SINISTER LANDSCAPES
-Gothic Tales Anthology-

I'm looking for a dozen short stories from horror writers on the rise (unpublished/self-published/independently published) for a Gothic horror anthology which I will be editing and publishing.

Like most anthologies, we will be relying on the authors' names to sell the book. I will have two or three spots open for previously unpublished authors (and before you ask, yes, self-published counts as being published here).

The essence of the anthology:

The fog-enshrouded castle, the crumbling family manor, the haunted churchyard, the eerie cemetery, old secrets unveiled, curses and spells cast, rituals and offerings, chains clanking, full moon, ghosts and goblins, witches and warlocks, creatures lurking in the shadows, blood, dread and death. Gloomy themes and threatening atmosphere--each of these are trademarks of a well-made Gothic tale. It's time to reinvent the lost mindset of the Gothic era and put a new spin on it. Victorian or contemporary, European or American setting--your choice. Let's update these themes for the 21st century.

For inspiration, read the tales of Poe, M.R. James, and J.S. Le Fanu. Where novels are concerned; Stoker's Dracula, Shelley's Frankenstein, Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde, Lewis's The Monk, Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray, Jackson's Haunting of Hill House, Walpole's The Castle of Otranto, etc.

Another source of inspiration to capture the mood of the Gothic era is to watch the old Hammer Horror Films with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Also, Vincent Price films, Universal monster movies, etc.

Submission guidelines:

2,000-5,000 words

First North American Serial Rights for a year.

No 1st or 2nd person point of view.

No zombie or vampire stories. No explicit sex.

No simultaneous or multiple submissions.

No previously published material.

Double-spaced with word count, byline and e-mail address on first page.

Send .RTF files only along with a short bio to info@alandraven.com (NO Word docs or text pasted in body of e-mail; those will be automatically deleted). Be sure to add my e-mail address to your safe list if you want me to get in touch with you.

I will only get back to writers whose material is selected.

Deadline: June 30, 2008

What's in it for the writers:

If this anthology is successful, there will be others and hopefully next time I'll be able to pay a small compensation. For the moment, contributors will get a free copy of the anthology in PDF form.

Contributors will get a discount off the list price if they wish to purchase copies for resale.

Contributing authors will each have their bio in the the book with their website addresses and personal pages (MySpace, FaceBook, etc) listed. It's good publicity for everyone. In return, authors are expected to promote the book online through websites, blogs, MySpace, and message boards. Help spread the word about our anthology!

The book will be made available through Ingram and Baker & Taylor, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble.com and many more online retailers.

The goal is to put together a 200-225 page book with a list price around $12.95 or $13.95. Ultimately, it's to publish an affordable anthology of the highest quality.

Projected release date: Halloween 2008