Call for Stories

Pandemonium

Do you want to see your work published on Amazon or Kobo? We’re seeking short stories based on the theme of dystopian romance. 

New worlds. New laws. An environment where love is rare… Pandemonium features stories about how love thrives in spite of societal barriers. Surprise us with your unique take on this theme.

Intended Audience: Young Adult (14+) (No explicit content.)

Possible Hybrid Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Supernatural, Romantic Comedy, Light Horror (e.g., Zombies that fall in love—but don’t do a topic that’s too cliche!), Science Fiction, Steampunk. (Feel free to reach out about a possible hybrid genre if you’re unsure about your story.)

Submissions open until December 20, 2021.

 

Writer’s Guidelines:

Welcome to the Port & Key Publishing Anthology Guidelines. These guidelines will give you a quick run-down on the requirements for submitting a story to our next Anthology, Pandemonium.

Here's how the process works:

  1. Read the "Call for Chapters." It will outline the vision and requirements for your anthology submission and our target audience for the book. We ask writers to frame submissions accordingly.
  2. Submit your story. Format your story into either a Google Doc or Word document (though we prefer working through Google Docs). E-mail the link to your story in Google Docs or attach your story to Port & Key Publishing with the subject line “Anthology Submission.”

Format for Book Submission

Title of Story:

Author’s Name (can be a pseudonym):

Word Count:

50-word synopsis (a basic blurb):

Story

  1. Round One—Initial Review [ALL Submissions]: The editors will select the first round of stories based on writing quality, fit within the anthology, and the uniqueness of the contribution. Editors maintain the right to refuse any manuscript from consideration for any reason.
  2. Round Two—Invitation for Editing

Memorandum of Understanding: Authors who are invited into the second round of selections will be asked to sign an MOU that outlines our editing process. The MOU asks invited authors to commit in good faith to complete the revisions. Each author will be assigned an editor who will work with them to edit and revise their manuscript before being the final editorial review. 

  1. Publishing Agreement: Invited authors must sign a publishing agreement granting permission to Port & Key Publishing to publish their story within the anthology. The author retains all copyrights to their stories. 
  2. Publication. The anthology will be published on Amazon, Kobo, and other online retailers. 
  3. Non-Cost/Non-Profit Service. Writers will not be charged to participate in the anthology. Likewise, any royalties (if any) will be used to offset the cost for publishing the anthology (e.g., barcode, ISBN, editing). Accepted authors will receive one copy of the anthology (in e-book format) and a one-time payment of $20 U.S. dollars upon publication. (Payments transferred through PayPal.)
  4. Civility. Finally, throughout this process above we ask that all writers be kind in their interactions with their fellow writers and the editorial team.

 

Manuscript Guidelines:

  1. Story submissions should range between 3,000 to 7,000 words and address the themes discussed in the Call for Chapters.
  2. Story submissions must be the original, unpublished work of the author. No portion of the story can be published in any form or media, including on personal websites, blogs, and/or other writing platforms.  
  3. If the story is accepted for publication, the author will grant the publisher temporary exclusive publishing rights for a six-month period after the publication of the anthology. At the end of this term, the author will allow the publisher non-exclusive, anthology publication rights and retain all other rights to their story. 
  4. Story submissions may not include sections that have been published elsewhere or that the author does not have permission to use. (For example, the story cannot include lyrics for songs or excerpts from other published works without the proper documentation granting permission.)
  5. Story submissions making it to Final Selection must be formatted in Microsoft Word or Google docs for editorial review. [The editorial team prefers to use Google Docs to aid in the editing process.]
  6. As editors, we retain the right to not accept manuscripts for any reason and at any time during all the processes outlined above.
  7. The following stories will not be accepted for the anthology: fanfiction, mature, or stories not addressing the theme of the anthology.
  8. Your story must be written solely for submission to our anthology, and NOT be considered for publication elsewhere or entered into competitions and/or contests.