Taking Submissions: Starship Blunder 2
August 1
Deadline: August 1st, 2025
Payment: $35
Theme: Shared Universe set on the Starship Blunder, most genres welcome, you DO need to read the guidelines for details and characters
Freshly promoted Commander Sarah Hawkins has been assigned to the brand-new Starship Wonder. The rest of her crew, however, have taken to calling their recently acquired vessel Starship Blunder. No new parts were fabricated specifically for the Wonder—it was assembled using extra pieces, cast-off parts, and old components removed from other, nicer crafts. The Conglomeracy hopes the spiffy name of the untested starship will inspire the crew to achieve something, anything.
It doesn’t work. Just like its predecessor, the Starship Wonder struggles even to take off, let alone complete a mission. Can the crew find it in themselves to at least successfully deliver an unimportant package, or will the namesake “Blunder” stick with them forever?
Although the original vessel Starship Blunder blew up in fantastical fashion at the end of the first anthology, the characters you know and love are back at it again!
As soon as the Starship Wonder goes on her inaugural mission, it becomes clear to her crew that there’s nothing wonderful about the new starship. They immediately start referring to their new ship as Starship Blunder as they wonder, did the Conglomeracy commission a new starship because the fleet needed another vessel, or because they just wanted somewhere to stuff the misfit crew away from the more elite spacecraft?
Whatever the reason, Commander Sarah Hawkins, Mechanic Xylo, Daycare Teacher Luna Knight, and Chef Bluebottle make the best of a less-than-stellar situation as they embark on another year of missions and misfortune.
WHAT WE WANT:
Theme: This is a shared universe anthology. Stories should be set in the Starship Blunder universe. Embrace humor, delve into deeper themes, or spin a romantic tale under the stars. Include some diverse characters and a mix of genres.
Word Count: Aim for 2,000 to 8,000 words. Exceptional stories outside this range will also be considered.
Originality in the Universe: We welcome your fictional planets and alien species. Expand the Starship Blunder universe with your imagination!
Multiple Submissions: If you feel sufficiently inspired by the universe, feel free to submit multiple stories!
WHAT WE DON’T WANT:
Excessive Gore: While a bit of space skirmish or alien encounters are fine, we prefer gore that serves the plot and isn’t gratuitous.
Erotica: Romance? Absolutely! But please, no explicit erotica.
Child Abuse: Stories involving any form of child abuse will not be considered.
Dismantling the Core World: Please don’t destroy our beloved Starship Blunder or Neptune. Also, avoid killing off the five existing characters.
AI-Generated Stories: Feel free to brainstorm with your favorite chatbot and use AI-assisted grammar software, but all the words of your story must be your own. We want original stories by talented humans written in their own words.
Simultaneous Submissions: Due to the nature of a shared universe, this just isn’t possible. However, if your story doesn’t get picked for Starship Blunder 2, feel free to remove or change all the Blunder references and characters and submit it elsewhere.
Submission Details
Writers must be at least 18 years old to submit their story.
Payment: $35 per accepted story.
Publishing Details: The Starship Blunder 2: Starship Wonder anthology will be published by Beth Martin Books and be made available in ebook and print. Contributors will have the opportunity to purchase print copies at a 50% discount from MSRP.
Deadline: Submissions are due by August 1st, 2025.
Decisions will be made by August 15, 2025. If you have not heard back about your submission by this date, unfortunately, that means your submission has been declined.
All submissions should be made through the Submission Form.
I haven’t read Starship Blunder. Can I still write a story?
Absolutely! First, familiarize yourself with the world and characters, and then craft a fun and humorous story set in the universe.
Why should I write a story for this anthology?
The Starship Blunder anthology debuted as the #1 New Release in Parodies on Amazon.com and quickly reached #2 in Parody Kindle sales. Beyond just writing stories, this anthology brings together a community of creative minds. By joining, you’ll see your work published alongside other talented authors, gain exposure, and contribute to something truly exciting in the indie publishing world. Also, as a contributor, you’ll have access to discounted author copies, perfect for sharing with friends and family or selling at book signings.
How should I go about writing a Starship Blunder story?
I’m glad you asked! The formula that worked best for writers for the first anthology was to create an original character and follow them on a mission on the Starship Blunder to a unique alien planet. Ultimately, only the canonical characters will remain on the crew over and over again.
However, if you come up with a story featuring all original characters set in the Blunder universe or only using existing characters, that’s okay, too. Don’t let me stifle your creativity!
I see that Sarah Hawkins got promoted from Pilot to Commander.
That’s right! Our girl finally got the recognition she deserved. Instead of having a different Commander on every mission, Starship Blunder 2 will have a different pilot on each mission. Hopefully, the new pilots can figure out how to fly such a unique vessel!
I’m not great at writing humor. Can I still submit something?
Although humor is the core of the Starship Blunder universe, the stories picked for the anthology will be as diverse as the starship’s crew. Feel free to write and submit a serious story, a romance, something set on a fantastical planet, or some horror. Just keep in mind that stories with gratuitous sexual content or gore will not be considered.
I have even more questions.
Feel free to shoot an email to Beth Martin with any questions about your story or submission at [email protected].
Character Profiles
Role: Commander of the Spaceship Blunder
Age: 46
Physical Description: Sarah is a strong and confident black woman. Her hair is typically styled in a curly ponytail, and she has a warm, inviting smile. She wears her uniform with a sense of pride and duty.
Bio: Sarah is the heart and soul of the Starship Blunder. Despite being the only truly competent member of the crew, she remains optimistic about their missions. She finds solace in her role as a leader and mentor to her crew. Her piloting skills are unparalleled, and she gets easily frustrated with the new pilots attempting to fly the new Blunder.
Xylo
Role: Ship Mechanic
Age: 33 (in human years)
Physical Description: Xylo is a tall, slender alien from the planet Zentara. His skin is a shimmering blue, with small, luminescent spots that glow when he’s excited or agitated. He has large, expressive eyes and dexterous hands with extra joints.
Bio: Xylo feels jilted that Sarah received a promotion while he stills works as head mechanic. However, he has never successfully repaired a warp drive. Instead, he prefers to make cool gadgets and tools that may or may not work as intended. His understanding of human social cues is a work in progress, leading to humorous misinterpretations.
Commander Rex Sterling
Role: Commander of the elite Starship Prime
Age: 41
Physical Description: Rex is tall, with a chiseled jawline and perfectly styled hair. He has a commanding presence and carries himself with an air of undeniable confidence.
Bio: Commander Sterling is the poster boy for the elite Starship Prime. He is supremely confident in his abilities and his ship’s superiority. He views Sarah Hawkins almost as a little sister, taking credit for her promotion. He constantly checks in with the new commander, offering her unsolicited advice for her new role.
Chef Bluebottle
Role: Chef
Age: 80
Physical Description: Chef Bluebottle is a short elderly man with wrinkly skin, grayish-blue eyes, and no hair—except for bushy eyebrows. He wears a dirty chef’s hat in all circumstances, like a security blanket.
Bio: No one is sure how Chef Bluebottle is still alive. A former gourmet chef from Mars, Bluebottle has lost his sparkle and culinary expertise. His cantankerous attitude and dismay at the limited ingredients available on Starship Blunder are reflected in the bland and sometimes inedible food he makes. He loves getting into other crewmates’ business and inserting himself into situations where he’s not welcome.
Luna Knight
Role: Daycare Teacher
Age: 23
Physical Description: Miss Luna is an average-sized young woman with pale skin, black hair, and brown eyes. She dresses in all black with an overall gothic style and never smiles. She has colorful tattoos of various space elements on her arms, which she uses to entertain and educate the children.
Bio: Although adults find her scary, the children aboard the Starship Blunder adore Miss Luna. She runs the daycare for the whole starship and enjoys incorporating bats into her lessons. She’s warm and engaging when talking to children but scary and unsettling with adults. However, that doesn’t mean she’s immune to the occasional romantic entanglement.
Starship Blunder
The Conglomeracy, a small space federation, originally named their new vessel Starship Wonder. However, the moniker Starship Blunder immediately sticks. The brand-new, currently unproven, military vessel gets assigned the worst missions that no other commander in the Conglomeracy is willing to undertake.
Description: Although technically new, the Starship Blunder was assembled using extra pieces, cast-off parts, and old components removed from other, nicer crafts. Its patchwork of components gives it a unique and somewhat comical appearance. Many of the parts are underpowered for such a large vessel, so Xylo and his team frequently make improvements that may or may not fail at inopportune times.
Crew: The ship is home to approximately 150 individuals, comprising both crew members and their families. This includes a melting pot of species, predominantly human, but with a significant representation of other alien species.
Crew Quarters: The crew’s living quarters are cramped but functional. Each is personalized by its inhabitants, reflecting their personalities and histories.
Common Areas: The ship includes a communal dining area, a small medical bay, and a bridge. A new feature the old starship lacked: a conservatory for growing plants. However, plants barely grow in there. Crew members go to the conservatory to hang out and get into trouble and frequently end up in the area if they get lost.
Bridge: Command center of the ship.
Observation Deck: Viewing area for morale.
Dining Hall: Communal area for dining directly below the Galley.
Medical Bay: Basic medical facilities.
Hologram Hall: Used for both training and entertainment.
Cargo Hold: Storage for supplies and cargo.
Airlocks: Positioned for boarding and exterior access.
Level 2:
Crew Quarters: Compact living spaces for 150 crew/passengers.
Restrooms: Shared.
Daycare: An area for children.
Chef’s Galley: Kitchen area.
Engineering Bay: Mechanic’s workspace with tools and equipment.
Conservatory: Plant-growing area.
Terminus, Neptune
Neptune is the home planet for the Conglomeracy and Starship Blunder. It is presented as a habitable planet in this universe, with vast oceans and floating cities. The planet is known for its breathtaking views, with swirling blue storms and high-speed winds that are a spectacle to behold from the safety of the cities.
One of the floating cities of Neptune, Terminus, serves as the launching point for many of Blunder’s missions. The city is in the shape of a donut and completely enclosed to protect it from Neptune’s stormy weather.
Beloved floating city of Terminus, Neptune
Via: Starship Blunder.
