In 2023, Inkd Pub is honored to sponsor the fabulous Multiverse convention for our second year where we will have our usual booth and panel. However, this year we want to offer a short story contest and announce the winner at our panel.
The stories should fall within Speculative Fiction genre, such as Sci-Fi, Horror, or Fantasy. We encourage you to weave an engaging story with well-developed characters and deep emotion.
Submissions are open to all Multiversians who have attended the Multiverse con or intend to attend.
Stories that contain infanticide, rape, or gratuitous gore will not be accepted. In alignment with Multiverse’s Code, we will not accept Hate speech which offends, threatens, or insults groups of people, based on race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or other traits. This includes intentional misgendering or “deadnaming” (purposefully using the pre-transition name) of trans people. Additionally we will not accept glorification of Hate groups such as (but not limited to): Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, Westboro Baptist Church or any group as listed as a hate group on the Southern Poverty Law Center website. Lastly, we will not accept casual or glorified discrimination such as unjust or prejudicial exclusions or treatment of any person based on characteristics including but not limited to: race, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender presentation, national origin, ancestry, body size, neurodiversity, disability, medical condition, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, marital/domestic partnership status, or citizenship. If you are writing about discrimination from a marginalized perspective, please clarify that in your submission. The Multiverse convention will review the winning story with a veto ability based on their Code of Conduct.
Submission Period: Now until September 15th, 2023
Submissions: 1 per author; reprints totally accepted (this is for fun)
Submission Cost: Free
Word Limit: 2,000 to 8,000 words
Submission Guidelines: Anonymous submission with no author name or email in document; 12 pt Times or Arial; .Doc or .Docx; double-space; first line indent; no tabs used.
Please submit here.
Prizes: The sole winner will receive a $100.00 American Express gift card (mailed if unable to attend convention). If present at the convention, they will also receive our selection of at least three signed books from guests attending Multiverse in 2023. The winner will be invited to join the Inkd Pub panel after the announcement. The winner and all finalists might be offered placement in upcoming Inkd Pub anthologies if the themes align with their stories.
Timeline Projections:
Submissions close: 9/15/23
Review: 9/16/23 – 10/18/23
Rejection completed: by 10/18/23
Finalists notified: 10/19/23
Announcement of the winner: At Inkd Pub’s panel during Multiverse Oct. 20-22 or via email if the finalist is not present.