Submissions for Robotic Ambitions are officially open!

What does that mean? That means, editors Jason Sizemore and Lesley Conner want to read your best short story that examines the concept of “robotic ambitions.” Using philosophical, moral, and practical points-of-view, what does it mean to be sentient and mechanical? What challenges will mechanical beings face from a fearful and chaotic world? What are their goals and ambitions? From robots, to AI, to sentient spaceships, and more, the idea of mechanical sentience comes in many shapes and forms. Surprise and thrill us with your twist on this concept.

Half of the stories in Robotic Ambitions will come from this open submissions period. So, depending on the final Kickstarter funding level, we expect to select between nine and thirteen original stories from this call.

The Robotic Ambitions Kickstarter has funded and is still ongoing! Help unlock additional slush spots through stretch goals by backing here!

Time for the nitty gritty:

General submissions for all writers will be open from March 14^th through March 28^th.

We are extending our open submissions period for marginalized writers for an additional week, closing to all submissions on April 5^th. When we say marginalized writer, we mean any author who is BIPOC, LGBTQ+, has a disability, or is marginalized in some other way. Why are we doing this? Marginalized writers have faced systematic barriers to publication for … well, forever. If we can do anything to lower that barrier—even if it’s as simple as keeping submissions open for an additional week—then we feel like that’s the right thing to do.

Word count: Up to 5,000

Payment: 8 cents a word (up to 5,000 words) + a copy of Robotic Ambitions in soft cover

Rights: First English language rights (soft cover, hardcover, eBook, digital)

Sim-subs: Yes

Multi-subs: No

Format: Docx, Doc, or RTF using Shunn Manuscript Guidelines

Apex Book Company and its editors welcome and encourage submissions from writers of all races, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, and military status.

We want diverse voices. We value diverse voices. Saying that, please be aware that we do not collect any information that might clue our editors to any of these attributes other than your name, email, and cover letter before any decisions are made regarding your submission.

FAQ

Can you recommend stories for us to read that will give writers an idea of the type of work you’re looking for?

Yes, there’s a list with links on our initial submissions call. You can find it here.

Is the 5,000 word limit a hard cutoff?

Yes.

Can you accept post mailed printed submissions?

No.

How long will the submissions wait time be?

Approximately one month.

If I’ve been recently published in Apex Magazine, can I submit to Robotic Ambitions?

Yes.

Are original translated works okay?

Absolutely, yes.

Both you and your translator will be listed as contributors and sign separate contracts. We will split your payment 50/50 with your translator unless otherwise instructed.

My story was rejected by Apex Magazine and/or one of your previous anthologies. Can I submit it to Robotic Ambitions?

Yes.