Taking Submissions: Before Plan 9

Before Plan 9: Plans 1-8 From Outer Space

PAYMENT: $50.00 and one contributor’s copy
DEADLINE: August 1’st 2011

WHAT IT IS: Before Plan 9: Plans 1-8 from Outer Space will take place within the continuity of the universe originally established by Ed Wood’s 1959 film Plan 9 from Outer Space. It will contain eight different stories, each tale detailing one of the 8 plans attempted and failed by the aliens. It will also contain a Prologue and an Epilogue, written by me, to not only help bind the stories together but to also tie the stories in to the original film.

WHAT WE WANT: A unique story that focuses on and describes one and only one of the eight Plans. This is important to note; stories that do not meet this very important requirement will not be considered for inclusion. So, as an example, if you have a story in mind that tells the tale of the first two Plans, your story will not work; while you can write about other plot points and story lines, the main focus of your tale should be one plan only.

WHAT YOU GET: Each of the eight authors selected to have their stories included in the book will receive a one-time payment of $50.00 and one free author’s copy of the book upon its release.

DETAILS:

Stories can be written from a variety of standpoints (the aliens, human civilians/military, etc.) and may include elements of one or more genres (horror, science fiction, humor, etc.).
Word count must firmly fall between 7,000-10,000 words; stories that are longer or shorter than this set guideline will be returned to the author unread.

It is YOUR CHOICE if you decide to write your Plan as one that could be any of the eight Plans OR if you reference the Plan you are writing about as a specifically-numbered plan. That is to say, if you are dead-set that the story you are creating is about the very first plan, Plan 1, that is fine; just know that in doing so, you will not only be up against all stories written as a non-numbered Plan but are also directly competing with all other stories submitted that were specifically written as Plan 1.

IMPORTANT: Please submit your story as a Word Document (.doc) or an RTF file (.rtf). DO NOT use fancy fonts anywhere in the document; use a general font such as Arial, Times New Roman, or other “normal” font. Please double-space, number your pages, and put the following information at the top of the first page: your name, your e-mail address, your phone number, story word count, and story title if you have one (titles may or may not be used in the final version of the book). If your story was written to be a specific Plan number, please include that information as well.

The DEADLINE for submissions for this anthology is 11:59pm EST on Monday, August 1, 2011.

NO MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS and NO REPRINTS will be considered for this anthology. Since the nature of these stories is so specialized, we are seeking your one best, unique tale; take as much time as you need before the deadline to make your story the absolute best that it can be.

Plan 9 from Outer Space is a public-domain movie and as such is available for free and legal download from a variety of sites, and it is also available on DVD. I HIGHLY encourage anyone who is planning on submitting a story to watch the original film before you begin writing, in order to re-familiarize yourself with the storyline and details that Ed Wood has established for this universe, in addition to fully understanding why the aliens are attacking the humans (the reason is given towards the end of the film).

Send all submissions to [email protected]. Please make the body of your e-mail a brief cover letter, outlining any previous works or publications you wish me to be aware of. I will send an e-mail confirming receipt of story, but will not be offering any acceptances or rejections until after the submission deadline has passed.

Any further questions you may have surrounding the nature or specifics of this project, feel free to send them to me at the e-mail address above or post them on this thread, as I will be checking back often. Thank you, and I look forward to reading your creations!

[via: Tony Schaab.]