Furry Writers' Guild Forum

Dystopian Anthology Call

Publishing and Marketing
#1

Theme: Dystopian
Title: To be determined
Due Date: May 1st, 2017
Length: 4,000-12,000.
Editors: NightEyes DaySpring and Slip-Wolf
Publisher: FurPlanet
Rating: G to R

Call for submissions:

Society and culture are always in flux. These changes often provide both positive and negative consequences. Humanity has always wondered what future lies ahead of it. The exploration of these possibilities, the roads taken, and the roads not taken are at the heart of dystopian fiction. Can society adapt, or will it be stuck in stasis? Can these forces be shaped by government and powerful people for better or will they shape us? Most importantly, what happens when things go wrong? What happens when the system is corrupted?

Furry literature offers the opportunity to explore these futures and our past through a different lens. It frees us to step back and look at ourselves in a deeper way. How would an anthropomorphic society face authoritarian governments, intrusive commercialization, and ecological degradation? Would social organization by species be more important than economic concerns? This anthology is looking for furry dystopian stories that explore these questions and more.

For this anthology, I would like to see a broad set of stories covered. I expect to see a lot of darker sci-fi and near future sci-fi stories. While these are great, they aren’t the only thing I’ll be looking for. I also want to see stories about characters struggling and overcoming challenges facing them to build better lives for themselves. Unique settings and cultures will also be welcome additions to the book. While I anticipate stories talking about politics, your work should have a deeper focus than just current political concerns.

Remember, you story must be furry, but I will accept mixed human/furry societies. Because they are quite common in the furry fandom, furry persecution stories must be different and unique in order to be seriously considered. Finally, stories with elements of farce and comedy are also welcome. Your story does not need to be dark and gritty to fit the theme.

Payment rate is half cent a word plus a contributor’s copy. Send submissions to furrydystopiananthology@gmail.com.

#2

I have a story I originally wrote for Thurston Howl’s Seven Deadly Sins anthology, I think it might fit your requirements but I’m not entirely sure.

#3

If you have a specific question you want to discuss privately you can email us. You’ve got plenty of time to make some changes to it if you want also.

#4

Does the dystopian society have be made up and set in an alternate universe, or be real and set on Earth (contemporary communist countries, for example)?

#5

Whatever works for the story you are trying to tell. Since we’re asking for furry stories, the setting will always have some fantasy elements in them. How much real life you use with your anthros is up to you. We’re flexible and whatever world you build works fines.

Also, as I note for everyone, I don’t have it in the call, but please submit your stories in manuscript format using a standard font like Courier New or Times New Roman. I do think at some point we need to post an example of this on the FWG website as an easily accessible resource.

#6

Thanks, I like that it opens up a wide realm of possibilities we can explore.

Are you thinking of the William Shunn standard manuscript format in particular? I believe the official site dictating the guidelines already provides an example, so simply stickying a thread with the link to that would do, if it hasn’t been done already.

#7

Shunn has a great example, but the advice is a little dated. I don’t feel it’s necessary to underline italics instead of just using italics when you want to use them. That seems like a hold over from typewriter days. I recall someone mentioning there is a more current example out there, but I haven’t seen it.

#8

There’s the Writer’s Digest guidelines. Last updated 12/22/14. Bit more recent and another publisher pointed me to it.

Though I wonder if there is some sort of “official” manuscript format. Like MLA, APA and all that literary jazz.

#9

From my experience in submitting non-anthro works, most speculative fiction venues swear by the Shunn SMF (with a tweak to the italics rule in that they prefer actual italics over underlining, as NightEyes mentioned). So I make that format my safe default for fiction, regardless of genre.

#10

You know have four weeks left to write and edit your Dystopia submission!

#11

Last post I’ll do, but I did a little write up about the anthology if you are interested: https://nighteyes-dayspring.com/2017/07/20/dystopian-anthology-selections/

#12

From 47 submissions to 16. Glad to have made the cut, and I look forward to this one!