Solarwyrm Press is seeking submissions for a new anthology titled Marked by Scorn: An anthology featuring non-traditional relationships.

This anthology is open to fiction (any genre), non-fiction, and poetry. If you submit a memoir piece, and choose to use real names, please make sure you have permission from those mentioned before submitting.

In the context of this anthology, non-traditional relationships means any romantic/sexual in nature relationship that deviates from society’s stereotype of “normal.” Interracial couples, LGBT+, polyamorous and other open relationship styles, asexual, and so on. Relationships that have in the past and/or are presently deemed “unacceptable” to the majority of society, though that does not need to be the subject of the piece(s) you submit. We want all kinds of submissions about these relationships, both depressing and uplifting and anything in between, but will not publish submissions that clearly discriminate thematically against them.

As with the editor’s previous publication, diversity is important. The final submissions selected for publication will reflect that, and so it will hopefully include as many types of non-traditional relationships as possible. It would also be excellent to see submissions set all over the world. If possible, we would particularly like to include submissions written by people from/living in, or submissions set in locations within the continents of Africa, Asia, and South and Central America, but will not be limited to these regions.

Submissions should not include a lot of gratuitous sex (this is not an erotica anthology), but some sex is acceptable if it is relevant to the story.

A special note form the editor on submissions with interracial couples: whilst I am not against publishing stories where one half of the couple is a white man, I find it very hard to enjoy such a story if the white man is portrayed as some kind of a saviour to their partner.

The editor of this anthology previously published Amok: An Anthology of Asia-Pacific Speculative Fiction, if you would like to get an idea about the stories she has selected in the past.

Submission Guidelines

Please send your submissions by email directed to Dominica Malcolm at solarwyrm@gmail.com. You may submit up to 3 stories and/or 5 poems for consideration.

Your attached story should be a .doc, .odt, or .rtf file and must be formatted with double spacing. Times New Roman font is preferred.

The subject line should read “Marked by Scorn Anthology Submission/YOUR SURNAME/TITLE/WORD COUNT”

Within the body of your email, please also indicate: type of submission (poetry, fiction, non-fiction), and how you feel your submission fits the prompt.

Word count (prose): Between 1,000-8,000 words.
Line count (poetry): Not more than 150 lines.
Deadline: February 15th, 2015.

Submissions will not be read until AFTER the deadline, but we will endeavour to notify all writers accepted for the anthology by March 31st, 2015.

Rights and Remuneration

The author will retain copyright of the work. Solarwyrm Press requests first print and digital publication rights, exclusive for 3 months from publication. After that, the author is free to accept publication elsewhere, post the story to their blog, or anything else.

Submissions may be edited for minor spelling, grammar, or formatting issues. Submissions with major spelling and grammar issues will be rejected.

The author will receive 1 paperback copy of the anthology, and be paid at the rate of 1/2 a cent per word, which equates to a maximum of US$40.