We Cryptids Submissions Guidelines!
over 3 years ago
– Mon, Nov 02, 2020 at 08:28:08 AM
The following are the submissions guidelines for We Cryptids.
Word limit: 3000-6000 words.
Pay rate: $200/story + royalties
Genre: Urban Fantasy only (no Science Fiction or Horror, although horror elements may be present in the story). Other forms of fantasy (epic fantasy, Historical Fantasy, or Steampunk, for example) will not be accepted. If the cryptid you choose to write about was sighted in a timeframe earlier than 2020, you are welcome to write within that time frame, but the more modern the story, the better.
Language: English (translations are welcome).
Submissions open: October 31, 2020
Submissions close: March 1, 2021
Rights: We claim first world English rights (no reprints). For an excellent break down of what this means, please see Neil Clarke’s post here.
Cryptids have long haunted our imaginations and folklore. Bigfoot, the chupacabra, Nessie, the Jersey Devil, vampires, the fae, kraken, the mothman, werewolves, and more all feature in the stories we tell ourselves to inspire wonder and mystery. By living on the borders of society, at the edges of the map marked "here be dragons", cryptids exist in the liminal spaces between fact and fiction.
We Cryptids invites you to consider what would happen if cryptids existed and lived among us. Would they be our neighbors, or would their children be barred from our schools? Would they be disproportionately stopped by police just because of what they were and what they looked like? Would their children be taken from them to be raised by "approved parents" to uphold other people's values. Would they be allowed to fight for the country, but not allowed to vote? Would their marriage not be recognized by the government? Could they "pass" as human, but still be liable to being fired if anyone found out? Would they be hunted for being different or even murdered for not being human? How would they survive and thrive in a world that doesn't believe in them and fears those who are different?
Although metaphors for serious and often deadly societal problems, these guidelines are intended to inspire you to look at the world differently and perhaps understand others a little better. Even though the theme may be serious, we will not accept stories of despair. The characters live on the margins of society, but their experiences are not hopeless. Even as cryptids, they have strength, perseverance, and hope.
When writing your story, consider that you’re writing about real experiences that real people have, not just something fictional characters have to deal with. Do your research and write with compassion. Stories that feature cryptids as monstrous due to their marginalization will be less well received than stories that feature characters who are cryptids and marginalized. As an example, I am much more likely to accept a story that features a nonbinary cryptid who is a cryptid and nonbinary, rather than one that features a nonbinary person who is a cryptid because they're nonbinary.
For tone, I am looking for noblebright, not grimdark.
When choosing a cryptid to write about, please be conscientious of the cultural history of the legend in question and respectful of the cultures from which it originates. Because of this, stories written from one’s own cultural experiences are encouraged.
Send your stories formatted in Standard Manuscript format attached as a .doc to editor at cuppateapublications dot com. Include your name, byline, email address, mailing address, and approximate word count. In your cover letter, also include the crypitd your story is about.
I welcome and seek out submissions from writers of color, writers outside of the gender binary, writers who are differently abled, neurologically atypical writers, LGBTQIA+ writers, and other diverse individuals.
WE DID IT! AAAAAAHHHHH!
over 3 years ago
– Sat, Oct 31, 2020 at 09:40:24 AM
Hello backers!
Oh my gosh thank you so much for making this project a reality!!! I am trying SO HARD to not type all of this in all caps because I am so excited. We made our funding goal with close to 28 hours to go and I would be lying if I said I hadn't watching this page and feverishly refreshing as all of you helped make this become a reality.
So this means that tomorrow I'll be opening up submissions! Writers, ready your keyboards/pens/typewriters/writing instrument of choice and GET WRITING!!! More details to come, but the basic guidelines are on the kickstarter itself if you want to get started.
SQUEEEEE!
Thank you all so very much again.
Cryptidly,
Vivian
Three days left and thirty percent to go!
over 3 years ago
– Sat, Oct 31, 2020 at 08:56:08 AM
Hello backers (and potential backers! hi :) )!
We are soooo close I can feel it. There's still time to back if you have been considering it and haven't yet and still time to make this project a reality.
If you're on the fence, you might ask why you should back this project and that would be a great question!
The simple (and not particularly satisfying answer) is because IT'S GOING TO BE AWESOME!
The longer (and hopefully more convincing answer) is multifold.
First, you'll be supporting diverse authors from marginalized communities and giving them a place to tell you their stories. This is so important, especially when people are confronted by the cis white dudeness of science fiction/fantasy and wonder why that is. Well the main reason is that for the longest time it was very difficult for a non white cis white male to get a story published in SF/F. Name more than five authors of color published in the genre before 1980. Things are getting better these days, and part of the reason is anthologies like mine and the efforts of publishers like me who want more than just one perspective. Even better, this sea change is being driven by readers like you! The more you support authors of color, women authors, and LGBTQIA+ authors, the more likely their stories will get in front of more eyes and they'll be able to share their experiences with more people. When we uplift diverse voices, everyone wins because we get access to so many more cool stories and perspectives, ones that differ from the narratives we've been reading for over a century.
Secondly, cryptids are fascinating. Or at least I think they are (and given the popularity of urban legends, I'd hazard to guess you do too). Wouldn't it be amazing to have an entire book of stories about cryptids as they live their daily lives, with their struggles and triumphs? Not only will you get to support amazing authors, you'll be able to read stories that don't often come out of the tropometer of fantasy fiction.
Finally, there will be an open submissions process after the project is over. Provided it funds, I'll be opening up submissions to the general public to fill the other eight story slots I have budgeted for. So not only will you be able to read an original story by established authors like R. R. Virdi, L.J. Hachmeister, Veronica R. Callisto, and E. A. Copen, you'll be giving another author you may not have heard of a chance to share their story. How cool would that be to maybe discover your new next favorite author or story because you supported this project?
So, if you believe in supporting diverse authors, learning new ways to look at the world, reading new and exciting stories, and giving new authors a chance, now is the time to help me make this project a reality.
I'm excited to see what we can accomplish together!
Cryptidly,
Vivian
$1500 Left to Go with Less than a Week!
over 3 years ago
– Mon, Oct 26, 2020 at 01:10:48 PM
Hello backers!
We are getting so close to our goal and with your help we can reach that goal! I want to say how grateful I am to everyone who has been sharing and talking about this project. Your efforts are really helping my own to promote this project and we are getting there! Just a little more and we'll be able to have a shiny awesome book to share with you!
I have received some questions about a paperback copy, and while that isn't off the table, it likely won't happen on this Kickstarter unless we hit our stretch goals. It costs more to prepare a print book (layout, covers, printing, shipping, etc), so that will be a determining factor in whether we can open those levels up. As much as I would like to have physical copies, it does cost more to make them.
That being said, even if we don't hit that stretch goal, there will be physical copies of the novella I'm writing for this project (I can't sign ebooks :D), so if you'd like a physical goodie for this project, please feel free to check out that level!
Included in that level is a tuckerization of the backers at that level in the novella. For those who aren't familiar with the term, it means that I will put your name in the book as either a character or a place (depending on how it feels for the story). There are only 7 left of this option, so if that's something you would like, grab that before it's gone! I'm terribly excited to see how I can work these into the story and I hope you'll enjoy them as much as I will.
Thank you again for all of your support!
Regards,
Vivian
Halfway There! Temporally and Monetarily!
over 3 years ago
– Sun, Oct 25, 2020 at 03:01:35 PM
Hello Backers!
We are halfway to our goal and halfway through the campaign and making good progress! In this update I wanted to dig a little deeper into the why of this project. I know in my video and in the written description, I referred to compassion as being a factor in why I feel these stories are important. Compassion is something we grow, something that we develop as we learn more about others not like us. When we don't have that context to understand other peoples' experiences, this same urge in us can come out as pity, indifference, or worst, disgust. But those three emotions can be tied to lack of context and understanding.
What I am trying to do with this anthology is help us, as readers, build that compassion "muscle". Fiction often gives us tools to examine and look at real life in ways that we may not be accustomed to as well as frameworks that may differ from our usual experience. Reading is an artificial way to explore the world, but it doesn't mean that it is a bad one. Instead it is a great way for us to look at how other people live and experience life in ways that go beyond our normal day to day.
That is one of the reasons I enjoy reading so much. I get to step into someone else's shoes for a moment and experience their hopes and fears and dreams, which may be very different from my own.
This anthology is designed to give you those experiences and also to help us build up that compassion that I mentioned earlier. The more compassion we can bring into the world, the better off we will be as a species, and that gives me hope, even in this, the darkest timeline.
As a final note, I wanted to give a shoutout to all of you who have been sharing and talking about this project with your friends. You are amazing and I really appreciate your enthusiasm! I only have so much reach, so your help in sharing this project and talking about it has really made a huge difference in the people it can get to. I appreciate you and please keep it up!
Regards,
Vivian
