Assassins: A Clash of Steel Anthology
!!! Currently Open to Submissions !!!
Coming in May 2011
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Assassins
Covert operatives, righteous zealots; paid killers, fateful avengers; government agents, mercenary hitmen. Death dealers. Silent stalkers of the dark, the empty, the lonely spaces. Bold aggressors of the lit, the populated, the noisome places. Patient experts at blade, garrote, poison, dart…mishap.
Assassins
No target is invulnerable, no lair undisclosed, no disguise impenetrable, no fortress secure. Death twists through them all, sets its mark for the assassin’s call. Kings may make armies dance and sorcerers master demons, but it is Fate’s lone warrior that quietly severs their strings.
Assassins
Send only your best, for the competition will be deadly, each cut decisive, each dispatch permanent. Fantasy tales of killers unleashed, be it for greed, revenge, love, faith…whatever the passion…or mischance…that drives the killing blows. 2,500 – 5,500 words carefully chosen, selected with promise to deliver assaults of mayhem and might. This is a Clash of Steel anthology, so an emphasis on steel-bearing protagonists is a must. Pit them against equally steel-armed foes, though magic and sorcery is not completely disallowed. Make it interesting, make it dangerous, make it powerful prose—for this anthology seeks to glory in bladed death and devious minds.
Open strong, for you only have 500 words to impress.
Send the first 500 words of your tale in an email to submissions@roguebladesentertainment.com with a subject line that reads: Assassins Submission: Story Title and Total Word Count (e.g., Assassins Submission: Strikes the Adder 4200). All submissions received outside of the announced submission period or via a different email address will be deleted unread.
**8/3/10**IMPORTANT NOTE, PLEASE READ: While I am willing to read the first 500 words of stories in progress, I am not eager to read unedited first drafts of the first 500 words of stories. I am not offering feedback nor suggestions of any kind on these openings. Rather, I am determining whether or not I believe your story has the potential to be accepted for inclusion in RBE’s next Clash of Steel title. It either does or it does not. Please exercise professionalism and some respect of yourself and my time and deliver the best version of your 500 word opening that you can. I hope that it is also understood that these opening 500 words set the standard by which I will compare the remainder of a story should I ask for it. Do not short change yourselves.**
If your opening grabs me, I’ll ask for the rest—
just remember, I’m taking only the best.
- Submissions: July 4th – November 30th OR until filled, guaranteed not to close before October 1st, 2010.
- Pay: $30.00 & 2 copies (1 print/1 electronic) upon publication, which will be May 2011
- Follow the standards of the Clash of Steel series!
- No previously published stories may be submitted.
- Multiple stories may be submitted, though each must be submitted separately.
- Simultaneous submissions are allowed, with the expectation that you promptly inform RBE of any acceptance elsewhere.
- Stories will be published under contract as First Time World Volume and Electronic Display Rights exclusive to RBE for 31 days; then shall be non-exclusive for so long as this title shall remain in print and so long as RBE exits
- Questions may be posted here or sent to the above email at any time
- As always, appreciate Didier Normand’s fabulous art:
This information last updated July 4th, 2010
Popularity: 35% [?]
This may be my favorite RBE cover yet.
Hi Editors
I’m interested in contributing to the “Assassins” anthology. However, I do have a question about one aspect of it. Do we have to have the complete story ready when we send the 500 word segment, or can the 500 word segment just be an “audition” for a story we haven’t fully developed yet?
David Perlmutter
Hello David -
Thanks for your question. Your story doesn’t have to be completed when you submit the first 500 words. However, notice that it is not just any segment–it is only the opening that is requested. So, while the story does not have to be completed, the same 500 words you submit initially had certainly better be the same 500 words that open your story if and when the rest of it is asked for.
Also, while Assassins has a guaranteed open submission period, it does say ‘until filled’ so the longer you take to provide the full story if it’s requested of you, the lower your chances of finding an open slot remaining.
Hi Jason
Thanks! I’ll get to work on the idea as soon as I can.
David Perlmutter
[...] I’ve boon looking forward to this one for a while. It’s the first Clash of Steel anthology to appear under the RBE banner, although more are planned — including Sea Dogs, Reluctant Heroes, and Assassins. [...]
This sounds very cool, and I would SO take part if they weren’t charging for entries. I assume that it’s for the cost of owning two editions of the compilation but that’s still pretty ridiculous. Contests to find great writers ought to be free.
Just my two cents. Best of luck to all entrants!
Hey Matthew -
Thanks for your interest, but I think you’re combining the open submissions for Assassins and Challenge! Discovery.
Assassins is an anthology in the Clash of Steel series. It’s open to anyone and everyone without a charge, just a demand for pulse-quickening blood-stirring action, the only prize being acceptance as 1 of up to 30 authors into one of RBE’s spectacularly popular and high quality titles, all at no cost to the submitter outside time and creativity. You only need a desire to be published as a heroic fantasy action writer to submit.
Challenge! Discovery is a writing competition AND fundraiser (as described in its guidelines) with professional judging and prizes of publication, critique, cash and copies for the top 12 folks. In addition to costing you time and creativity inspired by the Challenge! prompt, it will cost anyone taking a shot at the prizes and desiring to support RBE’s mission of putting the HERO back into HEROICS a measly $10 bucks.
Contests to find great writers should be free, I agree. Contests to raise funds AND find great writers simply cannot be.
Lovely. I’ll start thinking about something right away!
Jason,
Just want to confirm the word count for completed submissions. This page says no more than 5500. However, if you go to the generic, Clash of Steel info page, it says releases in that range feature works up to 6000
Since 5500 is the word count mentioned on the Assassin’s page, I imagine that is the upper limit. Could you please confirm?
Rob
Good question Rob
6000 is the upper limit, but I receive so many subs 600-900 words over that I thought I’d cheat a little and say 5500 so that those pushing the edge would come in around 6100 or so. Saves me having–or asking you–to whittle so much later.
6000 is the cap
Jason, thanks for that – gives me a guide as to how much flab to cut – I’m aiming for a sleek, fast moving beast and 6000 words is what I need to achieve that.