an urban fantasy anthology
Anticipated release: May 2024
Magic. Hiding right under our unsuspecting noses, or swirling around all around us. When we’re talking about Street Magic, it’s probably closer than you think.
GUIDELINES
For STREET MAGIC II, I’m looking for thick, rich settings, well-developed characters, and magic I can believe in! Give me a sense of wonder and a sense of power. Make me believe in the power your characters wield.
I want to see diversity in people, locations, and magic – whether secret, out in the open, or a mix – in near-future urban settings (preferably no more than 50 years in the future). Sure, you can set your STREET MAGIC II story in the U.S., if you want to, but there’s a whole world of cities out there to choose from. Take us to Montreal, Vancouver, Singapore, Lagos, Mexico City, Santiago, Rio, Johannesburg, Kyoto, Bangkok, Melbourne, Auckland, Ulan Bator, Cairo, New Delhi, Moscow, Prague, Tehran, Istanbul.
What I’m saying is that I want stories that take our readers out of their everyday lives. And I don’t just want to see your world, I want to feel it, fully experience it. Use your STREET MAGIC II setting and its culture to make the magic feel even more mysterious, arcane, and plausible. Make me want to live in your world – and reluctant to leave it when your story is over.
I prefer stories about adult characters – and there, age is not an issue. Is your hero a twenty-something construction worker or an early fifties programmer? Works for me. Is your heroine a silver-haired sorceress or a corporate mage? Make them real people and make me believe in their use of magic – whether they’re solving huge problems or dealing with intensely personal stakes. I also prefer mystery/suspense and action/adventure themes over romance, though a romantic element as a subplot is okay.
The usual paranormal characters and situations are welcome in STREET MAGIC II, but try to be creative. And I will warn you up front: Monster hunters and vampires will both be a hard sell – I won’t take more than one of either, if any. So if you’re going to write a vampire (in conjunction with some other magic), or send your hero chasing down monsters for a living, your story had better be wicked awesome (and not just gratuitous monster-killing for the sake of splattering slime all over the page). There really needs to be a story in there.
TIP: If you really want to see what I’m looking for, check out the original Street Magic. It’s an award-winner!
TO SUBMIT
Anthology Title: STREET MAGIC II
Length: 6000 – 9000 words
NOTE: YES, we WILL consider reprints previously published prior to Jan 1, 2019, for which you have reprint rights. If your story is still in another collection, that’s okay. If it’s available for free somewhere, we will ask that you pull it down once it’s been accepted. Please include the original publication information with your submission.
Deadline: Feb 15, 2024; sending your story earlier is better
Anticipated release: May 2024
Exclusivity/Reversion of rights: We distribute our anthologies in both paper and ebook formats across multiple retailers. We ask for 6 months exclusivity post-publication, after which we continue to market the anthology in both print and ebook formats, but you have the right to submit the story elsewhere, publish it yourself, etc., as you wish.
Pay: Royalty-Share, via PayPal
NOTE: A royalty-share anthology is only successful if all of the participants help with the promotion. We will provide art and marketing copy, and promote the anthology as we are able; but if you submit, you should also be prepared to promote the anthology to your readers – and share ideas/successes with the group, if you can!
Send your stories to: editor at camdenparkpress dot com
Submission Subject line: STREET MAGIC_Story Title
Attachment types accepted: DOC, DOCX, or RTF file
File Name: Please name your manuscript like this: STREET MAGIC II_Author Name_Story Title
IMPORTANT: We are often receiving submissions for multiple projects at the same time, so following the Subject line and File Name guidelines will help make sure your story ends up in the correct folder.
Other: These things should go without saying, but we’ve seen them ignored too many times:
- Please keep your cover letter brief. All I really need is your name, your story title & length, and if it’s a reprint or not. You’re welcome to mention if we’ve met or add a line or two about where else you’ve published, but please don’t go overboard. At this point, your story is what matters.
- Use standard manuscript format (if you don’t know what that means, Google it)
- Include your name, contact information (mailing address, and email), and the story title on the manuscript
- Please review and follow the submission guidelines (above)
NOTE: Social Media stuff – We use a combination of email, Google Docs, and a private Facebook group to coordinate with authors and keep everyone aware of the project status. Just letting everyone know this ahead of time.