Deadline: October 1st, 2016
Payment: 15 cents a word for the first 2,500 words and 6 cents a word after

Bestselling author Hy Bender (BookProposal.net; 16 books including 5 Dummies books, a Complete Idiot’s Guide, and The Sandman Companion; The New York Times, Mad Magazine) and book developer Will Paoletto (Enterprise Cometh; My Bad Parent) are putting together a short story fiction anthology titled Ghosts on Drugs.

And we’re inviting you to send us a story so great that we can’t resist saying “yes” to it.

The only rule is that a tale include some version of at least one ghost who’s on some version of at least one drug.

And both key terms are broadly defined—e.g., a ghostwriter hooked on cough syrup could fit, and a dead ancient god with an inhumanly intense craving to be worshipped again could too.

Also, a story can run anywhere from 2 pages to 30 pages, so a short-short tale that’s a solid fit for the collection will definitely be considered.

We expect many of the stories will be a mix of comedy and fantasy. However, the book is also open to horror, SF, adventure, drama, etc., as well as any combination of genres. Whatever the category, we’re seeking stories that are extremely entertaining, appeal to a wide-ranging audience (high concepts are especially appreciated), and provide an emotionally satisfying ending (smartly crafted character arcs/transformations are especially appreciated).

We’re aiming to include some of the world’s top comedians, a bunch of superb writers, and one or two celebrities who happen to be drug fans.

Some of the advantages of being in this anthology:

• Getting a credit for a book that’s likely to receive substantial attention because of its cool high concept, wildly inventive range of ideas, and exceptionally fine writing.
• Having your name alongside other impressive celebrity talents (if you’re a star) or taking a helpful step on your career path (if you’re not a star yet).
• Receiving payment on our acceptance—15 cents a word for the first 2,500 words and 6 cents a word after that (to encourage tight writing).
• Receiving a share of the royalties (based on word count).
• Working with Hy—a world-class editor—to make your story the very best it can be.
• Fun!

If the above sounds appealing, then please feel highly encouraged to submit material. The initial deadline is March 1st, 2016. (This might get extended, or not, depending on what comes in.)

For the sake of saving you time and effort, we recommend running an idea by Hy first to ensure it isn’t redundant with something we’ve already purchased for the collection. However, if you prefer to just write and send us a complete story, that’s great too.

Please send anything related to the anthology to Hy Bender at [email protected].

Via: Ghosts on Drugs.