Black Library Open Submission 2025

[Trokair]

Warhammer community post:

https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/hwb2kldr/black-library-open-submission-2025-write-your-two-favourite-characters-into-a-scene/

 

 

Terms and Conditions stuff:

https://www.warhammer-community.com/en-gb/articles/p8ppmwsz/black-library-submissions-policy/

[Mazer Rackham]

Ah shoot, here we go again...

 

Seriously though, I won't be bothering this year - good luck to everyone who has a go!

 

Edited Wednesday at 08:38 PM by Mazer Rackham

[Trokair]

Given the rather limited scope, and that I haven’t keep up with all the recent lore, I guess that if i want to have a go at this I am going to have to draw on what I remember from the Third War of Armagedon summer campaign, only a quarter century ago (give or take).

 

Say a conversation between two of the guys here. I am sure they had models.

 

[Mazer Rackham]

They have to be named characters though, don't they? Although they don't have to be in the same timeline or universe, if I'm reading it right, so you could do Yarrick vs Archaon.

[TheArtilleryman]

8 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

They have to be named characters though, don't they? Although they don't have to be in the same timeline or universe, if I'm reading it right, so you could do Yarrick vs Archaon.

No, they have to be in the same universe - can’t mix and match.

 

Doesn’t say anything about timeline but it does say Warhammer 40,000 so I’m not sure if you would get away with a heresy character (unless there’s some warp-based time slippage thing maybe?).

[Lysimachus]

59 minutes ago, Mazer Rackham said:

Seriously though, I won't be bothering this year - good luck to everyone who has a go!

 

 

 

Very much this. Spent ages on it last year, submitted on the first day, waited months for the response, etc, etc... then didn't even get the automated 'no', and when I inquired about it got told 'they must not have received my entry'. 

 

[TheArtilleryman]

1 hour ago, Lysimachus said:

 

 

Very much this. Spent ages on it last year, submitted on the first day, waited months for the response, etc, etc... then didn't even get the automated 'no', and when I inquired about it got told 'they must not have received my entry'. 

 

I put in a submission one year (the one where you had to write a pitch for a short story about a minor space marine chapter and send an extract).
 

They sent an email saying I had been shortlisted to the second round and that I would definitely get notified either way if my entry had gone any further. I never heard anything after that, not even a rejection, just radio silence.

 

Edit:

 

Here’s the submission, if anyone’s interested. Had to do a synopsis and then an extract:

 

 

Edited Wednesday at 10:44 PM by TheArtilleryman

[Trokair]

While I am sure that they do mean named characters, I can’t actually see it specified anywhere.

 

So even if I do have an idea, such as a conversation between say one of these Steel Legion Lieutenant and a Steel Legion Trooper it probably be dismissed.

 

Steel Legion Lieutenant

Spoiler

 

Steel Legion Trooper

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

I am just not sure I am even interest in trying to write named characters.

 

Anyway, best of luck to anybody who does give it a go.   

Edited Wednesday at 10:26 PM by Trokair
Spelling... again.

[wecanhaveallthree]

I'll be putting my back into a Worldclaimer v. Sicarius brawl on Vigilus. 

[Brother Hellion]

I've done two of these submissions in the past; One of them I was especially proud of since it was about a Imp guard regiment that equal parts Roosevelt's rough riders, buffalo soldiers and wind talkers. Unfortunately I never heard back each time.  Don't think I'm the type BL is looking for since A) I'm American B) I don't have any experience in the science fiction publishing scene in Britain C)My schedule is a little packed with DMing a homebrew these days.

[Rob P]

They're judging your writing and ability to stick to the brief.

 

If it says named characters that have or had models then I would stick to that. If they had a model in second edition but not any more  then I wouldn't choose that if I was looking to actually get picked (although could maybe get away with Tycho since he was at Armageddon).

 

Shine on the writing rather than trying to pick the most novel concept i'd say.

 

I'd be inclined to say no heresy since it's: Vigilus, Commorragh, or Armageddon for 40k.

 

Good luck everyone.