Western Colorado Writers’ Forum

Anthology Submission Guidelines

Managing Editor: James Van Pelt

Submission deadline: Nov. 1, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2025

Western Colorado Voices

 

Book Description and Call for Manuscripts: Western Colorado Voices exists to showcase the diverse creative talents of Colorado residents west of the continental divide. We want fiction, memoir, history, and poetry. All manuscripts will be judged anonymously by an editorial board of the Western Colorado Writers Forum. We want original work that highlights a love of the human experience and finely-wrought language. The anthology will be printed both as an e-book and print-on-demand hardcopy.

Guidelines: We are an all-original anthology. No previously published work. Each submission should be attached to your cover letter as a separate doc, docx, or txt file. Prose pieces from 100-3,000 words. Writers may submit only one piece in each prose category (fiction, memoir, history). Poets may submit up to three poems no more than 100 lines in total. Manuscripts will be judged anonymously. Do not put identifying information on your manuscript. Name each file with the genre and title of your piece. For example: Fiction – Forgotten Moon.docx

We are casting a wide net. Fiction can be from any genre. We want entertaining stories whether they are mainstream literature, science fiction, western, mystery, horror (who can resist a spooky ghost story?), etc.

For prose pieces, follow the Shunn Manuscript guidelines (https://www.shunn.net/format/), which in general means one-inch margins, a non-distracting 12 pt. font like Times New Roman or Courier, double-spaced. Number your pages. Manuscripts will be judged anonymously. Do not put identifying information on your manuscript.

For poetry, format your poem the way you would like it to appear on the page using a non-distracting 12 pt. font like Times New Roman or Courier. If you submit more than one poem, send each as a separate file. All manuscripts will be judged anonymously. Do not put identifying information on your manuscript.

Statement on the Use of “AI” writing tools such as ChatGPT

We will not consider any submissions written, developed, or assisted by these tools. Attempting to submit these works may result in being banned from submitting works in the future.

What we don’t want: Graphic violence, violence against children, graphic sex, work that we deem racist or sexist or denigrates a religion, overtly political work.

Cover letter: We like cover letters, but more importantly, the cover letter connects your submission to your name. Please include the following in your cover letter:

• Your name, contact information (e-mail and address), and that you are a western Colorado resident.
• The title and genre of your submission(s). For example, “Please accept my science fiction short story, ‘Forgotten Moon,’ and my poem, ‘A Daffodil for the Dead.’” Remember to attach a separate file for each manuscript.
• A statement that the piece has not been previously published.
• A statement that you did not use an AI program to aid in the writing of the piece.
• A brief (100 words or less) bio written in 3rd person.
• You are welcome to include up to three publishing credits, but the quality of your submission will determine if we accept it. We hope the anthology will include both published and previously unpublished authors.

Reply Process: We will use a rolling acceptance system. Manuscripts will be read quickly (within a week) and will either be returned to the author as not a good fit for Western Colorado Voices or be held for further consideration. Final decisions will be made within one month after submissions close. Authors are welcome to submit new work within our reading period if their earlier submissions have been returned.

Payment and rights: We pay one cent a word for prose and $2 per poem, payable on publication. We buy first English language rights. This means that we are buying the rights to print your piece first. Once the book is published, all rights revert back to the author. Included authors will receive a copy of the anthology.

Submission address: Send your manuscripts and all questions to James Van Pelt at this email address.

Submission deadline: Nov. 1, 2024 to Jan. 31, 2025.

 

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