At long last: updates!!!
A long overdue and very apologetic update on several projects. I'm really sorry for not doing this sooner. I've honestly been too overwhelmed with health concerns (including my first spell of severe, life-menacing depression in two years) and the vicissitudes of becoming a full-time freelancer to think straight for awhile, and unfortunately a lot of things suffered for it, including my anthologies. I feel absolutely terrible and embarrassed about this, and truth be told have probably avoided posting a bit sooner than today out of that embarrassment and anxiety. I promise, though, if my life hadn't been completely upended since...God, September when this all began, and several health problems not peppered me all at the same time (including a very expensive, very horrible broken tooth!), I would have been more on the ball.
Let's get going, then.
First! Femmes Fatales!
I'm working on edits for these and will have them to everyone who has been waiting in the next few weeks. Thank you all for being so patient through all of these disgusting delays. And again, if you've emailed and haven't heard from me, please nudge me. I think I've talked to everyone, but I may be wrong. I have been before.
I had intended to open submissions for this in January, but with so much going on this simply was not possible. I'll be open instead on March 15 and will remain open until June 15. Given how off this submission cycle has been, I'm leaving things open for three months this time instead of two to give you all more time, as well as to accommodate the still bumpy process of essentially being both self-employed and the breadwinner in my household at this time.
Here are the guidelines. Updated a little from last year, so please read over them even if you know them by heart :).
Steam-Powered 3: Further Lesbian Steampunk Stories is an anthology of steampunk stories that feature lesbian-identified protagonist and which strives to be inclusive of underrepresented (and often misrepresented!) identities in steampunk and lesbian fiction.
Although "steampunk" is a fairly broad genre, we are interested in the following:
* Stories set in the past and present as we know them, or in an alternate past or present, as well as a future in which 19th Century technology dominates.
* Stories that involve 19th Century steam technology or retro-future technology that does not involve steam. For example, if your story is set in the Gobi Desert, the lack of water may make this technology look different than it would in a society that has enough water for steam technology to be feasible. For a good idea of what I mean here, please read this essay by Steam-Powered 1 contributor Amal El-Mohtar: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/10/towards-a-steampunk-without-steam.
* Stories that explore and critique 19th and early 20th Century notions of colonialism, empire, race, sex and sexuality.
* The editor also has a strong preference for stories set outside Victorian England and the United States, stories that feature women of color protagonists, stories that feature protagonists from the lower or working class, stories with disabled protagonists (including those with cognitive disabilities and mental illnesses), and stories whose protagonists are not Christian. This is not to say that more 'typical' steampunk stories are unwelcome, just that they will be a harder sell.
* While Torquere Press publishes several romance and erotica titles, stories need not have romantic or erotic elements.
We are not interested in the following:
* Stories that exoticize, misrepresent or demonize lesbians, people of color, people with disabilities, or any culture or religion. (look up "cultural appropriation" for an idea of what we mean here).
* Stories with anti-lesbian clichés (such as the lesbian who would really enjoy heterosexual sex, if she met the right man)
* Stories with villains whose sole motivation for being bad is a mental illness or "being crazy."
* Poetry
* Fan fiction (stories featuring characters that are not copyrighted to the author)
As Steam-Powered is entering its third incarnation, we've seen a lot of stories set in a lot of places. However, some countries and regions have never appeared at all. Thus, I am particularly keen on seeing stories set in the following countries/regions/cultures.
1) Eastern and Central Europe. Seriously. We've had all of one submission ever set here.
2) Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, or Scandinavia. (I will seriously love you forever if you send me a story set in Italy--though by saying this I'm aware I may have just opened the floodgates lol)
3) Southern and Central Africa. Though I always want more stories about this continent!
4) Australia
5) Russia
6) Mexico
7) Canada
8) Anywhere in South America. I have one acceptance for SP3 set here, but I'd love more.
Of course, all regions are fine--specifically if they're not England--so please don't think I'm going to bounce your story if it isn't set in any of these places. I'm simply, again, offering up a few that I've seen little or nothing from and would like to see represented.
Submission Period: March 15 – June 15.
Word Count: 3,000 – 10,000 words (though shorter stories may be considered). **PLEASE query with your story idea first to save both you and the editor time.
Payment: $35 per story.
If your query is accepted, submit stories in .rtf or .doc format to JoSelle Vanderhooft at upstart.crow@gmail.com. Please title your submissions as [Author's Last Name]: Steam-Powered III Submission, and use standard manuscript format that includes your full name (and pen name if applicable), address, phone number and email.
Gay Ghosts!
If you haven't heard back from me about your query, you will by week's end. As I've only gotten a few stories so far, I may be looking for more in the very near future. Watch this space.
As for the anthology's name, I hope to hold the contest for it next month.
Let's get going, then.
First! Femmes Fatales!
I'm working on edits for these and will have them to everyone who has been waiting in the next few weeks. Thank you all for being so patient through all of these disgusting delays. And again, if you've emailed and haven't heard from me, please nudge me. I think I've talked to everyone, but I may be wrong. I have been before.
I had intended to open submissions for this in January, but with so much going on this simply was not possible. I'll be open instead on March 15 and will remain open until June 15. Given how off this submission cycle has been, I'm leaving things open for three months this time instead of two to give you all more time, as well as to accommodate the still bumpy process of essentially being both self-employed and the breadwinner in my household at this time.
Here are the guidelines. Updated a little from last year, so please read over them even if you know them by heart :).
Steam-Powered 3: Further Lesbian Steampunk Stories is an anthology of steampunk stories that feature lesbian-identified protagonist and which strives to be inclusive of underrepresented (and often misrepresented!) identities in steampunk and lesbian fiction.
Although "steampunk" is a fairly broad genre, we are interested in the following:
* Stories set in the past and present as we know them, or in an alternate past or present, as well as a future in which 19th Century technology dominates.
* Stories that involve 19th Century steam technology or retro-future technology that does not involve steam. For example, if your story is set in the Gobi Desert, the lack of water may make this technology look different than it would in a society that has enough water for steam technology to be feasible. For a good idea of what I mean here, please read this essay by Steam-Powered 1 contributor Amal El-Mohtar: http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/10/towards-a-steampunk-without-steam.
* Stories that explore and critique 19th and early 20th Century notions of colonialism, empire, race, sex and sexuality.
* The editor also has a strong preference for stories set outside Victorian England and the United States, stories that feature women of color protagonists, stories that feature protagonists from the lower or working class, stories with disabled protagonists (including those with cognitive disabilities and mental illnesses), and stories whose protagonists are not Christian. This is not to say that more 'typical' steampunk stories are unwelcome, just that they will be a harder sell.
* While Torquere Press publishes several romance and erotica titles, stories need not have romantic or erotic elements.
We are not interested in the following:
* Stories that exoticize, misrepresent or demonize lesbians, people of color, people with disabilities, or any culture or religion. (look up "cultural appropriation" for an idea of what we mean here).
* Stories with anti-lesbian clichés (such as the lesbian who would really enjoy heterosexual sex, if she met the right man)
* Stories with villains whose sole motivation for being bad is a mental illness or "being crazy."
* Poetry
* Fan fiction (stories featuring characters that are not copyrighted to the author)
As Steam-Powered is entering its third incarnation, we've seen a lot of stories set in a lot of places. However, some countries and regions have never appeared at all. Thus, I am particularly keen on seeing stories set in the following countries/regions/cultures.
1) Eastern and Central Europe. Seriously. We've had all of one submission ever set here.
2) Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, or Scandinavia. (I will seriously love you forever if you send me a story set in Italy--though by saying this I'm aware I may have just opened the floodgates lol)
3) Southern and Central Africa. Though I always want more stories about this continent!
4) Australia
5) Russia
6) Mexico
7) Canada
8) Anywhere in South America. I have one acceptance for SP3 set here, but I'd love more.
Of course, all regions are fine--specifically if they're not England--so please don't think I'm going to bounce your story if it isn't set in any of these places. I'm simply, again, offering up a few that I've seen little or nothing from and would like to see represented.
Submission Period: March 15 – June 15.
Word Count: 3,000 – 10,000 words (though shorter stories may be considered). **PLEASE query with your story idea first to save both you and the editor time.
Payment: $35 per story.
If your query is accepted, submit stories in .rtf or .doc format to JoSelle Vanderhooft at upstart.crow@gmail.com. Please title your submissions as [Author's Last Name]: Steam-Powered III Submission, and use standard manuscript format that includes your full name (and pen name if applicable), address, phone number and email.
Gay Ghosts!
If you haven't heard back from me about your query, you will by week's end. As I've only gotten a few stories so far, I may be looking for more in the very near future. Watch this space.
As for the anthology's name, I hope to hold the contest for it next month.
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