2021 Speculative Young Adult Anthology: Growth – Call for Submissions!
CALLING ALL WRITERS!
TL;DR Press is proud to announce we are open for submissions for GROWTH, an anthology of Young Adult speculative fiction, to benefit charity. We are asking for submissions from writers around the world who have a story to tell and want to help a great cause.
We are looking for well written and imaginative short stories and poems, that feature well developed characters, strong themes, and interesting settings.
YA is a popular category in fiction, but one we have not focused on for an anthology until now. We want YA pieces that feature a speculative element, whether this be Fantasy, Science Fiction, Horror, or other Weird Fiction. The speculative element can be slight, but it must be integral to the story.
If you’re unsure what constitutes Young Adult, fear not! We have linked to the wikipedia entry here.
The definition of YA differs slightly depending on who you talk to, but the wiki has the gist.
We will note though, make sure you are writing up to your audience, not down. While it works to simplify some things, like magic systems or settings, the themes and messages in your story can still be serious and more complex.
We would also like to see nature or the environment play a part in your stories and poems.
Here is why:
For this release we have partnered with a truly excellent environmental charity, and as such we would like to represent their mission in the stories featured. We do not want to limit you too much though, so this aspect (nature/environment) can feature however you choose, whether it be: as a setting, such as an ancient, mystical forest; a theme, where your underlying message is the ramifications of how people impact their environment; a future technology that either improves or further exacerbates the climate situation; or even a creature comprised of a collection of sentient fungi.
The charity this anthology will be released in support of is the Young People’s Trust for the Environment (YPTE). We are thrilled to be able to support their mission with this collection. Read the Charity subsection below for more details!
Submission Guidelines
- Submissions open: June 1, 2021
- Submissions close: June 30, 2021
- One short story submission or two poetry submissions per author
- Word Limit: 3,000 words for short stories, 1000 words per poem
- Any form of speculative fiction is accepted, as long as it fits within the YA category. We strongly encourage creativity and are open to any interpretation of speculative fiction.
- Features a link to nature and/or the environment in some way.
- Submit your story or poem through our Google Form (link below), which will require the following information:
- A .docx or .doc attachment of your submission
- Your name (pen names are acceptable)
- Title of your piece
- Genre
- Social media handles (optional)
- Word count
- Whether or not your piece has been previously published, and if so what rights you maintain
- Whether or not you would like editorial feedback before a final scoring of your piece
- Read our General Submission Guidelines for more information.
- In order to streamline the process for our editors, please format your submission title as: Story Title / Author Name (i.e. The Winding River / Rachel Rachelson)
Submission Format
Please submit in .doc or .docx file types. Make sure the title of your submission and your name are on the first page of your submission. Your story should be formatted in Chicago Style if possible. This includes double spacing, indenting except for the opening line, and size 12 font in Calibri or Arial*. Find more information about Chicago Style here.
If you have any trouble with the above guidelines, please feel free to ask for help! You can contact us at tldrpress@gmail.com or through our Twitter.
Please note that we are not accepting pieces with graphic depictions of assault, sexual violence, or incest. Remember the category is Young Adult, so content should be appropriate.
Our Charity of Choice: Young People’s Trust for the Environment
TL;DR Press are delighted to be able to partner with the Young People’s Trust for the Environment for this anthology!
YPTE are a long standing charitable organisation, founded back in 1982. Their aim is a hugely important one: to encourage young people’s understanding of the environment and the need for sustainability. In a world feeling the effects of climate change, witnessing the damaging effects of our lifestyles, and taking early steps towards course correcting, this mission is more important than ever; ensuring future generations are aware of environmental problems such as deforestation, pollution, and disappearing wildlife, and are armed with the knowledge to make their own decisions to better mitigate or prevent these issues continuing.
We would encourage you to read more about YPTE at https://ypte.org.uk
You can find our previous collections, and the charities we’ve worked with, on our Library page.
TL;DR Press has always been dedicated to helping emerging writers grow their talent, as well contributing to great causes. All proceeds from our collections are donated directly to specified charities. We are proud to be able to merge creativity and charitable work. For more information about our past work and our process, please check out the About page!
If you have any issues with the Google Form while submitting, email our team at tldrpress@gmail.com or DM us on Twitter @TLDRpress.
Good luck!
TL;DR Press.