The Dragon's Pen Annual Anthology
Each year we aim to publish an anthology of Dragon's Pen's members - short stories, poems and flash fiction. For the artistic members, this is your chance to submit a cover design.
The 2026 Anthology
THEME
What would you choose to be in another life? Our book begins with a group of friends gathered for dinner, diving into this intriguing question. Your submission should explore the journey of one dinner guest, sharing their unique answer/experience and the story behind it.
Inclusion in the book is only open to Dragon’s Pen members at this current time, but it is free for all for members. Your story should be no longer than 10,000 words. Poetry, flash fiction, and illustration submissions also welcome.
DEADLINE
- Your final draft must be submitted by December 31st, 2025. Submission by email to vicky@dragonspen.com Please include a head-shot and bio with your final submission. If you want help drafting your story, please join the writers group
- Cover design - final submission by December 31st, 2025. The designs will be voted on by members of the association. A gallery of all cover designs will be added to this website. The chosen designer will receive one free copy of the book. They will be credited with the cover design within the book. for any artists wanting to submit illustrations for the Anthology, please do you artwork larger than published size - please send an email to debi@dragonspen.com for full specifications. You can also see the specifications here
- Illustrations - for any artists wanting to submit illustrations for the Anthology, please do you artwork larger than published size - please send an email to debi@dragonspen.com for full specifications. Illustrations will be published in black and white in the printed book, but can be colour as the kindle version supports this. Illustrations must be submitted digitally (so scanned if not originally digital art) with a minimum DPI 300.
- Cover idea chosen by January 31st 2026
- Proof copies available in March 2026
- Publication May 2026
- Our book will be released on Amazon and Kindle
Participation is open to Dragon’s Pen members only. Every member has the right to submit something to be included. It will only be rejected if it goes against KDP rules. Members can submit more than one thing, but only guaranteed one inclusion, depending on space.
Theme: All stories must adhere to the theme: 'What would you choose to be in another life? '
Submission Guidelines: Maximum word count: 10,000 words. Poetry and flash fiction are also welcome.
All submissions must be in Word (.doc/.docx). Final submissions must be accompanied by a headshot and a short author/artist bio written in the third person. Bios may include links to websites and social media profiles.
Deadline: All submissions of final draft must be emailed to vicky@dragonspen.com by December 31st, 2025 at 23:59.
Late submissions will not be accepted.
Editing: The editorial team reserves the right to make minor edits for grammar, spelling, and formatting. Substantive changes will be discussed with the author/artist.
Design & Marketing: Everyone involved can discuss the design of the anthology, but the final decision lies with the board of directors. Dragon’s Pen may use quotes, excerpts, and promotional images from your story or bio to market the anthology and related events.
Renumeration: Each participating author/artist will receive one physical copy of the anthology. All other funds raised through sales will be used to support future Dragon’s Pen events.
Rights: Authors/artists retain full rights to their work but grant Dragon’s Pen permission to include the story in the anthology and to publish excerpts on this website and social media - full credits will be given.
Originality: All submissions must be the original work of the author/artist and must not have been previously published in any form, including but not limited to online platforms, blogs, or other anthologies. AI-generated content will not be accepted. The author/artist is responsible for ensuring their submission does not infringe on any copyright or intellectual property rights.
If you would like to download the Anthology Guidelines please click HERE