Deadline: February 29, 2016
Payment: $20

Length:          2,000 to 4,000 words (exceptional stories can have fewer, or more, words than our suggested guidelines)

 

WHAT WE WANT:

We’re looking for crisp, out-of-the-box, modern, and unique urban legends that’ll be told around campfires for the next century. Give us your ghosts, faeries, cryptids, killers, and creepy kids, but tread carefully around the trap of retelling an urban legend that’s already been told. Tales from the Lake: Volume 3 is not horror-specific whatsoever, but steer clear of romance and cutesy stories.

Give us a new generation of beautifully crafted urban legends that’s diverse and meaningful; something we’ve never seen before, set in places we’ve only ever dreamt of going.

 

WHAT WE DON’T WANT:

It’s simple, really: Don’t give us vampires and werewolves unless you’re Anne Rice, and don’t give us zombies unless you’re Jonathan Maberry.

We’re not easily offended, but the unnecessary use of graphic violence and explicit sexual encounters should be avoided unless it’s crucial to the plot. That said, the slightest hint of animal cruelty gets you an automatic rejection letter, and no exceptions will be made in this regard. Profanity is okay, just don’t overdo it.

Other than that; show us what you’re made of.

 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Stories should be formatted as doc or docx files. Further guidelines are as follows:

• Times New Roman, 12pt, single spaced, justified.
• 1″ margins, 1/2″ indent.
• No spaces between paragraphs, and use *** for scene breaks
• Contact information must be on the first page of document
• No headers, footers or page numbers
• Include a short (2-4 sentences) bio, written in third person at the end of your document.

In the subject line of your email, please put: Tales from the Lake: Vol 3 Submission – “Title of Story” – Your Name. Email your story as an attachment to [email protected].

 

Please take note: Submissions are in English only, although stories translated into English are also acceptable.

Rights purchased: First English-Language Rights and Non-exclusive Anthology Rights (Print and eBook) for one year.

No poetry, plays, or novel excerpts.

Simultaneous submissions are okay, but let us know in the body of your email if you intend on sending your story to more publishers, while we’re considering it.

No multiple submissions, please.

Via: Crystal Lake Publishing.