OPEN CALL FOR HIGH SCHOOL FANTASTIC:
Magic, Mayhem, and Midterms
Edited by Kent M. Peterson
High School Fantastic is a new speculative-fiction anthology from the same publisher that brought you Charlottesville Fantastic, Shenandoah Fantastic, Virginia Fantastic,and Richmond Fantastic.
We want stories written by high school students that capture the weird, wonderful, terrifying, and hilarious things that could happen in (and around) high school.
Speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, horror, magical realism, etc.) is strongly preferred, but we will also consider strong crime/mystery or light romance stories if they have a speculative twist.
Who can submit:
Current high-school students in Virginia or West Virginia.
Homeschooled students ages 14-18 are also welcome.
What we want:
• Original, unpublished short fiction
• 700–5,000 words
• PG-13 content only: no explicit sex, heavy profanity, or graphic gore
• A speculative element (sci-fi, fantasy, horror). Something about your story must depart from the world as we know it. This also includes stories set in the future or alternate histories (e.g. a world where COVID never happened or was much worse).
• Stories don’t have to be set in high school, but high-school settings will be prioritized.
What we don’t want:
• Creative nonfiction / essays / poetry
• Graphic violence, sexual content, or excessive swearing
• Fan fiction or stories using other people’s intellectual property. Stories with Sonic the Hedgehog, Batman, etc. will not be read.
• AI-generated work. You can use AI for spelling and grammar checking, but the words and the story need to be yours.
Other Stuff:
• Payment is ½ cent a word, plus the right to buy copies of the book at 40% off list price
• Submissions open October 1st and close December 31st
• Multiple submissions are welcome (that’s submitting more than one story)
• Simultaneous submissions are not welcome (that’s sending your story to another publication before we make a decision on it).
Questions:
Write to [email protected]