It’s been a year since the last time Duck Prints Press (the indie press founded by fancreators to help other fancreators publish their original work) called for applicants, and we are absolutely thrilled and super excited to announce that today is the day! We are recruiting author contributors for our next anthology!
Aether Beyond the Binary is an all-new aetherpunk anthology that will feature 20 short stories each up to 7,500 words long that re-imagine modern or near-future Earth as a place where aether is real and the technology runs on this mysterious, magical element. Specifically, stories will focus on the stories of characters who are outside the gender binary (agender, genderfluid, nonbinary, etc.) living in aetherpunk settings on contemporary-esque Earth—a world like ours, but different because of the advent of the availability magic to power technology.
Has mankind known about magic since the dawn of evolution? Was aether discovered literally yesterday? How does the availability of aether as a power source impact society, politics, economics, culture, technology, sexuality, gender? We want to hear your ideas! For this project, we’re seeking 10 fanfiction authors who have not published their work with the Press before and who are interested in making the transition to publishing their original work! (The other 10 spots are reserved for authors who have previously worked with us.) New applicants must have published fanfiction before—the full guidelines are in our rules, linked below.
This post is not a call for story submissions! Duck Prints Press runs anthology recruitment on a zine-like model: we ask that prospective authors submit a writing sample (750 to 1500 words) and an up-to-400-word story pitch aligned with Aether Beyond the Binary’s themes. You must write and post fanfiction to apply to these anthologies, but all stories in Aether Beyond the Binary must be 100% original! Selected authors who complete their stories will be paid a minimum of $75 US for their work; we will seek additional money through crowdfunding to supplement this, with a maximum earning potential of $600 US.
Interested in applying? We’d love to hear from you! Make sure you familiarize with all the rules first…
- Rules and Guidelines for Interested Writer-Applicants
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Schedule
- …and more!
Applications open today, January 5th, 2023, and recruitment will stay open until either we receive 150 applications or January 20th, 2023. So, review the rules, hit us up with questions (or you can e-mail us at info@duckprintspress.com), prepare your shiniest writing sample, set your creativity on crafting an awesome tale of an outside-the-binary main character living on aetherpunk Earth, and then…
APPLY NOW!
Who We Are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to help fanfiction authors navigate the complex process of bringing their original works from first draft to print, culminating in publishing their work under our imprint. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and publishing stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Love what we do? Sign up for our monthly newsletter to get an e-mail whenever we call for applicants!
Promo image: created and edited by Alessa Riel, featuring the model Zadya Cheysuli.