Misha Burnett and I are working on a free collection of essays for writers. Titled Pulp on Pulp, this collection offers practical advice on creating fun, fast-paced fiction. This collection is aimed specifically at writers who want to create pulp-style fiction, though writers from other genres may learn something new from this collection.
This project is a labour of love, allowing writers to share everything they have learned. It is a non-paying project, but all accepted authors will have the opportunity to promote their own works. We won't say we are offering exposure, rather that we are simply providing an opportunity to help everyone improve their craft.
After the initial call for submissions, we are still looking for material and contributors. There is now no fixed deadline. Instead, submissions will close when we have received enough material for a collection.
The criteria is simple. We want to see essays about how to create good stories. That's it. But we are keeping the collection focused on writing, and only writing.
The following is taken and expanded upon from Misha's original post.
Examples Of Topics We Would Like To See:
- How To Plot Stories
- Pacing/Tempo
- Genre Specific Essays
- Creating Memorable Characters
- Making Action Scenes Realistic
- Unobtrusive Worldbuilding
- Tips For Self-Editing
- Keeping Sequels Exciting
- Romance Subplots
- Lessons From The Classics
Topics We Don’t Want To See:
- Why [Popular Franchise] Is Lousy
- Writing Screenplays/Teleplays
- Articles On Self-Promotion
- Keywords and Search Optimization
- Cover/Book Design
Following the first round of submissions, we are especially interested in the following:
- Non-SFF genres: mysteries, romance, sports, westerns, wilderness survival, punk/noir, true crime, etc.
- Submissions from non-writers (editors, readers, fans, critics) about what they are looking for in a work of fiction
- Story mechanics and formulae, such as adapting classic pulp story formulae to modern sensibilities
Word Count
Essays should be between 2000 to 5000 words, but longer essays may be considered on a case-by-case basis. Articles based on previously published content, such as blog posts, may be considered if and only if the work has been significantly altered or expanded upon. This is not a collection of reprinted material.
Submission Format
Send the manuscript as an email attachment to an email to Misha's email, mjb63114 (at) gmail (dot) com. The email subject line should read Submission [or Query, if asking about a topic]/Pulp On Pulp/Author Name.
[Please address the email to Misha. This is not my email. If you wish to contact me instead, please use the contact form here.]
In the body of the email, state your name, the title of the essay, word count, if it is based on a previously published blog post, a link to the post if so, and a brief description of the essay (2-3 sentences).
Author bios and bibliographies will be dealt with later, if the essay is accepted.
Manuscript Format
Please send manuscripts as MS .doc, or .docx, Open Office .odt, or .rtf files. PDF files will not be opened.
12 point Times New Roman or similar. Do not use Courier.
Double spacing, with paragraphs automatically indented via the Format command (not tabbed.)
State Author’s Name and Contact Information at the top of the first page, approximate Word Count (round to the nearest 50) and Title of the Essay. If it is based on a previously published post, include the Link to that Post.
A Header in the format [Author Name]/[Title]/[Page Number].
Submissions Window
We are looking for about 20000 words of additional material. The window will close when we hit this goal.
