We Belong: a Black, Queer Sci-fi and Fantasy Anthology
We Belong is a full-color comic anthology exploring Black queer stories in the science-fiction and fantasy genres. It will be curated and edited by veteran comics creators Viktor Kerney (Strangelore) and William O. Tyler (Theater of Terror: Revenge of the Queers, Stress Fracture). We Belong is a joint venture with Prism Comics, a nonprofit organization promoting LGBTQAIU+ comics, comics creators, and fandom. We Belong will be published by award-winning comics publisher Stacked Deck Press.
PLEASE INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR SUBMISSIONS
- The names and email addresses of all creators involved in the story.
- A working title for the proposed story.
- A summary of the proposed story, which includes the beginning, the middle, and the end. Please be succinct. More is not necessarily better.
- A predicted page count. Estimates are fine. There will be time to settle on a final page count as we go through the publishing process.
- Stories should be 4–10 pages long.
- If your submission is accepted, the final art must be designed to fit standard American graphic novel dimensions: 6.625″ × 10.25″.
- This is a full color publication, and color artwork is strongly preferred. However, grayscale, and black and white line artwork will be considered, if they meet with editorial approval.
WHAT WE WANT
Each story is to be told and illustrated by Black queer artists and writers. We’re looking for creativity, honesty, and authenticity in your sci-fi or fantasy stories. In the final edit, each story will be between 4 and 10 pages in length.
We are accepting pitches from SOLO CREATORS (those who make the entire comic by themselves) or CREATIVE TEAMS (a group of writers and artists who collaborate on a finished story). You are responsible for forming and managing your team.
WHAT WE DON’T WANT
Excessively graphic content.
This anthology is intended for the adult reader, and we are open to stories featuring nudity, sexual situations and violence. However, we are not looking for pornographic situations or extremely graphic displays of violence. Please take that into consideration when writing your pitch.
Fanfic or fan art.
Please don’t submit stories using intellectual property you don’t own. This is your opportunity to develop something new and unique. Stacked Deck Press will not publish work including characters or situations that are owned by other publishers or creators.
PITCH GUIDELINES
We are looking for pitches that will give us a clear idea of your final product.
Your pitch should include:
- 1-2 ideas for the stories you would like to work on.
- A few sentences on why your story fits our anthology’s theme. Including why this story (or stories) is very significant to you.
- A portfolio and/or art blog with examples of your work. Portfolio links for the proposed participants, which may also include any preparatory sketches done for the proposal, although this is not required.
CREATOR RIGHTS, COMPENSATION, AND PERKS
Creators will retain full publication rights to their work, as well as the characters and situations therein. Creators or creative teams will receive $50.00 per page and two complimentary copies of We Belong. Creators are welcome to buy further copies at 50% of cover price to sell on their websites or at conventions, conferences, or other venues.
Prism Comics and Stacked Deck Press make regular convention appearances throughout the continental United States, from small queer-focused events to major shows including San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic Con. If you wish, you can join us as a featured creator at these conventions, and if you like the spotlight, we might even be able to feature you on a panel discussion or other programming event. Your own work can be consigned with Prism Comics at its sales booth at these shows as well, providing creators with some exposure and some revenue from sales of their books.
WHERE TO SEND YOUR PITCH AND DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION
If you would like to submit your pitch for a story for We Belong, please send it to [email protected]. We are accepting pitch submissions until March 31st, 2023. The We Belong editors will inform you whether your pitch has been accepted for the book in April 2023.
