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Apply to Contibute to “Aether Beyond the Binary” Duck Prints Press’s Next Anthology!

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…

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.

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December Storygraph Giveaway: She Wears the Midnight Crown Anthology!

What’s this? Why, it’s Duck Prints Press doing another giveaway on Storygraph! Our two masquerade-themed anthologies, She Wears the Midnight Crown and He Bears the Cape of Stars, will be distributed to crowdfunding-campaign backers in early January, and listed for sale on our website in late February or March. Didn’t back the campaign and want to get a copy of She Wears the Midnight Crown, which features wlw stories set at unusual masquerades or masquerade-inspired settings, before the official release? Well, this is your moment!

What is Storygraph? The awesome independently owned-and-operated alternative to Amazon-owned Goodreads! Working with them as a publisher doing this giveaways has been phenomenal: they’re organized, receptive to feedback, interested in innovative, and responsive. We’re thrilled to continue working with them on giveaways. If you’ve wanted a Goodreads alternative for organizing your reading, posting your reviews, logging your book collections, and more, you should definitely check them out.

What is Duck Prints Press? We’re the indie publisher dedicated to helping creators transition from creating primarily fanworks to creating primarily original works! We especially focus on publishing works featuring LGBTQIA+ characters.

What is She Wears the Midnight Crown? Along with He Bears the Cape of Stars, She Wears the Midnight Crown is one of a a pair of anthologies which share the same theme, but feature different kinds of relationships. For these anthologies, we sought pitches for stories featuring masquerades – the more unusual, the better! While we love classic “historical setting, mistaken identity” shenanigans, we’re looking for stories more out-of-the-box (under-the-mask?) than that. 17 authors contributed wlw stories to this collection, and the works range from heartwarming fluff through dystopian drama!

Want your own copy of this awesome, innovative collection? Enter our giveaway on Storygraph NOW!

Holding out for a copy of He Bears the Cape of Stars? Don’t despair – we’ll be doing a Storygraph giveaway for that one in January, ending February 18th, so keep your eyes peeled and your “enter now!” button click-finger ready!

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? Want to make sure you don’t miss the announcement for future giveaways? Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get previews, behind-the-scenes information, coupons, and more!

Want to support the Press, read about us behind-the-scenes, learn about what’s coming down the pipeline, get exclusive teasers, and claim free stories? Back us on Patreon or ko-fi monthly and read your fill!

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“To Drive the Hundred Miles” by Alec J. Marsh: Cover Reveal!

The wait is over – here is the gorgeous cover for To Drive the Hundred Miles by Alec J. Marsh. The novella is coming out this Wednesday, December 21st, and you’re not going to want to miss out!

Have you been seeing our promos and thinking, “Yes! I need to read that!” Well, make sure you add it to your To Be Read pile on Goodreads and/or Storygraph!

Snow falls softly as dark descends early, and Will returns home to Serendipity, Washington, for the holidays. What awaits him at home?

Some conflict.

Some opportunities.

Some magic.

Some coffee.

And a lot of possibilities for his future…

We’ll have one more teaser coming out tomorrow, before the book is released on Wednesday, so make sure you’re following us on social media to make sure you don’t miss a thing!

Want all the deets and the ability to claim free novellas? Back us on Patreon or ko-fi – $10/month and $25/month can get this and other titles from our catalog for free!

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“To Drive the Hundred Miles” About the Author: Get to Know Alec J. Marsh

Alec J. Marsh has been working with us at Duck Prints Press for over year, and recently joined our staff as an editor and advisor.

Alec lives in the Pacific Northwest, where they write romantic adult fantasy and self-indulgent fanfiction. They make candles inspired by their favorite characters.

Links: Etsy | Instagram | Twitter

To Drive the Hundred Miles is Alec J. Marsh’s fourth release with Duck Prints Press. They’ve written two erotica short stories, Heart’s Scaffold and Study Hall, and they’re a contributor to our anthology She Wears the Midnight Crown, which successfully crowdfunded last summer and will be coming to the Duck Prints Press webstore this winter! In addition to contributing to the anthology as a writer, Alec also made one of our merchandise backer rewards – lovely custom candles that smell as good as they look. We’re delighted to have them on board with us, and we can’t wait to bring you To Drive the Hundred Miles and other titles by them in the future.

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 and get previews, behind-the-scenes information, coupons, and more!

Want to support the Press and get lots of our stories? Consider backing our Patreon or ko-fi monthly at a level that includes free stories, and read your fill!

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Coming Soon: “To Drive the Hundred Miles” by Alec J. Marsh

We’re thrilled to announce that that Alec J. Marsh’s novella To Drive the Hundred Miles will be coming to Duck Prints Press as an e-book release on December 21st, 2022!

Snow falls softly as dark descends early, and Will returns home to Serendipity, Washington, for the holidays. What awaits him at home?

Some conflict.

Some opportunities.

Some magic.

Some coffee.

And a lot of possibilities for his future…

Follow Duck Prints Press on any of our social media platforms for a week of teasers, sneak peeks, and previews of this lovely holiday tale!

Want all the deets and the ability to claim free novellas? Back us on Patreon or ko-fi – $10/month and $25/month can get this and other titles from our catalog for free!

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LAST DAY FOR EERIE ANIMAL KICKSTARTER, and New Release: “The Offered Ones” by A. L. Heard

Today, as we release the last of our four “Eerie Fall” Kickstarter tie-in stories, we also enter the final 24 hours to back our crowdfunding campaign!

Love artwork by Aceriee (Instagram | Tumblr | Twitter)? Love enamel pins? Then don’t miss out on these gorgeous pins featuring Aceriee’s work! There’s currently only two designs unlocked – the Wolf and the Crow – but with a strong final 24 hours, we can unlock two more – the bear and the moose! Support a small business on this awesome Small Business Saturday, and help us reach the goal by checking out the campaign now!

Meanwhile, we have our fourth and final “Eerie Animal” tie in story, a perfect one for exploring the animals in the campaign, because in this story…all these animals are characters!

Title: The Offered Ones

Author: A. L. Heard

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: General Audiences

Trigger Warnings: body horror, harm to children

Relationship: found family

Character Features: animal, animal transformation (involuntary), bird, non-human character

Tags: animal point of view, body modification (involuntary), pov third person limited, sentient animal

Teaser:

There was a girl sleeping in Forest.

Fox didn’t know the girl. She was a human, that much was clear, though he hadn’t seen her kind in ages. They traveled this way and that like they owned the whole world—he had seen many before—but most stayed away from Forest. They were blind, deaf, dumb creatures, unable to perceive what was in front of them. Still, they sensed the magic of Forest, so they stayed away. If they did wander into the dense line of oak and pine, they spoke in hushed voices and didn’t linger.

They certainly didn’t sleep in Forest.

Length: 17 pages/6,400 words

Price: $1.99 US

Get it now!

Can’t get enough Eerie Fall stories? Check out the other three theme stories: “Widow’s Black” by Nina Waters; “Campfire Stories” by Nicola Kapron; and “A Shield For the People” by Puck Malamud.

Love what we do? Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get previews, behind-the-scenes information, coupons, and more!

Want to support the Press and get lots of our stories? Consider backing our Patreon or ko-fi monthly at a level that includes free stories, and read your fill!

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Reminder: Seeking Artist-Applicants for Our Next Anthology!

For our next anthology, Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers,second in our Queer Fanworks Inspired By… series, we are looking to recruit up to 20 artists to do full-page black-and-white or grayscale artworks. If you love Dumas’s d’Artagnan romances and have ever thought, “MAKE IT QUEER YOU COWARDS” about the existing adaptations, this is your chance to do that queerifying yourself!

WE WANT YOUR ARTWORK! This is an open call for artist applicants to create a black-and-white or grayscale artwork of A4 size, taking inspiration from the source material, transforming them, and queerifying them for the delight and enjoyment of all! You must create fanart (of any fandom, doesn’t have to be this one!) to be eligible to apply for this anthology! And – this is a paid opportunity! We’ll be paying a minimum of $50 per page of artwork – and there may be opportunities for artists to do more than one page, and there may be a pay increase (dependent on crowdfunding success).

Interested? Fascinated? Intrigued? You and Milady both! Read on to learn more…

Recruitment is open until October 15th, 2022. ONLY 2 DAYS LEFT!

We’d love to hear from you, so why not take a stab at publishing with us and Apply Now!