You asked for it, we’re finally getting around to doing it: a second short story (and this time, we really mean short!) anthology for the System Apocalypse. We’re looking to drag as many writers into doing this as possible.
Details below:
- Setting: The System Apocalypse set between years 2-4 (roughly books 3-5)
- Length: 2,000-6,000 words (more accepted but see below)
- Deadline: August 30, 2022
- Theme: ‘Picking up the Pieces’
- Payment: Guarantee of $0.03 per word for 6000 words. No additional payment for additional words (if story goes long). Potential of additional pay in case of successful Kickstarter
- Rights: Worldwide English language rights.
- Number to be selected: 7-10 stories (Note: insufficient number of relevant / good entries will have the anthology adjusted in significant manners, though not scrapped)
What I’m looking for:
Something unique, something I haven’t done and preferably, something others haven’t done. I enjoy reading more interesting characters with interesting Classes, so the next spellsword / mage / assassin-warrior-mage character is less likely to interest me than say, a family of circus performers.
I’m less interested in ‘special characters’ with great Perks or who have an unfair advantage and more interested in regular people, or those who are special because they made themselves special.
Also, I’d love to see the world after the second year, how people are changing and the world has changed and how humanity has adapted. The overall tone I’d prefer to be hopeful.
Please note, accepted submissions will go through an editing process with me. I expect that some aspects of the Skills / stat screens might not be exact. I’m more interested in a well-crafted story that can be edited to fit the world than a story that is exactly perfect to the system but is badly written.
For writers, feel free to ask questions about whether a specific Class or Skill or aspect needs fixing before you start writing. You can also read about some System basics in this linked blog post.
Lastly, submissions need to follow the basic lore of the world. Minor deviations are fine, but outright contradictions will be an issue and likely face automatic rejection.
Submission formats:
Please include your name, address and e-mail address in your submissions. Use the basic Shunn Manuscript format for formatting please.
Submit to: trwong(at)mylifemytao.com
Deadline: August 30, 2022
Last Note:
The work will be set-up as a Kickstarter after we get submissions in. Additional net funding via Kickstarter will go direct into the royalty rate of the works minus any additional costs that might be incurred (likely audiobooks at higher funding levels).
PPS: If you’ve ever wanted to know how you’d get to write in the universe… well, this is the audition process. :)