Deadline: October 15th, 2016
Payment: AUD$100

The Worlds of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Vol II

Words required: 4500 – 10 000 words ( Deadline = 15th October 2016 — firm)

Payment for each story – AUD$100

Genres – any variation on the title is suitable.

NOTE: This anthology is given away free as an e-book in many formats, and through amazon sold at cost price, or the minimum price amazon will allow. Usually what they make from any sale is what the cost price is for e-book and print. Altair Australia Pty Ltd, the publisher creates these works as a promotion for authors. Robert endeavours to get new and known voices out to a wider reading audience who may then buy something with these authors in, or a novel they have written. All authors are paid on day of acceptance, and the anthology is usually launched on, or before January 31 each year – 2017

To get an idea of what was in Volume I you can download a FREE copy from

All submission need to be double spaced and sent as rtf documents, or .doc  no other formats will be accepted. No double space after full-stops. Double quotes for dialogue. No line space for paragraphs and paragraph indents not tab indents. If tab indents discovered then the work will either be rejected or asked to be resubmitted in the correct format.

What is wanted:

Original – (previously unpublished – NO REPRINTS) genre fiction that explores as well as entertains. Readers like to get involved with bright characters and strange worlds. They like to be frightened and unnerved and they like to see magic and fantasy worlds that are not a slightly different Tolkien or Martin. Read the FREE anthologies published in the previous 2 years and get a feel for what can get across the line. I have no set taste pattern, as the anthologies will show, and I try and not stamp my preferences over the work selected. The material simply has to be good and it has to be the best you can offer. I have indeed purchased numerable stories I did not actually like, taste wise, but they were good in what they were presenting, so they were purchased.

Be brave when it comes to me, challenge yourself and don’t fear mistakes. If I ask for a rewrite it is usually for good reason. I turned down 2 stories last year where writers did not want to rewrite material, so do know I will not buy a work unless it is actually ready for publication. I am not harsh in requests, and am flexible over ideas and concepts and keeping the author voice well and truly in control.

What I don’t want:

Erotica of any kind. While I don’t mind it, it just isn’t what I am buying at this stage. No fan fiction and no cookie cutter settings that could be anywhere and have no real bearing on what is happening. The background is just as important as the characters, the setting needs to make sense and play a part in story development. No soap boxing. I don’t care if the issue being covered is important to the well being of the world. I am entertaining readers who are usually recovering from being bombarded by people being offended and demands that they need to save something or other. I am not saying world issues are not important, I am just saying this anthology is an entertainment not a political sounding board.

​These might sound like odd requests, but over the years I have dealt with quite a lot of oddity, and when it comes to writers, well, we are indeed odd, but some ground rules are needed so we all get what we want out of the collection. I don’t like themes as they limit what is available for me, and for the reader. All I ask is for your best. Submit to   author (at) altair-australia.com

Via: Robert N. Stephenson.