Post by ajfrench on Jan 29, 2011 15:23:44 GMT
Hey guys . . .
I’m pleased to introduce another fine Static Movement anthology that I will be editing. This one is entitled “The Shadow of the Unknown” and it will feature Lovecraftian horror stories. This is not a market for Cthulhu Mythos although I will tolerate a teensy bit of elder god name-dropping. But not much. I am more interested in Lovecraft-inspired stories and other types of metaphysical horror. Think Thomas Ligotti, Joe S. Pulver, Jay Lake, Simon Strantzas, and Laird Barron. These are nü-Lovecraft horror writers who have taken Grandpa Theobald’s style and ideas to the next level. This new level, in my opinion, is much more enigmatic and metaphysical in nature. These are stories where reality is never quite what it appears to be, and usually it’s discovered that one’s reality is often horrific, delirious, and dreamlike. The narratives of these stories have a very subjective and often claustrophobic feel (like Lovecraft), and so when the weird stuff starts happening you sometimes don’t know if it’s in the narrator’s mind or if it’s really real. Weird Tale and New Weird are also welcome, but I am specifically seeking the kind of Lovecraftian fiction mentioned above.
This is a “for the love anthology” so there is no payment or copy, but there will be some descent exposure. If it helps you can bear in mind that Lovecraft himself died penniless and now the man is a legend. I'm a writer myself and I do think writers should be paid for their work, but there's just no budget where I'm presently doing the editing gig. What I get is a chance to flesh out my editing ideas. So I'm not asking for that masterpiece of yours that will finally cement your position on the Cemetery Dance TOC. I will also accept reprints. If you're like me, you gotta write something everyday or else you get rusty, and you gotta do something with all those hours spent writing. Nothing wrong with honing your skills while also writing something you can have a lot of fun with. ---And then sending it to me, mwah-hah-hah!
I prefer stories around 4000 words, though I will look at longer and shorter lengths, but no flash. Keep cursing, sex, and gore to a minimum unless it’s essential to the plot. A focus on atmosphere and mood will take precedence over shock tactics. Total word count for the book will be roughly 70,000 – 80,000.
Please send your submissions to me at lovecraftantho@gmail.com Attach your story as an rtf file. Please also use the standard formatting as set forth by Chris of Static Movement: single-spaced, no spaces between paragraphs, and half-inch tab indentations. No single quotation marks for dialogue (curly quotes). One space after periods instead of two. Open until filled. Response time: 2 weeks. Reprints accepted. If not formatted correctly, stories will not be read. Proofread carefully and give me your very best. I will be sending copies of the book to various Best Of compendiums after everything is said and done.
Also, below is the awesome cover art created by Jessy of Pill Hill Press.
Thanks for your time!
A.J. French
I’m pleased to introduce another fine Static Movement anthology that I will be editing. This one is entitled “The Shadow of the Unknown” and it will feature Lovecraftian horror stories. This is not a market for Cthulhu Mythos although I will tolerate a teensy bit of elder god name-dropping. But not much. I am more interested in Lovecraft-inspired stories and other types of metaphysical horror. Think Thomas Ligotti, Joe S. Pulver, Jay Lake, Simon Strantzas, and Laird Barron. These are nü-Lovecraft horror writers who have taken Grandpa Theobald’s style and ideas to the next level. This new level, in my opinion, is much more enigmatic and metaphysical in nature. These are stories where reality is never quite what it appears to be, and usually it’s discovered that one’s reality is often horrific, delirious, and dreamlike. The narratives of these stories have a very subjective and often claustrophobic feel (like Lovecraft), and so when the weird stuff starts happening you sometimes don’t know if it’s in the narrator’s mind or if it’s really real. Weird Tale and New Weird are also welcome, but I am specifically seeking the kind of Lovecraftian fiction mentioned above.
This is a “for the love anthology” so there is no payment or copy, but there will be some descent exposure. If it helps you can bear in mind that Lovecraft himself died penniless and now the man is a legend. I'm a writer myself and I do think writers should be paid for their work, but there's just no budget where I'm presently doing the editing gig. What I get is a chance to flesh out my editing ideas. So I'm not asking for that masterpiece of yours that will finally cement your position on the Cemetery Dance TOC. I will also accept reprints. If you're like me, you gotta write something everyday or else you get rusty, and you gotta do something with all those hours spent writing. Nothing wrong with honing your skills while also writing something you can have a lot of fun with. ---And then sending it to me, mwah-hah-hah!
I prefer stories around 4000 words, though I will look at longer and shorter lengths, but no flash. Keep cursing, sex, and gore to a minimum unless it’s essential to the plot. A focus on atmosphere and mood will take precedence over shock tactics. Total word count for the book will be roughly 70,000 – 80,000.
Please send your submissions to me at lovecraftantho@gmail.com Attach your story as an rtf file. Please also use the standard formatting as set forth by Chris of Static Movement: single-spaced, no spaces between paragraphs, and half-inch tab indentations. No single quotation marks for dialogue (curly quotes). One space after periods instead of two. Open until filled. Response time: 2 weeks. Reprints accepted. If not formatted correctly, stories will not be read. Proofread carefully and give me your very best. I will be sending copies of the book to various Best Of compendiums after everything is said and done.
Also, below is the awesome cover art created by Jessy of Pill Hill Press.
Thanks for your time!
A.J. French