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Hex Publishers is an independent publishing house proudly specializing in genre fiction: horror, science fiction, crime, dark fantasy, comics, and any other form that explores the imagination. Founded by writers, Hex values both the author and the reader, with an emphasis on quality, diversity, and voices often overlooked by the mainstream.

Submissions

Submission Guidelines for Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas

SUBMISSIONS CLOSED

Hex Publishers is proud to announce our Open Call for Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas, a collection of dark stories focused on folklore linked to location. Authors and folklore enthusiasts Carina Bissett and Hillary Dodge, and four-time Colorado Book Award finalist and StokerCon™ 2021 souvenir book publisher, Joshua Viola, will be jointly editing this anthology.

Shadow Atlas: Dark Landscapes of the Americas will be a collection of dark tales intrinsically rooted in the places from which they’ve sprung. We seek haunting and folkloric tales where setting is character and landscape is an essential part of the story. We want stories that draw from the wellspring of cultural destinations and local folklore in their shaping - most especially, stories that are tied to a specific and concrete location. This can include places that never existed, or those with connections created by the author, but they must take place in South America. Original tales, mash-ups, and new takes on known folkloric elements/cryptids/legends are all welcome.

There is an old saying that wisdom sits in places. Open an atlas across the Americas, and you will soon discover this knowledge hidden in fragments of shared memory marked on maps. The ancient peoples knew which areas to avoid, which spirits to appease. Later, invasive superstitions from far-flung countries seeded into the landscape. In order to survive, newcomers learned the cautionary tales and secret lore linked to the terrain. But not all paid heed to superstitions. These are their stories, each tale a new entry in the field guide to dark landscapes. From folk to urban horror, tell us about the places that leave their mark on the human psyche, those that resonate deep inside and leave something behind in return.

We are seeking short stories exclusively set in South America.
We are seeking poetry set in the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, and South America.

Payment: $250 for short fiction; $25 for poetry
Rights: Exclusive rights for 18 months after publication
Length: 2500 to 3000 words for short fiction; up to 35 lines for poetry
Submission Period: SUBMISSIONS CLOSED
Expected Release Date: November 2021
No reprints, multiple or simultaneous subs

Use classic Shunn formatting. Send as an attachment in doc or docx. In the subject line, put “Shadow Atlas,” the name of your story or poem, and author name. Example: Shadow Atlas – Story/Poem Title – Author Name.

Everything submitted outside of submission dates will be deleted.

Original art by award-winning artist Aaron Lovett will accompany each selected story.

Confirmed TOC:
Mario Acevedo
Colleen Anderson
Kay Chronister
Sara Cleto
Sean Eads
Warren Hammond
Angie Hodapp
Jimena Jurado
Gwendolyn Kiste
Josh Malerman
Lee Murray
Annie Neugebauer
Gerardo Horacio Porcayo
Sarah Read
Julia Rios
Betty Rocksteady
Angela Yuriko Smith
Christina Sng
Jeanne C. Stein
Tim Waggoner
Brittany Warman
Stephanie M. Wytovich
Mercedes M. Yardley
Jane Yolen
E. Lily Yu
Alvaro Zinos-Amaro

Best,
Carina Bissett, Hillary Dodge, and Joshua Viola