FAQs

TO HELL + BACK: A DESTIEL ANTHOLOGY IS NOW LIVE ON INDIEGOGO.

Who’s organizing this project? Who the heck are you people?
Eight moderators, one classic zine-inspired print anthology featuring 33 collaborative artist/writer combinations and a handful of individual artists, drabble writters, poets, and podficcers, all put together by @destimushi, @casthewise, @60r3d0m, @ravenscat-tumbler, @justholdingstill, @naruhearts, @thebloggerbloggerfun, and @dusky-rambles. Check out our Blurbs page for more information on the mods individually! We all live in and around Vancouver, hang out frequently, and love to gather around good food to commune with each other about our love for Destiel, J2M and fandom.

Why does the SPN fandom need yet another Destiel anthology project?
The same reason why we write and draw bed-sharing fics again and again, the same reason why we write fake-marriage case fics, and PWPs, and also soulmate AUs, and coffee-shop AUs, and period fics, and high school AUs and…you get where we’re going with this.

Because Dean and Cas are so clearly in love, that’s why.

Because History has shown us that it's possible that Destiel may not be canonized before Supernatural's 15th and final season comes to a close, but fic—fic is forever, and full of infinite possibilities.

Because our fandom and our ship are chock-full of diverse and talented artists and writers who deserve to see their works immortalized in print and digital publication.

Because we want to celebrate the end of an era, and a piece of media that inspired a massive body of fanwork, in style!

...and because we can.

Why should I give you my money?
Because we hope that you are just as excited about making our vision come to life as we are, and so that this passion can be shared between fans!

Please read our Mission Statement to get a better idea of who we are, what we want to accomplish with this anthology, and how we hope to make it happen with as much integrity, transparency, and accountability as possible.

What is the theme of this anthology? Why did you guys choose that?
The theme of To Hell + Back is right there in the title, as simple as that. Our extremely popular Dean/Castiel ship was born, for many, with the immortal words: I’m the one who gripped you tight and raised you from Perdition. What better way to honour that origin story than to borrow a lyric from the inimitable Meatloaf to inspire our works? After all, they would do anything for love, but they just won’t Do That ;)

Real talk: there are as many reasons to love Dean and Cas together as there are stars in the sky, but one of the recurring themes in their 13-season relationship/story arc is the many ways they consistently seek to save each other and redeem themselves to one another, and would go to any lengths to do so. To hell and back, literally.

This theme is open to a myriad of different interpretations, both canonverse and AU, and we eagerly look forward to seeing how each of our contributors make it their own!

How will the money raised for this project be used? Will profits be donated to charity?
Our primary objective is to make the best possible anthology to send our favourite show off with style. This means our main goal is for all of our funding to go towards printing the anthology itself (although any remaining capital will be donated to either the OTW and/or Random Acts, should we meet or almost meet all our stretch goals). The more money we raise, the better the quality of the book! If, for instance, we hit Tier 2, we will add bookmarks to our printing. Tier 3, similarly, will mean badges—that sort of thing, to use as an example (tiers are to be determined at a later date). We will post our Tiers and Stretch Goals based on sign-ups and funding, so keep an eye out on our social media for this!

Of course, we want our contributors to sleep happy knowing they are getting their money’s worth so we plan to publish updates in real-time as they happen, including a potential live-stream of author/artist match-ups. We’ve all had experience with fandom money getting lost. All eight of us are very particular about transparency for this reason, and have meticulously planned to keep ourselves accountable to both you and to each other.

What happens if you don’t reach your fundraising goals?
If we don’t reach our fundraising goals to print the anthology as planned, then printing will not go ahead, and all funds will be returned to our supporters. No money raised will be spent until we are certain that we have acquired the minimum amount needed to print a basic first run of To Hell + Back.

If we do not reach our goals and are unable to print the anthology, the selected works and accompanying art will be released via our Tumblr and AO3, similar to a fest.

How can I submit my work for consideration?
Sign-ups for the To Hell + Back Anthology will be open beginning September 1, 2019! Sign up here. Please note that the submission deadline for the samples is September 30, 2019.

Applications are a two-part process—once you have completed the initial signup form, our lovely mods will email you within 72 hours with a link to the form to submit your sample submission. You can read about the guidelines for sample submissions here.

How are contributors chosen?
Once sample submissions close on September 30, 2019, your submissions will be handed over to a couple of the mods' fandom friends who they trust implicitly, and who are aware of Supernatural fandom but not involved in it (keep an eye out on our Blurbs page for their profiles!). Preliminary selections will be made by them in an effort to combat the mods recognizing peoples' styles - we read a lot of fic and look at a lot of art, and we want to make this as fair as possible! They're gonna be looking for the bare minimum: consistent spelling and grammar, the ability to tell a story that makes sense, and to draw something coherent.

Once their selections have been made, they will be handed over to the lovely @dusky-rambles to be anonymized, and then given to the other 7 mods, who, as a team, will make the final decisions about which creators will have the opportunity to be featured in the anthology, based on world/character consistency within their work - in other words: we're checking to make sure there are no OOCs!

But I’m not a BNF (Big Name Fan)…
That’s okay! This anthology isn’t only about celebrating those members of our community who have popular stories/art and hundreds of followers—it’s about showcasing thoughtful, creative, beautifully crafted fan works regardless of how well known their creators are. Because contributions to the book will begin their selection process anonymously (check out our contributor requirements here), we hope to level the playing field by choosing participating works based on their own merits, without the bias that can come attached to a name.

When is this projected to print and ship?
If all goes well and we meet our fundraising goals, we are currently anticipating shipping out the finished product sometime in October 2020. This is pure wish-fulfillment for the non-existent Season 16, we’re not gonna lie.

That said, while we love a good deadline, we are also realists. This date may, of course, be subject to change, depending on how the process works out. But all supporters and contributors will be kept regularly informed of such changes as they happen. Keep an eye out on our social media for real-time updates—we tend to live-tweet or -blog as we plan stuff out because we’re sticklers for accountability!

Will you be shipping internationally?
Absolutely! We will provide more information on rates and fees to do with shipping closer to the time that our fundraiser goes live.

Can I write/draw/create anything?
All content must adhere to our theme of “To Hell and Back.” You may interpret this as you wish, but keep in mind that if you apply for the print anthology, you will be working as a team with your writer/artist to decide how you will portray this in your work. The concept of the story and art will be a collaborative effort! For people interested in the digital exclusive anthology, you will likely be working individually, but you can have a co-creator if you wish. (PLEASE NOTE: the originally planned "digital exclusive" e-book and the print book have now been combined into a single print publication. More information available here) However, the mod team will not be pairing you up. You are responsible for finding a partner yourself and you must sign up separately.

How many people are you accepting for the anthology?
The short answer is A LOT! This print anthology will contain 33 previously unpublished stories and 33 full pages of art that correspond with those stories. This total includes the moderator team of 8, who will be adding 7 stories + 1 art piece of their own. There will also be a special section highlighting the work of 5 individual artists, 3 poets, 3 drabble writers, and a multimedia component where we host the work of at least 5 podficcers! All together there should be 83+ unique creators!

Can I apply for both the print anthology and the digital exclusive?
No. Both parts of this project make up the whole that is called the To Hell + Back Anthology. As such, we want to include as many unique creators as we can and applicants should carefully consider which format their creations fit in best. Of course, in the future, if we do find a shortage for either part of the anthology, we may relax this rule. Creators wishing to make merch for the bundle packages will be able to volunteer at a later date.

☀'PLEASE NOTE: the originally planned "digital exclusive" e-book and the print book have now been combined into a single print publication. More information available here'

What is (was) the difference between the print anthology and the digital exclusive?
When we originally launched To Hell + Back: A Destiel Anthology, our idea was to create a two-part multimedia fan project, one half of which would be a print book featuring 33 full-length collaborative artist and writer creations, and the other half an e-book spotlighting even more independent artists, drabble writers, podficcers, and poets.

From the beginning, it has been very important to our admin team that all creators and forms of art included in To Hell + Back be treated with equal weight and credit. The e-book was intended to be a publication in its own right, but the reality is that while we received tons of applications for the print side of the anthology (and we get it! Everyone wants to see their work in print!), we received far fewer submissions for the planned digital exclusive. We felt that even if we had accepted every creator who applied to the digital exclusive, sight unseen, we still fell far short of the numbers needed to make creating a second publication viable.

After lots (and lots and lots and lots and lots) of discussion between our team members about how we should handle this gap, we took a vote and ultimately decided that the kindest and most ethical thing to do would be to combine the creators we accepted for the digital exclusive into their own special section of the print anthology. (Or in our terms, “smush” whatever they decide to create together into one beautiful, cohesive book.) This way, all of our featured creators receive an equal platform for their work. The project will still remain multimedia–along with a pdf version of the printed book, we are in the process of setting up infrastructure for our podfics to make sure all genres receive their due.

We’d like to reiterate (from our mission statement) that we are committed to creating the best possible book for your viewing and reading pleasure, while providing you with an intimate and informative look into the process, planning, and execution of our project. Your contributions to every part of this process are something we are extremely thankful for and do not take lightly, and it is important to every member of the mod team that we prove ourselves to be considerate and trustworthy of the fans helping us to make such magic possible.

Can I co-create?
Co-creators are allowed for the digital exclusive only. Print creators will be paired up through a draw (artist + writer team), and therefore, will already have a partner.

If you wish to co-write (digital) or co-art (digital), you may do so with one partner, with the understanding that if your partner must drop due to unforeseeable circumstances, you will be expected to finish the piece solo. Discuss who will be credited in the digital exclusive should this situation arise. You must sign up separately.

If you are a podficcer who does not write, you must sign up with a writer-partner. Please sign up separately. If you are a podficcer who does write but would prefer not to for the digital exclusive, you must sign up with a writer-partner. Sign up separately.

What is the content rating of the anthology?
The anthology (both print and digital) allows NSFW content. Of course, it does not allow for the depiction of sex between minors, bestiality or any other content that may break laws. All NSFW content must also be tagged. If we deem that your NSFW material is unacceptable for the anthology, you will be required to edit your work until it meets our standards or risk exclusion from the anthology.

The anthology covers (print and digital) will be SFW.

What is the content rating for sample submissions during sign-ups?
All sample submissions during sign-ups must be SFW so that our non-SPN fandom friends feel comfortable reading your work. If you have any concerns about this, contact the mods.

Okay, I’ve signed up. I’ve received the email with the link to submit my sample work. What are the requirements for submitting samples?
While the submission form will have your name, all samples pieces themselves must be submitted free of any identification. If you’re submitting a previously published piece of writing, please ''copy the story into a blank Google doc. and send it to us without'' your name on it. Therefore, there should be no links to AO3 or other sites. Artists, please remove watermarks or any other identifying info. on your art sample and then copy it into a Google doc. We promise that we won’t re-post them anywhere else!

If you are co-writing, each partner should submit a sample separately.

***ALL SAMPLES MUST BE SFW***

Writers (print): submit one SFW 1000 - 2000 word excerpt (with story summary) or fully completed story. Story summaries that accompany excerpts are for context purposes - we'd like to be able to situate your sample in context! Submissions can be previously published or new, but must showcase Dean and Cas's profound bond in some way. Please submit a Google doc.

Artists (print and digital): submit one fully completed SFW piece of art. No watermarks or any other kind of directly identifying information is to be on this piece. Please upload your file as a .jpeg in the field provided, 2 MB max file size.

Poets (digital): submit one SFW piece of poetry of 200-800 words. Please submit a Google doc.

Drabble writers (digital): submit one SFW excerpt (with story summary) or fully completed drabble of 600-800 words. Story summaries that accompany excerpts are for context purposes - we'd like to be able to situate your sample in context! Submissions can be previously published or new, but must showcase Dean and Cas's profound bond in some way. Please submit a Google doc.

Podficcers (digital): We do not have sample submissions for podfics, owing to how many few podficcers are within the fandom. Therefore, people who wish to podfic without experience are able to apply. However, we reserve the right to deny publication of the podfic. in the digital exclusive if the quality is not up to par and fixing said quality would delay shipping. Furthermore, podficcers must write their own fic. If you’re a podficcer who does not write fic, please sign-up with a writer whose work you would like to read. This writer’s text will not be featured within either the physical anthology or the digital exclusive, as we would like podfics to remain audio-only content. However, we will feature them (and their AO3/social media) in our contributor list and credit both creators in our final pages! Regardless of these details, do not be deterred from applying! The mods will work especially hard with podficcers to smooth things out because we are super excited to see you featured in our digital exclusive!

Cool! I’m going to sign up. I’m going to submit a sample. If I’m accepted, what will be the requirements for my anthology piece?
Rating: All ratings are welcome, provided that the material does not break laws. Content must be tagged. You will be contacted by the mods if you have unsuitable material and advised on how to proceed.

Content: All content must be brand-new. It should not have been published anywhere else. It must adhere with our “to hell and back” theme.

Writers (print): one story of 1200-6000 words.

Artists (print): 1 page US Letter (8.5" x 11"), minimum 300 DPI, CMYK.

Poets (digital): as many poems as you wish, all of which combined reach a maximum of 1200 words. There is no minimum.

Drabble writers (digital): as many drabbles as you wish, all of which combined reach minimum 100 words, maximum 1200 words.

Artists (digital): 2 pages US Letter (8.5" x 11"), 72 dpi and RGB.

Podficcers (digital): they should be between 10-60 min. long.

Can I post my work for the anthology online?
Yes, 4 months after the anthologies officially ship (projected shipping date is October 2020; therefore, you can expect to post your creations February 1, 2021. Before then, you are not allowed to post anthology content.

Can I post teasers about my work for the anthology to build up excitement?
Please don't! We, the mod team, would like all promotions to come from us, and we have scheduled sneak-peeks and audience engagement to keep the momentum going. You are prohibited from discussing details of your work to the general public before the anthology ships.

Is there a Discord for creators?
Yes! It will open on December 1, 2019 when all participants are finalized.

Do contributors get a discount on the print anthology?
Contributors will get a free copy of the digital exclusive and a PDF version of the print anthology. In this manner, all contributors will be able to access all parts of the anthology for free.

We are also hoping to give contributors a discount on the physical copy of the print anthology. However, this will largely depend on our funding! Our no. 1 goal is to acquire enough money to print a basic first run of the anthology. If we raise more money than that, we’ll use it give our contributors discounts and to beautify the book: adding silver or gold gilding to the pages, for example, or the ability to buy hardcover for a greatly reduced price. We may add bookmarks and stickers, etc. for no additional cost. What we’re hoping to do is attain enough funding to create a gorgeous hardcover that will be relatively cheap for everyone to afford!

Okay. You guys want to be transparent but how can you promise me that?
Any leftover money will be donated and proof of donation will be posted on our social media. Throughout the anthology-making process, we will account for the money we spend. In addition, we'll post videos, pics, and other content to show you that we are working hard!

Of course, in the unfortunate case that we do not raise enough funds for anything, all money will be returned and all anthology creations will be posted fest-style like other challenges such as the DCBB, Pinefest, etc. We do not plan to spend a cent of your money until we are sure that we can guarantee you a book!

I think one of your rules is unfair. Can you change it?
We love feedback! And we are definitely willing to amend our rules if there's a valid reason for it. Please talk to us if you have any concerns. We're here to listen and help!

Can I send in an older piece as my submission sample? Can I send in a gen. piece as my submission sample?
We will definitely accept gen. pieces for submission! That being said, we would advise anyone planning on doing so to keep in mind that this anthology project is a destiel one! While we'll be reviewing for quality in both rounds 1 and 2 of our selection process, we will be keeping an eye out for characterization in round 2 specifically. Therefore, your gen. piece should feature Dean and Cas prominently, even if it isn’t with a romantic twist.

We would also encourage that all samples sent in be reflective of your current style. Choosing a sample can be stressful work in itself, and of course, you’re absolutely welcome to do as you see fit! However, we want your work to shine! Updated pieces will help us make more accurate decisions during the selection process.

Can I send in a piece from another fandom as my submission sample?
Artists may do so if they believe that it better reflects their current style (although, we still strongly encourage you to submit a Supernatural piece). Unfortunately, writers (print + digital) may not send samples from other fandoms because we are especially looking for good characterization in the way that Dean, Cas, Sam, and any other characters from Supernatural are portrayed''. We can't review this if those characters don't appear in your writing! ''

Since this is a destiel anthology, can I include other characters in my work?
Of course! Any Supernatural character that you wish to appear in your work is more than welcome! Sam, Charlie, Crowley, Rowena... anyone, honestly! Our only requirement is that your creation, at minimum, feature both Dean and Cas with a clearly... profound bond ;)

However you wish to interpret this is up to you: whether that means romantic, super intense friendship, soulmates, etc.!

I have more questions that you haven’t answered here!
Don't worry! This FAQ is a work-in-progress and we will continue to add questions and answers as they arise. In the meanwhile, however, if you have any urgent inquiries, please feel free to email us at [mailto:&#x20;tohellandbackanthology@gmail.com tohellandbackanthology@gmail.com], to Tweet us, or send us a Tumblr Ask, or DM us on Instagram.