I’m beyond thrilled to announce that I’ll be an editor for the inaugural Lone Wolf anthology of short stories!
We are accepting story pitches until April 30, 2024! Hit the link for the full submission guidelines, or keep reading for a bit of submission mythbusting!
The Lone Wolf anthology submission guidelines
MYTHBUSTING THE LONE WOLF ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS PROCESS
Myth: I only have a few weeks to have complete story written out.
Actually, we just need a story pitch by April 30. In general, the more details you have figured out, the better, but we’re more than happy to work with bare-bones pitches too, to help you flesh it out.
Myth: I have a great idea for a LONE WOLF gamebook, and this is a great place for it.
That’s awesome to hear, but we are publishing prose stories in this anthology, not gamebooks. That’s linear stories without choices and game mechanics. We still want to hear your ideas, but if they’re picked up, they’ll be printed as traditional stories with a beginning, middle and end.
Myth: None of my ideas are about Lone Wolf (or any other major characters), so I shouldn’t submit anything.
This is actually a great thing. If you’re in this boat, please, tell us a story in the world with brand new characters. Your story doesn’t have to touch or explain any of the major events in world history; it doesn’t even have to take place in any of the major cities. Bring us a human story that could fit into the world, and we’ll help you find a place for it. Tell the story of the little people – the people you’ll never hear about in the history books. (As an added bonus, these little-people stories are far less likely to run afoul of the existing story canon)
Myth: I think my story idea might violate the canon, so it’s got no chance of being printed.
Never say never, 007. You’ve picked a hard path for sure, but we still want to hear your idea. If you are utterly undeniable, the editing team might develop an appetite for an ‘Elseworlds’ story… or our lore experts might be able to help you shape it into a lore-friendly tale after all.
Myth: I can’t write, so I shouldn’t submit.
We get it – trust us, self-esteem crises are par for the course when you’re a writer! You might just be selling yourself short, and we still want to hear from you. We are also open to helping you find a collaborator, if you’re really confident in your idea and absolutely certain that you don’t want to be the one to write it. It’s a trickier path to publication, but not impossible. Our editors are also available, and (upon request) can be as hands-on as you want in the process of putting together the story.
Myth: I haven’t read every Lone Wolf book, so I shouldn’t submit.
Not a problem! Find your niche in the parts of Magnamund history that you’re already familiar with, and pitch the story. We have lore experts on hand to help you slot it into the timeline.
Myth: I haven’t read ANY Lone Wolf books, so I shouldn’t submit.
This is not an unclimbable mountain either, though it’s not the easiest path. If you’ve got a great fantasy story with strong themes or emotions, it may be possible (in collaboration with our editing team and lore experts) to shape your concept into something that fits the Lone Wolf universe. In short, we still want to hear this pitch. (Also, you still have time to read some Lone Wolf, and you absolutely should – it’s free on Project Aon!)
Myth: I’m not a lore expert, so I shouldn’t submit.
You don’t have to be a lore expert. Tell us the story of people who haven’t featured in any Lone Wolf text before. Tell us how a farmer deals with a Giak invasion. Tell us about the star-crossed lovers separated by war. If you give us a human story in a fantasy world, we have the lore experts on hand to help you slot it into the Lone Wolf timeline.
Myth: I don’t have any ideas, so I won’t get in touch.
Get in touch anyway! Let us know you’re interested. There may be a story idea in need of a writer. There may be other projects in the future for which we can reach out to you.
Myth: I’ve never been published, so I shouldn’t submit.
If your pitch is strong and you can form a sentence, we’d LOVE to hear from you. Trust me, nothing in the world is more exciting to an anthology editor than ‘discovering’ a first-time writer and helping to bring their words to life.
Myth: I’m nervous about writing a story to deadline, so the best thing for me to do is leave it alone.
Our deadlines are generous and our editors are seriously nice folks who are a joy to work with. Honestly, this is a pretty gentle way to cut your teeth as a writer! Give it a shot if you’re at all inclined.
Myth: If I send in a pitch, I’m gonna be published!
This will be a competitive process, so it’s still best to put your best foot forward. Take your time and hone your pitch. Run it by other people, see what they think. And if you’re unsure about anything, hit us up beforehand, and we can walk you through it. But, as much as we might wish otherwise, submitting a pitch is not a guarantee of publication.
Myth: Working for an established IP means I lose all my rights.
Not true. This will be a work-for-hire arrangement, but in addition to your payment you will absolutely retain the right to credit for your creative endeavours. For more details about the legalese underpinning the anthology, you can get in touch with us.
Myth: If I send in a pitch, that’s the end of my role in the selection process.
Our editors will be in touch with you to discuss any questions they may have, or clarify aspects of your pitch that might have not been 100% clear. We might even have some suggestions for you to consider! We want the best possible understanding of your idea, and a conversation (email or otherwise) is often the best path to that understanding. Though it’s best to send us your strongest version of the pitch, we’ll be in touch for more information.
Myth: Sending in a pitch earlier improves my chances.
This is highly unlikely to be the case. Sending in a great pitch is what really improves your chances, so we think you should take whatever time you need to make it great.
Myth: I’m unsure about… [insert x]
This isn’t really a myth, but get in touch. We’d love to answer your questions.