Things Aren’t What They Seem
by From the Asylum Books and Press
edited by Katherine Sanger
In the grand tradition of SF, we are looking for stories about aliens among us. They can be trying to fit in, take over, or steal away the promotion that you deserve. Does your neighbor drink an awful lot of milk? That guy at work not seem right? Who are they? What are they doing here?
We’re looking for flash fiction (up to 1,000 words) and short fiction (1,001 to 5,000 words) that tell the story of aliens in our world. (Please note: No “jar of Tang” endings. No “dream” endings. No elaborate set-ups on aliens planets to make it look like Earth in order to…you get the idea.) Word count is firm. Any pieces above or below the word count will not be read. Please submit only one story. Please do not submit poetry -- this is for fiction only.
Your story can fit anywhere in the speculative rainbow -- SF, fantasy, horror, or just plain strange! Humor is a plus, but is not strictly necessary. (Yes, you can have aliens in your medieval of fantasy-based world…the aliens can be good or evil..or just trying to survive on $6.50 an hour.)
Payment is $15 for flash fiction and $30 for short fiction. All authors accepted will also get one copy of the anthology.
UPDATE - 10/31/08
Things Aren’t What They Seem:
Acceptances and rejections of all submissions have gone out, both mail and email. If you have not heard from us, please send us an email at ksanger@fromtheasylum.com as some of the emails did bounce and I’m sure if it’s my system that is at fault.
We are re-opening the submission period, to last from October 31 until December 31. While we received a number of excellent stories, we have not yet reached our desired length as the anthology will not be heavy enough to assist in beating our alien neighbors.
Guidelines remain the same. We are still looking for both flash fiction (under 1,000 words) and longer works (up to 5,000 words).
There are two important things I would like to emphasize, however.
- Aliens *must be* the main thrust. No tacked on aliens that don’t figure into the plot.
- Humor is preferred over horror (although humorous horror often works for us!).
To enter:
Please send your submission to:
From the Asylum Books and Press
“Things Aren’t What They Seem”
PO Box 1519
Dickinson, TX 77539
Include a cover letter with your name, your pseudonym (if applicable), your email address, your phone number, your mailing address, the name of the piece, the word count of the piece, and a short biography. Include a SASE if you would like to be notified of rejection.
Or email:
fta@fromtheasylum.com
Please cut and paste your file (text, not html) into the email. We do not accept attachments.
Please be sure to use the subject line “Things Aren’t What They Seem Submission” or your piece may be put into the general submissions.
In your email, include your name, your pseudonym (if applicable), your email address, your phone number, your mailing address, the name of the piece, the word count of the piece, and a short biography.
Closing Date: We will be keeping the submissions for the anthology open until May 15. Responses to the first set of submissions will be going out by the end of April.
Publication Date: If closed by April 15, we will be publishing in November.
At this time, we hope to respond to entries within 4 weeks of receipt.
