Editor Interview: Firbolg Publishing

Gothic dark fiction

I am a fan of the classics. Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, Sheridan Le Fanu, Henry James, and the many others from the Gothic period of literature feature heavily on my bookshelf. The Firbolg Publishing staff is a literary lot, so you will find everything from Beowulf to László Krasznahorkai sitting around.

We fill a unique niche in the dark fiction market because of the authors we feature in our anthologies. Each themed release includes both modern writers and the masters of yesteryear. H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, and Henry James sit side-by-side with modern stories that capture the same tone, atmosphere, and suspense. Most dark fiction and horror collections focus exclusively on current authors. We blend the past and present to bring readers a diverse scope of fear.

Please look over what we do! We are looking for a unique style of dark fiction. It's not for everyone, and knowing the tone and style of our collections really goes a long way. We're not a gore/ splatter market. We're not looking for the more straightforward narratives of horror. I always suggest that writers become familiar with the names and tales from the early masters we feature. Those writers will be the best insight into the style of writing we're looking for in the modern stories.

I don't think there is an "ideal" submission. What grabs my attention? A subtle, well-crafted story that I've not already read a dozen times elsewhere. A story strong on theme and characterization. Less violence and more chilling fear. I don't want cloned tales from the Gothic masters of the 1800s and early 1900s, but an author's submission should tell me that he or she has read and understands the literary elements from the period in order to create a modern story with those same elements.

First and foremost, he or she submits a story that has clearly not gone through any editing process. Anthology editors do not have the time to fix grammar errors every few lines. Poor grammar creates a weak narrative structure and it's distracting. With hundreds of stories coming in, it's the first elimination factor. The second issue is stylistic differences. Traditional horror writers who are accustomed to writing for more violent/ gore markets have to rethink their stories for our collections. We welcome submissions from anyone, including non-horror writers who want to step outside the comfort zone! Just know the Gothic dark fiction style we are seeking...

I want to see a professional cover letter. It doesn't have to be a page or two long. It doesn't have to feature everything an author has ever done. I do want to see the most recent publications. I like to see novels or short story collections. If you haven't been published, be honest. The most important factor is professionalism. "Hey, check out my story" does not bode well for the work that is to follow.

It varies. I give every story the first two pages. For a 3-5K story, that's a lot of space. If I see repeated and excessive grammar errors early on, it's a safe bet the narrative, themes, and characterization will be weak. If I see an overused plot, I will keep going, but the writing style has to be superb. For example, in our environmental horror themed anthology, we received countless submissions about frozen creatures dug out of Arctic ice, thawed in a lab, and the havoc that ensues. This plot has been overused in film, television, and writing over the last few years, and we passed on those stories very quickly. Sometimes a piece feels right, but at the midway point, it begins to drift from what we need. Because we have such unique literary elements to our collections, it's perhaps easier to tell when a piece doesn't fit than in an anthology with a more modern, broad scope.

The stories come to me first. I give them the green light to the second round. At that point, they head to our editing staff and the debate begins. We only have a certain number of slots. Which of our second round fit the best? Which stories are just a bit more unique than the others? Which stories have more of those literary elements we're seeking?