1. The Nemonymous editor requires a story judged suitable by its author for inclusion in the projected Cern Zoo book, planned to be published in June 2009. Ideally, this story should be specially written for ‘Cern Zoo’. 'Cern Zoo' (alternatively 'Cerne Zoo') simply means what it means to you. The above image is not intended to guide the nature of submissions and your story can have any title.2. Between 500 and 14000 words for each story.3. Lump sum payment in UK pounds to author upon publication: £0.01 a word up to a maximum of £100 (by Paypal).4. Stories should be submitted as a Word Doc attachment. The editorial addresses to which your submission should be sent are bfitzworth@yahoo.co.uk ANDdflewis48@hotmail.com5. One story per author under consideration at any one time. The deadline is 31 March 2009.6. You may submit the story anonymously. If so, you will be asked to reveal your identity and/or by-line when and if the story is placed on the short list.7. The story must be original to the author and never published before in any form. No simultaneous submissions.8. It is possible that any story will be kept for the whole of the reading period and still not be accepted for publication.9. The stories will be published without a direct by-line but there will be a disordered list of authors’ names printed on the back cover. The by-lines will be correctly assigned on-line to the stories' titles when 8 months have elapsed after the publication of 'Cern Zoo'=C 2and also correctly assigned within the projected printed 'Nemonymous Ten' in 2010.10. The decision of the Nemonymous editor is final regarding all points above. By submitting a story, any author accepts these terms. Please put 'Cern Zoo: Story Title' as the subject of your email. Also, please show a word count at the top.To help you with 'styling' your story for NEMONYMOUS, please see all the independent reviews linked from: www.nemonym ous.com and also by reading previous editions of Nemonymous.http://weirdmonger.blog-city.com/cerne_zoo__guidelines.htmhttp://diversionpress.com/anthology_seriesCall for Entries as Prize for New Fiction goes AnnualDesmond Elliott Prize 2009Entry forms are downloadable at www.desmondelliottprize.comhttp://www.ellipsispress.com/submission-guidelines/Submission GuidelinesEllipsis Press is interested in novels that arestructurally innovative.We like: novels that look normal but aren’t (more than those that look weird but are actually quite normal); those that aresuccessful at bypassing or evolving the seemingly necessary but often tired elements of character and/orplot; and those that respond in some way to the history of the novel as genre and form.Writers who have studied the traditional elements of the novel and experimented with them to emotionally movingand/or extraordinary ends are invited to submit for publication.Send your whole manuscripts as a .rtf attachment by email only to editors [at] ellipsispress [dot] com.We are not interested in poetry, short story collections, or non-fiction at this time. Due to time constraints we can respondonly to those submissions we wish to pursue. These responses will be made within four months time.We are lookingfor well-crafted, original stories from 2000 to 5000 words which involve Dia delos Muertos in some way. Other than that, subject matter is fairly open. Thereis a lot of room for creativity here and we want stories which explore thistheme in a variety of ways. We like stories which are more literary in nature,but we welcome elements of fantasy and/or subtle horror, magical realism, etc.We are not looking for excessive blood and gore for this antho, although we arenot opposed to some blood if done properly and appropriate to the story.SHINE Anthology Guidelineses/>October 28, 2008 at 9:07 pm * Filed under GuidelinesSHINE is an anthology of optimistic near-future SF, edited by Jetse deVries, published by Solaris Books, and is planned for an early 2010release.Keywords:Convincing and optimistic: Imagine that we are the biggest skeptics onthe planet, then show us how things can change for the better, andpersuade us.Near-future: from now until 50 years later.SF: we're not going to define it. Write what you think is SF, andconvince us with the story.The Gritty:Length: up to 10k words (not hard, but anything longer than 10k shouldbe mind-blowingly superb).Payment: 5 cents a word, on publication (and probably a pro rata shareof the anthologist's earnings: I'm working on that)Genres: science fiction only. I greatly prefer original stories, but Iwill - like Baen's Universe - look at stories that have been publishedin markets that are not professional by SFWA standards, or markets witha relatively small reach. I also consider Interzone, Black Static,Postscripts, Futurismic, Apex Digest and Flurb to be either professionalmarkets or markets with a wide reach (or both), so don't want to seestories published by them, either.Rights: First World English Rights, non-exclusive world anthologyrights, non-exclusive audio anthology rights, and further subsidiaryrights specified in my boilerplate [author-anthologist contract], whichI'll put up after I return from World Fantasy. NOTE: obviously, foreventual reprints the first world rights will become anthology rights,first if possible.Reading Period: May and June 2009Response Time: Most rejections will be sent out quickly, while I willhold over stories that I like until July 31, when a final decision ismade. No multiple submissions, please: only one story per author, andonly submit a second one if I expressly ask for it. Simultaneoussubmissions: at your own discretion, but keep in mind that I will notfight over a story, that is, if it's with another publisher I will dropit like a ton of bricks.Submissions Instructions: send your story, preferably single-spaced andin rich text format (RTF) to [email to be added later]. Put Submission:"Title of your story" in the email's subject line.FAIRY TALE REVIEWPlease note that our next submission period is Feb 15, 2009 - September 15, 2009. We will be accepting submissions ONLINE duringthat time, via a Submission Manager, accessible at that time from our website.We look forward to reading your work! The Red Issuehttp://www.fairytalereview.blogspot.com/http://www.fairytalereview.com/Fairy Tale Review is an annual literary journal devoted to contemporary fairy tales. The journal hopes to provide anelegant and innovative venue for both established and emerging authors of poetryand prose. Fairy Tale Review is not devoted to any particular school ofwriting, but rather to fairy tales as an inspiring art form.Fairy Tale Review is a co-publication of The University of Alabama Press. For recentnews please visit www.fairytalereview.blogspot.comhttp://www.leeandlow.com/p/new_voices_award.mhtmlNEW VOICES AWARDSLEE & LOW BOOKS, award-winning publisher of children's books, is pleased to announce the ninth annual NEW VOICES AWARD. The Award will be given for a children's fiction or nonfiction picture book story by a writer of color. The Award winner will receive a cash grant of $1000 and our standard publication contract, including our basic advance and royalties for a first time author.An Honor Award winner will receive a cash grant of $500.1. Thecontest is open to writers of color who are residents of the U.S. andwho have not previously had a children's picture book published.2. Writers who have published in other venues, such as children's magazines,young adult, or adult fiction or nonfiction, are eligible. Only unagentedsubmissions will be accepted.3. Manuscripts previously submitted for this award or to LEE & LOW BOOKS arenot eligible.Submissions1. Manuscripts should address the needs of children of color by providingstories with which they can identify and relate, and which promote a greaterunderstanding of one another.2. Submissions may be FICTION or NONFICTION for children ages 5 to 12.Folklore and animal stories will not be considered.3. Manuscripts should be no more than 1500 words in length and accompanied bya cover letter that includes the author's name, address, phone number, e-mailaddress, a brief biographical note, relevant cultural and ethnic information,how the author heard about the award, and publication history, if any.4. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced on 8-1/2" x 11" paper. Aself-addressed, stamped envelope with sufficient postage must be included for returnof the manuscript.5. Up to two submissions per entrant. Each submission should be submittedseparately.6. Submissions should be clearly addressed to:LEE & LOW BOOKS95 Madison AvenueNew York, NY 10016ATTN: NEW VOICES AWARD7. Manuscripts may not be submitted to other publishers or to LEE & LOW BOOKSgeneral submissions while under consideration for this Award. LEE & LOW BOOKSis not responsible for late, lost, or incorrectly addressed or delivered submissions.8. Dates for Submission: Manuscripts will be accepted from May 1, 2009,through October 31, 2009 and must be postmarked within that period.Announcement of the AwardThe Award and Honor Award winners will be selected no later than December 31,2009. All entrants who include an SASE will be notified in writing of our decision by January 31, 2009. The judges are the editors ofLEE & LOW BOOKS. The decision of the judges is final. At least one Honor Award will be given eachyear, but LEE & LOW BOOKS reserves the right not to choose an Award winner.2009 Essence Short Fiction Contest Official RulesDream of being the next Terry McMillan or E. Lynn Harris? It just might happen. Start by entering our 2009 Essence Short Fiction contest. The winner will be announced at next year's Essence Literary Awards. See rules below.Write On!2009 ESSENCE Short Fiction ContestOFFICIAL RULES1. ELIGIBILITY: This contest is open only to legal residents of the United States and Washington, DC 18 years or older at the time of entry that have never had a work of fiction published in a major commercial book, or in a magazine with a circulation of more than 25,000. Void where prohibited by law. Employees of Sponsor and its promotional partners and their respective parents, affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies (and members of their immediate family and/or those living in the same of household of each such employee) are not eligible.2. HOW TO ENTER: All stories submitted must be works of original fiction featuring an adult female of African descent as the main character. All contest entries must be typed, double-spaced, with one‹inch margins, on one side of 8 1/2 -by-11 inch paper and not more than ten pages or 2,500 words. The author's name, mail, email address (if available) and daytime telephone number must appear in the top right-hand corner of the first manuscript page. All subsequent pages must be numbered in the top right-hand corner and include the author's last name. Submit your entries via postal mail only in care of 2009 ESSENCE SHORT FICTION CONTEST, Essence Magazine, 135 W. 50th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10020. All entries must be postmarked no later than September 30, 2008 and received no later October 7, 2008. Limit one entry per person. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, incomplete, postage due mail or entries not received for any reason. Entries become sole property of Sponsor and none will be acknowledged or returned. By entering, Entrant warrants that his or her entry is original and does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party and has not previously won an award. ESSENCE WILL NOT ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS IN THE FORM OF FAXES OR ELECTRONIC ATTACHMENTS. Entries will not be returned, and the contestant will only be contacted if her or his entry is chosen. Telephone, postal mail, email or fax inquiries will not be accepted and could cause disqualification.3. JUDGING: All entries will be judged by the editorial staff of ESSENCE and a select panel of publishing experts appointed by ESSENCE based on the following criteria: Originality (25%); Creativity (25%); Use of language (25%); and Appropriateness to contest theme (25%). First, Second and Third place winners and Seven Honorable Mentions will be chosen by the judges. In the event of a tie, an additional tie-breaker judge will determine the Winners from among all such tied entries using the judging criteria above. Incomplete and/or inaccurate entries and entries not complying with all rules are subject to disqualification. Decisions of judges are final and binding. Winners will be notified by telephone or email on or about January 10, 2009.4. PRIZES: One First Prize Winner will receive a cash prize of $1,000 and publication of her or his contest entry in a winter 2009 issue of ESSENCE magazine. The submissions of the First, Second and Third Prize Winners as well as those of the Seven Honorable Mentions will be featured on ESSENCE.COM during the first quarter of 2009. ALL TAXES ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNERS. The prize is nontransferable and is awarded without warranty, express or implied, of any kind. ALL WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT THE 2009 ESSENCE LITERARY AWARDS.5. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION: No transfer, assignment, or substitution of a prize permitted, except Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize (or prize component) for an item of equal or greater value at Sponsor's sole discretion. Nothing in these official contest rules shall obligate Sponsor to publish or otherwise use any entry submitted in connection with this Contest. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Contest. By entering, Entrant represents that any materials submitted as part of Entrant's Contest entry are original and will not constitute defamation or an invasion of privacy or otherwise infringe upon the rights of any third party, and that the Entrant owns or has the rights to convey any and all right and title in such entry. In addition, by entering, Entrant grants to Sponsor a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to edit, publish, promote, republish at any time in the future and otherwise use Entrant's submitted entry, along with Entrant's name, likeness, biographical information, and any other information provided by Entrant, in any and all media for possible editorial, promotional or advertising purposes, without further permission, notice or compensation (except where prohibited by law). Potential Winner, as a condition of receiving any prize, also may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release and where legally permissible a Publicity Release and confirmation of a license as set forth above within 7 days following the date of first attempted notification, certifying, among other things, the following: (a) entry does not defame or invade the privacy of any party; (b) entry does not infringe upon the rights of any third party; and (c) the entry submitted is original and has never won an award. Failure to comply with this deadline may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate winner. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. By entering and/or accepting prize, Entrants and Winners agree to hold Sponsor and its promotional partners, its directors, officers, employees and assigns harmless for liability, damages or claims for injury or loss to any person or property relating to, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, participation in this Contest, the acceptance and/or subsequent use or misuse, or condition of any of the prizes awarded, or claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion or privacy. False or deceptive entries or acts will render the Entrant ineligible. Sponsor, in its sole discretion, reserves the immediate and unrestricted right to disqualify any entrant or prize winner, if either commits or has committed any act, or has been involved or becomes involved in any situation or occurrence which the Sponsor deems likely to subject the Sponsor, entrant or winner to ridicule, scandal or contempt or which reflects unfavorably upon the Sponsor in any way. If such information is discovered by Sponsor after a winner has received notice of his/her prize and before the prize is awarded, Sponsor may rescind the prize in its entirety. If a portion of his/her prize has already been awarded, Sponsor may withdraw the remainder of the prize that has been fulfilled. Decisions of the Sponsor are final and binding in all matters related to this paragraph. Sponsor is not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the official rules, administration of the contest, or in the announcement of the prize.6. GOVERNING LAW: This Contest is governed by the internal laws of the state of New York without regard to principals of conflict of laws. All cases and claims pertaining to this Contest must be brought in a court of competent jurisdiction in the City of New York, without recourse to class action suits.7. SEVERABILITY: If any provision of these Rules is found to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction or appointed arbitrator, such determination shall in no way affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision herein.8. WINNER'S LIST: For name of Winner(s), available after February 15, 2009, log onto www. Essence.com for a period of thirty days.9. SPONSOR: The Sponsor of this Contest is ESSENCE Magazine, 135 W. 50th Street, New York, NY 10020.RELATED ARTICLES:Find out what E. Lynn Harris's writing pet peeves are, in our exclusive interview »Read our preview and 30-second expert of Trading Dreams at Midnight »Check out the photo recap of the 2008 ESSENCE Literary Award »View the Nappily Faithful Book Club Guide »Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers ispleased to announceThe Twenty-Seventh Annual Delacorte Press Contestfor a First Young Adult NovelThe prize of a book contract (on the publisher's standard form) coveringworld rights for a hardcover and a paperback edition, including an advance androyalties, will be awarded annually to encourage the writing of contemporaryyoung adult fiction. The award consists of $1,500 in cash and a $7,500 advanceagainst royalties.All federal, state, and local taxes, if any, are the winner's soleresponsibility. Prizes are not transferrable and cannot be assigned. NO PURCHASENECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN.ELIGIBILITY1. The contest is open to U.S. and Canadian writers who havenot previously published a young adult novel. Employees of Random House, Inc.and its subsidiaries and affiliates, and members of their families andhouseholds are not eligible.2. Foreign-language manuscripts and translations are not eligible.3. Manuscripts submitted to a previous Delacorte Press contest are not eligible.FORMAT FOR SUBMISSIONS1. Submissions should consist of a book-length manuscript with a contemporary setting that will be suitable for readers ages12 to 18.2. Manuscripts should be no shorter than 100 typewritten pages and no longer than224 typewritten pages. Include a brief plot summary with your covering letter.3. Each manuscript should have a cover page listing the title of the novel; the author's name, address, and telephone number.4. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced on 8-1/2" x 11" good quality whitepaper, and pages should be numbered consecutively. The type should be at least10 point. The author should retain a copy of any manuscript submitted.5. Photocopies are acceptable if readily legible and printed on good quality white(not gray) paper.6. Do not submit manuscripts in boxes. A padded envelope will do. Please do not enclose checks for postage. The publisher is notresponsible for late, lost, misdelivered, or misplaced submissions.7. Please enclose a business-size stamped, self-addressed envelope for notification only. Please do notenclose checks for postage. Due to new postal regulations, the publisher cannot return any manuscripts. All submissions will be recycledby Random House after they are read.MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS1. Manuscripts sent to Delacorte Press may not be submitted to other publishers or literary agents while underconsideration for the prize.2. Authors may not submit more than two manuscripts to the Delacorte Press competition; each mustmeet all eligibility requirements.DATES FOR SUBMISSION1. Manuscripts must be postmarked after October 1, 2009, but no later than December 31, 2009.2. Send manuscripts to:Delacorte Press ContestRandom House, Inc.1745 Broadway, 9th FloorNew York, New York 10019FEDERATIONSEDITED BY JOHN JOSEPH ADAMSFrom Star Trek to Star Wars, from Dune toFoundation, science fiction has a rich history of exploring the idea ofvast intergalactic societies, and the challenges facing those living in ortrying to manage such societies. The stories in Federations will continuethat tradition.What are the social/religious/environmental/technological implications ofliving in such a vast society? What happens when expansionist tendencies on agalactic scale come into conflict with the indigenous peoples of other planets,of other races? And what of the issue of communicating across such distances, orthe problems caused by relativistic travel? These are just some of the questionsand issues that the stories in Federations will take on.Genres: Science Fiction only. Original fiction only, no reprints.Payment: 5 cents per word ($250 max), plus a pro-rata share of theanthology’s earnings and 1 contributor copy.Word limit: 5000 words. (Stories may exceed 5000 words, but $250 isthe maximum payment per story, and stories 5000 words or less are stronglypreferred.)Rights: First world English rights, non-exclusive world anthologyrights, and non-exclusive audio anthology rights. See my boilerplate author-anthologistcontract, which spells out the rights in detail.Reading Period: November 1-January 1, 2009Response Time: Most rejections will be sent out quickly, but storiesthat I like may be held until January 31 before a final decision is made.Publication date: May 2009Publisher: Prime BooksSubmission Instructions: Email your story in rich-text format (RTF) toJohn Joseph Adams at federations.anthology@gmail.com.Include the title of the story and your byline in the subject line of the email.ABOUT THE EDITORJohn Joseph Adams is the editor of the anthologies Wastelands: Stories ofthe Apocalypse, Seeds of Change, and The LivingDead. He is also the assistant editor at The Magazine of Fantasy &Science Fiction, and is the print news correspondent for SCI FI Wire(the news service of the SCI FI Channel). For more information, visit hiswebsite at www.johnjosephadams.com.http://www.johnjosephadams.com/?p=1630GUIDELINESHIGHLIGHTS 2009 FICTION CONTESTCATEGORY:Contemporary world-cultures stories.PRIZES:Three prizes of $1,000 or tuition for the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua.ENTRY DATES:All entries must be postmarked between January 1, 2009, and January 31, 2009.RULES:No entry form or fee is required.*Entrants must be at least 16 years old at the time of submission.We welcome work from both published and unpublished authors. All submissions must be previously unpublished.Stories may be any length up to 800 words. Stories for beginning readers should not exceed 500 words. Indicate the word count in the upper right-hand corner of the first page of your manuscript.No crime, violence, or derogatory humor.Entries not accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope will not be returned.Manuscripts or envelopes should be clearly marked FICTION CONTEST. Those not marked in this way will be considered as regular submissions to Highlights.SEND ENTRIES TO:FICTION CONTESTHighlights for Children803 Church StreetHonesdale, PA 18431WINNERS:The three winning entries will be announced on Highlights.com in June 2009. These stories will become the property of Highlights for Children and will be published by Highlights. All other submissions will be considered for purchase byHighlights.* We're sorry that we cannot consider contest entries from children under the age of 16. Young writers are welcome to submit their work for consideration elsewhere in the magazine. Guidelines are available on HighlightsKids.com.Highlights for Children will accept submissions to the publication's 30thannual fiction contest during the month of January 2009. The contest is open toanyone interested in writing for children and three winners will receive $1,000each.Every year Highlights seeks stories with different themes. Look on the internet to see what this year'srequirements are. Under contest rules, any unpublished story is eligible, whethersubmitted by a professional or a new author. Previous winners have included bothpublished and first-time authors.Contest guidelines state that all entries must be postmarked between January 1 and January 31, 2009.The stories should not exceed 800 words, and they may be considerably shorter for youngerchildren. Stories glorifying war or crime or containing violence or derogatoryhumor are not acceptable.The three contest winners will be announced on Highlights.com in June 2009. Winning manuscripts become the property ofHighlights and will appear in the periodical at a later date. All other contestsubmissions will be considered for purchase at regular rates and terms. A listof winners will be sent by mail if a self-addressed stamped envelope is includedwith submissions.Highlights also accepts the submission of articles, stories, and fillers throughout the year.For guidelines or additional information, go tohttp://www.highlights.com/custserv/customerservicecontent2main.jsp?iCategoryID=203&iContentID=1584&CCNavIDs=3,203Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers is proud to announce the Eighteenth AnnualDelacorte Dell Yearling Contest for a First Middle-Grade Novel*The prize of a book contract (on the Publisher's standard form) for ahardcover and a paperback edition, including an advance and royalties, will beawarded annually to encourage the writing of contemporary or historical fictionset in North America, for readers age 9–12. The award consists of $1,500 incash and a $7,500 advance against royalties.All federal, state and local taxes, if any, are the winners sole responsibility. Prizes are not transferrableand cannot be assigned. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO WIN.ELIGIBILITY1. The contest is open to U.S. and Canadian writers who have not previouslypublished a novel for middle-grade readers. Employees of Random House, Inc. andits subsidiaries and affiliates, and members of their families and householdsare not eligible.2. Foreign-language manuscripts and translations are not eligible.3. Manuscripts submitted to a previous Delacorte Press contest are not eligible.FORMAT FOR SUBMISSIONS1. Manuscripts should be no shorter than 96 typewritten pages and no longer than 160 typewrittenpages. Include a brief plot summary with your covering letter.2. Each manuscript should have a cover page listing the title of the work and theauthor's name, address, and telephone number. The title shouldalso appear on each manuscript page.3. Manuscripts should be typeddoublespaced on 8 1/2" by 11" good quality white paper, and pages should benumbered consecutively.The type should be easy to read, preferably 12 point.Theauthor should retain a copy of any manuscript submitted.4. Photocopies are acceptable if readily legible and printed on good quality white (not gray)paper. Partial or illegible entries will not be acceptable.5. Photocopies are acceptable if readily legible and printed on good quality white(not gray) paper.6. Do not submit manuscripts in boxes. A padded envelope will do. Please do not enclose checks for postage. The publisher is notresponsible for late, lost, misdelivered, or misplaced submissions.7. Please enclose a business-size stamped, self-addressed envelope for notification only. Please do notenclose checks for postage. Due to new postal regulations, the publisher cannot return any manuscripts. All submissions will be recycledby Random House after they are read.MULTIPLE SUBMISSIONS1. Manuscripts sent to Delacorte Press may not be submitted to other publishers or literary agents while under consideration for theprize.2. Authors may not submit more than two manuscripts to the Delacorte Yearling competition; each must meet all eligibilityrequirements.DATES FOR SUBMISSION1. Manuscripts must be postmarked after April 1, 2009, but no later than June 30, 2009.2. Send manuscripts to:Delacorte Yearling ContestRandom House, Inc.1745 Broadway, 9th FloorNew York, NY 10019Presenting a new short fiction contest for unpublished writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.For its third edition of Spectra Pulse, Bantam Spectra is allowing unpublished writers to get their work featured alongside some of the most well-respected names in science fiction and fantasy.One lucky winner will receive $100 and have his/her story published in the Summer 2009 issue of Spectra Pulse, Bantam Spectra’s exclusive magazine distributed at Comic-Con San Diego and select conventions and bookstores (available July 2009).*Prize:The winning author will receive $100 and have his or her work published in the Summer 2009 issue of Spectra Pulse.To Enter:Submit a work of speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror, new weird, anything fantastic in nature) no longer than 2,000 words in length to spectrapulse@randomhouse.com by January 31, 2009. Be sure to include your name, e-mail address, and mailing address.One winning story will be selected by the Bantam Spectra editorial department. The Winner will be notified by March 18, 2009 and announced on April 28, 2009.Open to adults, ages 18 or older, who are residents of the United States and have never published a work of fiction nor entered into a publishing contract as of the time of entry. Entrants who subsequently enter into a publishing contract will be disqualified from winning if their contracted work is to be published before Fall 2009. Submissions that have been submitted to another publication or online site for publication will not be accepted.Scroll down to read the Official Rules for complete eligibility requirements and submission guidelines.If you have any questions, you may e-mail us at spectrapulse@randomhouse.com.OFFICIAL RULESOFFICIAL RULES 2009 SPECTRA PULSE SHORT FICTION CONTESTNO PURCHASE NECESSARY.1. This Contest runs from October 28, 2008 to January 31, 2009. To be eligible to win, entrants must email their name and complete mailing address along with their Spectra Pulse Short Fiction Contest submission (in English) to spectrapulse@randomhouse.com on or before the entry deadline: 11:59 P.M., Pacific Time, on January 31, 2009. Each story must be limited to no more than two thousand (2000) words and must be submitted as a .doc, .pdf or .rtf file. The e-mail must include the subject line "Spectra Pulse Short Fiction Contest Submission." Sponsor may use entrant's e-mail address for purposes of prize notification and to request a mailing address to be used for the sole purpose of delivering the prize. Any entries received after the deadline will be ineligible to win. LIMIT ONE ENTRY PER PERSON and ONE ENTRY PER EMAIL. Multiple entries from the same person are void. Sponsor is not responsible for entries that are late, misdirected, lost, garbled, or unintelligible, including those due to computer or network malfunction or congestion (including at Random House), and any such entries are ineligible.2. Prizes are as follows: One (1) Grand Prize: a $100 cash prize and inclusion of the Winner’s short fiction submission in the Summer 2009/Issue No. 3 edition of Spectra Pulse. No transfer or substitution of the prize will be permitted, except by The Bantam Dell Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. ("Sponsor") in its sole discretion, in which case a prize of equal or greater value will be awarded.3. On or about March 17, 2009 one (1) Grand Prize winning submission will be chosen by Sponsor's marketing and editorial departments from all eligible and completed submissions received by the entry deadline. Entries will be judged on the basis of originality, creativity and writing style. Winners will be notified by e-mail and their mailing address will be used by Sponsor solely for the purpose of delivering the cash portion of the Prize.4. This Contest is open only to residents of the United States (excluding Puerto Rico) who are 18 years of age or older, have not published a work of fiction (self-published books included), and do not have a publishing contract at the time of submission. Entrants who subsequently enter into a publishing contract will be disqualified from winning if their contracted work is to be published before Fall 2009. Submissions that have been submitted to another publication or online site for publication will not be accepted. Employees of Random House, Inc., its affiliates and subsidiaries, and their immediate family members and persons living in their households are not eligible to enter. This Contest is subject to all federal, state, and local regulations. Offer void in Puerto Rico and where otherwise restricted or prohibited. All federal and local taxes, if any, are the sole responsibility of the Winner.5. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft, destruction, or unauthorized access to the site. Sponsor is not responsible for injury or damage to entrants' or to any other person's computer, other equipment, or person relating to or resulting from participation in the sweepstakes, or from downloading materials or accessing the site.6. By entering the Contest, entrants represent and warrant that they are the sole owner of the copyright in their submitted work, that the work is original to them and that it does not infringe upon the proprietary rights of anyone, invade on anyone’s privacy or violate any other rights. By accepting the prize, Winner grants Sponsor the exclusive right to first publish his/her work in Spectra Pulse and online and the nonexclusive right after such first publication to publish, post online or otherwise reproduce the work and the name and likeness of the Winner in any and all forms and media throughout the world, and for any and all publicity or promotional purposes, without obligation or compensation, except where prohibited by law. Entries will not be returned or acknowledged.7. For the names of the Winner, available after October 28, 2009, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope, separate from your entry, to Spectra Pulse Short Story Contest, Bantam Internet Marketing, Dept. MW, 1745 Broadway, New York, New York, 10019 by December 31, 2009.8. Sponsor: The Bantam Dell Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., 1745 Broadway, New York, New York, 10019.http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/spectra/spectrapulseshortfiction.htmlCATASTROPHIAEdited by Allen AshleyGuidelinesCatastrophia will be a collection of stories loosely themed around the theme of catastrophes, disasters and post-apocalyptic fiction. I will be looking for original, unpublished stories which deal in a modern manner with these classic SF- and Horror-based tropes.Rights and other technical detailsI’m looking only for original material - no reprints. I will be buying First British and First North American Rights for your story with a one-year moratorium subsequent to publication. I can offer 3p/6c a word up to a maximum payment of £100 / $200 per story. The book will be published byPS Publishing and the current expected pub date is summer 2010.SubmissionsThe submission period will open on 1st August 2008 and will last until 31stMay 2009 or whenever the book is full. Unless specified otherwise, all submissions should be sent as disposable hard copies to:Allen AshleyEditor: Catastrophia110d Marlborough RoadBounds GreenLondon, N22 8NNEnglandPlease include an email address for reply or a stamped and addressed envelope. Response time will be three months or less.Stories should ideally be in the range of 2000 to 6000 words although both longer and shorter tales will be considered.Catastrophe? What catastrophe?In short, some event that rapidly changes the world social order, threatens the survival of humankind or the Earth, reduces people to a state of mere hand-to-mouth existence, puts the clock of progress back a couple of thousand years almost overnight, takes our attention off the exploits of celebrities, footballers and politicians and instead focuses it on keeping ourselves and our loved ones alive until sundown . . . and so on. As I said in my own story ‘The Overwhelm’ (in which the world was engulfed by fog): “Truly it didn’t take much for the veneer of civilisation to be stripped away.”I will be taking a broad view of what constitutes a catastrophe/disaster / apocalypse but authors should note that I am not seeking gratuitous rape and violence fantasies.A brief history of catastrophesThese tales have a long and prominent history within the genre and are among the first titles that spring to mind when listing SF classics. Discounting Biblical, mythical and similar precedents, this sub-genre probably started with:The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells (invading Martians destroy Britain) and M. P. Shiel’s The Purple Cloud (Polar toxins kill everybody bar the protagonist).Brian Aldiss famously labelled many of these stories as “cosy catastrophes” but that certainly hasn’t got in the way of our enjoyment. Your editor grew up on these stories and with Catastrophia expects to reinvigorate the genre for the twenty-first century. Indeed, recent films such as The Day After Tomorrow (environmental disaster), Deep Impact (comet strikes Earth) and the re-make of The War of the Worlds suggests the desire is there to be faced with the apocalyptic all over again.Further readingBrian Aldiss - Greybeard (no children are born);Brian Aldiss - Barefoot in the Head (LSD contamination causes social breakdown);J. G. Ballard - The Drowned World, The Drought, The Crystal World, The Wind From Nowhere - early quartet of psychological /environmental disaster novels from the master;Edmund Cooper - All Fool’s Day and Richard Matheson - I Am Legend (benchmark post-apocalyptic last man on Earth tales);Edmund Cooper - Kronk and Charles Platt - The Gas (rampant venereal disease / sex plagues);John Christopher - The World in Winter (new ice age);John Christopher - Death of Grass (aka No Blade of Grass) (All grass / wheat / rice crops fail);Keith Roberts - The Furies (giant wasps);John Wyndham - The Day of the Triffids (blindness and killer plants);John Wyndham - The Kraken Wakes (marauding sea monsters);Roger Zelazny - Damnation Alley (Mad Max started here).For a really modern catastrophe story in the short form, I recommend that you track down ‘Approaching Zero’ by John Lucas (contemporary lifestyles as catastrophe!), most recently available in my anthology from Elastic Press, The Elastic Book Of Numbers (2005).Catastrophes for the new millenniumWith the current prominence of ‘Green’ issues, you may well decide to try your hand at environmental disaster, biological agents running amuck, responses to the future fuel and water shortages or similar themes . . .I’ve always quite liked the idea of the animal and plant kingdoms getting their own back on Humankind (See The Furies, Day of the Triffids, the filmThem, etc) - so I would be quite receptive to an idea along those lines. No zombies or vampires, though, which have been done to death.Similarly, I’m open to something based on our dependence on technology in the so-called Information Age. But no cyberspeak gobbledegook, please, and no rehash of Transformers.I’m sure there’s plenty of material to extrapolate from. Better still, come up with a fresh catastrophe idea, something that has not been explored before but is still close enough to the real world to convince as an extrapolation or a possibility.Good luck!http://anthologynewsandreviews.blogspot.com/2008/11/catastrophia.html
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