1. Theme Relevance

– The story should explore affections or opportunities that were not appreciated or explored until they were lost.
– The narrative should revolve around love, either romantic or platonic, and its transformation in the face of loss or death.

2. Emotional Impact

– The story should evoke a strong emotional response from readers, touching their souls in a profound and nerve-wrenching way.
– It should have the potential to bring readers to tears, invoking relatable feelings of joy or sorrow.

3. Narrative Quality

– The story should demonstrate strong storytelling techniques, including engaging plot development, compelling characters, and well-crafted dialogue.
– The narrative should be coherent, cohesive, and effectively convey the intended emotions and themes.

4. Originality and Creativity

– The story should showcase unique perspectives, fresh ideas, and innovative approaches to the theme.
– It should avoid clichés or overly predictable storylines, offering a fresh and thought-provoking perspective on the subject matter.

5. Writing Style

– The story should exhibit a high level of writing proficiency, including strong grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.
– It should demonstrate a skillful balance of descriptive and concise writing, capturing the essence of the emotions and situations portrayed.

6. Diversity and Inclusivity

– The anthology aims to represent diverse voices and experiences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and cultural backgrounds.
– Submissions that offer diverse perspectives and explore underrepresented narratives will be given strong consideration.

7. Engaging Opening and Ending

– The story should have a captivating opening that grabs readers’ attention and hooks them into the narrative from the start.
– The ending should be satisfying and resonate with readers, leaving a lasting impression and tying up any loose ends.

8. Length and Format

– The story should adhere to the specified word count limit (e.g., 3,000 – 5,000 words).
– It should be submitted in a standard manuscript format, including double spacing, clear headings, and proper indentation.