Deadline: June 30th, 2021
Payment: 0.5p per word (£5 per 1000 words) and 2 contributors copies
Theme: Fiction that explores “Depth, Time and Infinity” in any way you choose.
Note: My apologies on the short deadline, this recently hit my inbox.

Abyss: Stories of Depth, Time and Infinity

Exciting news! Following the success of our first anthology, Vast, Orchid’s Lantern is opening its doors once more. Abyss: Stories of Depth, Time and Infinity will be our second anthology, and this time we’re seeking fiction that explores these metaphysical topics in any way you choose.

We want high-impact experimental pieces, streams of consciousness, unusual perspectives and fictional accounts of altered states. We want extrapolations and interpretations of our present reality, or visions of drastic changes. We want the literary and the speculative. The entertaining will be juxtaposed, or combined, with the philosophical. We do not want highly fantastical settings unless they explicitly link back to the theme. We want complete stories, not chapters of something bigger.

Please do not send us:

• Stories of a racist, sexist or bigoted nature
• Stories promoting particular religions or political stances
• Vampires, werewolves, superheroes or magic
• Erotica

We like: Maniac, Russian Doll, The OA, Mr Robot, Black Mirror, The Matrix, Philip K Dick, Mark Z. Danielewski, Franz Kafka, Clarice Lispector, Sylvia Plath, Hermann Hesse, Jean-Paul Satre, Kurt Vonnegut, Anna Kavan, Robert Anton Wilson, Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts and Terence McKenna.

Guidelines:

1. All submissions should have fewer than 7,500 words. There is no lower limit because we are fans of flash fiction, so long as it is strong and impactful. We aim to have a variety of lengths in the finished publication.
2. The initial deadline is 30th June 2021, but we reserve the right to extend this should we not receive enough quality submissions by this date.
3. We will acknowledge receipt of all submissions, and respond with an accept, decline, or request for discussion within 30 days of the closing date. Please do not send follow-up emails unless you wish to withdraw your submission.
4. Simultaneous submissions to other publishers are allowed, but please let us know straight away if you receive an acceptance so we can remove you from our list.
5. Each author may submit only one piece for consideration.
6. Submissions may have been previously published online, but must be removed prior to the publication of this anthology.
7. We expect to publish the anthology early in 2022.
8. Contributors will be compensated with a one-off sterling payment of 0.5p per word (£5 per 1000 words) and two paperback copies of the anthology.
9. All stories will be checked for grammatical consistency (using British English as we are a UK publisher) and proofread prior to publishing, but we ask that all submissions are in a polished, complete state when you send them to us. Excessive errors or poor form will result in your submission being declined.
10. A 50-word bio will be required for inclusion in the final anthology. It is not a requirement to send this with your initial submission, but you may do so if you wish.
11. We are committed to diversity in literature, and as long as they follow our guidelines, we will give all submissions equal consideration. Whether you’re a new or established writer, we welcome your submissions.
12. If selected we will request exclusivity on the story for a limited period, but copyright will remain with the author.

Abyss will be edited by C.R. Dudley, author of metaphysical collections Fragments of Perception and Mind in the Gap and editor of Vast: Stories of Mind, Soul and Consciousness in a Technological Age.

Submissions should be emailed to [email protected] with ‘Abyss’ as the subject line. Documents should be clearly marked with the author or pen name and story title on each page. By doing so, you accept our guidelines detailed above.

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Flash Fiction Showcase

I would love to showcase a new flash fiction story or prose poem on the website every week. Stories will be submitted on a voluntary basis at first, with the view to making this a paid opportunity in future if it is successful.

Stories should have fewer than 1,000 words and must be in keeping with our preferred themes and interests:

• Philosophical, psychological, mystical or scientific concepts explored through fiction
• Autofiction
• Imaginings of the future
• Unusual POVs
• Subjectivity
• Consciousness (ordinary and altered)
• Identity
• Memory
• Dreams

Stories may be part of something longer but must also function as self-contained pieces.

Stories may have already been published elsewhere, as long as your submission to us doesn’t violate any terms you have agreed with other publishers.

You can submit again if you have been accepted before, but only one submission at a time please.

Send submissions to [email protected] with ‘Showcase’ in the subject line. Stories should be attached (not linked to) along with a short bio as you would like it to appear on the footer of your story if published. I will also accept links to your own webpages or stores for the footer. Word documents preferred.

If your story is accepted, I will aim to contact you within a week to let you know your showcasing date and any minor proofreading/presentation points.

Caroline

Via: Orchid’s Lantern.