CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Time to Dive into the Dark of the Shadows of the Underground - Announcing our Next Themed Collection

We are beyond excited to announce our first open call for submissions of the new year. Fresh off the heels of the successful launch of our first two themed trade paperback anthologies, we've scheduled our third to be released in late June. Ever mindful of seasonality, it became clear that the only appropriate thing to do would be to provide the Monadnock Region (and the world, naturally), with the definitive beach reader of 2021.

And what better to read on the beach than tales of crime and detectives and spies? We're looking to compile the wildest, most original collection of noir, mystery, and espionage-themed writing to be published in New Hampshire since the 19th century.

Here's the details:

• The deadline for all submissions is Easter Sunday, April 4. But if you beg us for an extension ahead of time, we might give it to you.
• Send submissions to submit@monadnockunderground.com. Please include BEACH READER in the subject line so that it does not get mixed up with non-collection submissions.
  • It is okay to send us a query or pitch if you want to be sure that we are interested in your idea before you write it. We'll answer queries within a couple of days.
  • Don't be alarmed if we don't respond to your submission ahead of the deadline. We will try to answer one way or another within a couple weeks of your submission, but it's possible we may need up to a week after the deadline to make final decisions.
• There is no word count limit, but anything over 5,000 words may be held to a higher standard.
• Given the theme, the expectation is that most, if not all, of these submissions will be works of fiction. That said, creative nonfiction (we will not be considering works of straight journalism) may be considered (so long as it won't get us indicted for publishing classified information or involved in incriminating anyone).
  • For any poets out there, if you really believe you have a poem that fits this theme, feel free to submit it, but know that it will be a long shot.
  • Because this is planned as a trade paperback, we will not be including any artwork, and thus regrettably cannot accept any art submissions - for this one. (We can't say more, but if all goes according to plan, there will be more than one opportunity for art submissions in the second half of 2021 - insert "wow" emoji/react here.)
• As with our glossy quarterlies and prior collections, the selection process is slightly weighted toward both local writers and locally-set stories - but we mean it when we say "slightly". If you live in Australia and have a killer hardboiled detective tale set in Singapore, please submit it.
• While we prefer original submissions, we will accept previously published work if the fit is right.
• Writers retain all rights to their work; if accepted, writers receive a PDF copy of the collection prior to public release, and upon publication receive a complimentary paperback copy, along with $20.

Let's get into it - tell us what you've got.