Editors: Olivia Nightingale and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki
Open Submission Window: August 1, 2026 – February 28, 2027 (11:59 PM EST)
Pay Rates: $0.08/word for original fiction (up to 17,500 words); $50 flat per poem; $0.01/word for fiction reprints ($25 flat for poetry reprints)
Core Focus: Unapologetic Black speculative fiction and poetry rooted in resistance, communal defiance, and liberation histories across Africa and the global diaspora.
Building on the success of its 2020 predecessor, Crowne Books has officially opened submissions for its long-awaited sequel, Dominion II: Speculative Stories of Black Resistance from Africa and the African Diaspora. As a Black woman-owned independent publisher, Crowne Books continues to create vital platforms for underrepresented voices. The new anthology reunites award-winning co-editors Olivia Nightingale and Oghenechovwe Donald Ekpeki—the editorial duo behind Dominion and the NAACP Image Award-nominated Africa Risen: A New Era of Speculative Fiction.
Reimagining Black Resistance Through Speculative Storytelling
Where the original Dominion anthology explored the legacy and future of Africa and its diaspora, Dominion II poses a sharper, more urgent question: how do communities fight for tomorrow while holding fiercely onto the past? The editors are inviting boundary-pushing, unapologetic Black speculative fiction and poetry grounded in real-world liberation movement histories.
The anthology embraces works that reflect Black joy, communal defiance, and untamed magic across a broad spectrum of subgenres. Writers and poets can submit across categories such as Afrofuturism, Africanfuturism, Sword & Soul, Afropantheology, Horror Noire, Steamfunk, Dieselfunk, and Black Cli-fi. Stories engaging directly with the global climate crisis and environmental justice are of particular interest to the editorial team.
Guidelines, Pay Rates, and Submission Requirements
The open submission period runs from August 1, 2026, until February 28, 2027, closing at 11:59 PM EST. Writers and poets from across the African continent and the wider global diaspora are encouraged to submit their work.
Crowne Books pays professional industry rates to support creators fairly:
Original Fiction: $0.08 per word (SFWA professional rate) for stories up to 17,500 words.
Original Poetry: Flat rate of $50 per poem.
Reprints: $0.01 per word for fiction, or $25 flat per poem.
All payments are distributed via PayPal, Wise, Stripe, or Western Union. Submissions must follow standard Shunn manuscript formatting and be attached as Word .docx files sent to hello [at] crownebooks.com. Crowne Books maintains a strict policy against AI-generated or AI-assisted writing, though standard non-generative spell-check tools like Grammarly are permitted. Comprehensive submission guidelines are accessible directly on the official Crowne Books platform.
