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Taking Submissions: Cozy Villages of Death

July 15, 2020

Deadline: July 15, 2020
Payment: Royalties
Theme: Contemporary cozy mysteries
Note: Reprints accepted

Cozy Villages of Death
an anthology of cozy mysteries
Anticipated release: October, 2020

There’s something about quaint country villages, picture-perfect mountain towns, and tranquil island resorts that draws us to them. And when we can’t visit in-person, reading about the quiet, peaceful life is the next best thing to taking a mini-vacation.

But there are secrets hiding behind those shuttered windows. Deception awaits around the next curve in the road. Rumors spread over garden hedges, across fishing ponds, and around knitting circles. And when Death strolls through the tranquil countryside or checks into the quaint village inn for the weekend, it’s the intrepid – and often accidental – investigators who must find and decipher clues, unravel mysteries, and bring the killer to justice.

Cozy Villages of Death invites you to share your contemporary cozy mystery with us. Take us to the towns where your own characters follow in the footsteps of Miss Marple and Father Brown. Let your own Jessica Fletcher-inspired amateur sleuth discover “whodunit” before the police. Let our readers work with small town officers, in the vein of “Midsomer Murders” and “Death in Paradise.” Introduce us to your own independent investigators, in the spirit of the “No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency” or Miss Phryne Fisher.

What We’re Looking For:

  • Contemporary cozy mysteries (no ghosts or other paranormal elements), set between 1900 – present.
  • Small town locations, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD. We’re happy to read about cozy English villages, but we want to know what’s happening in other countries, too.
  • Tell us the stories of small town police departments with limited resources, investigators who prefer the country life to the hustle of the city, and AMATEUR SLEUTHS – the everyday people who stumble across one too many clues to ignore and can’t help but try to solve the mystery. Write about people we can cheer for, worry about, and come to think of as friends.
  • Yes, bad things will happen, and someone will have to die for your cozy to be a murder mystery. But while characters may discuss blood-spatter or examine a knife wound, let’s keep the actual violence off-stage.
  • Don’t make it too easy. Toss in some misdirection, a red herring or two, a situation that turns your investigator into a suspect. Be creative. Have fun!

We’re looking forward to reading a delightful collection of cozy mysteries!

To Submit:

Anthology Title: COZY VILLAGES OF DEATH
Length: 5000 – 8000 words
NOTE: YES, we WILL consider reprints previously published prior to Jan 1, 2019, for which you have reprint rights. If it’s still in another collection, that’s okay. If it’s available for free somewhere, we will ask that you pull it down once it’s been accepted. Please include the original publication information with your submission.
Deadline: July 15, 2020
Anticipated release: October, 2020
Exclusivity/Reversion of rights: We distribute our anthologies in both paper and ebook formats across multiple retailers. We ask for 6 months exclusivity post-publication, after which we continue to market the anthology in both print and ebook formats, but you have the right to submit the story elsewhere, publish it yourself, etc., as you wish.
Pay: Royalty-Share, via PayPal
NOTE: A royalty-share anthology is only successful if all of the participants help with the promotion. We will provide art and marketing copy, and promote the anthology as we are able; but if you submit, you should also be prepared to promote the anthology to your readers – and share ideas/successes with the group, if you can!

Send your stories to: editor at camdenparkpress dot com
Submission Subject line: COZY VILLAGES_Story Title
Attachment types accepted: DOC, DOCX, or RTF file
File Name: Please name your manuscript like this:
COZY VILLAGES_Author Name_Story Title
IMPORTANT: We are often receiving submissions for multiple projects at the same time, so following the Subject line and File Name guidelines will help make sure your story ends up in the correct folder.

Other: These things should go without saying, but we’ve seen them ignored too many times, so here you are:

  • Please keep your cover letter brief
  • Use standard manuscript format (if you don’t know what that means, Google it)
  • Include your name, contact information (postal address and email), and the story title on the manuscript
  • Please review and follow the submission guidelines (above)

NOTE: Social Media stuff – We use a combination of email, Google Docs, and a private Facebook group to coordinate with authors and keep everyone aware of the project status. Just letting everyone know this ahead of time.

Via: Camden Park Press.

Details

Date:
July 15, 2020