[PRESS RELEASE] Press (A) to Start: Difference Engine Launches Open Call for Multi-Medium Video Games Anthology

Posted on February 25, 2025February 25, 2025 by Olivia Djawoto

25 February 2025, Singapore — Difference Engine is excited to launch the open call for its first multi-medium anthology, Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology, slated for print publication in 2026. From 14 Feb–31 March 2025, writers, artists, and creators can submit pitches for Free to Play across the categories of fiction, creative non-fiction, comics, poetry, and multimedia work.

Recognising the deep resonances that video games have with traditional narrative forms of prose, comics, poetry, and visual art, this anthology open call invites creators to submit pieces that celebrate video games as powerful vehicles for storytelling, critically engage with video games and video game culture, and build narratives through experimentation and play.

In addition to works received through the open call, Free to Play as a publication will also feature pieces by guest contributors — established writers and creators who have a strong interest in gaming as culture and storytelling. Leading this roster of names is American speculative fiction writer Ken Liu, winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards. On his participation in the anthology, Liu, the author of The Dandelion Dynasty and The Paper Menagerie says, “Games as a medium have been incredibly influential for several generations now, yet the critical discourse around them still feels underdeveloped. I hope Free to Play can help to spark these conversations.”

Curating this diverse anthology is a four-person Singapore-based editorial team comprising avid gamers and accomplished writers: poet Natalie Wang; translator, and co-creator of the popular Sherlock Sam children’s book series Adan Jimenez; poet, data scientist, and pro-wrestler Joses Ho; and poet, translator, and recipient of Singapore’s Young Artist Award in 2023, Daryl Lim Wei Jie. On behalf of the editorial team, Natalie Wang shares, “As writers who also love video games, we want to see pieces that are inspired by, a love letter to, and a challenge to what video games and gaming culture are and can be. We want this anthology to be a space where creators can indulge in everything we love about video games, whether it’s the idea of play, pushing the boundaries of a narrative experience, or the sheer joy and surprise you get when playing a game for the first time.”

Following Difference Engine’s first two comics anthologies SOUND and DELAY which were open exclusively to Southeast Asian creative teams submitting short comics, Free to Play is the first time the publisher is inviting submissions from international creators beyond the region. The anthology also marks a next step towards expanding its publications beyond comics and prose since Difference Engine’s 2022 prose-comic hybrid Work-Life Balance. Difference Engine is not new to working in the transmedia space however, having created microsites, interactive browser games, and webcomics to supplement past print publications.

Difference Engine’s Publisher and Co-founder Felicia Low-Jimenez reflects, “At Difference Engine, we’re fans of all kinds of work and make it a point to be open and inspired by other forms of narrative-making. Free to Play is definitely an extension of this ethos. Difference Engine will always remain committed to highlighting our regional creators, but we also want to create spaces where Southeast Asian creators can participate and be seen in conversation with creators from all over the world. We’re proud to be able to invite a truly international community of creators to be part of this anthology.”

Difference Engine is accepting submissions for Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology from 14 February–31 March 2025. For submission guidelines, head to https://differenceengine.sg/ftpopencall/

Download the Free to Play press kit here

Follow Difference Engine on:
Website: https://differenceengine.sg
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/differenceenginesg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/differenceenginesg
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@differenceenginesg

For enquiries, contact:
Olivia Djawoto
Marketing and Communications Manager
Difference Engine
olivia@differenceengine.sg

About the Editors
Adan Jimenez is a writer, editor, and translator. He is the proud son of Mexican immigrant parents and became an immigrant himself when he moved to Singapore. His gaming journey began when his parents bought him a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas when he was six, and he has played hundreds of games since then, of every genre and on (almost) every platform, including PC and mobile. You can find him playing all kinds of games on his YouTube channel: youtube.com/@thecomicman.

Daryl Lim Wei Jie is a poet, editor, and translator from Singapore. His poetry collection Anything but Human was a finalist for the 2022 Singapore Literature Prize. He conceptualised two anthologies: Food Republic: A Singapore Literary Banquet, which won a Special Award at the 2023 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, and The Second Link: An Anthology of Malaysian and Singaporean Writing, shortlisted for Best Literary Work at the Singapore Book Awards. He translated Short Tongue, a collection by the Singaporean Chinese poet Wang Mun Kiat. In 2023, he was awarded the Young Artist Award, Singapore’s highest award for young art practitioners. His favourite games include Diablo I & 2, Age of Empires 2, SimCity 2000 & SimCity 4, Emperor, RollerCoaster Tycoon, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Cyberpunk 2077, Papers, Please, and Robert Yang’s queer games. Find Daryl at www.darylwjlim.com.

Joses Ho is a poet, pro-wrestler, and scientist. As tech sorcerer for SingPoWriMo, he archives and visualises the poetry posted. Joses also has interests in creative computing and generative text. His pamphlet Dogma was shortlisted for the inaugural Paper Jam series in 2021, and his manuscript Moving Downwards in a Straight Line was selected for Manuscript Bootcamp (organised by Sing Lit Station) in 2019. He is also a pro-wrestler and ring announcer with GrappleMax. Joses’ gaming niche is puzzle platformers that combine mind-melting mechanics, (almost) wordless worldbuilding, and narratives: INSIDE, Cocoon, Portal 1 & 2. Joses also wants more people to play Sam Barlow’s Immortality, even though he had nightmares for the entire duration whilst playing it.

Natalie Wang is more likely to play video games or write novel-length fanfiction than write poetry, but still calls herself a poet. She has been published in The Fairy Tale Review, Cartridge Lit, and Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, amongst others. Her book The Woman Who Turned Into A Vending Machine is a collection of poems on metamorphosis, myth, and womanhood. She has played and loved Elden Ring, Dark Souls I–III, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur’s Gate 3, Hollow Knight, Hades, Oxenfree, and various Pokémon games since Pokémon Yellow.

About Difference Engine
Difference Engine is an independent comics publisher based in Singapore. We are inspired by stories from Asia, and we are committed to publishing diverse, well-written, and beautifully illustrated comics of all genres and for all ages. We collaborate closely with Southeast Asian creators, both new and experienced, with genuine and thought-provoking ideas to share. Difference Engine was founded in 2018 and is part of the Potato Productions group of companies.

[OPEN CALL] Free to Play: A Video Games Anthology

Posted on February 14, 2025March 3, 2025 by Olivia Djawoto

Literature as a game. Gaming as literature.
How are writers interacting with games,
gaming, and notions of play?

Calling all creators! Difference Engine invites you to submit pitches for our upcoming anthology Free to Play, which will be published in 2026. Spearheaded by a dynamic team of avid gamers and multidisciplinary writers — Adan Jimenez, Daryl Lim Wei Jie, Joses Ho, and Natalie Wang — this print publication spanning fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, comics, visual art pieces, and multimedia works will be an exciting collection that celebrates games, gaming, and play.

Free to Play will also feature guest contributions by invited writers and artists who have a strong interest in gaming as culture and storytelling. Submit your pitch and potentially get your piece featured alongside theirs!

The Free to Play team is excited to announce our first guest contributor: Ken Liu,
the Nebula and Hugo award-winning author of The Dandelion Dynasty and The Paper Menagerie.

We’re looking for pieces that:

Celebrate video games and the culture around them
Offer critical or reflective perspectives on games and gaming culture
Employ gaming approaches in the process of their creation, or
Surprise us with a fresh take on video games and gameplay

Submissions should be:

Previously unpublished original works of any genre
Written in the English language, or translated into the English language

Submissions may be in any of the following mediums:

Fiction
Creative non-fiction
Poetry
Comics
Multimedia work (comprising both print and digital elements)

Click the links to find the respective submission guidelines for each medium.

We are not accepting:

Submissions that are fanfiction. Submissions must be able to stand alone as a piece of original work without relying on existing video games as the only world or setting in which your story takes place. (e.g. we will accept pitches for stories about people playing Horizon Zero Dawn but not for a story set in Horizon Zero Dawn).
Pitches for works that are about tabletop RPGs (TTRPG), since this anthology is focused on video games. With that being said, there are many video games based on TTRPGs, so if your submission is about the video game element/adaptation of the TTRPG, it would still be eligible.

Who can contribute?

Contributors from all over the world are welcome. Being from Southeast Asia ourselves, we’d especially love to hear from our fellow gamers and gaming enthusiasts in the region!
Contributors must be aged 18 and above upon submission.

Works selected for publication will receive the following rates:

Prose (Fiction and creative non-fiction): US$0.07/word
Poetry: US$50.00/piece
Comics: US$25.00/page
Multimedia work: US$200.00/work

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

All submissions:

Submissions will be open from 14 February 2025 to 31 March 2025, 11.59pm GMT +8.
All submissions should be typed in Arial, font size 11.
All submissions must be in soft copy. Difference Engine will not accept any hard copy submissions.

Fiction submissions must include:

A completed prose story of 1000–5000 words (with preference for pieces that are of 2000–3000 words)
A short biography of the author/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB in size.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Fiction Submission: [title of the work]”.
Fiction submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Author/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Creative non-fiction submissions must include:

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, for the proposed work of 1000–5000 words (with preference for works that are of 2000–3000 words). The pitch should include the author/s’ interest in the topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned.
A short biography of the author/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB in size.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Non-fiction Submission: [title of the work]”.
Creative non-fiction pitches selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Author/s will go through a process of development, feedback, and revisions with the editors.

Poetry submissions must include:

A maximum of 3 completed poems per submission, not exceeding 5 pages in total.
A short biography of the poet/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the work(s).
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Poetry Submission: [title of the work]”.
Poetry submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Poet/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Fiction comics submissions must include:

A full comic script with page, panel, and dialogue instructions for a 5–10 page work.
One to two pages of concept sketches showing characters and setting.
A portfolio sample of previous illustrations or comics work.
A short biography of the creator(s) (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single PDF file no more than 10MB.
Label the PDF file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Comics Submission: [title of the work]”.
Fiction comics submissions selected through this open call will be shortlisted for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of comic development with the editors, after which there will be a second round of selection.
Submissions that make it through the second round of selection will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. These creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Non-fiction comics submissions must include:

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, for the proposed work of between 5–10 comic pages. The pitch should include interest in the topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned.
One to two pages of concept sketches showing characters and setting.
A portfolio sample of previous illustrations, or comics work.
A short biography of the creator/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single PDF file no more than 10MB.
Label the PDF file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Comics Submission: [title of the work]”.
Non-fiction comics submissions selected through this open call will be shortlisted for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of comic development with the editors, after which there will be a second round of selection.
Submissions that make it through the second round of selection will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. These creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Multimedia submissions must include:

We are open to all proposals involving multimedia elements. For example, you could submit a poem or short story that embeds an interactive web element that can be separately accessed and which builds on the print version. We’re excited to find out how creative folks will get! Technical requirements such as web hosting and coding should be included in the pitch.

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, that should include a description of the piece, the reasoning behind it, the creator/s’ interest in the topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned for the submission.
Multimedia submissions that include a digital component must also be accompanied by a printable textual or visual component that can be published within the physical book (i.e. your submission cannot consist of only digital material). This printable component should function as an essential part of the creative piece (i.e not just peripheral or bonus content).
A portfolio sample of previous multimedia projects, if available.
A short biography of the creator/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Multimedia Submission: [title of the work]”.
Multimedia submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Important things to note:

The deadline for Round 1 (Call for Submissions) is 31 March 2025, 11.59pm GMT +8.
Final creators/creative teams creators will be informed by 2 May 2025 if their submission has been selected.
Difference Engine and the Editors reserve the right to ask for clarification from creators/creative teams before making their decision.
For submissions in the form of pitches, if selected, the Editors will work closely with the creator/s on fully developing the piece. Creator/s will be expected to adhere to the timelines and schedules set by the publisher.
For more details, read our rules and regulations at the bottom of this webpage, or download the PDF (they’re the same!).

SUBMISSION DOCUMENTS

Entry Form (PDF) / Entry Form (Word Doc)

Rules and Regulations (updated 3 Mar 2025)

MEET THE EDITORS

ADAN JIMENEZ

Adan is a writer, editor, and translator. He is the proud son of Mexican immigrant parents and became an immigrant himself when he moved to Singapore. His gaming journey began when his parents bought him a Nintendo Entertainment System for Christmas when he was six, and he has played hundreds of games since then, of every genre and on (almost) every platform, including PC and mobile. You can find him playing all kinds of games on his YouTube channel: youtube.com/@thecomicman.

“I mostly want to see fun and interesting things. Things that will make me smile, laugh, and feel good about video games. Things that show me how much the creator loves the medium of video games.”

DARYL LIM WEI JIE

Photo credit: National Arts Council, Singapore

Daryl is a poet, editor, and translator from Singapore. His poetry collection Anything but Human was a finalist for the 2022 Singapore Literature Prize. He conceptualised two anthologies: Food Republic: A Singapore Literary Banquet, which won a Special Award at the 2023 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, and The Second Link: An Anthology of Malaysian and Singaporean Writing, shortlisted for Best Literary Work at the Singapore Book Awards. He translated Short Tongue, a collection by the Singaporean Chinese poet Wang Mun Kiat. In 2023, he was awarded the Young Artist Award, Singapore’s highest award for young art practitioners. His favourite games include Diablo I & 2, Age of Empires 2, SimCity 2000 & SimCity 4, Emperor, RollerCoaster Tycoon, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Control, Cyberpunk 2077, Papers, Please, and Robert Yang’s queer games. Find Daryl at www.darylwjlim.com.

“I’m looking for writing which uses games as a process/generative tool. Pieces of writing which are games the reader can play on the page. How gaming has changed the way we view narratives and characters. How hybrid and complex identities are expressed and forged through gaming. How gaming has changed the way writers write. Games where you least expect them.”

JOSES HO

Photo credit: Najwan Noor

Joses is a poet, pro-wrestler, and scientist. As tech sorcerer for SingPoWriMo, he archives and visualises the poetry posted. Joses also has interests in creative computing and generative text. His pamphlet Dogma was shortlisted for the inaugural Paper Jam series in 2021, and his manuscript Moving Downwards in a Straight Line was selected for Manuscript Bootcamp (organised by Sing Lit Station) in 2019. He is also a pro-wrestler and ring announcer with GrappleMax.

Joses’ gaming niche is puzzle platformers that combine mind-melting mechanics, (almost) wordless worldbuilding, and narratives: INSIDE, Cocoon, Portal 1 & 2. Joses also wants more people to play Sam Barlow’s Immortality, even though he had nightmares for the entire duration whilst playing it.

“I’m looking to be surprised and intrigued. I hope to find submissions that use video games to talk about things that aren’t necessarily related (at first blush) to video games.”

NATALIE WANG

Natalie is more likely to play video games or write novel-length fanfiction than write poetry, but still calls herself a poet. She has been published in The Fairy Tale Review, Cartridge Lit, and Quarterly Literary Review Singapore, amongst others. Her book The Woman Who Turned Into A Vending Machine is a collection of poems on metamorphosis, myth, and womanhood. She has played and loved Elden Ring, Dark Souls I–III, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Cyberpunk 2077, Baldur’s Gate 3, Hollow Knight, Hades, Oxenfree, and various Pokemon games since Yellow.

“I want to see how people build worlds. Some games have item descriptions which are poetry in themselves and give intriguing hints to the world (basically all the item descriptions in the Souls series).”

OPEN CALL INFO SESSIONS

Interested in submitting but need more details first? Join the editors for a virtual info session! Facilitated by the DE team, the sessions will cover the following, and more:

Introductions to Difference Engine, the DE team, and the anthology’s editors.
What “Free to Play” means to us, and inspiration for potential stories.
Insight into the editorial process contributors can look forward to.
Tips on preparing a compelling and comprehensive submission.
Q&A.

Who knows, you might even find a potential collaborator amongst your fellow attendees!

Both sessions will cover similar content. However, the Q&A segment will vary based on the questions raised by attendees.

Session 1: Wed, 26 Feb 2025, 8pm to 9pm GMT +8, via Zoom (Register here)
Session 2: Sat, 8 Mar 2025, 3pm to 4pm, GMT +8, via Zoom (Register here)

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR FREE TO PLAY: A VIDEO GAMES ANTHOLOGY

1. Theme

The theme of this anthology is “video games”.

2. Content Eligibility

Content must be:

Original works of any genre, and not currently under review or previously published by a publisher. We accept works that have been self-published on personal blogs, personal social media accounts, personal websites, platforms like Webtoons and Tapas, e-newsletters like Substack, Patreon, or elsewhere. We will also accept excerpts from longer work if they can be understood as a standalone without the need for additional context.
2000–3000 words if prose, 5 pages maximum if poetry, or 5–10 pages and in black & white if comics.
Written in the English language. Where integral to the work, the use of non-English languages in dialogue or as sound effects is welcome. Works translated into English are also welcome.
Suitable for readers aged 13 and above, containing no explicit content, including but not limited to graphic language, depictions of violence, drugs, and sex.
Content that appears in the submission must not be output from any generative AI tools that draw from copyrighted material.

Creators/creative teams whose stories are selected will be working with the anthology editors to prepare it for publication. Selected creators/creative teams should expect – and look forward to! – a professional and highly collaborative editorial process intended to support the development of the story to its full potential.

3. Creator Eligibility

Creators must be:

Aged 18 and above upon submission.
Creators can submit as an individual or as a team.
Multiple submissions are accepted, up to a maximum of 3 submissions per creator/creative team.
Creators/creative teams must own all copyrights to their submitted work.
Creators/creative teams must be prepared to take on all aspects of the project’s creation (e.g. including lettering and colouring for those submitting comic pitches). Difference Engine will not be able to pair or group up creators.
Difference Engine reserves the right to request for verification of eligibility.

4. Submission Guidelines:

Fiction submissions must include:

A prose story of 2000–3000 words.
A short biography of the author/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB in size.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Fiction Submission: [title of the work]”.
Fiction submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Author/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Creative non-fiction submissions must include:

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, for the proposed work of 2000–3000 words. The pitch should include interest in the topic, the author/s’ relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned.
A short biography of the author/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Non-fiction Submission: [title of the work]”.
Creative non-fiction pitches selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Author/s will go through a process of development, feedback, and revisions with the editors.

Poetry submissions must include:

A maximum of 3 poems per submission, not exceeding 5 pages in total.
A short biography of the poet/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the work(s).
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Poetry Submission: [title of the work]”.
Poetry submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Poet/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Fiction comics submissions must include:

A full comic script with page, panel, and dialogue instructions for a 5–10 page work.
One to two pages of concept sketches showing characters and setting.
A portfolio sample of previous illustrations or comics work.
A short biography of each creator (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single PDF file no more than 10MB.
Label the PDF file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Comics Submission: [title of the work]”.
Fiction comics submissions selected through this open call will be shortlisted for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of comic development with the editors, after which there will be a second round of selection.
Submissions that make it through the second round of selection will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. These creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Non-fiction comics submissions must include:

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, for the proposed work of between 5–10 comic pages. The pitch should include interest creator/s’ in the topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned.
One to two pages of concept sketches showing characters and setting.
A portfolio sample of previous illustrations or comics work.
A short biography of the creator/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single PDF file no more than 10MB.
Label the PDF file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Comics Submission: [title of the work]”.
Non-fiction comics submissions selected through this open call will be shortlisted for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of comic development with the editors, after which there will be a second round of selection.
Submissions that make it through the second round of selection will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. These creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

Multimedia submissions must include:

We are open to all proposals involving multimedia elements. For example, you could submit a poem or short story that embeds an interactive web element that can be separately accessed which builds on the print version. We’re excited to find out how creative folks will get! Technical requirements such as web hosting and coding should be included in the pitch.

A one-page pitch, single-spaced, that should include a description of the piece, the reasoning behind it, interest in the topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience) and research done or planned for the submission.
Multimedia submissions that include a digital component must also be accompanied by a printable textual or visual component that can be published within the physical book (i.e. your submission cannot consist of only digital material). This printable component should function as an essential part of the creative piece (i.e not just peripheral or bonus content).
A portfolio sample of previous multimedia projects, if available.
A short biography of the creator/s (50–150 words).
A completed and signed entry form.
All of the above needs to be compiled into a single .DOC file no more than 10MB.
Label the .DOC file with the title of the story.
Email the file to submissions@differenceengine.sg with the subject header “Free To Play Multimedia Submission: [title of the work]”.
Multimedia submissions selected through this open call will be eligible for eventual publication in the anthology. Creator/s will go through a process of feedback and revisions with the editors.

5. Timeline:

The Call for Submissions closes on 31 March 2025, 11.59pm GMT +8.

Final creators/creative teams creators will be informed by 2 May 2025 if their submission has been selected. Difference Engine and the Editors reserve the right to ask for clarification from creators/creative teams before making their decision.

6. Contracts

With the exception of comics submissions for which there are two rounds of selection (shortlist and final list), creators/creative teams selected will be offered a contract in May 2025. Finalists for comics submissions will be offered a contract at a later date.

7. Publication Details

Free to Play will be published in print and digital formats.

Estimated Publication Date: June 2026.

8. Payment

Works selected for publication will receive the following rates in USD (or the SGD equivalent)

Prose: US$0.07/word
Poetry: US$50.00/piece
Comics: US$25.00/page
Multimedia work: US$200.00/work

Creative teams may determine the payment division between them.

Each creator will receive two complimentary copies (up to a maximum of six copies per submission).

9. Rights Requested

Exclusive first world anthology rights for one year from the date of publication in both print and digital formats, including exclusion from republishing in any other format.

Continuing non-exclusive rights to print and reprint as this anthology for 10 years from the date of publication in both print and digital formats.

10. DATA PRIVACY

Difference Engine will take all reasonable efforts to ensure that your personal data is securely handled according to the guidelines set out by the Personal Data Protection Act of Singapore.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: WILL SUBMISSIONS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA RECEIVE PRIORITY? WHY?

A: The anthology is open to submissions from contributors aged 18 and above from all over the world. Being from Southeast Asia ourselves, we’d especially love to hear from our fellow gamers and gaming enthusiasts in the region.

Having said that, all pitches will be evaluated on their merit, with the goal of eventually assembling a selection of content that represents the diverse audiences that engage with video games!

Q: DO MY PORTFOLIO SAMPLES NEED TO BE LINKED TO THE PROJECT I AM PITCHING FOR FREE TO PLAY?

A: They do not need to be linked.

Q: FOR COMICS SUBMISSIONS, DO MY PORTFOLIO SAMPLES NEED TO BE IN BLACK & WHITE?

A: They do not need to be in black & white.

Q: CAN I SUBMIT AI-GENERATED CONTENT FOR THE PITCH?

A: No, you may not submit AI-generated content in your submission. Difference Engine reserves the right to request to view working files in cases where a submission is suspected to include AI-generated content.

Q: Where can I find the entry forms and submission documents?

A: You can download them below.

Entry Form (PDF) / Entry Form (Word Doc)

Rules and Regulations (updated 3 Mar 2025)

Updated 14 February 2025

Difference Engine reserves the right to amend these rules and regulations at any time without prior notice. We will take reasonable efforts to communicate key changes.

SWITCHING UP THE BEAT — A LOOK AT DIFFERENCE ENGINE’S 2025 CATALOGUE!

Posted on February 7, 2025February 8, 2025 by Olivia Djawoto

There’s no reason not to read a Southeast Asian comic in 2025 because we’ve got a bumper crop coming for you! With five new titles slated for release, it is major news for us as the most we’ve ever put out in a year and we can’t wait to put each of them in your hands.

For those of you have been asking for more Tiger Girls, you asked, and we’re answering: expect more in the upcoming print version of the webcomic! We’ve also got other exciting new titles, anthologies, bind-ups and sequels. Read till the end for a quick look at what we have even further down the pipeline!

Download our catalogue here or read on to find out more!

To the Last Gram

By: Shreya Davies and Vanessa Wong
Category: Young Adult Fiction
Theme: Eating Disorders, Mental Health
Release: April 2025 (print) / 2026 (audio comic)

Synopsis:
Through her school days, where she must negotiate a precarious balancing act between her culture and fitting in, to her teenage years where appetites must be managed to keep up appearances, to her early adulthood where responsibilities feel overwhelming, Divya journeys from feelings of emptiness to once again finding fulfilment within.

Combining evocative comics and expressive prose, To the Last Gram is an honest and hopeful story of feeling at odds with and finding a home in one’s community, family, and body, and of the yet-unfurling journey to embrace the fullness of life.

To the Last Gram is the fourth comic from our DE Shorts range which is all about shedding light on social issues through stories of lived experience. Told through the lens of Divya from adolescence to adulthood, we see her struggle to find her space in the world as she navigates changes within her body as well as the desires and expectations that come with it.

Eating disorders can be a tricky subject to approach, but Shreya Davies deftly captures the experience of living with one while also gently unpacking how body image is tied so closely to racism and privilege. Weaving it all together are Vanessa Wong’s darkly whimsical illustrations that toy with scale and perspective, surfacing the visceral emotions that lie between anxiety and hope.

Tiger Girls

By Felicia Low-Jimenez and Claire Low
Category: Young Adult Fiction
Theme: Fantasy, Mythology
Release: Jul 2024 (webcomic) / May 2025 (print)

Synopsis
Marked by their zodiac sign, the Tiger Girls live in constant fear and anxiety, mounting their resistance against impending attacks while living in the shadows.

Behind the scenes, young Suling resentfully toils as a record-keeper, while yearning to be on the frontlines, fighting alongside her sign sisters. However, an unexpected visitor arriving at their hidden location will upend her world entirely…

Tiger Girls bites back with a vengeance! Following its eight-episode online release which ends in February 2025, the Southeast Asian-inspired fantasy webcomic based on the myth of the Tiger zodiac will be released in glorious print. If you were enthralled by Claire Low’s sleek manga-style illustrations on screen, just imagine how incredible they’d look in your hands and on your shelves. Accompanied by bonus material and additional backstory by writer Felicia Low-Jimenez, see Southeast Asia transformed into a sprawling archipelagic dystopia as the Tiger Girls hide and survive to avoid a gruesome fate as women born in the Year of the Tiger.

You can read all episodes of Tiger Girls online at tigergirlscomic.differenceengine.sg.

How Are You Feeling?

By: Andeasyand, Vinita Ramani, Griselda Gabriele, Wayne Rée, and Nurjannah Suhaimi
Category: Adult Fiction & Non-fiction
Theme: Anthology, Graphic Medicine
Release: Aug 2025

Synopsis
A girl navigates her first period while a woman anticipates her last. A mother loses her baby before she can hold him. A friend opens up about her struggles with mental health.

The How Are You Feeling? anthology collects the first three issues of Difference Engine’s DE Shorts imprint: A Drip. A Drop. A Deluge: A Period Tragicomedy, Bearing Witness, and Worlds Apart: A Conversation about Mental Health. From humorous anecdotes drawn from difficult conversations, contrasting encounters and shared conundrums, to deeply personal experiences, this trilogy of comics seeks to open up dialogue about relatable issues that remain difficult to talk about.

How Are You Feeling? brings Difference Engine’s first three DE Shorts comics together in one volume for the first time ever. Collating these stories about mental health, periods, menopause, and pregnancy loss, this anthology highlights the intersecting conversations about the emotional journeys, deluge of feelings, and ineffable experiences that we might find ourselves in. While the world asks for these struggles to be navigated quietly and in solitude, we hope the question “how are you feeling” opens us up to more that needs to be said and the assurance that we are less alone than we think we are.

DELAY: A Comics Anthology

Co-editors: Charis Loke and Paolo Chikiamco
Category: Adult Fiction
Theme: Anthology
Release: Oct 2025

Synopsis:
Looming milestones, and missed connections. Resisting mainstream expectations, and doing life at your own pace. What does DELAY mean to you? Writers and illustrators from all around Southeast Asia take on this theme in an anthology curated by guest editors Charis Loke and Paolo Chikiamco, telling stories close to their hearts while exploring the potential of the comics medium to depict the passage of time.

Following a hugely successful open call with over 80 pitches received, we’re sure many are anticipating this one! DELAY: A Comics Anthology takes us on so many meaningfully meandering paths with 12 short comics interpreting and responding to the theme of “delay”. Expect stories that bridge subconscious worlds and reality, explore the taste of delay, push back against the point of no return, and take us on detours that open us up to the cosmic encounters in everyday life. One thing’s for sure: you’ll never experience time the same way again.

Magical Sweet Gula #2

By Johanes Park and Jessica Leman
Category: Middle Grade Fiction
Theme: Fantasy, Friendship
Release: Nov 2025

Synopsis:
The adventures of Gula and her friends continue! Stay tuned for the next two instalments in the Magical Sweet Gula trilogy, which will see more spellbinding showdowns, adventures spanning both the Terran and magical worlds, unexpected encounters with new characters, and a whole lot more delicious treats!

2025 will conclude with Magical Sweet Gula #2, the second instalment of Johanes Park and Jessica Leman’s middle grade magical girl series featuring Gula Gulali, a Magi with the power to turn the most mundane items into delectable Southeast Asian desserts. In a Terran world where magical powers don’t exist, Gula’s abilities often lead to silly spectacles and kue-related kerfuffles that land her in a bit of a pickle with schoolmates and teachers. Can she find belonging and friendship without losing her special spark?

MORE COMICS TO COME

The adventures of Gula will continue next year in Magical Sweet Gula #3, and we’re already building up our slate of releases for 2026 onwards! You can anticipate Unbecoming Maya by Andeasyand, the full-length follow-up to her period comic A Drip. A Drop. A Deluge that will explore adolescence, friendship, and bodily changes in a coming-of-age story illustrated in her signature whimsical style. Then, we’ve got a multi-volume fantasy series by Indonesian creator Kathrinna R. which takes place in the floating queendom of Ang Kha Sa. In Tanaraya, Kathrinna creates an epic fictional world that mirrors our current eroding environmental landscape, seen through the lens of princess Emas who learns the truth about herself and the world she thought she knew.

Creator Bios

Shreya Davies has edited comics, literary fiction, and non-fiction publications. Her short stories have appeared in The Epigram Books Collection of Best New Singaporean Short Stories (Vol 4) and Mahogany Journal. She never leaves home without a book in tow.

Vanessa Wong is an illustrator and graphic designer who finds beauty in mundanity. Drawing inspiration from people and interactions in her daily life, she hopes to use her art to find humour in and celebrate such moments. When she isn’t drawing, you can find her somewhere, staring at nothing. Instagram: @tradervans.

Felicia Low-Jimenez believes that stories have the power to change the world. She’s also one half of the writing team behind the best-selling Sherlock Sam series of children’s books. Find her at www.sherlocksam.wordpress.com.

Claire Low is a highly visual individual with an interest in telling stories. Her works range from illustrations and graphic design to filmmaking and scriptwriting. In her spare time, she draws fantasy-inspired works on her art account on Instagram: @comatomato.

Andeasyand is a Nurulhuda Izyan who wrote and illustrated A Drip. A Drop. A Deluge: A Period Tragicomedy. She peddles puns and observations surrounding mental health, the period cycle, and everything in between through illustrations and long captions. When she isn’t, she is making a crafty mess.

Vinita Ramani is a writer and editor. She has previously worked as a journalist for various local and regional publications, and as a publicist for film festivals both in Singapore and abroad.

Griselda Gabriele is a Singapore-based Indonesian artist with experience in editorial illustration and visual development for games and animation. She’s passionate about storytelling and interested in exploring the diverse history, (pop) culture, and faiths of Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Wayne Rée is the co-creator of the prose/comics mash-up Work-Life Balance, and the short comic about mental health, Worlds Apart: A Conversation About Mental Health. His work’s been included in several fiction publications, most notably Infinite Worlds Magazine and LONTAR: The Journal of Southeast Asian Speculative Fiction. He is also the co-creator of the narrative podcast Ghost Maps.

Nurjannah Suhaimi is a designer based in Singapore. She is a visual communications graduate from Nanyang Technological University’s School of Art, Design and Media. As a self-motivated and proactive person, she takes pride in being able to adapt in stressful situations, and is always seeking new experiences to keep her on her toes!

Charis Loke is a Malaysian illustrator and educator telling stories with images. Her work takes root in both fictional and real-world cultures, whether she’s making fantasy maps or board games about Malaysian markets and kaki lima. She has an MA in Visual Sociology from Goldsmiths and has an interest in drawing and mapping as arts research. She also edits and curates non-fiction comics and visuals for Southeast Asian nonprofits and publishers, including co-editing SOUND: A Comics Anthology, published by Difference Engine. Visit her website here: www.charisloke.com.

Paolo Chikiamco, from the Philippines, is a lawyer and writer of prose, comics, and interactive fiction. His prose has been published in anthologies such as The Sea is Ours and The Best of Philippine Speculative Fiction, and his interactive wrestling novel Slammed! was released by Choice of Games. As an editor, he put together Alternative Alamat, an anthology of stories that reimagine Philippine myth and folklore. As a comics writer, he has collaborated with some of the country’s most talented artists.

Johanes Park and Jessica Leman are an artist-writer couple based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Inspired by Johanes’ childhood experiences growing up with both Korean and Indonesian identities, the duo first created Magical Sweet Gula together in 2015, to share a story of acceptance and friendship with young people who feel “different”.

Kathrinna Rakhmavika, also known as Nana, is an Indonesian comics author and illustrator currently based in Jimbaran, Bali. She loves to create works that depict her country’s diverse culture, engage mindful and critical thinking, and respond to various social and environmental issues. She has published several fiction titles locally and occasionally creates short comics that can be viewed on her Instagram account, @gambarnana.

*Titles and illustrations are not final.

For updates on these titles and more, sign up for our newsletter.

If you have a story you’d like to tell, click here to find out more details on submitting your pitch or manuscript to us. We’d love to hear from you!

Revealing the Final Creative Teams for DELAY: A Comics Anthology

Posted on January 23, 2025February 7, 2025 by Olivia Djawoto

Five years after our first Southeast Asian comic anthology SOUND, we’re finally back with our second collection of short comics by Southeast Asian creators. It’s been a long time coming, but we’re incredibly excited to reveal the full line-up of 12 creative teams for DELAY: A Comics Anthology, coming out in October 2025.

When we were conceptualising the theme for this anthology, we began with the idea of disruption, missed connections, and the disconnect between expectations and reality. We thought about the frustratingly relatable moments of delay, whether it’s while we wait for a bus that never comes or the unfriendly voice that constantly whispers to us that we’re behind in life. We could not anticipate how the stories we received would take us down so many roads beyond what we first imagined.

It was tough to pick from over 80 submissions, but the final selection of stories by guest editors Charis Loke and Paolo Chikiamco promises to bring a different perspective the next time you’re standing in line for coffee or waiting for your video to buffer. The anthology is diverse and ambitious, featuring stories that bridge subconscious worlds and reality, explore the taste of delay, push back against the point of no return, and take us on detours that open us up to the cosmic encounters in everyday life.

Here are the final stories and teams that will be featured in the anthology:

A Day in the Life
Written by Cesar Miguel Escaño (Philippines)
Illustrated by Ferdee Bambico (Philippines)

Ad Astra
Written and illustrated by Nicolette Lee (Singapore)

Astray
Written and illustrated by Farid Nad (Malaysia)

DELAYED
Written by Peter Lin (Singapore)
Illustrated by Angela Wu (Singapore)

Fish Curry Tastes Better the Next Day
Written and illustrated by Paati Philosophy (Singapore)

Hold
Written and illustrated by Azisa Noor (Indonesia)

Limerence Station
Written and illustrated by Eliot Lime (Singapore)

Ma, Pa, Delayed Ako
Written and illustrated by Hansel Dimapilis (Philippines)

Syncopation
Written by Aime Marisa (Malaysia)
Written and illustrated by Bonnibel Rambatan (Indonesia)

The Adventures of Sunday Domingo (feat. Yaya Precy)
Written and illustrated by Julius Villanueva (Philippines)

The Other World
Written and illustrated by Cathlyn Vania (Indonesia)

Time For That Later
Written by Wayne Rée (Singapore)
Written by Nadia Daeng (Singapore)
Written and illustrated by Abigail Goh Tian-I (Malaysia)

Thank you to everyone who trusted us with their stories. We can’t but will – in the spirit of delay – wait to hold them in our hands. If you didn’t get your pitch accepted this round, don’t fret because we’ve got more open calls coming your way in 2025!

DELAY: A Comics Anthology will be published in October 2025. Follow us on social media and subscribe to our mailing list to stay updated on the anthology’s launch and upcoming open calls.

Open Call: Young Adult Graphic Novels

Posted on October 9, 2024December 2, 2024 by Olivia Djawoto

As the school bell rings, we pick up our bags and run
across fields, towards friends, and into trouble…
What are we chasing with all that teenage fire within us?

Send us your stories now.

We’re looking to publish graphic novels that:

Are original fiction or non-fiction across any theme or genre
Are targeted at readers aged 13 – 18
Are inspired by Southeast Asia
Are written in the English language (Where integral to the story, the use of non-English languages in dialogue or as sound effects is welcome)
We also accept original unpublished graphic novels or previously self-published comics, digital or print (Please indicate when it was previously published and through what channels)

Plus!

Aside from potentially getting your story published, creators who submit pitches that wow us may also receive these extra perks:

A one-on-one editorial feedback session with us
An invitation to our next industry social event

Submission Requirements

Creators must be:

Living in Southeast Asia
Of Asian descent
Age 18 and above upon submission

Your fiction submission should contain:

50-100 word bios of each creator
Description of the target readers
One-page story synopsis including the conclusion
Character bios
Rough sketches of characters and settings (Of proposed work)
Sample comics pages (From prior work)

Your non-fiction submission should contain:

50-100 word bios of each creator
Description of the target readers
One-page proposal of topic
One-page explanation of interest in topic, relevant qualifications (including lived experience), and research done or planned
Rough sketches of art (Of proposed work)
Sample comics pages (From prior work)

Please do not send us:

Hard copies of your submission
Your script without art samples
Your illustration portfolio without a draft script
Your full script or finished comic art until we have requested for it
AI-generated content (Difference Engine reserves the right to request to view working files in cases where a submission is suspected to include AI-generated content)

Important things to note:

All pitches will be treated with the utmost confidentiality
If a pitch is successful, creators will be offered a publishing contract with DE. Creators will retain copyright of their project
Individual creators should only submit a pitch if you are able to take on both the roles of writer and illustrator (including lettering and colouring)
Group applicants should apply as a complete creative team that is able to take on all aspects of writing and illustration (including lettering and colouring)
Difference Engine will not be able to pair writers up with illustrators or vice versa

Please email your submission as a single PDF file (maximum 10MB) to submissions@differenceengine.sg by 6 January 2025, 11.59pm (GMT +8)

Selected applicants will be notified by March 2025.

[PRESS RELEASE] Marked by History? Leave a Scar: Difference Engine Launches “Tiger Girls” as Its Debut Webcomic

Posted on July 22, 2024July 23, 2024 by Olivia Djawoto

18 July 2024 – Difference Engine (DE) marks its first foray into the world of webcomics with Tiger Girls, a new young adult fantasy series by a Singaporean creative team comprising writer Felicia Low-Jimenez of the award-winning middle-grade Sherlock Sam series and illustrated by Claire Low. Unfolding across eight episodes in full colour, Tiger Girls debuts with a two-episode release in the first two weeks of its immediate launch on 26 July 2024 before following a monthly release until February 2025.

Based on the Chinese superstition that girls born in the Year of the Tiger zodiac are bringers of bad luck, Tiger Girls turns that myth onto its head in a dystopian narrative that features amphibious water warriors, mysterious islands, and a diverse cast of strong female characters. Originally written as a short story by Felicia Low-Jimenez for the Singaporean speculative fiction anthology Fish Eats Lion Redux, Tiger Girls sees this myth of the Tiger zodiac taken to an extreme in a world overrun by misogyny where girls born in the “wrong” year are sentenced to an ominous fate.

Tiger Girls opens through the lens of the protagonist Suling, a teenager living amongst other Tiger women on an unnamed island hidden among the shadows. Suling begrudgingly fulfills her duties as record-keeper while yearning to be on the frontlines fighting alongside her sign sisters who are part of the formidable Water Tigers – warriors who patrol their beaches as the first line of defense against potential attacks from the mainland. As the keeper of the island’s history, Suling is painfully aware of the implications of being a Tiger Girl. Her unhappiness with her place in the world comes up against a moment of reckoning when the discovery of a mysterious visitor dredges up a threat that might upend life on the island.

On the motivation to write a story based on the Tiger zodiac myth, Felicia Low-Jimenez shares, “In recent years, I’ve encountered stories from family and friends about girls and women who face discrimination for being born in the Year of the Tiger. Even though it’s a myth rooted in Chinese culture, this superstition has had an impact across ethnic groups in Singapore’s multicultural society where ethnically Chinese female babies might be given away to Malay-Muslim families because they were thought to be bad luck.”

Set against lush tropical greenery, coastal life on kelongs or offshore wood houses, and with the heaviness of the monsoon season hanging in the air, Tiger Girls occupies a fictional world inspired by the historical landscapes of countries in Southeast Asia – places that have had to reckon with zodiac superstitions and similar cultural beliefs that continue to discriminate against women.

Like most dystopian narratives, Tiger Girls straddles fantasy and reality with themes that hit close to home as much as they stoke readers’ imagination. Fighting to survive covertly under an oppressive eye, Tiger Girls invites questions about who gets to write history, the kinds of stories we tell ourselves and each other, and the dangers of clinging unquestioningly to our beliefs. On the relevance of the Tiger Girls story today, Low-Jimenez adds, “Women around the world are seeing how our agency can be quickly lost, how female bodies are increasingly policed, and the way power and control are easily wrested away from us. Given the real-life horrors being perpetuated on women these days, the world of Tiger Girls doesn’t really seem all that fantastical.”

Amidst the perils faced by the women on the island, Tiger Girls also sees Suling’s story unfold as she faces difficult and character-defining choices that place her at a crossroads between her ambitions, duty, and expectations. Low’s emotive manga-inspired art style captures the emotional intensity of these young adult themes but also does not miss a beat as it quickly pivots from tense moments to action and comedy scenes with characteristically manga-like pacing and flourish.

While the attitude and voice of Tiger Girls draws parallels to shows, manga, and comics such as The Legend of Korra, Bungo Stray Dogs, and Squire, the visual world of Tiger Girls stands out as distinctly Southeast Asian in a genre largely dominated by East Asian tropes and cultural references. Sharing more about how her character designs and concept art were directly inspired by iconography found across Southeast Asia, Low shares, “Even though Tiger Girls is a work of fantasy, Felicia and I set out to build a dystopia that still reflects Southeast Asia in the real world. It was important that we kept every design detail true to the culture, geography, and symbolism of the region, from the weapons that the characters carry to the armour that they choose to wear.”

With the global webcomic platform Webtoons recently launching its IPO and major traditional publishers launching imprints adapting webcomics into print, Tiger Girls comes at a time when demand for webcomics is at its peak. DE sees this as an opportunity for Southeast Asian comics as DE’s Business Development Manager Charlene Shepherdson explains, “Releasing Tiger Girls as a webcomic first is both a strategic decision and an experimental opportunity for us to explore how community engagement in the digital space might bring Southeast Asian comics to new audiences on their mobile devices. We’d love to see how the characters and story of Tiger Girls evolve and take on different lives in the future, whether it’s through adaptations or fan-made content.”

Tiger Girls launches as a webcomic on 26 July 2024 at tigergirlscomic.differenceengine.sg. A print edition that includes never-before-seen bonus content will be released in May 2025. Download the Tiger Girls press kit here.

For enquiries, contact:
Olivia Djawoto
Marketing and Communications Manager
Difference Engine
olivia@differenceengine.sg

ABOUT THE CREATORS

Felicia Low-Jimenez believes that stories have the power to change the world. She’s also one half of the writing team AJ Low, authors of the best-selling middle-grade mystery series Sherlock Sam. Find her at aj-low.com.

Claire Low has a deep interest in storytelling and is always seeking to bring unique experiences to audiences across mediums. She is the illustrator of the 2024 Southeast Asian fantasy webcomic Tiger Girls, and her works range from graphic and editorial design to comic illustration and scriptwriting. In her free time, she bakes bread and posts fantasy-inspired works under the Instagram handle @comatomato.

Difference Engine Travels the World: A Look Back at London Book Fair, Bologna Children’s Book Fair, and ALA 2024

Posted on July 16, 2024August 6, 2024 by Olivia Djawoto

Difference Engine signed our international distribution deal with Diamond Book Distributors in 2023 with the dream of seeing our comics on bookstore shelves across the world. As we visited book fairs and conferences overseas to learn more about the international comics community, we’re thrilled to have met so many people along the way who share the same vision as us. 2024 has really been a year of experimenting, trying, and learning, and we wanted to share some thoughts from our travels to London, Bologna, and San Diego.

London Book Fair

London Book Fair (LBF) was our first international book fair as clients of Diamond, and seeing our comics showcased on the Diamond Book Distributors stand made everything feel real! Our Publisher Felicia Low-Jimenez and Business Development Manager Charlene Shepherdson were able to learn more about the UK market and opportunities for us as a publisher of Southeast Asian comics. We also connected with other publishers around the world who were looking to do the same – diversify the global book market by publishing lesser-heard stories from their corner of the world. With our upcoming webcomic Tiger Girls in mind, we were excited to speak to webcomic publishers and ebook distributors to learn more about book trends and data that can help us grow our audience.

Our trip to London also included a bookstore tour which is of course the highlight of any book nerd’s itinerary! In Singapore where independent bookstores, especially those that specialise in comics, are incredibly rare and precious spaces, a bookstore tour is such a treat. Some of our stops included Waterstones, Gosh! Comics, and Forbidden Planet. At each stop, our eyes grew wide at the sheer scale of the manga and comic shelves and the diversity of titles available.

We noticed so many little details about these bookstores that gave their space a sense of community – handwritten book reviews, curated book stacks, and themed displays. All of it inspired us to imagine where DE comics could fit in someday on those shelves amongst titles from other well-loved publishers. Needless to say, we couldn’t help but bring home many of those books for ourselves! (It’s all for research, of course.)

We also had a chance to visit the Write Cut Rewrite exhibition at Oxford University’s Bodleian Libraries which was an interesting look into the invisible labour of editing in literature. Showcasing various drafts of famous manuscripts and abandoned works, it made us think about how we could render the typically unseen process of comic-making more visible and accessible to readers through experiences, activations, and workshops.

Bologna Children’s Book Fair

As a comics publisher, we felt right at home at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF). Our booth was located in the Comics Corner. This dedicated comics section of the fair was almost doubled in size compared to last year which was a great sign of the growing interest in comics globally! We had an exciting schedule full of meetings with publishers, marketing professionals, and illustrators from all around the world. Some highlights included chatting with Janna Morishima from Kids Comics Unite who shared so many insights with us, and meeting the team at Andrews McMeel who will be releasing US Editions of The Makers Club in August 2024, originally published by DE as our first comic series! It was truly a full-circle moment for us.

Our Design Lead Claire Low joined Felicia this time and she had much to share about the fair from an illustrator’s point of view. What set BCBF apart was how art could be encountered everywhere from the communal graffiti wall to the Illustrators Wall where artists could display their artwork. We brought prints illustrated by our in-house designers at DE and claimed a little corner of the wall just for Singapore! It was refreshing to see illustrators boldly approach publishers for a portfolio review which made BCBF a great space to connect with illustrators and potential comic creators. With so many comics available to browse, one easily got lost in the worlds of different illustrators amidst the hustle and bustle of the fair.

Felicia also shared some of her thoughts at New Comics From Southeast Asia: An Emerging Market, an all-women Southeast Asian comics panel with representatives from publishers in the Philippines as well as industry colleagues from Singapore. We were so happy to be able to put Southeast Asia on the map as a region with many different but shared cultures that are reflected in the range of comics coming out of our scene.

The ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition

The sprawling ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition (ALA) was a book lover’s fever dream where we were constantly surrounded by and talking to people who love reading – it’s definitely our kind of convention! As much as publishing is a business, it’s also a deeply human one where conversations and connections become part of the story. ALA proved that librarians are not only some of the loveliest people to talk to, but also people who shared our sense of humour with how quickly our comic badge ribbons were snatched up!

It was really encouraging for a young publisher like us to hear that some librarians were specifically looking at expanding their Southeast Asian collections. A common thread across these conferences and fairs has been an increasing emphasis on diversity, and we’re so heartened to meet many librarians who share that ethos and want to inspire young readers to read widely. We were also pleasantly surprised to see a ton of interest in our short comic Ada’s Adventure which we conceptualised as a resource for breaking down the elements of a comic for young readers. Physical copies made their rounds across ALA and we’re hoping they might even find their way into school libraries in America! You can read the digital version of Ada’s Adventure here.

We also had the chance to meet incredible creators such as Daniel Nayeri of the award-winning middle-grade novel The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams and Sabir Pirzada, writer for TV shows such as Moon Knight and Ms. Marvel! Their positive reactions to our work lit a fire inside us, and there’s definitely no better feeling than being able to share what you’ve created with the people whose work you love.

And finally, we got to have dinner with a few librarians and reunite with our friends at Diamond Book Distributors since officially inking our partnership deal at Frankfurt last year! After speaking with them over good food, company, and drinks, there’s no doubt in our mind that they truly are the nerds we need.

Thank you to everyone who spent time speaking and sharing with us! We’ve learnt so much and are excited to plan for the road ahead. Look out for us at Frankfurt Book Fair from 16–20 October 2024!

All The Things She Said: A Look Back on International Women’s Day 2024

Posted on March 16, 2024March 16, 2024 by Olivia Djawoto

Just as much as it’s a clarion call for equality, International Women’s Day is also a reminder that many conversations are hard-won only by those who have tried to make space for them. For #IWD2024 on 8 March, we spent our Friday evening with Andeasyand and Griselda Gabriele, two of our creators who have spearheaded the kinds of conversations that Difference Engine wants to spotlight with the DE Shorts imprint.

A full house gathered at Book Bar in celebration of womanhood and all it’s messy and glorious parts. In discussing Andeasyand’s A Drip. A Drop. A Deluge: A Period Tragicomedy and Griselda Gabriele’s Bearing Witness (written by Vinita Ramani whose presence was missed) both depicting the lived experiences of woman, our speakers did not shy away from bold reflections, searing honesty, and candid humour.

Without any gentle tiptoeing, the conversation didn’t miss a beat as it opened with Andeasyand’s unhurried detailing of the awkward but relatable moments that arise while menstruating. Pains, stains, and pad wedgies were discussed in the same breath as her frustrations (of which many of us share) with upmarket pads and the period tax—the experience of unjustified shame being the most relatable point of all as nods and warm laughter rippled through the audience.

Just as Andeasyand isn’t afraid to turn period narratives on its head, Griselda spoke boldly about bringing authenticity to a difficult subject on Bearing Witness. Sharing about the process of translating Vinita’s grief for Mithra, her unborn child, into illustrations, Griselda reflected on the importance of drawing boundaries and respecting the “little things” that make up her story. Through open conversations with Vinita which eventually grew into a friendship, Griselda was able to observe and share in Vinita’s particular experience which lent itself to illustrations that captured the emotional layers without falling into the trap of painting overarching narratives of grief in broad strokes.

Griselda recalled noticing small, meaningful moments: how even amidst the sadness of losing Mithra, Vinita still thought of him with a lot of reverence; that even though it was a painful experience for Vinita, it was a spiritual one for her as well. Similarly, Griselda was able to sense how Vinita’s young daughter, Sahana, was a constant beacon of joy and love in the midst this tragedy. These nuances took visual form with the motif of the marigold flower as a callback to Hindu traditions and imagery and evocative moments between Sahana and Vinita that remain true to her emotional journey.

The subject of normalising experiences was also at the centre of the conversation that night. Working on A Drip. A Drop. A Deluge as both the writer and illustrator, Andeasyand initially took to drawing to articulate thoughts that she could not express in words. She envisioned it initially as a short zine, but realised that it needed to be told as separate stories. What eventually emerged was not only a story from one woman’s perspective, but a collage that saw the experience of menstruation as something as diverse as the kinds of bodies that bleed.

For Griselda, it was also important to recognise pregnancy loss as a profoundly emotional experience that isn’t necessarily captured by medical diagnosis or physical symptoms. Her challenge was to paint a picture of the profound and ineffable loss, and she shared about the research she did to bring this much-needed perspective. She hopes Bearing Witness is not just a recollection but also a resource for women who might be going through the same thing.

“I thought about Southeast Asian perspectives and how they were absent from existing comics and books about miscarriage… a lot of them were from western sources which were medical, but I wanted to bring the emotional perspective.” — Griselda Gabriele

Inevitably, the discussion about representation and incredibly personal experiences also brings to mind the question of what isn’t shared or what has been left off the page. Andeasyand spoke more about self-censorship and having to run up against the question of who A Drip. A Drop. A Deluge is written for.

“As a hijabi, can I write about this? Can I portray a cooch on the page?” — Andeasyand

In spite of her doubts, she shares that speaking to other women helps her to introspect and better understand the inclination to avoid certain topics. It is also a reminder that even though she’s found her stride as an adult, there are things that might loom scary and large in the mind of someone younger than her. She finally realises: “the book is written for the little girl who can’t get answers anywhere”.

The conversation ended with levity as Andeasyand spoke about the phrase that framed her comic: tragicomedy. The audience nodded in recognition of moments of shared awkwardness, mutual frustration, and collective indignation that gives way to a sense of found community that understands what it is to want to laugh and cry at the same time when someone readily offers a pad to you in a public toilet or when strangers offer help to someone crying on the street. The word “sisterhood” also resonated with Griselda who fostered an incredibly special bond with Vinita through the creation of Bearing Witness. “There’s a camaderie that happens and people that know will understand,” Griselda shared. “I don’t think Bearing Witness would be the way it is without our friendship because (Vinita) shared a lot of herself and the experience with me.”

“The thing about friendship is that they make you realise how deep that thing is because only with friendships is there trust… our experiences can be so lonely. It is a burden shared, a burden halved.” — Andeasyand

Stepping Into Other Worlds – A Look at Difference Engine’s 2024 Catalogue!

Posted on March 5, 2024February 7, 2025 by Olivia Djawoto

After many months of brainstorming, tinkering, and hopeful dreaming, we’re excited to finally have our 2024 catalogue out in the world! In the works are five new projects and titles which stretch from Southeast Asian fantasy to narratives couched in the chaos of everyday reality.

In the spirit of building new things and reaching new communities, we’ve also set our sights on our very first web and audio comics which we hope will expand our definition of comics and make our stories more accessible to fans out there.

Download our catalogue here or read on to find out more!

Tiger Girls

By Felicia Low-Jimenez and Claire Low
Category: Young Adult Fiction
Theme: Fantasy, Mythology
Release: Jul 2024 (webcomic) / 2025 (print)

Synopsis
Marked by their zodiac sign, the Tiger Girls live in constant fear and anxiety, mounting their resistance against impending attacks while living in the shadows.

Behind the scenes, young Suling resentfully toils as a record-keeper, while yearning to be on the frontlines, fighting alongside her sign sisters. However, an unexpected visitor arriving at their hidden location will upend her world entirely…

Chinese superstition would have us believe that girls born in the year of the tiger are bringers of bad luck. Tiger Girls turns that myth onto its head in an epic tale that features amphibious water warriors, mysterious islands, and an incredible cast of strong female characters. If you love stories that take place in a fantastical Southeast Asian setting brought to life by a manga-inspired art style, this is one you won’t want to miss.

Tiger Girls will be released episodically as a free eight-part webcomic beginning in July 2024. The print edition which includes never-before-seen bonus content will be released in 2025.

To the Last Gram

By: Shreya Davies and Vanessa Wong
Category: Young Adult Fiction
Theme: Eating Disorders, Mental Health
Release: Oct 2024 (print) / 2025 (audio comic)

To the Last Gram is the fourth title in our DE Shorts imprint which spotlights stories of lived and shared experiences around a range of social issues. Shreya Davies offers a sensitive and nuanced take on the heavy subject of eating disorders in her depiction of Divya’s relationship with food, body image, and identity across various stages of her life. Accompanied by Vanessa Wong’s endearingly off-kilter illustrations, mundane moments are transformed into evocative scenes of modern anxiety as Divya navigates the struggles of cultural acceptance, growing up, and fitting in.

The October 2024 print release of the comic will be followed by an audio comic adaptation in 2025 – a growing audio format which not only translates the dialogue in comics, but uses sound effects, narration, and dialogue to capture all of its visual elements into an immersive narrative experience.

Unbecoming Maya

By Andeasyand
Category: Young Adult Fiction 13+
Theme: Menstruation, Coming-of-Age
Release: 2026

Synopsis:
For as long as Maya can remember, she has meandered through life at the same rhythm: Waking up at 6.30AM. Putting the kettle on. Making oatmeal for breakfast and leaving it to cool to the perfect temperature. Straightening her bed. Getting into her school uniform. Gobbling said breakfast down to rush out of the house to meet her best friend Jacob.

But one day, everything changes.

First she sees it in the little things. Then it comes all at once.

As Maya seeks to hold onto her sense of self in a changing body, she must also navigate the unspoken expectations and traditions of her community as they start to reveal themselves.

Unbecoming Maya is a coming-of-age story that explores the intricacies of adolescence, friendship, and bodily changes — and that sometimes, help can be found in the most unlikely places.

After the overwhelming response for A Drip. A Drop. A Deluge: A Period Tragicomedy, Andeasyand returns with her first full-length comic, Unbecoming Maya. Colourful musings on adolescence, friendship, and bodily changes are captured in this coming-of-age story illustrated in her signature whimsical style as she continues the conversation about menstruation and periods in an even bigger way.

Magical Sweet Gula 2 & 3

By Johanes Park & Jessica Leman
Category: Children’s Fiction
Theme: Fantasy, Friendship
Release: 2025 & 2026

If you haven’t had enough of Gula Gulali, the sweet-toothed magi returns for more inter-dimensional hijinks across the decadently illustrated worlds of magic and non-magic in Magical Sweet Gula 2 & 3! See Gula continue to turn more things into dessert with her magi powers in the final two instalments of their Magical Sweet Gula trilogy.

DELAY: A Comics Anthology

Co-editors: Charis Loke and Paolo Chikiamco
Category: Adult Fiction
Theme: Anthology
Release: 2025

We had such a blast with SOUND: A Comic Anthology that we’re launching a second collection of short comic fiction, DELAY: A Comics Anthology! We’re inviting Southeast Asian creators to submit story pitches that interpret the theme of “delay” in unexpected ways. Creators whose pitches are chosen will get a chance to work with the powerhouse editorial team made up of Malaysian illustrator and educator Charis Loke as well as Filipino prose and comics writer Paolo Chikiamco who was previously a contributor to SOUND. Click here for more details on how to submit your pitch!

Creator Bios

Shreya Davies has edited comics, literary fiction, and non-fiction publications. Her short stories have appeared in The Epigram Books Collection of Best New Singaporean Short Stories (Vol 4) and Mahogany Journal. She never leaves home without a book in tow.

Johanes Park and Jessica Leman are an artist-writer couple based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Inspired by Johanes’ childhood experiences growing up with both Korean and Indonesian identities, the duo first created Magical Sweet Gula together in 2015, to share a story of acceptance and friendship with young people who feel “different”.

Paolo Chikiamco, from the Philippines, is a lawyer and writer of prose, comics, and interactive fiction. His prose has been published in anthologies such as The Sea is Ours and The Best of Philippine Speculative Fiction, and his interactive wrestling novel Slammed! was released by Choice of Games. As an editor, he put together Alternative Alamat, an anthology of stories that reimagine Philippine myth and folklore. As a comics writer, he has collaborated with some of the country’s most talented artists.

*Titles and illustrations are not final.

For updates on these titles and more, sign up for our e-newslette r.

If you have a story you’d like to tell, click here to find out more details on submitting your pitch or manuscript to us. We’d love to hear from you!

[PRESS RELEASE] Difference Engine Unveils 2024 Catalogue

Posted on March 1, 2024November 21, 2024 by Olivia Djawoto

1 March 2024, Singapore — Difference Engine is proud to announce its 2024 catalogue which includes five new projects and titles across the adult, young adult, and children’s categories. In line with the independent publisher’s mission of putting Southeast Asian voices on the map, this upcoming slate of projects includes works by creators from Singapore and Indonesia as well as a comics anthology featuring writers and illustrators across the region.

2024–2025 marks a series of firsts for Difference Engine with its debut webcomic and audio comic accompanying the print release of upcoming titles Tiger Girls and To the Last Gram respectively. Tiger Girls, a young adult fantasy comic written by Felicia Low-Jimenez and illustrated by Claire Low, is the graphic adaptation of Low-Jimenez’s short story first published in Singaporean speculative fiction anthology Fish Eats Lion Redux. Against the backdrop of a tropical Southeast Asian island made fantastical by Low’s manga-inspired art style, a restless young record-keeper, Suling, reckons with the Chinese superstition that casts girls born in her zodiac year, the tiger, as bringers of bad luck. From July 2024 onwards, readers can follow Suling’s ensuing quest to find her place amongst the island’s Water Tiger warriors as Tiger Girls gets released episodically as a free eight-part webcomic. Future fans of the series can also expect the subsequent print edition in 2025 to include never-before-seen bonus content.

Expanding on Difference Engine’s DE Shorts imprint, To the Last Gram is the fourth in this series of short comics that spotlight stories of lived and shared experiences around a range of social issues. Shreya Davies’ lyrical prose provides a gentle touch to the heavy subject of eating disorders in her depiction of Divya’s tumultuous relationship with food and body image. it is underscored by Vanessa Wong’s endearingly off-kilter illustrations which transform typically mundane moments into evocative scenes of modern anxiety. Young adult readers will find familiarity with Divya’s struggles of cultural acceptance, growing up, and fitting in as the narrative traverses between various stages of her life. The October 2024 print release of the comic will be followed by an audio comic adaptation in 2025 – a growing format for graphic narratives that translates the immensely visual medium of comics and its illustrative features into immersive experiences through sound effects, narration, and dialogue.

**_{Illustration for}****_{To the Last Gram}**

Low-Jimenez, also the Co-Founder and Publisher of Difference Engine, shared, “Venturing into the world of web and audio comics is a chance to reach out to a wider audience than ever before. Any opportunity to make comics more accessible is worth the challenge, and we are also interested to see how we can foster new communities and fandoms around our works.”

Young adult readers can also look forward to Andeasyand’s Unbecoming Maya, slated for release in 2026. Following the success of her 2021 DE Short A Drip. A Drop. A Deluge: A Period Tragicomedy, Andeasyand continues her colourful musings on adolescence, friendship, and bodily changes in this coming-of-age story illustrated in her signature whimsical style. Exploring the topic in a full-length comic this time, Unbecoming Maya might be a departure from the short vignette-style format of A Drip. A Drop. A Deluge, but still centres the conversation about menstruation and periods in an even bigger way.

**_{Gula Gulali of}****_{The Magical Sweet Gula}**

Adding to Difference Engine’s children’s titles is Indonesian artist-writer couple Johanes Park and Jessica Leman with The Magical Sweet Gula 2 & 3, the final two instalments of their Magical Sweet Gula trilogy coming out in 2025 and 2026. Gula Gulali returns for more inter-dimensional hijinks across the decadently illustrated worlds of magic and non-magic as she continues to turn more things into dessert with her magi powers.

Rounding off Difference Engine’s forthcoming titles is DELAY: A Comics Anthology, the publisher’s second collection of short comic fiction following SOUND: A Comic Anthology. As part of the anthology, Southeast Asian creators are invited to submit story pitches that interpret the theme of “delay” in unexpected ways. Creators whose pitches are chosen will get a chance to work with a veteran editorial team comprising Malaysian illustrator and educator Charis Loke in a reprisal of her role as co-editor of SOUND, as well as Filipino prose and comics writer Paolo Chikiamco who was previously a contributor to SOUND.

***_{Illustration for DELAY: A Comics Anthology}***

“It’s the beginning of a milestone year for Difference Engine as we make room for more ambitious projects that push the boundaries of how stories can be told,” added Low-Jimenez. “Especially with our first foray into the US and international markets together with Diamond Book Distributors, it’s an exciting year of growing and learning for us while still staying true to our core of creating space for lesser-known stories.”

Check out Difference Engine’s 2024 Catalogue here.

Follow Difference Engine on:

Website: https://differenceengine.sg/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/differenceenginesg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/differenceenginesg
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@differenceenginesg

For enquiries, contact:

Olivia Djawoto
Marketing and Communications Manager
Difference Engine
olivia@differenceengine.sg

Literature as a game. Gaming as literature. How are writers interacting with games, gaming, and notions of play?

We’re looking for pieces that:

Submissions should be:

Submissions may be in any of the following mediums:

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Works selected for publication will receive the following rates:

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

All submissions:

Fiction submissions must include:

Creative non-fiction submissions must include:

Poetry submissions must include:

Fiction comics submissions must include:

Non-fiction comics submissions must include:

Multimedia submissions must include:

Important things to note:

SUBMISSION DOCUMENTS

MEET THE EDITORS

ADAN JIMENEZ

DARYL LIM WEI JIE

JOSES HO

NATALIE WANG

OPEN CALL INFO SESSIONS

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR FREE TO PLAY: A VIDEO GAMES ANTHOLOGY

1. Theme

2. Content Eligibility

3. Creator Eligibility

4. Submission Guidelines:

5. Timeline:

6. Contracts

7. Publication Details

8. Payment

9. Rights Requested

10. DATA PRIVACY

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: WILL SUBMISSIONS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA RECEIVE PRIORITY? WHY?

Q: DO MY PORTFOLIO SAMPLES NEED TO BE LINKED TO THE PROJECT I AM PITCHING FOR FREE TO PLAY?

Q: FOR COMICS SUBMISSIONS, DO MY PORTFOLIO SAMPLES NEED TO BE IN BLACK & WHITE?

Q: CAN I SUBMIT AI-GENERATED CONTENT FOR THE PITCH?

Q: Where can I find the entry forms and submission documents?

To the Last Gram

Tiger Girls

How Are You Feeling?

DELAY: A Comics Anthology

Magical Sweet Gula #2

MORE COMICS TO COME

Creator Bios

As the school bell rings, we pick up our bags and run across fields, towards friends, and into trouble…What are we chasing with all that teenage fire within us?Send us your stories now.

We’re looking to publish graphic novels that:

Plus!

Submission Requirements

Creators must be:

Your fiction submission should contain:

Your non-fiction submission should contain:

Please do not send us:

Important things to note:

Please email your submission as a single PDF file (maximum 10MB) to submissions@differenceengine.sg by 6 January 2025, 11.59pm (GMT +8)

London Book Fair

Bologna Children’s Book Fair

The ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition

“I thought about Southeast Asian perspectives and how they were absent from existing comics and books about miscarriage… a lot of them were from western sources which were medical, but I wanted to bring the emotional perspective.” — Griselda Gabriele

“As a hijabi, can I write about this? Can I portray a cooch on the page?” — Andeasyand

“The thing about friendship is that they make you realise how deep that thing is because only with friendships is there trust… our experiences can be so lonely. It is a burden shared, a burden halved.” — Andeasyand

Tiger Girls

To the Last Gram

Unbecoming Maya

Magical Sweet Gula 2 & 3

DELAY: A Comics Anthology

Creator Bios

Check out Difference Engine’s 2024 Catalogue here.

Literature as a game. Gaming as literature.
How are writers interacting with games,
gaming, and notions of play?

As the school bell rings, we pick up our bags and run
across fields, towards friends, and into trouble…
What are we chasing with all that teenage fire within us?

Send us your stories now.