Fiction
We're looking for fiction rooted in climate change. Beyond that, the genre and subject is completely up to you.
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Since we're just starting up, we don't yet have an exact style style. We can't point you towards our already-published works. So, for now, all we ask is that your submission has a style that compliments its plot – and suits you as an author.
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All that said, we don't want anything that we to perceive to be prejudice in any way.
But what do we want, exactly?
We realize that the above might not be a lot to go on. Below are our formatting requirements and things we absolutely won't publish (mandatory), as well as some suggestions of what to do, and what not to do (optional).
Format and Length
Our (soft) limit is 5000 words. Please submit a .docx file (or a PDF, if your formatting demands it) with page numbers at the top. Use Arial or Times New Roman font, or any readable san-serif. Put your name, email, the word count, and the name of the piece at the top of your first page. End the piece with "END", if the ending is otherwise unclear.
What works for us
Although we encourage ALL climate submissions, here's some stuff we especially like:
- Strong characters and realistic (and differentiated) dialogue.
- Surrealism.
- Experimental formatting, content, and style.
- Speculative / cli-fi.
- Nuanced and (deliberately) contradictory messages.
What might not work for us
Although we encourage ALL climate submissions, here's some stuff we might not like:
- Blaming all humans for climate change. The elite and colonizers have perpetrated the climate crisis. Humans are individuals. We might be contributing to it, however inadvertently, but it isn't the fault of all humans.
- Any evil robots or AI. It's a trope that was overplayed before ChatGPT and Midjourney were in the mainstream.
- Robots, aliens, or animals 'saving' humans from climate change. It's a little too defeatist.
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Lots of this comes from Reckoning Press. While we aren't only focused on climate justice, much of their content applies here, too.
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What definitely doesn't work for us
We will automatically reject your submission if we perceive your piece to be supporting either of the following:
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1. Ecofascism / Ecofascist rhetoric
2. Prejudice in any form
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This doesn't mean that you can't discuss these subjects in your work. It only means that, if we think your piece supports these views, we won't like it. For instance, you can write an ecofascist character into your story – but if the story itself advocates for ecofascism, it will be rejected.
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We'll mention any problems in our rejection feedback. If you disagree, we're happy to have a conversation about it.
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We also won't publish anything written by AI.
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