“Dog Save the King” – Submission Call From Hemelein! · 7:14pm Mar 29th, 2023
Heads up, writers! Hemelein has posted their call for new short story submissions to the latest LTUE Benefit Anthology, titled Dog Save the King!
The LTUE Benefit Anthologies, if this is the first you’re hearing of them, are a feature of Life, The Universe, and Everything, a Sci-Fi and Fantasy Writing Convention/Symposium that’s nearing its 42nd year. The anthology collections, in addition to being fun short story collections full of all sorts of neat shorts, are actually a charity benefit, the proceeds from their sales used to support the cost of running the convention so that students—from elementary school to college—can get in at a steep discount.
Sop basically, buy one of these books, and you’re helping cover the costs of students attending the conference at a student rate, which for a con that’s all about writing and learning to write, is a major boon to all those students.
Alternatively, you can also submit a story to be in one of these books, and help keep the anthology tradition going! Plus, you get to see your name in print (some for the first time) and can attend the con and sign copies for readers! It’s great fun!
In any case, whether or not you can make it, it’s also a blast to submit to, because the LTUE Benefit Anthologies always have some fun prompts, often reflected in the title. Which is why we’ve had prompts like A Dragon and Her Girl, A Parliament of Wizards, or Troubadours and Space Princesses.
Which, naturally, leads us to this year’s prompt and title: Dog Save the King, a collection of Sci-Fi and Fantasy stories that all revolve around canine heroes saving the day for royalty.
If that sounds like a short story you’d want to write, then be aware that submissions close Friday, May 19th, at midnight. You can check out a larger list of requirements below the jump, then head over to Hemelein’s submission post to gather any other details you may need.
Hit the jump for details on Dog Save the King!
It began, as all things do, with barking.
Oh, there was some growling also. A few yaps from the smaller subjects. An occasional yelp as a tail or foot was stepped on. And sniffing, because you could not get two or more dogs together without appropriate sniffing. After the Attendance Tree was watered by all present, they settled down in a large circle with the King at the center, and his Royal Court at either side.
Duke Bloodworth the Seventh was first to speak, boy. Speak. And his stentorian whoofs made the others turn rapidly to silence until only the sound of breathing filled the Circle. And a few scratches because a flea or two had infiltrated the Council.
"We have a serious accusation put forth by Maximus of Lower Seventh Street by the Butcher," he spoke in a voice that resonated around the trees. "Proceed."
"Thank you." Max strode forth, the moonlight glinting off his silver nametag and painting his mottled black and white coat pale. "It is with a heavy heart that I place this accusation in front of the Council. There is no other way to say it. " He pointed at the King, rigid from his nose to his tail. "The King is a chicken! A giant chicken!"
Chicken Boo, Chicken Boo, you don't do like the other chickens do.
You wear a disguise to look like canine guise, but you're not a dog, you're a Chicken, Boo.
(I double-dog dare you to send this in.)