Please read all of this before attempting to write a story for
this anthology. Do not contact us with questions or ideas or anything
short of a finished story. If this doesn’t make sense, don’t attempt a
story. Please make the first page of your story the release form (see
below) . If you do not include the Release or if you don’t fill it out
completely or correctly, we will not read your story. If your story is
accepted, we will contact you about the royalty structure. NO EMAIL
SUBMISSIONS, all stories must be sent to the address below.
Shakespeare wrote, "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet"
IN HARM’S WAY
A half circle of homes on a street that’s between the newer (good)
section of town and the extreme ghetto.
The Street is the main character in the book. Each house on the street
contains a family (you define family, can be one person), the
characters are interrelated but their stories must stand alone. It’s
mid-August during a summer that has been unseasonably hot. The street
is in a medium sized city in the Midwest. The city will not be named.
There’s going to be a big old-fashioned street party at the end of
August that will bring all the characters together.
If your character must reference another character in the book (on the
street) please do not provide unsupported back story
This is not genre fiction! The story can be romantic but it is not a
romance, mysterious but not a mystery--if you can logically infuse an
element of science fiction, you can, but it’s not sci-fi/ fantasy.
Third person writing only, NO 1st person.
What we know about some of the characters.
author character
Terris- Celeste lives in one of
the most rundown houses on the street
Maggie- Thelma (and Thomas, her
husband) They live in the largest house on the
block
Pat-
Allison Her character lives in a very nice house.
Ethel Liberty
Juanita Cat (
Geri Madison
Jackie Julissa
Nevin
Renae Shirley,
she’s the oldest woman on the block
Enjoli
Alberta is a the mother, Rikki is her daughter
in
law. Alberta's son is dead Rikki and the son
were living with Alberta
at the time of his death.
Staajabu Grace Ellis who recently
lost her 21 year old son Hubert
word count- 2,500 to 6,000 words (10 to 25 pages)
DO NOT USE the names and situations listed above, create you own
resident of Harms Way
RELEASE FORM
I am concurrently submitting to you with this release form and the
story ______________________________(material) for consideration by the
Banks Agency
1) I am the sole owner and author of all submitted materials and
have full right and authority to
submit said materials to you. The
submitted materials are original with me, were not adapted
from the work of another author, and do
not utilize characters from an existing feature film,
television project or literary work.
2) I recognize that you, and your affiliates
have wide access to ideas, stories and other
literary
materials and that new ideas are constantly being submitted to and/or
developed by you
and /or
your affiliates. I also recognize that many stories and ideas are
similar, and
often
different stories and ideas relate to one or more common underlying
themes.
3) I understand that you will not use the submitted material or
any part of the submitted material
unless you either a) enter into an
agreement with me granting you the right to use
said
material or b) determine in good faith that I do not own or control the
material or
any
particular feature(s) or element(s) in the material because the
material or feature(s)
or
element(s) were independently developed by someone other than me, are
in the
public
domain or are not new or novel.
4) I recognize that you and anyone connected with you have
access to and/or may create or
have created literary
materials and ideas which may be similar or identical to the
material
submitted hereunder in theme, idea, plot, format or other
respects. I agree that I will
not be entitled to any compensation
because of the use of any such similar or identical
material which may have been
independently created by you or anyone connected with the
Banks Communications Agency or may have
come to you or anyone connected with the Banks Communications Agency
from any other independent source.
5) I have retained at least one copy of the submitted
material. I understand that the Banks Communications Agency
accepts no liability whatsoever for nonreceipt or loss of my material
and I hereby agree to remain fully liable in connection therewith.
6) I agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Banks
Communications Agency,
individually and collectively, and their
heirs, personal representatives, officers,
directors,
successors and assigns, from and against any and all claims, demands,
losses,
damages,
judgments, liabilities and expenses (including attorney fees) arising
out of or in
connection
with any and all claims of third parties, whether or not groundless,
based on any
material
submitted by me to the Banks Communications Agency.
7) In the event of any dispute concerning any alleged use
of the submitted material,
such dispute shall be
submitted to binding arbitration in Sacramento County,
California.
Each party
hereby waives any and all rights and benefits which he, she, or it
might otherwise
have or be
entitled to under the laws of California to litigate any such dispute
in court. Either
you or I may
commence arbitration proceedings by giving the other party written
notice thereof and in
such notice designating one arbitrator. Within twenty (20) days
after receipt of such
notice, the other party shall designate in writing a second
arbitrator. (If the other party
shall fail or refuse,
for whatever reason, to select a second arbitrator within twenty (20)
days as aforesaid, then
the first arbitrator appointed shall serve as the sole arbitrator and
shall promptly
determine the controversy.) The two arbitrators shall promptly
select a third
arbitrator, and if they cannot agree on a third arbitrator within ten
(10) days after the
appointment of the second arbitrator, either party may secure
appointment of the
third arbitrator by
application to the American Arbitration Association. Each of the
arbitrators shall be a
person experienced and knowledgeable in the entertainment industry.
The arbitrators shall
promptly determine the controversy by majority vote and such
determination shall be
final and each of the parties shall be bound thereby. Except as
herein expressly
provided otherwise, the arbitration shall be governed by and subject to
the laws of the State
of California and the then prevailing rules of the American Arbitration
Association. The
arbitrators decision shall be controlled by the terms of this
agreement. The amount of
any award shall be an
amount which is comparable to the compensation normally paid for
similar material, or an
amount equal to the fair market value thereof, as of the date of
this agreement,
whichever is greater. Each party shall bear that party's own
attorneys fees and costs of
arbitration. If either party shall fail to appear at the hearing
on the date designated in
accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association, or
shall otherwise fail to
participate in the arbitration proceeding, then the arbitrator or
arbitrators are empowered to
proceed ex parte.
8) I have read and understand this agreement. No oral
representations of any kind have been
made to me and this agreement states our
entire understanding.
Your Signature:
Print Name:
Date
mail to
BANKS COMMUNICATIONS
LITERARY AGENCY
7515 Bruno Way
Sacramento, CA 95828
(916) 681-5557