Ole Blue Claw: Tales from Maryland’s Crustier Side
A new anthology seeking engaging, place-based fiction that captures the richness and diversity of Maryland life
What are we Looking For?
Stories that are grounded in geographic, cultural and political settings across the state of Maryland. From the mountain ranges of Garrett County to the Eastern Shore; from the Capital Beltway to Charm City; from St. Mary’s border with Virginia to the Mason Dixon Line; from the coastline to the Cheseapeake–we want stories that move us, intrigue us and make us want to hop in the car, jump on the train, climb onto our motorized hogs, saddle up a horse, or cycle across the scenic byways to some new destination in Maryland.
What genre/style is a good fit?
Fiction only, please.
Experimental, literary, speculative, thriller, romance, sci-fi, slipstream, are all welcome as long as the work places us somewhere in Maryland. No erotica, fan fiction, novel excerpts or AI/Chatbot work, please.
Submission Details
Entries will be read anonymously. Please do not put your name or any other identifying information on your submission. Include only the title of the story and the page number in the header of your submission. Please include a brief cover letter with short bio (max 100 words)
No reprints. All work must be original and previously unpublished.
We welcome and encourage submissions from historically underrepresented voices, such as writers of color, gender non-conforming and LGBTQ+ writers, those living with disabilities, students, young and older people, and other diverse backgrounds
DEADLINE: Dec. 15, 2023
Submission fee $5.00 per entry.
(If submission fee is a hardship, please reach out to editors via contact page)
Payment is $100 and one copy of the anthology, paid upon publication.
Submission Guidelines
- Flash Fiction max 1000 words
- All other fiction max 7,500 words
- Stories must be located within Maryland’s borders
- You must be a current resident of Maryland or live in Maryland
- Multiple submissions welcome
- Simultaneous submissions accepted; please notify us ASAP if work is accepted elsewhere