. Greg referred to this sub-genre as “Quiet Fantasy.”  I had never heard this term—and I believe Greg coined it during our panel.

It got me thinking about how different some of our approaches are to the genre. And if you’re interested in more, I invite you to check out Diamondsong. 🙂 I think Emily is out there pushing boundaries on non-violence themes and the social impacts of progressive world-building, and I’m proud of her for being passionate about taking that risk.

For me, the clock resets—only 358 days until Gen Con 52! Maybe we’ll see you there?

Chris

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Introducing Our Fall Catalog: Now Live on Kickstarter

2018 Atthis Arts Fall Catalog Kickstarter

We have a big announcement:
Our first Catalog campaign, using Kickstarter.

We’ve used crowdfunding over the years to help with the initial production costs needed to make the high-quality artistic products that we believe in. We’d still appreciate your help by pre-ordering these products. However, we have so many wonderful things coming out that we’ve decided to combine them – a big ol’ party and we’d love for you to join us. : )

Here’s how it works: Go to the campaign page and look through our upcoming titles at:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atthisarts/atthis-arts-catalog-2018/

Follow the instructions there to select an author and reward level. (You won’t have to only pick one author, just pick one for now.) Then when the campaign is over, you’ll be able to add more titles by other authors (only if you’d like to, of course). We promise we are doing everything we can to make this easy and low-hassle for you.

We hope you’ll give all these great titles a look! The details are at the link, but it includes both adult-level speculative fiction (and ok for teens) as well as lower and upper middle grade fantasy (meaning great reads for elementary and middle school students).

Thank you so very much for your support. We know you don’t need to go out of your way to pre-order these titles, and we are very grateful for that support. We’re trying to make things happen for our small press so we can continue to publish unique, artistic writing and amplify important issues and voices—and this campaign is a big step in that process.

Thanks and please let us know if you have any questions!

The Team at Atthis Arts