Submission Guidelines

Have you ever wanted to tell a story from the villain’s side?

• The Villains Club is an upcoming short story anthology inviting both emerging and established writers to dive into the minds of delightfully devious characters. We’re looking for original short fiction told from the villain’s point of view—with a light, witty, or humorous tone.
• Think sass over slash, charm over carnage—clever, imaginative, and fun.
• This is your chance to redeem, reframe, or just downright revel in villainy—without relying on gratuitous gore or real-world trauma.

Theme: Villain point of view — funny, quirky, unexpected, or even strangely lovable

Word Count: 2,000 – 4,000 words

Tone: Light-hearted, humorous, satirical, or clever

Inclusion: At least 50% of characters in each story must be women or other gender minorities

Originality: Stories must be original, previously unpublished, and written by you (not AI)

Closes: September 1, 2025

• $50 USD per accepted story
• Authors retain rights to their work
• We ask for first publication rights and non-exclusive rights to include your story in The Villains Club anthology (print and digital)
• This anthology will be submitted to a variety of respected independent book awards
• Accepted contributors will be included in all award entries and acknowledged in any awards received

1. Submit your story as a .doc or .docx file
2. Use classic manuscript formatting: 12 pt font, double-spaced, one-inch margins (Times New Roman, Arial, or Courier)
   Refer to William Shunn’s guide: www.shunn.net/format/story
3. Include your name, email address, story title, and word count in the document
4. Include your author bio in the body of your email and include your entire short story as an attachment
5. Email your submission to: submissions@divinefeminine-publishing.com
6. Use this subject line: Your Last Name, [Your Story Title], Villains Club Submission

• Supervillains on a coffee break
• Henchmen unionizing
• Evil geniuses with imposter syndrome
• Fairy tale villains who just want a friend
• Tricksters who can’t get out of a parking ticket
• Overlords managing mundane human problems (like driving their mother-in-law to the doctor)
• Unexpected, quirky, or heartfelt takes on misunderstood “bad guys”

• Excessive violence, gore, or graphic assault
• Abuse of children or elders
• Harmful stereotypes
• Stories without a clear villainous point of view
• Thinly veiled versions of existing stories (e.g., Despicable Me, Megamind, Bad Guys, Maleficent)

Let’s bring the bad guys into the spotlight—because every villain has their day.