Welcome to CROOKED, a sci-fi crime anthology series edited by me, Jessie Kwak. I’d love for you to be a part of it.
A friend dubbed this the “Kwak Wants More Space Heists” project, and I have to admit that’s the kernel of truth at the heart of this anthology.
From space pirates and bounty hunters to rogue lawmen and galactic con artists, I’m looking for your stories from the seedy underbelly of science fiction. I want stories that explore the shady business deals done in cantinas and back alleys, put us in the mindset of hardboiled vigilante AI detectives, and stow us away in a smuggler’s cargo hold as we hit warp speed.
I’m not looking for gratuitous sex, violence, or horror, though that’s all fine in service of the story. Think fun, character-forward stories about darker subjects — like if Elmore Leonard wrote for Star Wars.
The goal of this anthology is, in part, to provide readers who love sci-fi crime stories with a sampler tray of new authors to try. So if your story submission ties into your larger body of work, that’s most excellent!
In fact, think of this as an excellent opportunity to craft a reader magnet for an existing series.
*** The details ***
CROOKED V.3 will launch in fall of 2022 — probably October, I’ll narrow down the date once we get closer.
Submission deadline: December 31, 2023
Word count: 2,500–7,500 words. Happy to consider a bit longer or shorter, but if it’s much more or less please get in touch first.
Payment: Royalty split via Draft2Digital (percentages based on word count, to be finalized once the author list is finished). I hope to make some $$ of this of course, but the ultimate goal is helping cross-pollinate our readerships.
Exclusivity: I ask for 3 months exclusivity, then the rights to do whatever you like with the story revert back to you.
Production: CROOKED will be published in ebook and print. I’ll edit the individual pieces (sending them back to the author for finalization), then hire a proof reader to polish the final anthology. Production costs will come out of my pocket.
Release Date: Spring of 2024.
Reprints: The goal is to give our fans fresh stories; reprints will only be considered in special cases.
To submit a story: Email me at jessie at jessiekwak.com