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Taking Submissions: Body of Work

May 31, 2023

Deadline: May 31st, 2023
Payment: Contributors copy and $30 for short stories and $10 for poetry
Theme: Speculative fiction that explores the body and our relationship to it
Note: For authors originally from, or living permanently in, Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand

What is a body?

In the modern world, the body is an object, separate from the self. The body is an inconvenience whose needs are a barrier to overcome in pursuit of productivity. The body is a collection of features. The body is an asset in which we invest to increase value. The body is sanitised, with illness and death hidden from public view. The body is effortless; evidence of exertion is edited out, except perhaps a single drop of sweat for aesthetic emphasis.

BODY OF WORK rejects this dislocation of the body from self. The body belongs to us in all its glory. The 2023 CSFG anthology seeks speculative fiction that explores the body and our relationship to it – how we live in it, how we die in it, and how we transform it – from the good to the bad to the just plain weird.

We invite authors to consider the following themes:

  • Bodily autonomy
  • Transformation and metamorphosis
  • Adaptation and mutation
  • Curses
  • Shapeshifting
  • Gender and sexuality
  • Illness and wellness
  • Disability and accessibility
  • Beauty standards
  • Body modification
  • Birth, aging, and death
  • Life cycles
  • Survival
  • Cyborgs, hybrids, and monsters
  • Medicine, medical history, and public health

Writing

We are seeking submissions from authors who are:

  • Over 18
  • Originally from, or living permanently in, Australia or Aotearoa New Zealand
  • Made out of meat (no AI-generated stories, please)

Submissions may take the form of

  • poetry (max 40 lines)
  • prose (max 5,000 words)

All entries must be the author’s original work. CSFG is not accepting reprints at this time. Stories will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • Engaging stories of literary merit
  • Within one or more speculative (sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, horror, etc) genres
  • An interesting/intelligent exploration of the theme; a mention is insufficient.

The deadline for submissions is midnight, 31 May 2023 (AEST).

Payment

Authors selected for the anthology will receive $30 for a short story and $10 for a poem, as well as a complementary copy of the book. Authors will also be eligible for discounts on extra copies. Author payments will be made by Paypal or direct deposit.

Rights

CSFG will seek the following publication and promotional rights: first English language and electronic publication rights, and the non-exclusive rights to use a short text extract and/or podcast for promotional purposes. All exclusive rights revert to the author 12 months after publication.

Important note

While the theme of this anthology does encompass sometimes difficult subjects such as human sexuality, body horror, and violence, we reserve the right to reject stories that include extremes of gore, violence, bigotry, sexual assault, or crimes against children. Adult is fine, gratuitous is not, and our editorial team will draw the line where it sees fit.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions must meet the previous criteria and the following guidelines. Any submissions received that do not meet the guidelines will be rejected.

  • Stories must be the author’s own original work, previously unpublished in any format, and typed in English.
  • Stories must be submitted in .doc or .docx format. No other file formats or hard copies will be accepted.
  • As Body of Work will use a blind reading process, please submit two separate documents: a) a cover page, listing your legal name, author name/pseudonym (if different from legal name), contact details, story title, and word count;  and b) the story itself (which should include no details about the author). Please ensure these documents are clearly named with the title of the story
  • Stories should be in standard manuscript format (minus author details). If you are unfamiliar with manuscript format, see https://www.shunn.net/format/story/.
  • Please include the word “submission”, your name and the title of your story in the subject line of your email (e.g. “Submission – Fred Storychap – The Perfect Story”)
  • Please include a brief cover letter in the body of your email. Your cover letter should include the title of your story, word count (to the nearest 500 words), and your story genre. If you have previous publication credits, you may include them if you wish.
  • Please include a short biography (50 words maximum) in the body of your email. If you are an unpublished or emerging writer and are unsure of what to include in your biography, let us know – if your story is accepted, we’ll be happy to help!
  • Submit your story – including the cover letter and story as separate documents – to [email protected]
  • When you submit a story to us, you should receive an email confirming we have received it within 48 hours. If you do not receive an email, please reach out to us and let us know; your story may have been caught in the spam filter or suffered some other malady.
  • Authors will be advised whether their story has been accepted or declined after 31 May 2023.

Please do not contact us to enquire about your story until 30 June 2023. If you submitted a story and have not heard from us by 30 June 2023, please contact us to follow up, as we may have missed you.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email [email protected]. Please include the word “Question” in the title so we can find you easily.

CSFG reserves the right to reject submissions that do not meet the above guidelines or otherwise does not meet appropriate standards of quality and propriety. If you are unsure where we draw the line, check out some of our other anthologies.

Via: CSFG.

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CSFG
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CSFG
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