Deadline: July 1st, 2015
Payment: split royalties + 1 contributor copy

Edited by A.C. Thompson

“When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

Sherlock Holmes is probably one of the most recognizable characters in Western literature. Conan Doyle’s inimitable detective has been the subject of literally, thousands of books, movies, television shows, plays and even songs. Recently, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle has released the copyright on Holmes and this has made the market ripe for re-imaginings. Our goal with An Improbable Truth is to create an anthology of unique stories that create something new while paying homage to the original books.

An Improbable Truth is looking for stories that set Holmes on a paranormal adventure.

The settings may be any place and time from the original Victorian England all the way to modern day, future and any fantasy world in between (weird west, cyberpunk, steampunk, noir, Lovecraftian, dystopia). The only catch is that the stories must have a distinctly dark and paranormal edge. Push the envelope and let the mystery run wild.

Ghosts, serial killers, vampires, zombies, monsters of all types are welcome. Keep in mind: if this book were on the shelf at your local bookshop, it would be in the HORROR section (sci-fi is great as long as it’s Aliens-type sci-fi and not Star Trek-type sci-fi).

Word of warning: Sherlock is a beloved character with a very distinct voice and manner. We want to be sure that we keep and/ or expand on those attributes that have made him a literary icon. Tread lightly when messing with characterization and your story better make a damn good case for any wild variations (i.e.—Sherlock as a mealy-mouthed veterinarian, romantic entanglements). However, we are very interested in diverse characters and would welcome Sherlocks of any race, gender or sexual orientation as long as he is true to your story and the character. You might also want to keep in mind that our Sherlock stories are meant to be based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, not the BBC or other incarnations (editor is saying this for her own benefit as well as yours). The entire original canon is available on Kindle for FREE.

Take advantage.

Publication of An Improbable Truth: The Paranormal Adventures of Sherlock Holmes will be handled through Mocha Memoirs Press and therefore, all submissions are subject to their general guidelines which include, but are not limited to: no glorified rape, necrophilia, hate language, etc. We are not seeking erotic stories for this anthology.

Minimum word count: 3,000 not to exceed 8,000

Payment: split royalties + 1 contributor copy.

General Mocha Memoirs Press Submission Guidelines:

Submit your work to animprobabletruth(dot)mmp(at)gmail(dot)com with “Improbable Truth” Sub: [Your Story Title]; [Your Name] in the subject line.
Attach your story as a DOC or DOCX file. Submissions sent in the body of the email will not be read. Stories should be in 12pt, Times New Roman font. Please double space. Don’t forget to include a title page that includes all contact information.
Include a brief cover letter in the body of your email stating your name, pen name (if using one), story title with word count, a brief (1 paragraph) synopsis, and bio.
No simultaneous submissions, please. We ask that you do not submit a story to us and to another market at the same time.
Multiple submissions—sending more than one story for consideration—are okay. If sending more than one story, please send them in separate emails.
Simultaneous print and eBook release. Tentative release date: 10-1-15

Submission window: Feb. 2, 2015- July 1, 2015

VIa: Mocha Memoirs Press.