As we march into the new month and the rest of the world prepares for March Madness, here at Winterwolf Press we’re hard at work announcing our first ever anthology!

From March 1 through March 31, we’re accepting submissions concerning anything and everything that touches on the theme of nature and the animals that inhabit (past or present) those wild and free places. That means short stories — fiction or non — and poems are both welcome. The only thing we ask besides theme is that your stories do not exceed 8,000 words and your poems are no longer than a 1,000 words.

So why are we doing this theme? Well, we here at Winterwolf believe that “we have a responsibility to contribute to the world’s wellbeing.”  That underlying idea is something we keep close to our hearts as new manuscripts come to us and new writers join our audience. We also thought of our mission to promote peace, joy, magic and positivity, and looked to our namesake, the wolf, and what they represent to us.

“The call of the wild. The howl of the wolves. The roar of a river. The songs of birds. The rustling of leaves in the wind. The scent of damp earth and crisp air. These are the sounds and smells of the wild. But all of this is disappearing and there is a danger of these magnificent lands and the animals who call them home vanishing from our future.”

Thus, “The Howl of the Wild” anthology was born. There aren’t any fees to submit, and — in keeping with our theme — all profits will be donated to the National Wildlife Federation. Please understand that this means no prizes will be awarded to the ten poems and ten short stories that make the final cut, but each author and poet will receive full writing credit for their entry in relation to the anthology.

Now, with all of that in mind, here’s what we’re not looking for:

  • explicit and graphic sex or gore (We’re talking zero tolerance.)
  • Hindering of the entry process and/or contest (Don’t be that guy.)
  • Works that exceed the word limit (An easy fix).

Once your work is approved by our staff, the Submission Team will judge your entry based on the following:

  • Originality (Give us your unique perspective!)
  • Theme (Wildlife; we want it to be called “The Howl of the Wild” for a reason.)
  • Creativity (Think outside the box!)
  • Communication/Expression (You know the game — show, don’t tell.)

We can’t wait to read your entry, and if you’ve got more than one idea for the anthology, fear not! You can submit as many times as you’d like. However, please know that once the clock strikes midnight on March 31 (and, technically, April 1 begins), no further submissions will be accepted. We’ll notify the twenty different writers chosen for the final version of “The Howl of the Wild” on April 15 by email, so keep an eye on those inboxes!

To submit your entry or view a full list of rules and terms, please visit the official page.

Good luck, and happy writing!