The Story That Should Not Be

CAAB Publishing are going global - This anthology is open to submissions from anyone (Over 18s only) , anywhere

Write a story that breaks one fundamental rule of the genre it is written in.

Give us a story that takes a familiar trope and breaks it.

• A murder mystery with no murder
• A comedy story that makes you cry.
• A swords and sandals epic without any swords or fighting, or sand. 
• A romance where the two characters never have their meet-cute
• A horror story where nothing frightening happens, or the sweet, main character is more frightening than the monsters
• A fantasy with no magic or mythical creatures
• A detective story where the detective doesn't solve the crime
• A children's story with no children
• A science-fiction story set entirely in the past or set in a world without science or fiction.

Choose your genre and the rule to break. Make it entertaining, but make the rule-breaking the main focus of the story. 

Submission guidelines:

• Send as a Word document
• Maximum of 3,000 words
  Times New Roman font
• Authors must be over 18 Years Old
• Any genre, any tone (within our guidelines), as long as the story twists it's genre.

The anthology will close once we have enough stories, so early submission is encouraged.

The Stone Carved Skull

CAAB Publishing are going global - This anthology is open to submissions from anyone (Over 18s only) , anywhere

This is an anthology about an item.

A skull carved out of hard grey stone.

Your story must include the item in a way that affects the narrative. The skull cannot have any secret compartments; it is not hollow; it is solid, heavy, grey, and it cannot be damaged. It is about the size of a mug and will fit nicely in an adult hand. It has no gems for eyes or strange markings, but it is slightly dirty-looking from its years of travel.

The story must include the skull being used in some way. As a weapon, as a paperweight for an important document, as a customs issue, as something to buy or sell, etc.

The story must start with the skull either in the possession of the main character or showing how the skull was acquired.

But, at the end of the story, the skull must be lost or taken from the main character if they still live. 

Any genre, just include the skull. 

Submission guidelines:

• Send as a Word document
• Maximum of 3,000 words
  Times New Roman font
• Authors must be over 18 Years Old
• Any genre, any tone (within our guidelines), as long as the story centres on the Stone Skull.

The anthology will close once we have enough stories, so early submission is encouraged.