The closing date for San Cicaro is now set to August 10th, 2018. This date grants authors more than three weeks to submit their work.
We’re aware that some authors are only just finding out about the open call and are writing tales from scratch. If you are half finished with your story by August 10th, please feel free to contact us at admin@tbirdstudios.com to request an extension. That being said, please be sure to proofread and format your manuscript before submitting. We will no longer be sending back any requests for rewrites and rejections will be final.
Also, if your cover letter discusses prior credit, please provide any applicable links to your profiles, like so on Goodreads, Amazon and/or IMDB. When authors state earlier work and then get coy about sourcing, red flags get raised.
So what last minute tips do we have for submissions? Consider the following:
- Read the guidelines.
- No, seriously. Read the guidelines. They give huge clues about what we’re seeking.
- Try to get away from the suburbs. We’ll accept a few stories in that setting, but not so many as to suggest San Cicaro is not primarily urban. Ask yourself if an apartment or condo can work. A town or row house can also suffice if you need a backyard or neighbors to connect with.
- Stay away from anything that can be dismissed as purely psychological. To be considered fantasy, it has to step outside the mind and have some impact on the physical world.
- Do more than 4,000 words. Too many people stop just when the story is getting good.
- As stated above, give your work a final proofread before sending.
- If your work references any esoteric mythologies, please send a link for source checking.
Good luck to those submitting! And a big thanks to h heyerlein on Unsplash for the photo used on this post.