Malevolence - Tales from Beyond the Veil - Submissions Required

[Gary Compton]

Just in case anyone didn't see that www.ticketyboopress.co.uk is doing a ghost anthology, we have about 80K of good stories already being considered. Need about 40K more.

Anyone who has a story in your writer's store cupboard or would like to write one, then please get in touch. Our email address is on our website.

At this point we'd prefer around a 3-5K words story and guess what? You actually get paid and receive royalties.

The anthology is being edited by Jeff Scott Marryat and the legendary, talented, amazingly handsome, Ian Whates is amongst the writers contributing

Cover is by Aty Behsam

Thanks for reading.

 

[Gary Compton]

I have 3 versions of the cover art for Malevolence from Aty.

The scene is from my story "Pendle Hell." A small boy has been murdered by a modern coven of witches. The Pendle Witches who foreshadow them won't let the boy move on into the next life.

In desperation the boy's spirit visits Freddy Bartlett, my protagonist, in a dream and eventually leads Bartlett to his body.

What do you think?

 

[Abernovo]

Wow! Aty is amazingly talented. Okay, we already knew that, but still.
I like the top one best of all, Gary. The colour mix adds to the atmosphere. All good, though.

 

[Gary Compton]

Wow! Aty is amazingly talented. Okay, we already knew that, but still.
I like the top one best of all, Gary. The colour mix adds to the atmosphere. All good, though.

I thought on that one the golden/orange is poltergeist activity by the boy who is leading Bartlett to his remains. I like that one as well.

 

[alchemist]

I prefer the coldness of the second. All excellent, though.

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Anndddd... just to be incredibly useful I like the third.

Take your pick!

 

[Mouse]

I've already said it, but I'll say it again. Clearly the first one.

 

[Juliana]

I like the first, with the second as, um, a close second.
Beautiful work by Aty!

 

[thaddeus6th]

Second or third, I'd go for.

Cheers for the word count guidelines. Still need substantial redrafting, and the guidelines will be useful.

 

[Gary Compton]

Second or third, I'd go for.

Cheers for the word count guidelines. Still need substantial redrafting, and the guidelines will be useful.

Word count is not set in stone, Thad as we discussed your story before this guide AND you know I love breaking rules so hey-ho. If the story is good enough then I will take 10K

 

[thaddeus6th]

Honestly, I think it probably would've fallen within the target range anyway. About 3,500 words so far, although a significant redraft is still needed.

 

[hopewrites]

The first makes me think of dripping blood and piercing screams. The running part of horror things.

The second makes me thing of that terrifying silence that is way WAY too quiet. The hiding part of horror things

The third makes me thing of the unnatural silence after the screaming stops and the blood no longer flows, but inches mercilessly away. The inevitability of death in horror things.

 

[Perpetual Man]

I like them all! But forced to choose I'd go with the first or second (Hard to call it)

 

[Boneman]

The first for me - by spreading the colour, it looks like an opening that's approaching, and the veil itself is reddish ( I think: I do have a red/green deficiency...) showing there's nasty goings-on going on.

 

[HareBrain]

I prefer the second.

The first has a problem, for me, in that warm colours appear closer than cool colours, which is the opposite of what you want with this composition. It looks out of whack to me -- the eye wants to be led through the trees into the distance, but the "distance" appears closer than the surrounding woods. With the third, I think the colour difference is too extreme. The second is nicely atmospheric and understated.

 

[Gary Compton]

I prefer the second.

The first has a problem, for me, in that warm colours appear closer than cool colours, which is the opposite of what you want with this composition. It looks out of whack to me -- the eye wants to be led through the trees into the distance, but the "distance" appears closer than the surrounding woods. With the second, I think the colour difference is too extreme. The second is nicely atmospheric and understated.

When I first saw them I liked the second one, like you HB but as I thought about the story that the inspiration is derived from. I preferred the first one.

This is hard...grrrr!

 

[lauren$77]

I most definitely like the first best. The second image is flatter, it doesn't stir my imagination in the same way.

Just out of interest what does the artist prefer?

 

[HareBrain]

Oops, I meant with the *third* one, the colour difference is too extreme (if it wasn't obvious).

When I first saw them I liked the second one, like you HB but as I thought about the story that the inspiration is derived from. I preferred the first one.

Not trying to sway you to my choice (or am I ...?), but isn't the first impression most important with a cover?

 

[Hex]

I liked the second one too -- it's scary and spooky and cold. Just like ghosts.

 

[The Judge]

As I've already told Gary, I preferred the second, but it occurs to me that a cover of a book needs to have more colour to it, to attract people -- and red is an attractive colour, as well as signalling both danger and blood, which is surely what is needed here.

Is there a way of getting colour into the picture without compromising the spatial element which HB notes is a problem with the original one?