Submission Guidelines for THE SEA IS OURS: TALES OF STEAMPUNK SOUTHEAST ASIA

Finally, it's happening. I found a publisher to take on the project of a Southeast Asian steampunk anthology. Bill Campbell of Rosarium Publishing, which also recently published Mothership: Tales of Afrofuturism and Beyond in which my short story "Between Islands" is reprinted, very kindly extended an offer to me and Joyce Chng to co-edit an anthology which we are calling THE SEA IS OURS: TALES OF STEAMPUNK SOUTHEAST ASIA!

We currently have a cohort of really excellent SEAsian writers on the SFF scene, and Joyce and I are very interested in encouraging more talent across the region. We're looking for a wide range in terms of stories, characters, histories and geographies. 

Here is the official announcement with a fuller FAQ section, but for general guidelines hit the read through!

THE SEA IS OURS is an anthology of Southeast Asian steampunk. We are looking for steampunk stories that are set in Southeast Asia (SEA), or secondary worlds that evoke Southeast Asia, with Southeast Asian protagonists, in any of the countries that make up the region: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. We are seeking historically and technologically-innovative stories.

Steampunk, for the purposes of this anthology, is defined as an aesthetic that combines technofantasy, anachronism, retro-futurism, an alternate history/world, and the evocation of an incipient industrial revolution. How does the steampunk aesthetic look, feel, sound, smell, or taste like in these regions? What kind of technologies would grow in resource-rich SEAsia? What do our historical figures, our Parameswaras, Trung sisters, Lapu-Lapus, do in such a world?

Submissions are encouraged to explore various levels and kinds of technologies, not just steam technology. Locals myths can also find their way into these stories; what does the mix of technology and fantasy look like in such worlds? We welcome exploration of all kinds of stories: from the extraordinary to the everyday. What changes does accelerated technology create for the local landscape and societies? If historical events are given a steampunk twist, how do their outcomes change, or stay the same? 

FORMATTING GUIDELINES:
• Send all submissions and queries to sea.steampunk@gmail.com
in RTF, DOC, or DOCX.
• Submissions should have SEA-STEAM: [story title] in the subject line.
• Please do not attach a cover letter; cover letters are the text of your email.
• Word count: between 2,500 and 9,000 words long.
• Fonts: size 12; Courier or Times New Roman.
• No cover page; name, email address, and word count on the first page; name/story title/page in headers.

GENERAL GUIDELINES:
• Stories should have a visible development arc, even if they are somewhat experimental.
• Stories should be in English, but we take a broad view of English, which includes dialect, accents, local slang, and non-English words that express nuances that standard English can't.
• Characters should be embedded in their settings. We should not be able to transplant the specifics of their story easily, even if they are based on common science fiction/fantasy archetypes.
• Local takes on actual historical events are highly encouraged, although not necessary in alternate world settings. Mention in your submission email the specific event you are referencing.
• Stories featuring queer characters, characters with disabilities, non-normative relationships, and other such non-mainstream narratives are welcome.

SUBMISSIONS CLOSE JUNE 30, 2014.
We will contact all submitters within four weeks of submissions closing.

We hope to have the anthology edited and released by next Lunar New Year! Looking forward to your submissions!