DarkHart Press is now OPEN for NOVEL submissions.

We are now closed for submissions to THE TERRIBLE BEAUTY, FRIGHTFUL SYMMETRY AND TRAPS anthologies.

Because of the DELUGE of stories we recieved (approx. 480 for the 2 anthos.) some of you may not be notified until after Feb. 29, 2008. Our apologies.

Some people have already been notified. Stories were read in the order received.

Payment is upon publication.

THANKS to everyone who submitted, the response was fantastic!

Our covers are shown below, though they may change before the actual publication date.

To visit us at myspace.com click on either cover.
Terrible Beauty, Fearful Symmetry Edited by Lisa Mannetti	Traps Edited by Scott T. Goudsward

We will be paying 1¢ per word and a copy of the anthology. We prefer stories under 6,000 words. Payment will be upon publication. Also, please indicate in your email to WHICH anthology your are submitting even though we do provide separate emails below.

We are getting some submissions that seem to be forgetting the basics so there they are in repeated in short form:

(1) Submissions should be in standard MS format, except for 1" margins and 12 point font. Do not paste the text into the email window. We prefer attachments in Microsoft Word document or in Rich Text Format (RTF). or text (if you must).

(2) All submissions should have contact information in the cover letter and in the document: Name, address, phone # and email.

No Simultaneous submissions

(3) Multiple submissions are fine, but only one story will be accepted. If you're submitting to both anthologies, fine. Do it one MS at a time. Do not submit multiple MS to each anthology, wait until you hear back from the editors before submitting again. Yes, you may submit to BOTH anthologies.

(4) Include brief publishing history, BIOs will be asked for if the story is accepted.

(5) Dark Hart is buying FNASR. (First North American Serial Rights.)

(6) If the story has been printed already let us know. Reprints are being considered last for this anthology. Given the response we are already received, we doubt we will be using Reprints.

HERE ARE THE DETAILS and THEMES for the SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGIES:

Note the titles on these anthologies may be added to and/or changed slightly as they develop.

(1) Terrible Beauty: Beauty that causes people to do unspeakable things, beauty that masks something else. Use this theme in a unique way, and get back to us. Maximum story length: 7,000 words. We want variety, surprises and fresh ideas. There is no set or expected way to approach this topic, so go for it! SF, Urban, and Historical settings are fine.

If it is NOW October 1st or beyond, send your submission for the Terrible Beauty Anthology to:

terriblebeauty@darkhart.com

(2) Traps! Theme guidelines: Use the two quotes from Dorothy Parker (1893 - 1967), the famed wit of the Algonquin Club in NYC, provided below as inspiration. Please use both some way in your story—not literally, but creatively. See above for what we look for. Ditto on all points: 7,000 words max., etc. Make it intricate, but easily comprehensible. Yes, we do know that is an oxymoron.

Trapped, like a trap in a trap.

By the time you swear you're his
Shivering, sighing
And he swears his love for you is
Infinite, undying
Lady, make a note of this
One of you is lying

If it is NOW October 1st or beyond, send your submission for the Traps Anthology to:

traps@darkhart.com

WHO WE ARE AND THE BASICS:

DarkHart Press is a small independent trade publisher based in Ward Hill, Massachusetts. We publish 4-6 novels/short story anthologies per year and our authors are paid royalties. Please query via email or snail mail before sending your novel.

Note: We are not a subsidy press. We pay our authors and DarkHart pays for all associated costs of advertising, printing and promoting the books we publish. if you have any other questions, please ask.

We do accept short story submissions via email—but ONLY for anthologies during the times when we are reading and the stories should relate to themes we are looking for, however, longer works (novellas/20,000 words +) or novels should be sent via snail mail to our mailing address. Please send queries or short story manuscripts to: submissions@darkhart.com.

For all other submissions, please use this address:

DarkHart Press
PO Box 8009
Ward Hill, MA 01835

Our Philosophy, Aims and Publishing Needs:

DarkHart Press publishes these types of fiction:

• Horror
• Dark Fantasy or Dark Fiction this includes, Science Fiction with dark elements
• Cross-genre that includes these elements—romance can be up to an equal component or subplot, but we do not publish romance novels with dark/horror elements.

We DO NOT publish YA or Children’s books.

We ARE NOT interested in stories with excessive gore or erotic elements that are not integral to the plot. Stories and novels should contain absolutely no hardcore erotic content or any type of child or animal abuse, or anything that demeans, discriminates or glorifies bigotry in any way, shape or form. We at DarkHart Press have always preferred stories that are strong enough on their own to not have to rely on excessive, graphic or gratuitous sex, violence or profanity to prop them up or for the sole purpose of shock value. We believe any use of these particular devices should be necessary and integral to the story being told, and that they should be used as sparingly as possible or else their use begins to detract from the story itself.

We WANT original stories and plots that step outside ordinary ideas of good and evil and that draw on cultures and mythos outside of the Judeo-Christian traditions. DarkHart Press looks for strong, concise, well-written stories or novels that are unique, original, surprising and unexpected.

Under the categories of “Dark Fantasy,” “Dark Fiction,” and “Horror,” DarkHart Press will consider supernatural horror, psychological horror, dark fantasy, ghost stories, eerie suspense, dark mystery, science fiction settings, etc., as long as the pieces are compelling, well-written stories with strong, well-defined characters. With regard to specific anthology of short stories, submissions must fit the theme of the anthology and it is best to query about your idea first.

We DO NOT want “The Devil made me do it” stories or any rehash of what might happen if the Book of Revelations in the Bible is really true. It’s been done to death in our opinion and we want to see something NEW.

DarkHart Press prefers that the lines between good and evil to be a bit more blurred and harder to distinguish. In other words, we prefer a large gray area instead of a cut-and-dried black and white universe. It's more interesting and intriguing, and the process of slipping from the light into darkness is a subtle, gradual transition that is ultimately based solely on the characters’ personal choices and actions, as opposed to outside forces rendering them helpless victims. This doesn’t mean we don’t want any action or scary stuff—please put that in, too, in large, generous helpings. And entertain us—we like being scared, love absurd humor and strange situations. Move the plot and the characters along.

Submitting Documents:

Submissions that are not properly formatted will be ignored and discarded— whether received by email or snail mail. Always make a good first impression—submit things properly!

Stories should be typed in standard manuscript format and double-spaced. We prefer 1 inch margins all around. Indent the first line of paragraphs .5 inches. DarkHart Press prefers 12 pt Times New Roman font, but as long as it's easy on the eyes, we don't mind other basic, 12 pt traditional fonts such as Ariel, Georgia, Garamond, Verdana, etc. We prefer submissions as either a Microsoft Word document or in Rich Text Format (RTF).

All hard copies ((novellas/20,000 words + or novels) sent in MUST include an SASE (Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope) to insure a reply. If you do not include an SASE to insure a response, we cannot guarantee you'll hear back on your submission. If it is OK to contact you via email to let you know we got your submission, please provide your email address and a statement to that effect. If you want your manuscript returned, please make sure to indicate that and include packaging and postage for that purpose as well.

At DarkHart Press, we do not read from the computer screen. We read from hard copy, (1.) because it's easier on the eyes, and (2.) because it's easier for us to make editorial notes as we go along. So please make sure your submission is not going to lose its formatting when printed out.

If a writer submits more than one story at a time, each story should be sent in a separate email. A writer should not submit more than one novel to us at any given time. Subject lines in emails should state that it is novel for DarkHart consideration or it is a short story submission for one of our anthologies. That way there is less of a chance of accidental loss or deletion.

DarkHart’s Editor has always found that the use of specific nouns and descriptive verbs make for a richer, tighter, more concise narrative than simply relying on an overabundance of adjectives and adverbs for description. The occasional use of an adverb or adjective is all fine and good, but too many modifiers can clutter up a narrative and detract from a story rather than enhance it.

This may seem obvious, but please check over your submission carefully for typos, spelling, usage, grammar and punctuation before sending it in. Editing and grammar tools and software have their uses, but a discriminating human eye will catch things that computer software can't. For example: Spell-check is a great tool, but it can't tell the difference between "to" and "too" and "two," or the difference between "through" and "threw.”

What to Expect:

Send us your stuff.

If we like it, we’ll be in touch in about 8 weeks or so. You may be asked for minor revisions or rewrites. If you agree to our changes, the next step is you will be sent our standard contracts.

If we don’t like your story or novel, you may get a note telling you it was not accepted. However, we do not give detailed critiques—for that you need to join a writing group.

If you have concerns about a story or novel you have submitted, please feel free to write us via email or snail mail at the addresses provided. Also, if you are unsure about whether or not your story or novel is appropriate for DarkHart Press—please query first. We try to answer emails in a timely fashion, but that is a goal—not a promise.

Download Our Submissions Guidelines and Philosophy<here> as a .pdf.

If you have questions, please contact at us at:

submissions@darkhart.com