Submissions Wanted: Free Surreal Bizarre Absurdist Short Story Compilation

17 August 2010
Submissions Wanted: Free Surreal Bizarre Absurdist Short Story Compilation
Deadline: no mention
Geographical Restrictions: none
Reading Fee: none
Accepts (genre): absurdist short stories
Prize/Payment: no mention

A random project to bring together the best of the unpublished, part experiment, part just something to do. I'm looking to compile an eBook (and possibly Print on Demand) compilation of absurdist, surrealist and downright bizarre short stories cover any and every theme. Let's face it, short stories rarely get published and ones that linger on the edges of normality almost never get published but they can still be very good, so rather than letter the magnificent and disturbing works of art which us writers churn out languish on the slag heap as we bolt together ever more 'sellable' works in vain attempts to earn our bread and butter, why not stick them in a free compilation and get them out there? It's be published under a Creative Commons license, meaning that each writer keeps ownership of their own work and if, by some miracle, any of it turns a quick buck it'll be distributed equally amongst us bohemian, hobo types.

At worst, no one'll read it and no one will care, but let's face it, if you're a writer (aspiring or otherwise) you'll know full well that that's the fate of most pieces. Best case scenario, a shit load of people will get hold of it and worship the contributors as Gods and Goddesses, far beyond the mundane realities of tedious mortals. Incentive beyond that? Well I've promoted free art before, mostly music, but I know how to get at least a bit of an audience and if it's good (which it will be) then there's always that warm, cash free, glow of accomplishment which comes with being part of something not rubbish. Any work accepted will be properly edited, both by myself and others with experience doing that sort of thing (I've got a degree in Creative Writing myself, impressed?) and real effort will go into promoting it and getting it out into the ether. This ain't no vanity project yo, this is meant to be worth reading.

Anyway, if you're interested get in touch with a piece you think would work, any topic, length up to 3000 words but with a definite focus on the bizarre, surreal and absurdist. What that means to you I won't even try to guess, but give it a go and see what happens. The final product will be a properly laid out eBook and, depending on the mood, a small run/print on demand hard copy.

The challenge has been set my literary comrades, trawl through that slush pile and draw forth the gems.

More information here.
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