REVERENT: An Anthology of Divinity

Devout Anthology #2

SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW CLOSED!

Welcome to the beginning of my second anthology — REVERENT: An Anthology of Divinity.

This anthology follows the publication of my first anthology DEVOUT: An Anthology of Angels. I was honoured to be part of the publication journeys of all the contributors whether it was their debut, a ‘prequel’ to a publication to come, or another project to add to their portfolio of art and writing. I might be able to say that Devout Anthology changed my life because it brought me and others so much passion. Through editing Devout, I realised that this was the kind of work I wanted to continue doing.

I’m your editor and curator Quinton Li. I’m in charge of the theme, submissions, editing, curating the publication (such as the order of the pieces), publication, and project management. I’ve published a YA fantasy Tell Me How It Ends and a NA dark academia Chrysalis and Requiem.

This anthology is an independently published and funded project.

The theme of this anthology is DIVINITY

This theme is open to interpretation and isn’t limited to only angels (though angel themed submissions are welcome). Where do you see divinity in everyday life? Or what is the divinity that we, as mortals, will never reach? Does divinity exist in every one of us? How beautiful can divinity be, or how horrible?

This anthology is open genre. You can submit in any genre, including fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry.

For Reverent, I won’t be accepting art or photography submissions to focus on the format that is most supported by the services I use for printing and distributing books (the written word). Basically, I don’t want to lower the quality of incredible visual pieces when I publish writing rather than visual art.

Submission Wishlist

Please note that just because something is on the wishlist, doesn’t mean you have to submit it. This is what I can think to write for what I’d want to see!

  • Intersectionality. The intersection of divinity with gender, class, sexuality, queerness, culture, and/or disability. I would prefer to prioritise lived experiences when writing about real-life underrepresented and marginalised identities.

  • Pieces written as devotionals to one’s deities/saints/guides

  • Short stories that tie into your main body of writing (a novel or a series) but can be read standalone, without needing the context of your novel, BUT if the reader wants they can read your novel afterwards (think, Resta Con Me by Ian Haramaki from Devout Anthology, which connects to his debut novel MERCY)

  • Divinity in places, people and things that aren’t usually seen as divine

  • Poetic prose (poetic short stories). Stories with rhythm and symbolism like We Suffer in Fire by Tyler Battaglia from Devout Anthology

  • Creative non-fiction!!! I adored With Wings like Madeleines by Dorian Yosef Weber from Devout Anthology

  • “Found Forms” or “Found Footage” style writing

  • Writing with footnotes referencing academic and historical sources. Or, work that uses footnotes in a creative way

  • Essays that are academically supported yet accessible for non-academics to read

  • I really do want to see creative fictional depictions and symbolisms of divinity, as the theme suggests

  • If you would’ve loved to submit to Devout, feel free to submit work about angels :)

Important Details

This anthology will have an open call for pitches. During the month of August, writers can submit a pitch (150 words max) alongside a recent writing sample or a writing sample from the pitched work (400 words max) - even if your piece is complete, you will still need to pitch.

The idea is to determine the submissions for this anthology early in the process, while also allowing ample time for the writer to work on their pieces after pitches. One of the trickier parts of managing an open call is ensuring that the effort writers put in for their submissions is as fair as it can be.

Projected Timeline:
Pitch + Sample Writing Submissions: August 1st - August 31st
Writing Submissions, for accepted pitches: September 1st - October 31st
Editing Period: November - December
Potential Release: February

Pitches will be reviewed on a rolling basis. The timeline also considers ‘overflow’ meaning, if your pitch is accepted in September, you will have consideration for a submission deadline in November instead.

Length/Size Requirements per Format:
1,000 - 6,000 words for short stories
Up to 40 lines for poems
Up to 2,000 words non-fics

Multiple Pitch Submissions: Yes! You can submit up to 3 pitches, in separate emails - but if your work is to be accepted, it would only be one piece from the multiple submissions. This is to make the most room for a range of writers this time around.

Simultaneous + Previously Published Submissions: Simultaneous is fine but please notify me as soon as your piece is accepted elsewhere. At this time I won’t accept previously published submissions though I do have a guideline that a year post-release of Reverent Anthology, you may submit your published piece elsewhere.

Compensation:

  • 1 free paperback copy of the anthology

  • $50 USD

Publication: e-book and paperback, independently published

Submission Guidelines

Format for Pitch Submissions (August):

Email pitches to quinton@quintonli.com
Subject line: PITCH: Title - Author Name
In the body of the email, use this template:

  • Author Name:

  • Title:

  • Pitch (150 words max):

  • Author bio (50 words max):

  • Intended word count:

  • A writing sample from a recent work or the pitched project (400 words max). Either pasted into the body of the email, or attached as a Word Document.

    • If sending as a document, please follow the text formatting guideline under “Format for Writing Submissions”

  • Social Media and Website:

FAQ

Q. Can I submit NSFW writing? i.e smut and erotica.

A. Yes. This anthology will be categorised as Adult. This does mean you must be 18+ to submit.

Q. How creative can I get with formatting?

A. As long as it can be done with text formatting, i.e, without images, then submit away.

Q. Will rejections be sent out, or is it a ‘if you don’t hear back by x date’ deal?

A. All pitches should receive a response, whether an acceptance or rejection.

Q. How long will responses take?

A. It may take a few weeks as I deliberate on submissions. Unfortunately rejections may be sent out sooner than acceptances as there will be many more submissions than I can accept for the final publication. This means as well some pieces could remain in the ‘maybe pile’ for some time.

Q. Do you have an anti-wishlist?

A. Works should not be intentionally hateful or discriminatory. While I expect works will engage with topics such as transphobia, racism, ableism and other similar themes, they should be written in a way that is thought-provoking or meaningful. This anthology is edited by a queer, trans, autistic, Asian author. I am quite flexible to what can be submitted and this paired with needing to be careful with the number of selections means that if something is greatly uncomfortable or inappropriate, it will be passed for this project - I don’t blame any authors wanting to submit in certain themes, at the same time I’m looking out for myself and future readers.