Open Call: "Book of Madness"

 Word Count: 3000-5000

Payment: Royalty share and contributor ebook (discounted physical copies will be available)

Due: March 13 (Yes, Friday the 13th)

Release Date: Ebook mid-September; physical book early October


M PRESENTS PUBLISHING is looking to create an anthology, tentatively titled Book of Madness, based upon the Cthulhu mythos popularized by H.P. Lovecraft and August Derleth. That does not mean writers need to use any of the deities/alien creatures described (in fact, authors are unable to use anything created by August Derleth, Brian Lumley, etc without permission from their estates), but cosmic horror/the madness of knowledge is important. Write about the creatures that think of humans as ants fit to be destroyed, or the cults of humans that deify these alien creatures. All works should be original and previously unpublished.


Authors will split the royalty of the book based on their contribution. Different markets pay different royalties/different times, so it’s difficult to estimate how much/how often authors will be paid. Authors will also receive a free e-book version of the published work and have the option to purchase a physical copy at the production costs, should they choose. Due to recent changes, print copies will have limited initial distribution.


What I’m Looking For: 3000-5000 words in a doc or docx file. Primarily Horror. This can be a horror that makes me look over my shoulder, sleep with the lights on, or double-check to make sure nothing is hiding under my bed. Sci-fi/fantasy stories with heavy horror elements are fine. If you blend genres, it must make sense. Content including scenes of sexual abuse is fine, provided they add to the story in a meaningful way. If these books were movies, Rated R is your limit (that is itself open to interpretation).


What I’m NOT Looking For: Primarily erotica. While I’m not opposed to graphic scenes of murder, death, or sex, I am not looking for scenes of stories of sexual depravity with a ghost in the corner. If you choose to include romance or sex, it must be integral to the story.


To Submit: https://forms.gle/s58MbNWEk2YiWjf59

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