From The Editor

Dear Anyone Who Thinks Christmas Cards Need More Bloodstains,

 

Last year we published the first Gritmas anthology. We asked writers to send us stories about the holidays that weren't interested in selling nostalgia. We got stories about people trying to survive. Criminals, workers, addicts, parents, failures, and the occasional decent human being caught in bad circumstances.

Then people actually bought the damn thing.

And because they did, we were able to donate every dollar raised to Feed The Children. The money went right where it was supposed to. No awareness campaign, no branding exercise, no self-congratulatory nonsense. Just groceries for kids who needed them.

Since that worked out better than expected, we're doing it again. Submissions are now open for the next Gritmas anthology.

We're looking for gritty Christmas stories. Noir, crime, working-class literature, dark comedy, literary fiction, or anything else that lives in that neighborhood. We want stories about real people dealing with real problems. If your characters have never worried about money, made a bad decision, worked a miserable job, disappointed somebody they love, or spent Christmas wishing it would end already, you're probably writing for a different anthology. As always, we're more interested in honesty than sentimentality.

 

Send your submission as a Word document (.doc or .docx) to anxietyanthologies@gmail.com and put GRITMAS SUBMISSION in the subject line. Include your name and contact info.

If last year's anthology taught us anything, it's that a collection of misfits, workers, weirdos, and stubborn bastards can occasionally do some good in the world.

We're hoping to prove it again.

Sincerely,

 

Cody Sexton
Owner / Founder / Professional Collector of Regrettable Stories