Invisible 3: Call for Submissions

In 2014, twelve authors and fans shared their stories about the importance of representation in science fiction/fantasy in Invisible. In 2015, seventeen more people came together for Invisible 2. Their essays are personal, powerful, and very much needed. These stories help to create understanding and connection. They expose the power of our genre both to help and to harm.

I’m thrilled to announce that I’m partnering with author and editor Mary Anne Mohanraj to begin work on Invisible 3.

We’re looking for personal, first-hand stories between 400 and 1000 words talking about the impact of SF/F stories and what it’s like to see yourself misrepresented or erased, or relegated to the backgrounds. We’re also interested in the ways underrepresented and marginalized writers have worked to reclaim space in the genre.

While the primary focus is on these personal essays, we’d like to incorporate a few poems for this volume as well.

As in previous years, accepted works will first be published online, and then collected and published as part of the Invisible 3 anthology. Contributors will receive a $10 payment.

Once author and artist payments have been covered, all additional proceeds will go to the Con or Bust program, helping people of color to attend SFF conventions.

Here’s our proposed schedule for the anthology:

• By December 1: Interested authors should email invisible@jimchines.com with your proposed topic. (For Invisible 2, I had more than three times as many proposals as I could use. This will allow Mary Anne and I to make sure we have a range of topics and contributors.)
  • ETA: I’ve had two reports of emails bouncing from that invisible address. Most submissions appear to be coming through fine, but if you have any trouble, you can use my backup email address: jchines42 -at- hotmail.com.
• By January 1: Mary Anne and I will contact potential contributors to let them know whether we’re able to use their suggested essays/poems.
• By February 1: Contributors write and submit their works. Mary Anne and I will read and follow up with revision requests as needed.
• By March 1: Final essays due.
• March 15: Begin running the essays online.
• By April 30: Publish Invisible 3.

Please comment or email if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you.

Jim & Mary Anne

About the Editors:

Mary Anne Mohanraj wrote and edited Bodies in Motion, The Stars Change, and twelve other titles. BiM was a finalist for the Asian American Book Awards and has been translated into six languages. TSC was a finalist for the Lambda, Rainbow, and Bisexual Book Awards. Mohanraj founded Strange Horizons, directs the Speculative Literature Foundation, and is an English professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Jim C. Hines is the author of twelve fantasy novels and more than 50 published short stories. In addition to Invisible and Invisible 2, he edited the Heroes in Training anthology for DAW Books. He’s an active blogger, and won the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Fan