Angela Benedetti

[A few days early this month -- the husband and I are flying to Long Beach later today, and getting on a ship tomorrow. I'll be at sea on the tenth, where the internet connect charges approach a dollar per MINUTE. O_O I love you all, but not enough to spend several hours online updating my list at those prices, LOL! Hopefully nothing new and urgent will pop up in the next four days.]

If you’ve just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. I do these posts every month, so if this post isn’t dated in the same month you’re in, click here to make sure you’re seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, “Until Filled” markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guidelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Night Terrors 2, The Mothman Files, Warrior Wisewoman, Horror Library, Mortis Operandi and the Fantastic Stories Anthology.

***

31 May 2011 — Night Terrors 2 — ed. Marc Ciccarone & Joseph Spagnola, Blood Bound Books

Like volume I, this second volume will be an open themed anthology of horror. Meaning we want stories from all topics and subcategories of horror. Including, but not limited to: psychological, creatures, paranormal, and gore. Remember, evil has no boundaries and neither do we! Nothing is off limits, so take advantage of the freedom. Science fiction and dark fantasy* will be considered as long as it has a strong element of horror. Try to avoid classic horror conventions/monsters (vampires, werewolves, and zombies), unless you incorporate a unique twist.

Third person stories are preferred but we’ll read first person stories as long as they are well done or integral to the plot.

Stories can range from 750 – 4500 words firm and must be rooted in the realms of horror/dark fiction.

Stories must be formatted in the following manner:
– 12 point font
– Times New Roman or Courier New
– Double-Spaced
– Contact information in the upper left(name, address, phone number, email)
– Word Count Upper Right
– 1 Space after a punctuation
– Underline everything you would like to italicize at publication
– Attach as a .doc file

Submission: Starts March 1st and closes May 31st (2011). Selections will not be made until after the submission period.

We’ll accept stories in any setting or time period, as long as it’s well written, powerful and original. Most importantly, scare us. We want to be haunted by your story long after we put it down. Gore and sex are acceptable, as long as it serves a purpose.

Payment: 1st place- 5¢/word; 2nd place 3¢/word; 3rd place 2.5¢/word. All other stories will receive 2¢/word.

Send submissions to submissions@bloodboundbooks.net. Subject should read:
Night Terrors II: story title/author last name

* Fantasy is always a gray area. Dark fantasy to us is more H.P. Lovecraft than J.R.R. Tolkien. We’d like to see a creepy world you created or a flipside image of humanity rather than Middle Earth type realms featuring wizards and dwarfs.

***

30 June 2011 — Taken By Force II — ed. Christopher Pierce, STARbooks Press

Return to the cutting edge of danger and desire! In this second volume of Taken by Force: Erotic Stories of Abduction and Captivity, I am asking writers to delve even deeper into their dark imaginations and come back with their hottest stories of men kidnapping other men!

Have you ever wanted a guy so badly that you’d do anything to have him, including abducting him? Have you ever seen a big bruiser and wished he’d just tie you up, throw you over his shoulder and kidnap you away from your dull, boring life? Have you ever plotted revenge against a guy that rejected you and wanted to rip him out of his safe, comfortable world and into one where you call the shots and his very survival depends on you?

Let these scenarios stir your imagination and start writing!

All characters must be men (gay or straight) over 18 years old. Stories can be from the point-of-view of the kidnapper or the kidnapped. Stories can have any setting and be any genre (regular stroke fiction, bondage/SM, comedy, romantic, action/adventure, science fiction, fantasy, horror) so follow your imagination into your darkest and raunchiest fantasies…and be sure to bring your pen or your laptop!

Original work is preferred. There is no limit to the number of stories a single author can submit.

On the first page of your story include all contact information: Your name, your pen name (if using), your e-mail address, your physical address and your phone number. Also include a short bio.

Make sure your story has been edited and proofread. Stories that do not adhere to the guidelines will not be considered.

Send submissions as .doc files to: pierce@starbookspress.com with TBF2 and your STORY TITLE in the subject line.

Write to me with any questions: pierce@starbookspress.com

***

1 July 2011 — The Mothman Files — ed. Michael Knost, Woodland Press

Format: Trade Paperback.

Payment: five-cents per word (upon publication) plus contributor copy. No reprints.

Story length: Up to 3000 words. No multiple or simultaneous subs.

E-mail submissions to: themothmanfiles at yahoo dot com. We will accept .doc attachments only.

I am looking for fictional mothman stories. The setting is not limited to West Virginia or any other regional area known as mothman territory.

I want tales with a solid plot and good character development. Stories should grab the reader’s attention quickly and hold it until the end. I want powerful and emotional tales that are creepy, chilling, disturbing, and moody.

Although stories will mainly target an adult/young adult audience, we DO NOT want stories containing language or content unsuitable for children.

Formatting your manuscript:

Double-space. Use Times New Roman (12). Italicize what you want italicized. Single space after sentence-ending punctuation.

Be sure to include your name, address, email on manuscript.

***

1 July 2011 — The Touch of the Sea: Mermen & Selkies — ed. Steve Berman, Lethe Press

“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.” — Kate Chopin

For The Touch of the the Sea, Lethe Press is seeking fantastical stories that feature mermen or selkies, doomed sailors, underwater ruins, the taste of salt on the lips and in the blood.

Have an idea? Written such a tale? The book will be editing by multiple Lambda Literary Award finalist Steve Berman.

– All submissions should feature gay male protagonists.
– Stories should be between 1,500 and 10,000 words in length.
– While some sexual situations are fine for inclusion, this is not an erotica anthology.

We have already accepted stories from such well-known writers as Jeff Mann and Adam Lowe.

Payment is 2 cents / word upon publication plus a contributor copy.

Email us at editor@lethepressbooks.com. Stories should be sent as RTF files.

***

31 July 2011 — At Second Glance: Gay City Anthology Vol. 4 — ed. Eric Andrews-Katz & Vincent Kovar

Gay City’s Mission is to promote the health of gay/bisexual men and prevent HIV transmission by building community, fostering communication, and nurturing self-esteem. This year, our anthology series continues with volume 4: At Second Glance.

There are always at least two viewpoints of every story and yet, we usually only hear one side. In the tradition of WICKED, The Red Tent and The Mists of Avalon, a different perspective can provide an entirely different story than the commonly known tale; the other side of the looking glass, so to speak. You are encouraged to experiment with sexual and cultural norms, technology and historical events. Sensuality is fine, but please no erotica.

Examples:
== How could gay influences have changed the outcome of the Russian revolution?
== Was Mrs. Anna really there to tutor the King of Siam’s children, or was she a lesbian secret agent?
== Did ‘Jack’ kill the giant out of self-defense, or was their relationship somehow more complex?

At Second Glance is seeking previously unpublished stories that tell a tale from another viewpoint. Either historical or fictional characters are acceptable and feel free to take creative liberties. Be serious, funny, romantic, scary… just be original and unique. Submissions are open to ALL genders and orientations but must appeal to a gay male audience. Multiple submissions accepted, but please let the editors know.

All submissions must be postmarked by July 31, 2011
No electronic submissions

GUIDELINES FOR WRITERS:

Plotlines, time periods and settings are all up to you. Genres (such as steampunk, horror, science fiction, western…) are completely open, just please, no erotica.

== Word count: maximum 7K
== Double space, standard font in .doc, .rtf or compatible format.
== Include title, author’s name, and address on cover only.
== Title and page number must appear on all pages.
== Include a SASE.

Payment for accepted work includes two printed copies and $75 at time of publication. A $50.00 prize for Editor’s pick will be awarded in each category. Winners of Editor’s pick will be announced after the work is formally launched.

Send submissions to:

GC Anthologies
511 East Pike,
Seattle WA 98122-3617
For questions: anthology@gaycity.org

***

31 July 2011 — Warrior Wisewoman 4 — ed. Roby James, Norilana Press

Warrior Wisewoman is an annual anthology series of science fiction featuring powerful and remarkable women, edited by Roby James.

The first volume was published by Norilana Books in June 2008, the second volume in June 2009, and the third volume in August 2010.

The anthology was conceived as a sister volume to the classic Sword and Sorceress fantasy series originally edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, with the main difference being that the story themes will involve science fiction instead of fantasy, and they will be intended for a more mature audience, allowing a mixture of serious contemporary issues and reasonable sexual content (but no erotica) in addition to action and adventure. The stories will have a stronger focus on the interface between scientific exploration and our sense of wonder.

Editor Roby James says:

“I am looking for stories that shed light on the truth of what it means to be female, that illuminate the wisdom and the strength of a woman, but not in clich� ‘goddess’ stories. I love action and adventure, grand space opera, thrilling discovery, and intelligent protagonists. Make the story thoughtful, wise, and surprising. In addition, the stories in the anthology should appeal to genuine emotions, suspense, fear, sorrow, delight, wonder. The science can be part of the background and the characters foremost, or the science can be central to the story, as long as the characters are realistic and appealing. It is strongly recommended you read the previous volumes to get an idea of what kind of material we’re looking for.

“This is science fiction, but I also welcome stories of spiritual exploration, looking at the bond between the scientific and the divine. I want to see how a woman survives tragedy and disaster, overcomes impossible odds, achieves her true potential, or goes on to thrive in a marvelous universe of so many possibilities, using what is inside her, as well as what she finds in the laboratory, the alien planet, or space itself.

“The stories should contain the question of ‘what if’ on some level. And they should have a woman answer it.”

Read the editorial Introduction to Volume One.

Guidelines for Volume #4 of the Anthology:

RIGHTS PURCHASED: First English Language Rights and non-exclusive electronic rights. The anthology will be published by Norilana Books in a trade paperback edition in June 2012, to be followed by an electronic edition to be produced later.
PAYMENT: $0.02 a word on acceptance, and a pro rata share of royalties, plus a contributor copy.
WORD LENGTH: Up to 10,000 words, with longer stories having to be exceptional.
DEADLINE: July 31, 2011.
HOW TO SUBMIT: Submissions are electronic only. Please submit your story as a Word (.doc or .rtf) attachment to your e-mail. The subject line of your e-mail should say “Submission: Story Title, last name of author.” Also, include a brief cover letter. It should have your full name, address, e-mail address, title of story, number of words, and brief biographical information in case we don’t know you, with most recent publishing credits, if applicable. We are open to new writers and seasoned veterans alike.
EDITORIAL ADDRESS: roby dot james at comcast dot net

We look forward to reading your most inspired work.

***

UNTIL FILLED — Horror Library, Vol. 5 — Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2011.

We’re looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what’s already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won’t cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They’re just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we’ll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission – title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]

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UNTIL FILLED — Mortis Operandi — ed. Kfir Luzzatto and Dru Pagliassotti, The Harrow Press

MORTIS OPERANDI is looking for stories that revolve around the investigation of a crime and in which the supernatural plays a central role. While we’re expecting a fair share of murders, we strongly encourage stories that revolve around OTHER kinds of crime — for example, arson, assault, blackmail, bullying, burglary, dowry death, embezzlement, fraud, kidnapping, larceny, libel, piracy, product liability, slavery, smuggling, terrorism, treason, and toxic pollution are all fair game.

By “supernatural” we mean magic, monsters, and/or miracles, but we don’t consider psychic abilities (although the inclusion of a minor character possessing them will not in itself disqualify a story), extraterrestrial life, or UFOs to be supernatural.

Types of stories may include whodunits, police procedurals, hardboiled fiction, and courtroom dramas. All genres and treatments are welcome, including ecclesiastic, fantasy, humor, horror, historical, military, romance, and parody. Settings outside the U.S. and U.K. are welcome. Settings on other worlds aren’t.

We want well-written stories that demonstrate originality of concept and plot. Zombies, vampires, and werewolves will be a hard sell, and romantically inclined vampires will be staked on sight. Think outside of the coffin.

Stories will be judged exclusively on the basis of their literary merit; a history of prior publication is not necessary.

Get more information about our thoughts on this antho at Market Scoop.
Submissions & Queries: anthology [[ at ]] theharrowpress.com
==No simultaneous submissions. One submission at a time.
==Please attach your stories to your email in Microsoft Word, RTF, or text-only format. Stories pasted in the body of an email will not be read.
==Please include the words “Submission: Mortis Operandi” in the Subject line of your e-mail.
Length: 3,000-6,000 words. Please include an approximate word count in your e-mail submission.
Reprints: No
Language: English
Payment: US $50/story, upon publication, and a free copy of the book
Rights: Exclusive English anthology print and electronic (e-book) rights. Please read our Sample Contract (pdf) for full details.
Submission period: Opens 1.1.11 — Closes when filled.
Publication Date: 2012

***

UNTIL FILLED — Fantastic Stories Anthology — ed. Warren Lapine, Wilder Publications

Fantastic Stories of the Imagination is a yearly anthology. Edited by Warren Lapine, Wilder Publications Box 10641, Blacksburg, VA 24063

I’m looking for stories that cover the entire science fiction, fantasy, and horror spectrum. I love magic realism (think Tim Powers and Neil Gaiman) and hard sf. I want a story to surprise me and to take me to unexpected places. I love word play, and would like to see stories with a literary bent, though decidedly not a pretentious bent. I could spend some time telling you what I don’t want, but I’ve found that good stories can make me buy them regardless of how many of my rules they violate. Let your imagination run wild, push and blur the limits of genre, or send me something traditional. I want it to see it all. My experience as an editor tells me that over time I’ll develop preferences and that the anthology will take on its own personality. When that happens I’ll change the guidelines to be more specific, but for now I’m going to explore what’s out there before I decide what direction to go in.

Payment: 10 cents per word on acceptance for original stories (maximum of $250.00) or 2 cents per word for reprints (maximum of $100.00). A check will accompany the contract so no simultaneous submissions please. I am purchasing First English Language Book Rights and non-exclusive electronic rights.

Story length, I have no limit on story length but the longer the story is the better it will have to be.

Sorry no e-mail submissions. Why is this? Don’t you know that e-mail submissions is the future? Yes I do know that, but it’s not the way I want to do this. For me the best part of being an editor is having people over to have slush parties and interacting with them during the reading process. Editing on a screen is a thing devoid of fun or joy, I edit for the fun and joy of it.

[Note: definitely click through on this one; there's some very useful info in the comments.]

If you’ve just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. I do these posts every month, so if this post isn’t dated in the same month you’re in, click here to make sure you’re seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, “Until Filled” markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guidelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Sword and Sorceress 26, Steampunk Holiday Anthology, Steampunk Shakespeare, Night Terrors 2, The Mothman Files, Horror Library, Mortis Operandi and the Fantastic Stories Anthology.

***

13 May 2011 — Sword and Sorceress 26 — ed. Elizabeth Waters

Stories should be the type generally referred to as “sword and sorcery” and must have a strong female protagonist whom the reader will care about. See Sword & Sorceress 22, Sword & Sorceress 23, Sword & Sorceress 24, and Sword & Sorceress 25 (or S&S 1-20) for examples. We do not want stories with explicit sex, gratuitous violence, or profanity. We are NOT a market for poetry. We are willing to consider stories set in modern times (urban fantasy), but we won’t buy more than one or two of those for the anthology. We always want something short and funny for the last story.

No reprints. No simultaneous submissions.

With regard to multiple submissions, do not submit more than one story at a time. If we’ve rejected your first one, you may send one more as long as it’s before the deadline. We have occasionally bought someone’s second sumbmission. We have never bought a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth submission. If you send us two stories, and we don’t hold either of them, wait until next year to try again. Please do not re-submit stories we have already rejected (including stories rejected in previous years).

If you have not previously sold to Sword & Sorceress, please read What is a Short Story? and Why Did my Story Get Rejected? before submitting to us.

Please do not explain or describe your story in the e-mail (cover letter). If your story can’t stand on its own, fix the story.

Reading period: Saturday, April 16 to Friday, May 13, 2011. Stories received before or after this period will be deleted unread.

Response time is expected to follow MZB’s traditional standards: you should hear within a week if we’re holding your story for the final line-up or rejecting it.

Length: up to 9,000 words, with preference given to shorter stories. The longer a story is, the better it has to be. Long stories should be submitted early in the reading period.

Formatting and Submission:

Format with one-inch margins on all four sides of page.

Please do not use a header or footer.

Your name, full mailing address, and email address must be in the upper left corner, single spaced.

Skip two lines, center the text, then put the title, with your name (or byline) on the next line. We’re not going to be as rigid as MZB was about pen names, but we expect them to be reasonable, rather than cute.

The rest of the manuscript should be single-spaced, with the first line of each paragraph indented 1/2 inch.

If you need to indicate a break, put “#” on a line by itself, centered.

Do not underline; use italics instead. Do not use bold face. We prefer Courier New font, size 12.

Word count will be determined by our word processor; that way it will be the same for everyone.

Save your document as an .rtf file (rich text format or interchange format, depending on what your computer calls it). E-mail as it as an attachment to mzbworks at yahoo dot com. The subject line should be “SS26, your last name, story title” (e.g.: SS26, Bradley, Dark Intruder) — we don’t want submissions caught in the spam filter.

Rights purchased: first rights, non-exclusive eBook and audio book rights.

Payment: 5 cents per word as an advance against a pro rata share of royalties and foreign or other sales.

***

15 May 2011 — Steampunk Holiday Anthology — ed. Angela James, Carina Press

Carina is looking for steampunk novellas with a winter or winter holiday theme, to be published digitally both individually and as a collection in December 2011. The novellas should be from 18,000 to 35,000 words and feature steampunk elements as integral to the novella. The stories do not need to be romance, or even have romance elements, but can be straight steampunk, or steampunk with romantic elements, and can also feature elements of mystery, thriller, horror or other sub-genres. Additionally, there is no set heat level for these stories, so they can have no sex, or be ultra-sexy, or anything in between.

Essentially, we’re looking for interesting, creative, well-written stories within the steampunk niche that will appeal to readers’ imaginations and add to our growing catalog of steampunk stories.

The steampunk holiday collection will be supported by a marketing and promotion campaign both online and in print. In addition, though the collection won’t currently be offered for sale in print format, each author chosen to contribute to the anthology will receive a set number of limited edition print copies for their own use.

To submit, please send your completed manuscript and synopsis, along with query letter to submissions@carinapress.com by May 15th, 2011. In the subject line, please put Steampunk Holiday: Manuscript Title and Author

All submissions will be reviewed and final decision made by June 15th, 2011.

For questions about this call for submissions, please email Angela James at submissions@carinapress.com

For more information about Carina Press, and to read the submission guidelines, please visit www.carinapress.com

***

30 May 2011 — Steampunk Shakespeare — ed. Jaymee Goh, Lia Keyes, Matt Delman; Flying Pen Press

An Anthology of Steampunk Short Stories Inspired by Shakespeare’s plays and sonnets:

From Hamlet as half-man half-machine to Henry V at the helm of an army of men in steam-powered mechanical suits, the sky is the proverbial limit for adapting William Shakespeare’s classic plays and sonnets to the Steampunk aesthetic.

This is not intended to be a series of mash-ups, like Pride & Prejudice & Zombies, but rather re-inventions of the classic Shakespearean stories and sonnets. You are free to adapt Shakespeare’s language and themes to a Neo-Victorian setting as you will, but unlike the typical mash-up, you don’t have to include every line of original text from your chosen play or sonnet.

We prefer stories where Steampunk elements and themes are thoughtfully applied to Shakespeare’s works. Do not simply throw automatons into Hamlet or Steampunk technology into Richard III; consider how such technological changes may reinterpret the original stories. Saying it another way: What new insight will your Steampunk version of Shakespeare bring to the Bard’s original works?

General Guidelines:
==Send all submissions to submissions@doctorfantastiques.com as attachment in either Microsoft Word (DOC or DOCX), Real Text Format (RTF) or OpenOffice (ODT) format, with a short introductory letter.
==All submissions should have STEAMPUNK SHAKESPEARE: Story Title/Sonnet Numbers in the subject line. Any submissions without this information will not be considered for the anthology.
==We’d prefer inclusion of Steampunk elements in the title of each story, i.e. “Othello, The Half-Machine Moor of Venice” or something similar.
==We also welcome interpretations with queer characters, characters of color, non-heteronormative relationships, characters with disabilities, non-Eurocentric settings and other traditionally marginalized narratives in mainstream fiction.
==All submissions must be received no later than 12 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time on 30 May 2011. There will be no exceptions.

Play Adaptation Guidelines:
==10,000 words or less on one scene, act, or aspect of any play from Shakespeare’s canon.
==Integrate Shakespearean language as best as you can within the context of the story; it’s not required that you include some of Shakespeare’s original lines, but it is encouraged.
==The play that your story is based on must be recognizable within your version; if you adapt Henry V, the reader must be able to tell it’s Henry V as source material.
==Any violence or sexual situations should remain within the limits of general audience acceptability. Let the play you’re adapting be your guide.
==You are allowed to submit multiple short stories, so long as you do so by the deadline.

Sonnet Adaptation Guidelines:
==Adapt any of Shakespeare’s sonnets into a Steampunk version of the same sonnet.
==The original Sonnet must be recognizable inside your adaptation (i.e. if we the editors can place your version of Sonnet 156 and Shakespeare’s Sonnet 156 side-by-side, we should be able to identify the origin of your version).
==You may submit multiple sonnets.

Payment is a percentage of the royalties.

If there are any questions about these guidelines, anthology co-editors Jaymee Goh, Lia Keyes, and Matthew Delman may all be contacted via The Steampunk Writers & Artists Guild webportal.

NOTE: This anthology will be released through the Steampunk Imprint of Flying Pen Press as both a print book and an ebook.

For more information and regular updates, follow the our blog.

***

31 May 2011 — Night Terrors 2 — ed. Marc Ciccarone & Joseph Spagnola, Blood Bound Books

Like volume I, this second volume will be an open themed anthology of horror. Meaning we want stories from all topics and subcategories of horror. Including, but not limited to: psychological, creatures, paranormal, and gore. Remember, evil has no boundaries and neither do we! Nothing is off limits, so take advantage of the freedom. Science fiction and dark fantasy* will be considered as long as it has a strong element of horror. Try to avoid classic horror conventions/monsters (vampires, werewolves, and zombies), unless you incorporate a unique twist.

Third person stories are preferred but we’ll read first person stories as long as they are well done or integral to the plot.

Stories can range from 750 – 4500 words firm and must be rooted in the realms of horror/dark fiction.

Stories must be formatted in the following manner:
– 12 point font
– Times New Roman or Courier New
– Double-Spaced
– Contact information in the upper left(name, address, phone number, email)
– Word Count Upper Right
– 1 Space after a punctuation
– Underline everything you would like to italicize at publication
– Attach as a .doc file

Submission: Starts March 1st and closes May 31st (2011). Selections will not be made until after the submission period.

We’ll accept stories in any setting or time period, as long as it’s well written, powerful and original. Most importantly, scare us. We want to be haunted by your story long after we put it down. Gore and sex are acceptable, as long as it serves a purpose.

Payment: 1st place- 5¢/word; 2nd place 3¢/word; 3rd place 2.5¢/word. All other stories will receive 2¢/word.

Send submissions to submissions@bloodboundbooks.net. Subject should read:
Night Terrors II: story title/author last name

* Fantasy is always a gray area. Dark fantasy to us is more H.P. Lovecraft than J.R.R. Tolkien. We’d like to see a creepy world you created or a flipside image of humanity rather than Middle Earth type realms featuring wizards and dwarfs.

***

30 June 2011 — Taken By Force II — ed. Christopher Pierce, STARbooks Press

Return to the cutting edge of danger and desire! In this second volume of Taken by Force: Erotic Stories of Abduction and Captivity, I am asking writers to delve even deeper into their dark imaginations and come back with their hottest stories of men kidnapping other men!

Have you ever wanted a guy so badly that you’d do anything to have him, including abducting him? Have you ever seen a big bruiser and wished he’d just tie you up, throw you over his shoulder and kidnap you away from your dull, boring life? Have you ever plotted revenge against a guy that rejected you and wanted to rip him out of his safe, comfortable world and into one where you call the shots and his very survival depends on you?

Let these scenarios stir your imagination and start writing!

All characters must be men (gay or straight) over 18 years old. Stories can be from the point-of-view of the kidnapper or the kidnapped. Stories can have any setting and be any genre (regular stroke fiction, bondage/SM, comedy, romantic, action/adventure, science fiction, fantasy, horror) so follow your imagination into your darkest and raunchiest fantasies…and be sure to bring your pen or your laptop!

Original work is preferred. There is no limit to the number of stories a single author can submit.

On the first page of your story include all contact information: Your name, your pen name (if using), your e-mail address, your physical address and your phone number. Also include a short bio.

Make sure your story has been edited and proofread. Stories that do not adhere to the guidelines will not be considered.

Send submissions as .doc files to: pierce@starbookspress.com with TBF2 and your STORY TITLE in the subject line.

Write to me with any questions: pierce@starbookspress.com

***

1 July 2011 — The Mothman Files — ed. Michael Knost, Woodland Press

Format: Trade Paperback.

Payment: five-cents per word (upon publication) plus contributor copy. No reprints.

Story length: Up to 3000 words. No multiple or simultaneous subs.

E-mail submissions to: themothmanfiles at yahoo dot com. We will accept .doc attachments only.

I am looking for fictional mothman stories. The setting is not limited to West Virginia or any other regional area known as mothman territory.

I want tales with a solid plot and good character development. Stories should grab the reader’s attention quickly and hold it until the end. I want powerful and emotional tales that are creepy, chilling, disturbing, and moody.

Although stories will mainly target an adult/young adult audience, we DO NOT want stories containing language or content unsuitable for children.

Formatting your manuscript:

Double-space. Use Times New Roman (12). Italicize what you want italicized. Single space after sentence-ending punctuation.

Be sure to include your name, address, email on manuscript.

***

1 July 2011 — The Touch of the Sea: Mermen & Selkies — ed. Steve Berman, Lethe Press

“The voice of the sea speaks to the soul. The touch of the sea is sensuous, enfolding the body in its soft, close embrace.” — Kate Chopin

For The Touch of the the Sea, Lethe Press is seeking fantastical stories that feature mermen or selkies, doomed sailors, underwater ruins, the taste of salt on the lips and in the blood.

Have an idea? Written such a tale? The book will be editing by multiple Lambda Literary Award finalist Steve Berman.

– All submissions should feature gay male protagonists.
– Stories should be between 1,500 and 10,000 words in length.
– While some sexual situations are fine for inclusion, this is not an erotica anthology.

We have already accepted stories from such well-known writers as Jeff Mann and Adam Lowe.

Payment is 2 cents / word upon publication plus a contributor copy.

Email us at editor@lethepressbooks.com. Stories should be sent as RTF files.

***

UNTIL FILLED — Horror Library, Vol. 5 — Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2011.

We’re looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what’s already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won’t cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They’re just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we’ll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission – title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]

***

UNTIL FILLED — Mortis Operandi — ed. Kfir Luzzatto and Dru Pagliassotti, The Harrow Press

MORTIS OPERANDI is looking for stories that revolve around the investigation of a crime and in which the supernatural plays a central role. While we’re expecting a fair share of murders, we strongly encourage stories that revolve around OTHER kinds of crime — for example, arson, assault, blackmail, bullying, burglary, dowry death, embezzlement, fraud, kidnapping, larceny, libel, piracy, product liability, slavery, smuggling, terrorism, treason, and toxic pollution are all fair game.

By “supernatural” we mean magic, monsters, and/or miracles, but we don’t consider psychic abilities (although the inclusion of a minor character possessing them will not in itself disqualify a story), extraterrestrial life, or UFOs to be supernatural.

Types of stories may include whodunits, police procedurals, hardboiled fiction, and courtroom dramas. All genres and treatments are welcome, including ecclesiastic, fantasy, humor, horror, historical, military, romance, and parody. Settings outside the U.S. and U.K. are welcome. Settings on other worlds aren’t.

We want well-written stories that demonstrate originality of concept and plot. Zombies, vampires, and werewolves will be a hard sell, and romantically inclined vampires will be staked on sight. Think outside of the coffin.

Stories will be judged exclusively on the basis of their literary merit; a history of prior publication is not necessary.

Get more information about our thoughts on this antho at Market Scoop.
Submissions & Queries: anthology [[ at ]] theharrowpress.com
==No simultaneous submissions. One submission at a time.
==Please attach your stories to your email in Microsoft Word, RTF, or text-only format. Stories pasted in the body of an email will not be read.
==Please include the words “Submission: Mortis Operandi” in the Subject line of your e-mail.
Length: 3,000-6,000 words. Please include an approximate word count in your e-mail submission.
Reprints: No
Language: English
Payment: US $50/story, upon publication, and a free copy of the book
Rights: Exclusive English anthology print and electronic (e-book) rights. Please read our Sample Contract (pdf) for full details.
Submission period: Opens 1.1.11 — Closes when filled.
Publication Date: 2012

***

UNTIL FILLED — Fantastic Stories Anthology — ed. Warren Lapine, Wilder Publications

Fantastic Stories of the Imagination is a yearly anthology. Edited by Warren Lapine, Wilder Publications Box 10641, Blacksburg, VA 24063

I’m looking for stories that cover the entire science fiction, fantasy, and horror spectrum. I love magic realism (think Tim Powers and Neil Gaiman) and hard sf. I want a story to surprise me and to take me to unexpected places. I love word play, and would like to see stories with a literary bent, though decidedly not a pretentious bent. I could spend some time telling you what I don’t want, but I’ve found that good stories can make me buy them regardless of how many of my rules they violate. Let your imagination run wild, push and blur the limits of genre, or send me something traditional. I want it to see it all. My experience as an editor tells me that over time I’ll develop preferences and that the anthology will take on its own personality. When that happens I’ll change the guidelines to be more specific, but for now I’m going to explore what’s out there before I decide what direction to go in.

Payment: 10 cents per word on acceptance for original stories (maximum of $250.00) or 2 cents per word for reprints (maximum of $100.00). A check will accompany the contract so no simultaneous submissions please. I am purchasing First English Language Book Rights and non-exclusive electronic rights.

Story length, I have no limit on story length but the longer the story is the better it will have to be.

Sorry no e-mail submissions. Why is this? Don’t you know that e-mail submissions is the future? Yes I do know that, but it’s not the way I want to do this. For me the best part of being an editor is having people over to have slush parties and interacting with them during the reading process. Editing on a screen is a thing devoid of fun or joy, I edit for the fun and joy of it.

[Note: definitely click through on this one; there's some very useful info in the comments.]

If you’ve just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. I do these posts every month, so if this post isn’t dated in the same month you’re in, click here to make sure you’re seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, “Until Filled” markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guidelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Triangulation: Last Contact, Sword and Sorceress 26, Night Terrors 2, Mortis Operandi and the Horror Library.

***

30 March 2011 — Melt in Your Mouth: Chocolate, Boys and Bed — ed. CB Potts, Lethe Press

Payment: 2 cents/word and a copy of the book on publication

Sweet, sticky, decadent…is anything better than chocolate? Yes, there is – especially when the tempting mouthful is presented by a candy artistan who looks good enough to eat…

Lethe Press is seeking well-written, inventive gay male erotic stories that feature chocolatiers, confectioners, bakers, and candy men of every persuasion – including the one that got caught with his hand in the bon-bon box! Particularly attention paid to stories that are fun, upbeat, and a step or two off the beaten path…give us your best gourmet treats!

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-9,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to cbanthology@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. Payment for these stories will be 2 cents per word.

Absolute, total, final deadline is 3/30/11. I will reply to all submissions by 4/15/11.

***

31 March 2011 — Triangulation: Last Contact — eds. Jamie Lackey & Steve Ramey, Parsec Ink

[Heavily edited down to the essentials -- click through for (lots) more detail.]

Triangulation is an annual 125-150+ page short fiction anthology that publishes science fiction, fantasy, horror, and any other speculative fiction that caught the editors’ fancy. Every year we have a theme: 2011’s theme is “Last Contact”. We pay semi-pro rates and are available online at places like Amazon.

We define “short fiction” as “up to about 5,000 words or so.” If you have an awesome story that exceeds 5K then by all means send it; but be warned that we have yet to accept anything for publication much longer than 5000 words. We dig flash; there is no minimum word count.

We have no interest in getting more specific about the term “speculative fiction.” Science fiction, horror, fantasy, magic realism, alternate history, whatever — if there’s a speculative element vital to your story, we’ll gladly give it a read.

We love creative interpretations of our theme, “Last Contact”. Don’t ask us what it means — tell us what it means with a story that convinces us you’re right.

We will run mature content if we like the story. So make sure there’s an actual story in that mature content.

We will consider reprints, but we are much more picky with them. If the story ran someplace obscure, then it’s probably new to our readers; if it ran someplace high-profile, it’s going to have to be the best thing we’ve read since the alphabet to get in.

The submission period is December 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011. All electronic submits must be sent within that period, all snail mail submits must be postmarked by the deadline.

Compensation: We pay two cents per word (USA funds, rounded to the nearest 100 words, US$10 minimum payment) on publication and one contributor’s copy. The anthology will be published in late July of 2011. We purchase North American Serial Rights, and Electronic Rights for the downloadable version(s). All subsidiary rights released upon publication. Contributors will also have the option of purchasing additional copies of the anthology at reduced price.

How To Submit: Electronic submissions make our lives easier. Please upload your story via Submishmash. [See SUBMIT link on the publisher's page.] If this is your first time submitting to a publication that utilizes Submishmash, you will have to create an account with them. It’s free.

We’ll consider stories in the following formats: .odt, .rtf, .doc or .docx.

Please use industry standard manuscript format. There’s disagreement on some of the exact details of the “standard”. We’re not testing you to see if you can follow each and every niggling detail, we just want a manuscript that is easy for us to read.

If you absolutely positively cannot submit electronically, please send the manuscript (with either a SASE or a return email address) to:

Triangulation 2011
312 N Beaver St.
New Castle PA 16101

No multiple submissions; only send us one story at a time. No simultaneous submissions, don’t send it to us if someone else is already considering it.

Response: Expect to hear back from us within a month. Feel free to start sending us nagging emails if you haven’t heard from us after two months.

***

15 April 2011 — Frat Boys — ed. Mickey Erlach, STAR Books

Remember those college days? The fun you had, partying every night, playing grab ass with your frat brothers. Yeah, those were the days. There you were stripped down to your BVDs, standing at attention, awaiting your punishment. And for what? To live in a house full of hot guys, always running around half naked, teasing each other.

But, what happens when that teasing gets a little hot? What happens when you are dared? What if you turn the tables on that frat brother? Will you get your butt kicked … or licked?

And hey, it wasn’t just in the dorms. There were plenty of us who went to community college, and the boys there were just as hot. Better yet, we could go off campus to get off. So, here is your chance to live out those college day fantasies. Show us what you got. As always, your characters must be over 18 years of age — after all, they are in college.

We are seeking well-written stories that are erotic, not just pornographic. There are no limits to the possibilities or scenarios. All we ask is that writers be creative, have fun, and offer our readers something fresh and new. And, humor is always greatly appreciated! We want well-developed characters and plots, believable and accurate situations (even if it is fantasy or science fiction, it must make sense), and settings, along with internal consistency. All characters must be at least 18 years of age.

Feel free to query me about the thinking you may have about a story for this anthology at mickey@starbookspress.com.

Submit your query to mickey@starbookspress.com in the body of an email. Include a short bio, your name, postal and email addresses, the title and a five-paragraph excerpt of your story. Indicate whether or not your submission has been previously published and, if so, where and when. You don’t need to sell your story in the letter; your work will speak for itself. If your query is accepted, We will be in contact with you about submitting the complete work. The end product should be no more than eight pages of single spaced 12 pt. type. Occasionally, novellas are accepted, but they must be exceptional. Be sure to edit and proof your query.

***

15 April 2011 — Best Erotic Romance 2012 — ed. Kristina Wright, Cleis Press

I am thrilled to announce I am editing the first annual Best Erotic Romance anthology to be published by Cleis Press. This inaugural collection of erotic romance will feature the very best of the erotic romance genre.

In erotic romance, the sexual component is critical to the development of the romantic relationship. According to Romance Writers of America, a romance must include two key elements: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying, optimistic ending. So be sure to give me a romantic story with scorching hot sex and a happily-ever-after or happy-for-now ending. Consider the work of authors Portia Da Costa, Lauren Dane, Sylvia Day, Delilah Devlin, Megan Hart, Joey W. Hill, Susan Johnson, Lora Leigh, Shannon McKenna, Kate Pearce, Robin Schone, Bertrice Small, Shiloh Walker and Sasha White to get an idea of what I am looking for.

Any time period is welcome, but I have a preference for contemporary settings. This collection will be primarily heterosexual and stories should be written with a female audience in mind. Stories may include lesbian and bisexual elements, triads, polyandrous relationships or group encounters. No incest, bestiality or underage characters, please.

Submission Guidelines: Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions. The desired story length is 2,000-4,500 words. Double-space and indent the first line of each paragraph. Do not put extra spaces between paragraphs. Include your full contact information (legal name/pseudonym, mailing address and phone number) and a bio of 50 words or less written in the third person. Please paste your story into the body of your e-mail and attach it as a Microsoft Word .doc file.

Payment will be $100 per story and 2 copies of the book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their stories. I will notify contributors of their acceptance in August, but please note that Cleis Press has final approval over the manuscript. [Note: they're not kidding here. I know a writer who had a story accepted for a Cleis antho and went through edits and everything, only to have Cleis veto her story. This is not a pro forma approval, so be aware that you might well go through a lot of work here only to end up out.]

Send your submission to besteroticromance2012@gmail.com with Submission: Story Title in the subject line. Please direct any questions to the same address.

***

13 May 2011 — Sword and Sorceress 26 — ed. Elizabeth Waters

Stories should be the type generally referred to as “sword and sorcery” and must have a strong female protagonist whom the reader will care about. See Sword & Sorceress 22, Sword & Sorceress 23, Sword & Sorceress 24, and Sword & Sorceress 25 (or S&S 1-20) for examples. We do not want stories with explicit sex, gratuitous violence, or profanity. We are NOT a market for poetry. We are willing to consider stories set in modern times (urban fantasy), but we won’t buy more than one or two of those for the anthology. We always want something short and funny for the last story.

No reprints. No simultaneous submissions.

With regard to multiple submissions, do not submit more than one story at a time. If we’ve rejected your first one, you may send one more as long as it’s before the deadline. We have occasionally bought someone’s second sumbmission. We have never bought a third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, or eighth submission. If you send us two stories, and we don’t hold either of them, wait until next year to try again. Please do not re-submit stories we have already rejected (including stories rejected in previous years).

If you have not previously sold to Sword & Sorceress, please read What is a Short Story? and Why Did my Story Get Rejected? before submitting to us.

Please do not explain or describe your story in the e-mail (cover letter). If your story can’t stand on its own, fix the story.

Reading period: Saturday, April 16 to Friday, May 13, 2011. Stories received before or after this period will be deleted unread.

Response time is expected to follow MZB’s traditional standards: you should hear within a week if we’re holding your story for the final line-up or rejecting it.

Length: up to 9,000 words, with preference given to shorter stories. The longer a story is, the better it has to be. Long stories should be submitted early in the reading period.

Formatting and Submission:

Format with one-inch margins on all four sides of page.

Please do not use a header or footer.

Your name, full mailing address, and email address must be in the upper left corner, single spaced.

Skip two lines, center the text, then put the title, with your name (or byline) on the next line. We’re not going to be as rigid as MZB was about pen names, but we expect them to be reasonable, rather than cute.

The rest of the manuscript should be single-spaced, with the first line of each paragraph indented 1/2 inch.

If you need to indicate a break, put “#” on a line by itself, centered.

Do not underline; use italics instead. Do not use bold face. We prefer Courier New font, size 12.

Word count will be determined by our word processor; that way it will be the same for everyone.

Save your document as an .rtf file (rich text format or interchange format, depending on what your computer calls it). E-mail as it as an attachment to mzbworks at yahoo dot com. The subject line should be “SS26, your last name, story title” (e.g.: SS26, Bradley, Dark Intruder) — we don’t want submissions caught in the spam filter.

Rights purchased: first rights, non-exclusive eBook and audio book rights.

Payment: 5 cents per word as an advance against a pro rata share of royalties and foreign or other sales.

***

15 May 2011 — Steampunk Holiday Anthology — ed. Angela James, Carina Press

Carina is looking for steampunk novellas with a winter or winter holiday theme, to be published digitally both individually and as a collection in December 2011. The novellas should be from 18,000 to 35,000 words and feature steampunk elements as integral to the novella. The stories do not need to be romance, or even have romance elements, but can be straight steampunk, or steampunk with romantic elements, and can also feature elements of mystery, thriller, horror or other sub-genres. Additionally, there is no set heat level for these stories, so they can have no sex, or be ultra-sexy, or anything in between.

Essentially, we’re looking for interesting, creative, well-written stories within the steampunk niche that will appeal to readers’ imaginations and add to our growing catalog of steampunk stories.

The steampunk holiday collection will be supported by a marketing and promotion campaign both online and in print. In addition, though the collection won’t currently be offered for sale in print format, each author chosen to contribute to the anthology will receive a set number of limited edition print copies for their own use.

To submit, please send your completed manuscript and synopsis, along with query letter to submissions@carinapress.com by May 15th, 2011. In the subject line, please put Steampunk Holiday: Manuscript Title and Author

All submissions will be reviewed and final decision made by June 15th, 2011.

For questions about this call for submissions, please email Angela James at submissions@carinapress.com

For more information about Carina Press, and to read the submission guidelines, please visit www.carinapress.com

***

31 May 2011 — Night Terrors 2 — ed. Marc Ciccarone & Joseph Spagnola, Blood Bound Books

NOTE: Do not submit before 1 March.

Like volume I, this second volume will be an open themed anthology of horror. Meaning we want stories from all topics and subcategories of horror. Including, but not limited to: psychological, creatures, paranormal, and gore. Remember, evil has no boundaries and neither do we! Nothing is off limits, so take advantage of the freedom. Science fiction and dark fantasy* will be considered as long as it has a strong element of horror. Try to avoid classic horror conventions/monsters (vampires, werewolves, and zombies), unless you incorporate a unique twist.

Third person stories are preferred but we’ll read first person stories as long as they are well done or integral to the plot.

Stories can range from 750 – 4500 words firm and must be rooted in the realms of horror/dark fiction.

Stories must be formatted in the following manner:
– 12 point font
– Times New Roman or Courier New
– Double-Spaced
– Contact information in the upper left(name, address, phone number, email)
– Word Count Upper Right
– 1 Space after a punctuation
– Underline everything you would like to italicize at publication
– Attach as a .doc file

Submission: Starts March 1st and closes May 31st (2011). Selections will not be made until after the submission period.

We’ll accept stories in any setting or time period, as long as it’s well written, powerful and original. Most importantly, scare us. We want to be haunted by your story long after we put it down. Gore and sex are acceptable, as long as it serves a purpose.

Payment: 1st place- 5¢/word; 2nd place 3¢/word; 3rd place 2.5¢/word. All other stories will receive 2¢/word.

Send submissions to submissions@bloodboundbooks.net. Subject should read:
Night Terrors II: story title/author last name

* Fantasy is always a gray area. Dark fantasy to us is more H.P. Lovecraft than J.R.R. Tolkien. We’d like to see a creepy world you created or a flipside image of humanity rather than Middle Earth type realms featuring wizards and dwarfs.

***

UNTIL FILLED — Horror Library, Vol. 5 — Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2011.

We’re looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what’s already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won’t cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They’re just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we’ll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission – title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]

***

UNTIL FILLED — Mortis Operandi — ed. Kfir Luzzatto and Dru Pagliassotti, The Harrow Press

MORTIS OPERANDI is looking for stories that revolve around the investigation of a crime and in which the supernatural plays a central role. While we’re expecting a fair share of murders, we strongly encourage stories that revolve around OTHER kinds of crime — for example, arson, assault, blackmail, bullying, burglary, dowry death, embezzlement, fraud, kidnapping, larceny, libel, piracy, product liability, slavery, smuggling, terrorism, treason, and toxic pollution are all fair game.

By “supernatural” we mean magic, monsters, and/or miracles, but we don’t consider psychic abilities (although the inclusion of a minor character possessing them will not in itself disqualify a story), extraterrestrial life, or UFOs to be supernatural.

Types of stories may include whodunits, police procedurals, hardboiled fiction, and courtroom dramas. All genres and treatments are welcome, including ecclesiastic, fantasy, humor, horror, historical, military, romance, and parody. Settings outside the U.S. and U.K. are welcome. Settings on other worlds aren’t.

We want well-written stories that demonstrate originality of concept and plot. Zombies, vampires, and werewolves will be a hard sell, and romantically inclined vampires will be staked on sight. Think outside of the coffin.

Stories will be judged exclusively on the basis of their literary merit; a history of prior publication is not necessary.

Get more information about our thoughts on this antho at Market Scoop.
Submissions & Queries: anthology [[ at ]] theharrowpress.com
==No simultaneous submissions. One submission at a time.
==Please attach your stories to your email in Microsoft Word, RTF, or text-only format. Stories pasted in the body of an email will not be read.
==Please include the words “Submission: Mortis Operandi” in the Subject line of your e-mail.
Length: 3,000-6,000 words. Please include an approximate word count in your e-mail submission.
Reprints: No
Language: English
Payment: US $50/story, upon publication, and a free copy of the book
Rights: Exclusive English anthology print and electronic (e-book) rights. Please read our Sample Contract (pdf) for full details.
Submission period: Opens 1.1.11 — Closes when filled.
Publication Date: 2012

If you’ve just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. I do these posts every month, so if this post isn’t dated in the same month you’re in, click here to make sure you’re seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, “Until Filled” markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guidelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Anywhere but Earth, Triangulation: Last Contact, Mortis Operandi and the Horror Library.

***

28 February 2011 — Anywhere But Earth — ed. Keith Stevenson, Coeur de Lion

[The whole site bangs off one URL; scroll down a bit and click on the Anywhere But Earth logo for content info, then on the Submissions button on the left for formatting, etc.]

Coming in 2011, Anywhere But Earth will bring you stories that challenge your ideas about the future; tales of the adventures, discoveries, mistakes, revelations, and testing times that individuals or humanity as a whole will face and how we will be changed by, or adapt to, those experiences. Stories will be set in deep space, on human or alien vessels, orbital platforms, rocks, planetoids, terraformed worlds and alien environments. In short, anywhere but Earth. Fantasy or Horror stories will not be accepted, although your Science Fiction story may have horrific or fantastic elements.

A minimum word length of 3,000 words applies to all submissions. The maximum word length is 15,000 words although to be published at the upper end you’ll have to sustain our interest for the entire story length. Longer pieces may be accepted for assessment but send a query email first (see the contact email box below).

Payment is calculated on the basis of 1 cent (Australian) per word (paid on acceptance of story), plus a contributor’s copy of the anthology (on publication), plus a proportion of royalties on sales of the paperback and e-book (paid every six months from publication) based on the following formula: [see submissions page for formula -- basically a penny a word (Australian) plus a trib copy, plus proportional royalties.]

E-mail: abearth@optusnet.com.au

***

1 March 2011 — End of Days Anthology — ed. Bethany Morgan, Samhain

The current Great Cycle, as the Mayas call it, is set to end on the winter solstice of 2012: December 21, 2012. Many people believe on that date the world will change and never be the same. Some predict terrible events resulting in the destruction of our world and some predict that it won’t necessarily end, but that humanity will enter a new era and massive changes in social consciousness may occur. Some even predict that humans and humanity may evolve spontaneously to a higher plane.

Samhain Publishing invites you to step into the future when Earth as we know it no longer exists. But the End of Days doesn’t mean an end to hope and heroes and, most importantly, love and happiness. Will the world end with a bang or will humanity be changed for the better? Only you can decide.

Samhain Publishing is seeking submissions for their November 2011 End of Days themed anthology. Stories can be of any genre or heat level, and submissions are open to M/F, M/M, or multiples thereof, but all submissions must feature either an apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic theme (or both) as integral to the story. Submissions should be 20,000 to 30,000 words in length. All stories must end with a happy ever after for the hero and heroine. Yes, a HEA in an apocalyptic story – don’t you just love the contrast?

Submissions are open to all authors previously published with Samhain as well as authors aspiring to publish with Samhain. Submissions must be new material; previously published material will not be considered. Additionally, manuscripts previously submitted, whether individually or for past anthologies, will not be considered either. Please be aware that manuscripts submitted to this anthology cannot be resubmitted at a later date unless by invitation from an editor. However, submissions with merit for possible publication at Samhain are and will be passed to interested Samhain editors even if not chosen for the End of Days anthology.

Chosen manuscripts will be published as separate ebooks under their individual titles in November 2011 but will be combined as one print title for Fall 2012 print release.

To submit a manuscript for consideration please include the full manuscript (of 20,000 to 30,000 words) with a comprehensive 2-3 page synopsis in addition to a letter of introduction/query letter which details the genre, heat level and story length. Full manuscripts are required.

As well, when you send your manuscript, please be sure to use the naming convention Title_EndofDays_MS and Title_EndofDays_Synopsis. This will ensure that your submission doesn’t get missed in the many submissions we receive, and makes it easy for me to find in my ebook reader.

Submissions are open until March 1, 2011 and final decision will be made by April 15, 2011.

Submissions and questions can be directed to Bethany Morgan at editor@samhainpublishing.com. Please put End of Days Anthology in the subject line.

***

15 March 2011 — Mob Men — ed. Eric Summers, STAR Books

Once You Kiss His Ring, Is There Anything Else You Want to Kiss?

The Godfather, Goodfellas, Scarface, all great sexy films about mobsters in suits. How about we bend things a bit? With so many men packing heat, there are more than a few who play on our team. Imagine the sexual energy that arises from a perfect mob hit, explosions of gunfire, a high-speed car chase, busting someone’s kneecaps, and eruptions of all kinds.

What type are you? The Don, the hit man, the bodyguard, the fence, the pimp, or do you just work for the boys? Here is your chance to write that mobster, mafia or gangster story you have always fanaticized coming true. And, let’s keep this classy – think 1930s Chicago, 1940s New York, or 1950s Las Vegas. Leave the modern day gang warfare to the kids. These are the good old boys in pinstripe suits we are featuring

As always, your characters must be over 18 years of age.

We are seeking well-written stories that are erotic, not just pornographic. There are no limits to the possibilities or scenarios. All we ask is that writers be creative, have fun, and offer our readers something fresh and new. And, humor is always greatly appreciated! We want well-developed characters and plots, believable and accurate situations (even if it is fantasy or science fiction, it must make sense), and settings, along with internal consistency. All characters must be at least 18 years of age.

Feel free to query me about the thinking you may have about a story for this anthology at eric@starbookspress.com.

Submit your query to eric@starbookspress.com in the body of an email. Include a short bio, your name, postal and email addresses, the title and a five-paragraph excerpt of your story. Indicate whether or not your submission has been previously published and, if so, where and when. You don’t need to sell your story in the letter; your work will speak for itself. If your query is accepted, We will be in contact with you about submitting the complete work. The end product should be no more than eight pages of single spaced 12 pt. type. Occasionally, novellas are accepted, but they must be exceptional. Be sure to edit and proof your query.

***

30 March 2011 — Melt in Your Mouth: Chocolate, Boys and Bed — ed. CB Potts, Lethe Press

Payment: 2 cents/word and a copy of the book on publication

Sweet, sticky, decadent…is anything better than chocolate? Yes, there is – especially when the tempting mouthful is presented by a candy artistan who looks good enough to eat…

Lethe Press is seeking well-written, inventive gay male erotic stories that feature chocolatiers, confectioners, bakers, and candy men of every persuasion – including the one that got caught with his hand in the bon-bon box! Particularly attention paid to stories that are fun, upbeat, and a step or two off the beaten path…give us your best gourmet treats!

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-9,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to cbanthology@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. Payment for these stories will be 2 cents per word.

Absolute, total, final deadline is 3/30/11. I will reply to all submissions by 4/15/11.

***

31 March 2011 — Triangulation: Last Contact — eds. Jamie Lackey & Steve Ramey, Parsec Ink

[Heavily edited down to the essentials -- click through for (lots) more detail.]

Triangulation is an annual 125-150+ page short fiction anthology that publishes science fiction, fantasy, horror, and any other speculative fiction that caught the editors’ fancy. Every year we have a theme: 2011’s theme is “Last Contact”. We pay semi-pro rates and are available online at places like Amazon.

We define “short fiction” as “up to about 5,000 words or so.” If you have an awesome story that exceeds 5K then by all means send it; but be warned that we have yet to accept anything for publication much longer than 5000 words. We dig flash; there is no minimum word count.

We have no interest in getting more specific about the term “speculative fiction.” Science fiction, horror, fantasy, magic realism, alternate history, whatever — if there’s a speculative element vital to your story, we’ll gladly give it a read.

We love creative interpretations of our theme, “Last Contact”. Don’t ask us what it means — tell us what it means with a story that convinces us you’re right.

We will run mature content if we like the story. So make sure there’s an actual story in that mature content.

We will consider reprints, but we are much more picky with them. If the story ran someplace obscure, then it’s probably new to our readers; if it ran someplace high-profile, it’s going to have to be the best thing we’ve read since the alphabet to get in.

The submission period is December 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011. All electronic submits must be sent within that period, all snail mail submits must be postmarked by the deadline.

Compensation: We pay two cents per word (USA funds, rounded to the nearest 100 words, US$10 minimum payment) on publication and one contributor’s copy. The anthology will be published in late July of 2011. We purchase North American Serial Rights, and Electronic Rights for the downloadable version(s). All subsidiary rights released upon publication. Contributors will also have the option of purchasing additional copies of the anthology at reduced price.

How To Submit: Electronic submissions make our lives easier. Please upload your story via Submishmash. [See SUBMIT link on the publisher's page.] If this is your first time submitting to a publication that utilizes Submishmash, you will have to create an account with them. It’s free.

We’ll consider stories in the following formats: .odt, .rtf, .doc or .docx.

Please use industry standard manuscript format. There’s disagreement on some of the exact details of the “standard”. We’re not testing you to see if you can follow each and every niggling detail, we just want a manuscript that is easy for us to read.

If you absolutely positively cannot submit electronically, please send the manuscript (with either a SASE or a return email address) to:

Triangulation 2011
312 N Beaver St.
New Castle PA 16101

No multiple submissions; only send us one story at a time. No simultaneous submissions, don’t send it to us if someone else is already considering it.

Response: Expect to hear back from us within a month. Feel free to start sending us nagging emails if you haven’t heard from us after two months.

***

15 April 2011 — Frat Boys — ed. Mickey Erlach, STAR Books

Remember those college days? The fun you had, partying every night, playing grab ass with your frat brothers. Yeah, those were the days. There you were stripped down to your BVDs, standing at attention, awaiting your punishment. And for what? To live in a house full of hot guys, always running around half naked, teasing each other.

But, what happens when that teasing gets a little hot? What happens when you are dared? What if you turn the tables on that frat brother? Will you get your butt kicked … or licked?

And hey, it wasn’t just in the dorms. There were plenty of us who went to community college, and the boys there were just as hot. Better yet, we could go off campus to get off. So, here is your chance to live out those college day fantasies. Show us what you got. As always, your characters must be over 18 years of age — after all, they are in college.

We are seeking well-written stories that are erotic, not just pornographic. There are no limits to the possibilities or scenarios. All we ask is that writers be creative, have fun, and offer our readers something fresh and new. And, humor is always greatly appreciated! We want well-developed characters and plots, believable and accurate situations (even if it is fantasy or science fiction, it must make sense), and settings, along with internal consistency. All characters must be at least 18 years of age.

Feel free to query me about the thinking you may have about a story for this anthology at mickey@starbookspress.com.

Submit your query to mickey@starbookspress.com in the body of an email. Include a short bio, your name, postal and email addresses, the title and a five-paragraph excerpt of your story. Indicate whether or not your submission has been previously published and, if so, where and when. You don’t need to sell your story in the letter; your work will speak for itself. If your query is accepted, We will be in contact with you about submitting the complete work. The end product should be no more than eight pages of single spaced 12 pt. type. Occasionally, novellas are accepted, but they must be exceptional. Be sure to edit and proof your query.

***

15 April 2011 — Best Erotic Romance 2012 — ed. Kristina Wright, Cleis Press

I am thrilled to announce I am editing the first annual Best Erotic Romance anthology to be published by Cleis Press. This inaugural collection of erotic romance will feature the very best of the erotic romance genre.

In erotic romance, the sexual component is critical to the development of the romantic relationship. According to Romance Writers of America, a romance must include two key elements: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying, optimistic ending. So be sure to give me a romantic story with scorching hot sex and a happily-ever-after or happy-for-now ending. Consider the work of authors Portia Da Costa, Lauren Dane, Sylvia Day, Delilah Devlin, Megan Hart, Joey W. Hill, Susan Johnson, Lora Leigh, Shannon McKenna, Kate Pearce, Robin Schone, Bertrice Small, Shiloh Walker and Sasha White to get an idea of what I am looking for.

Any time period is welcome, but I have a preference for contemporary settings. This collection will be primarily heterosexual and stories should be written with a female audience in mind. Stories may include lesbian and bisexual elements, triads, polyandrous relationships or group encounters. No incest, bestiality or underage characters, please.

Submission Guidelines: Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions. The desired story length is 2,000-4,500 words. Double-space and indent the first line of each paragraph. Do not put extra spaces between paragraphs. Include your full contact information (legal name/pseudonym, mailing address and phone number) and a bio of 50 words or less written in the third person. Please paste your story into the body of your e-mail and attach it as a Microsoft Word .doc file.

Payment will be $100 per story and 2 copies of the book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their stories. I will notify contributors of their acceptance in August, but please note that Cleis Press has final approval over the manuscript. [Note: they're not kidding here. I know a writer who had a story accepted for a Cleis antho and went through edits and everything, only to have Cleis veto her story. This is not a pro forma approval, so be aware that you might well go through a lot of work here only to end up out.]

Send your submission to besteroticromance2012@gmail.com with Submission: Story Title in the subject line. Please direct any questions to the same address.

***

UNTIL FILLED — Horror Library, Vol. 5 — Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2011.

We’re looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what’s already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won’t cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They’re just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we’ll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission – title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]

***

UNTIL FILLED — Mortis Operandi — ed. Kfir Luzzatto and Dru Pagliassotti, The Harrow Press

MORTIS OPERANDI is looking for stories that revolve around the investigation of a crime and in which the supernatural plays a central role. While we’re expecting a fair share of murders, we strongly encourage stories that revolve around OTHER kinds of crime — for example, arson, assault, blackmail, bullying, burglary, dowry death, embezzlement, fraud, kidnapping, larceny, libel, piracy, product liability, slavery, smuggling, terrorism, treason, and toxic pollution are all fair game.

By “supernatural” we mean magic, monsters, and/or miracles, but we don’t consider psychic abilities (although the inclusion of a minor character possessing them will not in itself disqualify a story), extraterrestrial life, or UFOs to be supernatural.

Types of stories may include whodunits, police procedurals, hardboiled fiction, and courtroom dramas. All genres and treatments are welcome, including ecclesiastic, fantasy, humor, horror, historical, military, romance, and parody. Settings outside the U.S. and U.K. are welcome. Settings on other worlds aren’t.

We want well-written stories that demonstrate originality of concept and plot. Zombies, vampires, and werewolves will be a hard sell, and romantically inclined vampires will be staked on sight. Think outside of the coffin.

Stories will be judged exclusively on the basis of their literary merit; a history of prior publication is not necessary.

Get more information about our thoughts on this antho at Market Scoop.
Submissions & Queries: anthology [[ at ]] theharrowpress.com
==No simultaneous submissions. One submission at a time.
==Please attach your stories to your email in Microsoft Word, RTF, or text-only format. Stories pasted in the body of an email will not be read.
==Please include the words “Submission: Mortis Operandi” in the Subject line of your e-mail.
Length: 3,000-6,000 words. Please include an approximate word count in your e-mail submission.
Reprints: No
Language: English
Payment: US $50/story, upon publication, and a free copy of the book
Rights: Exclusive English anthology print and electronic (e-book) rights. Please read our Sample Contract (pdf) for full details.
Submission period: Opens 1.1.11 — Closes when filled.
Publication Date: 2012

If you’ve just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. I do these posts every month, so if this post isn’t dated in the same month you’re in, click here to make sure you’re seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, “Until Filled” markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guildelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Anywhere but Earth, Triangulation: Last Contact, Mortis Operandi and the Horror Library.

***

1 February 2011 — Cyberpunk Anthology — Samhain [scroll down about a quarter of the way]

Welcome to the future, a cyberpunk future—post-industrial dystopias where society has broken down; a world of advanced science, cybernetic and tech. The cyberpunk world is a dark and gritty place, blurring the border between actual and virtual reality.

I’m very happy to announce an open call for submissions for a new, yet-to-be-titled summer 2011 cyberpunk romance anthology. Don’t know what cyberpunk is? Think The Matrix and Bladerunner, or the popular role-playing/computer game/book series Shadowrun. For more information on cyberpunk, you can check out the entry on wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk .

I’m open to M/F, M/M, F/F, or multiples thereof, any sexual heat level, and the romance must end happily ever after or happy for now.

The novellas must range between 25,000 to 30,000 words in length, no more, no less—please note, only manuscripts that fall in this word count will be considered for this anthology—and will be released individually as ebooks in August 2011.

Submissions are open to all authors, published with Samhain or aspiring to be published with Samhain. All submissions must be new material—previously published submissions will not be considered. Additionally, manuscripts previously submitted, whether individually or for past anthologies, will not be considered either. Be aware that manuscripts submitted to this anthology cannot be resubmitted at a later date unless by invitation from an editor.

To submit a manuscript for consideration, please include:

The full manuscript (of 25,000 to 30,000 words) with a comprehensive 2-5 page synopsis. Also include a letter of introduction/query letter. Full manuscripts are required for this as it is a special project.

As well, when you send your manuscript, be sure to use the naming convention Cyberpunk_Title_MS and Cyberpunk_Title_Synopsis. This will ensure that your submission doesn’t get missed in the many submissions we receive, and makes it easy for me to find in my ebook reader.

Submissions are open until February 1, 2011. No submissions will be accepted after this date—no exceptions. A final decision will be made by February 28, 2011. Send your submission to editor@samhainpublishing.com and include Cyberpunk Anthology in the subject line. Questions and queries can be addressed to Sasha Knight (sasha@samhainpublishing.com) though do your due diligence and read this anthology call completely and check the Samhain Submission FAQ page before emailing. www. samhainpublishing.com/faq

***

15 February 2011 — Tall, Dark & Delicious — ed. Marcus Anthony, STAR Books

Tall, dark and handsome. That expression has been around forever. So, how tall and dark do you like your men? Do you dream at night about a handsome black man making love to you? Do you want to feel his smooth velvety skin? Do you want to taste his forbidden fruit?

Of course you do. And, so do your readers. This time, it is your fantasy come true. Imagine being on a train after a hard day’s work, and a handsome black gentleman in a dark suit sits next to you. His leg brushes yours. You both say excuse me, and your eyes lock. What happens next? Or, you are at the gym, and you ask the sexy trainer to give you some pointers, and you smell his irresistible scent and cannot take your eyes off his glistening muscles. What happens next?

Now, you will let us know what happens next. Send us your best stuff.

Please note: Keep the ghetto in the ghetto. Let’s give our brothers some class. If you submit a story with illiterate dialogue and characters from the projects, I will reject them without a reply.

Your characters need to be at least 18 years old.

We are seeking well-written stories that are erotic, not just pornographic. There are no limits to the possibilities or scenarios. All we ask is that writers be creative, have fun, and offer our readers something fresh and new. And, humor is always greatly appreciated! We want well-developed characters and plots, believable and accurate situations (even if it is fantasy or science fiction, it must make sense), and settings, along with internal consistency. All characters must be at least 18 years of age.

Feel free to query me about the thinking you may have about a story for this anthology at marcus@starbookspress.com.

Submit your query to marcus@starbookspress.com in the body of an email. Include a short bio, your name, postal and email addresses, the title and a five-paragraph excerpt of your story. Indicate whether or not your submission has been previously published and, if so, where and when. You don’t need to sell your story in the letter; your work will speak for itself. If your query is accepted, We will be in contact with you about submitting the complete work. The end product should be no more than eight pages of single spaced 12 pt. type. Occasionally, novellas are accepted, but they must be exceptional. Be sure to edit and proof your query.

***

15 February 2011 — Corsets and Clockworks: Steampunk Erotic Romance — ed. Kristina Wright, Cleis Press

I am looking for romantic erotica that reflects the excitement, fantasy and rebellion of steampunk. Not sure what steampunk is? Think Victorian elegance and aesthetics meets futuristic invention and exploration. But it doesn’t have to be Victorian (or Edwardian) era—it can be any time period, real or imagined, that blends elements of science, history, fantasy and technology. The one thing the genre has long been missing is romantic relationships and erotic encounters. Steampunk erotic romance is shiny brass and crushed velvet; mechanical inventions and romantic conventions; sexual fantasy and kinky fetish.

The steampunk world includes steam engines and scientists, corsets and clockworks, aviators and airships, alchemy and anachronistic technologies—not to mention those damned goggles and gadgets that everyone always references when talking about the genre! Steampunk is a spirit of high adventure that bridges the past and future. It captures the imagination in ways that make the eyes go wide and the heart beat a little faster.

What I do want:
= Stories that embody the essence of steampunk and pay homage to the genre.
= Stories that fetishize steampunk elements.
= Time travel, alternate histories, “second” or parallel worlds and non-traditional steampunk settings.
= Stories that are lush, wicked, sexy and romantic.

[Click through above for more examples of steampunk.]

What I don’t want:
= Stories that throw in everything but the steampunk kitchen sink.
= Stories that are pure camp. A little campy fun is okay, but don’t overdo it.
= Fan fiction or slash fiction. Do not steal another author’s characters, please.
= Stories that are more about the technology than the characters.

I want stories with strong plots, good character development and scorching hot sex. This collection will feature primarily heterosexual relationships, but stories may include lesbian and bisexual elements, triads, polyandrous relationships or group encounters.

Stories should be written with a female audience in mind and I have a preference for female point of view. No incest, bestiality or underage characters, please. According to Romance Writers of America, a romance must include two key elements: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying, optimistic ending. So be sure to give me a steampunk story that is erotic and romantic!

Submission Guidelines: Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions. The desired story length is 2,500-5,000 words. Double-space and indent the first line of each paragraph. Do not put extra spaces between paragraphs. Include your full contact information (legal name/pseudonym, mailing address and phone number) and a bio of 50 words or less written in the third person. Please paste your story into the body of your e-mail and attach it as a Microsoft Word .doc file.

Payment will be $100 per story and 2 copies of the book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their stories. I will notify contributors of their acceptance in June 2011, but please note that Cleis Press has final approval over the manuscript. [Note: they're not kidding here. I know a writer who had a story accepted for a Cleis antho and went through edits and everything, only to have Cleis veto her story. This is not a pro forma approval, so be aware that you might well go through a lot of work here only to end up out.]

Send your submission to corsetsandclockworks@gmail.com with Submission: Story Title in the subject line. Please direct any questions to the same address.

***

28 February 2011 — Anywhere But Earth — ed. Keith Stevenson, Coeur de Lion

[The whole site bangs off one URL; scroll down a bit and click on the Anywhere But Earth logo for content info, then on the Submissions button on the left for formatting, etc.]

Coming in 2011, Anywhere But Earth will bring you stories that challenge your ideas about the future; tales of the adventures, discoveries, mistakes, revelations, and testing times that individuals or humanity as a whole will face and how we will be changed by, or adapt to, those experiences. Stories will be set in deep space, on human or alien vessels, orbital platforms, rocks, planetoids, terraformed worlds and alien environments. In short, anywhere but Earth. Fantasy or Horror stories will not be accepted, although your Science Fiction story may have horrific or fantastic elements.

A minimum word length of 3,000 words applies to all submissions. The maximum word length is 15,000 words although to be published at the upper end you’ll have to sustain our interest for the entire story length. Longer pieces may be accepted for assessment but send a query email first (see the contact email box below).

Payment is calculated on the basis of 1 cent (Australian) per word (paid on acceptance of story), plus a contributor’s copy of the anthology (on publication), plus a proportion of royalties on sales of the paperback and e-book (paid every six months from publication) based on the following formula: [see submissions page for formula -- basically a penny a word (Australian) plus a trib copy, plus proportional royalties.]

E-mail: abearth@optusnet.com.au

***

1 March 2011 — End of Days Anthology — ed. Bethany Morgan, Samhain

The current Great Cycle, as the Mayas call it, is set to end on the winter solstice of 2012: December 21, 2012. Many people believe on that date the world will change and never be the same. Some predict terrible events resulting in the destruction of our world and some predict that it won’t necessarily end, but that humanity will enter a new era and massive changes in social consciousness may occur. Some even predict that humans and humanity may evolve spontaneously to a higher plane.

Samhain Publishing invites you to step into the future when Earth as we know it no longer exists. But the End of Days doesn’t mean an end to hope and heroes and, most importantly, love and happiness. Will the world end with a bang or will humanity be changed for the better? Only you can decide.

Samhain Publishing is seeking submissions for their November 2011 End of Days themed anthology. Stories can be of any genre or heat level, and submissions are open to M/F, M/M, or multiples thereof, but all submissions must feature either an apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic theme (or both) as integral to the story. Submissions should be 20,000 to 30,000 words in length. All stories must end with a happy ever after for the hero and heroine. Yes, a HEA in an apocalyptic story – don’t you just love the contrast?

Submissions are open to all authors previously published with Samhain as well as authors aspiring to publish with Samhain. Submissions must be new material; previously published material will not be considered. Additionally, manuscripts previously submitted, whether individually or for past anthologies, will not be considered either. Please be aware that manuscripts submitted to this anthology cannot be resubmitted at a later date unless by invitation from an editor. However, submissions with merit for possible publication at Samhain are and will be passed to interested Samhain editors even if not chosen for the End of Days anthology.

Chosen manuscripts will be published as separate ebooks under their individual titles in November 2011 but will be combined as one print title for Fall 2012 print release.

To submit a manuscript for consideration please include the full manuscript (of 20,000 to 30,000 words) with a comprehensive 2-3 page synopsis in addition to a letter of introduction/query letter which details the genre, heat level and story length. Full manuscripts are required.

As well, when you send your manuscript, please be sure to use the naming convention Title_EndofDays_MS and Title_EndofDays_Synopsis. This will ensure that your submission doesn’t get missed in the many submissions we receive, and makes it easy for me to find in my ebook reader.

Submissions are open until March 1, 2011 and final decision will be made by April 15, 2011.

Submissions and questions can be directed to Bethany Morgan at editor@samhainpublishing.com. Please put End of Days Anthology in the subject line.

***

15 March 2011 — Mob Men — ed. Eric Summers, STAR Books

Once You Kiss His Ring, Is There Anything Else You Want to Kiss?

The Godfather, Goodfellas, Scarface, all great sexy films about mobsters in suits. How about we bend things a bit? With so many men packing heat, there are more than a few who play on our team. Imagine the sexual energy that arises from a perfect mob hit, explosions of gunfire, a high-speed car chase, busting someone’s kneecaps, and eruptions of all kinds.

What type are you? The Don, the hit man, the bodyguard, the fence, the pimp, or do you just work for the boys? Here is your chance to write that mobster, mafia or gangster story you have always fanaticized coming true. And, let’s keep this classy – think 1930s Chicago, 1940s New York, or 1950s Las Vegas. Leave the modern day gang warfare to the kids. These are the good old boys in pinstripe suits we are featuring

As always, your characters must be over 18 years of age.

We are seeking well-written stories that are erotic, not just pornographic. There are no limits to the possibilities or scenarios. All we ask is that writers be creative, have fun, and offer our readers something fresh and new. And, humor is always greatly appreciated! We want well-developed characters and plots, believable and accurate situations (even if it is fantasy or science fiction, it must make sense), and settings, along with internal consistency. All characters must be at least 18 years of age.

Feel free to query me about the thinking you may have about a story for this anthology at eric@starbookspress.com.

Submit your query to eric@starbookspress.com in the body of an email. Include a short bio, your name, postal and email addresses, the title and a five-paragraph excerpt of your story. Indicate whether or not your submission has been previously published and, if so, where and when. You don’t need to sell your story in the letter; your work will speak for itself. If your query is accepted, We will be in contact with you about submitting the complete work. The end product should be no more than eight pages of single spaced 12 pt. type. Occasionally, novellas are accepted, but they must be exceptional. Be sure to edit and proof your query.

***

30 March 2011 — Melt in Your Mouth: Chocolate, Boys and Bed — ed. CB Potts, Lethe Press

Payment: 2 cents/word and a copy of the book on publication

Sweet, sticky, decadent…is anything better than chocolate? Yes, there is – especially when the tempting mouthful is presented by a candy artistan who looks good enough to eat…

Lethe Press is seeking well-written, inventive gay male erotic stories that feature chocolatiers, confectioners, bakers, and candy men of every persuasion – including the one that got caught with his hand in the bon-bon box! Particularly attention paid to stories that are fun, upbeat, and a step or two off the beaten path…give us your best gourmet treats!

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-9,000 word story. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to cbanthology@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. Payment for these stories will be 2 cents per word.

Absolute, total, final deadline is 3/30/11. I will reply to all submissions by 4/15/11.

***

31 March 2011 — Triangulation: Last Contact — eds. Jamie Lackey & Steve Ramey, Parsec Ink

[Heavily edited down to the essentials -- click through for (lots) more detail.]

Triangulation is an annual 125-150+ page short fiction anthology that publishes science fiction, fantasy, horror, and any other speculative fiction that caught the editors’ fancy. Every year we have a theme: 2011’s theme is “Last Contact”. We pay semi-pro rates and are available online at places like Amazon.

We define “short fiction” as “up to about 5,000 words or so.” If you have an awesome story that exceeds 5K then by all means send it; but be warned that we have yet to accept anything for publication much longer than 5000 words. We dig flash; there is no minimum word count.

We have no interest in getting more specific about the term “speculative fiction.” Science fiction, horror, fantasy, magic realism, alternate history, whatever — if there’s a speculative element vital to your story, we’ll gladly give it a read.

We love creative interpretations of our theme, “Last Contact”. Don’t ask us what it means — tell us what it means with a story that convinces us you’re right.

We will run mature content if we like the story. So make sure there’s an actual story in that mature content.

We will consider reprints, but we are much more picky with them. If the story ran someplace obscure, then it’s probably new to our readers; if it ran someplace high-profile, it’s going to have to be the best thing we’ve read since the alphabet to get in.

The submission period is December 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011. All electronic submits must be sent within that period, all snail mail submits must be postmarked by the deadline.

Compensation: We pay two cents per word (USA funds, rounded to the nearest 100 words, US$10 minimum payment) on publication and one contributor’s copy. The anthology will be published in late July of 2011. We purchase North American Serial Rights, and Electronic Rights for the downloadable version(s). All subsidiary rights released upon publication. Contributors will also have the option of purchasing additional copies of the anthology at reduced price.

How To Submit: Electronic submissions make our lives easier. Please upload your story via Submishmash. [See SUBMIT link on the publisher's page.] If this is your first time submitting to a publication that utilizes Submishmash, you will have to create an account with them. It’s free.

We’ll consider stories in the following formats: .odt, .rtf, .doc or .docx.

Please use industry standard manuscript format. There’s disagreement on some of the exact details of the “standard”. We’re not testing you to see if you can follow each and every niggling detail, we just want a manuscript that is easy for us to read.

If you absolutely positively cannot submit electronically, please send the manuscript (with either a SASE or a return email address) to:

Triangulation 2011
312 N Beaver St.
New Castle PA 16101

No multiple submissions; only send us one story at a time. No simultaneous submissions, don’t send it to us if someone else is already considering it.

Response: Expect to hear back from us within a month. Feel free to start sending us nagging emails if you haven’t heard from us after two months.

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UNTIL FILLED — Horror Library, Vol. 5 — Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2011.

We’re looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what’s already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won’t cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They’re just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we’ll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission – title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]

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UNTIL FILLED — Mortis Operandi — ed. Kfir Luzzatto and Dru Pagliassotti, The Harrow Press

MORTIS OPERANDI is looking for stories that revolve around the investigation of a crime and in which the supernatural plays a central role. While we’re expecting a fair share of murders, we strongly encourage stories that revolve around OTHER kinds of crime — for example, arson, assault, blackmail, bullying, burglary, dowry death, embezzlement, fraud, kidnapping, larceny, libel, piracy, product liability, slavery, smuggling, terrorism, treason, and toxic pollution are all fair game.

By “supernatural” we mean magic, monsters, and/or miracles, but we don’t consider psychic abilities (although the inclusion of a minor character possessing them will not in itself disqualify a story), extraterrestrial life, or UFOs to be supernatural.

Types of stories may include whodunits, police procedurals, hardboiled fiction, and courtroom dramas. All genres and treatments are welcome, including ecclesiastic, fantasy, humor, horror, historical, military, romance, and parody. Settings outside the U.S. and U.K. are welcome. Settings on other worlds aren’t.

We want well-written stories that demonstrate originality of concept and plot. Zombies, vampires, and werewolves will be a hard sell, and romantically inclined vampires will be staked on sight. Think outside of the coffin.

Stories will be judged exclusively on the basis of their literary merit; a history of prior publication is not necessary.

Get more information about our thoughts on this antho at Market Scoop.
Submissions & Queries: anthology [[ at ]] theharrowpress.com
==No simultaneous submissions. One submission at a time.
==Please attach your stories to your email in Microsoft Word, RTF, or text-only format. Stories pasted in the body of an email will not be read.
==Please include the words “Submission: Mortis Operandi” in the Subject line of your e-mail.
Length: 3,000-6,000 words. Please include an approximate word count in your e-mail submission.
Reprints: No
Language: English
Payment: US $50/story, upon publication, and a free copy of the book
Rights: Exclusive English anthology print and electronic (e-book) rights. Please read our Sample Contract Sample Contract (pdf) for full details.
Submission period: Opens 1.1.11 — Closes when filled.
Publication Date: 2012

If you’ve just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. I do these posts every month, so if this post isn’t dated in the same month you’re in, click here to make sure you’re seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, “Until Filled” markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guildelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Bewere the Night, The Faery Taile Project, the Historical Lovecraft Anthology, Anywhere but Earth, and the Horror Library.

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31 December 2010 — Fire and Ice: Short Gasps of Romantic Suspense — ed. Jessy Marie Roberts, Pill Hill Press

Email submissions to: fireice@pillhillpress.com

Please put SUBMISSION, followed by the title of the story, in the subject line of your email. Thanks!

This anthology will feature SUSPENSEFUL short stories with a STRONG ROMANTIC THEME. We want interesting submissions where the protagonist(s) FALL IN LOVE through the course of the story, all the while facing incredibly SCARY situations. Love scenes are acceptable, as long as written tastefully and are integral to plot development (think romance novel sex, not Penthouse sex – we are not looking for erotica or pornography).

Most genres are acceptable as long as they contain strong elements of both suspense and romance. They can take place anywhere (Earth, outer space, other planets, etc.), at any time (past, present, future, alternate. Stories should be written in the third person.

We prefer short stories in the 4,000-6,000 word range, but will consider stories from 1,500-15,000 words.

Payment is 1 cent per word (up to 6,000 words or a $60.00 cap), plus 1 contributor’s copy upon publication.

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31 December 2010 — Bewere the Night — ed. Ekaterina Sedia, Prime

I’m looking for stories dealing with any were-creatures; werewolves are welcome, of course, and the stories should be in a general urban fantasy vein. I’ll need the stories by the end of December 2010, and I’m looking for reprints as well as originals. Reprints pay 1c/word and originals 5c/word, and the length should be between 1,000 and 7,500 words. Also, please suggest reprints by other authors if you happen to think of any.

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31 December 2010 — The Faery Taile Project #2 — CatsCurious Press

There are two sides to every story… And we here at CatsCurious Press think that our readers deserve to read BOTH! Again!

A Call for Submissions… of the Faery Taile Kynde! CatsCurious Press will re-open to submissions starting October 1, 2010 for all well-written, humorous fairy tale re-tellings (except red riding hood, but that’s because we’ve been there, done that)! But there’s a catch — these stories must be written from ONE POV only… the protagonist’s.

Why would we be so strict, you ask? Because Anton Strout, author of Dead To Me, Deader Still, ‘Dead Matter and Dead Waters has already gotten on board to write a counterpoint story! That’s right — once we have plowed our way through the slush, Anton will review our favorite stories and then choose ONE from among them to write a counterpoint to.

The end result will be a double-sided book with two covers (one featuring artwork for Anton’s story, the other featuring artwork to coincide with the protagonist’s point of view). Stories will be printed upside-down from one another — flip the book over, and start fresh from the top! I can’t wait to see the end result! Check out Faery Taile Project #1 to see what we have in mind.

Here are the requirements:

Story length must be between 7500 and 12,000 words
Stories must be humorous
Stories must appeal to a broad range of folks — from twelve years old to adult (so no raunchy humor, please!)
Stories must be single POV, from the protagonist’s point of view (this will take some finesse — leaving enough details to the imagination that Anton can create a counterpoint, yet creating a rich-enough world that the reader won’t be left wanting)
Submission period: October 1st, 2010 to 11:59:59pm December 31st, 2010

Any fairy tale is fair game (except red hood of course, for obvious reasons)!

The payment? $.06 per word and seeing your name next to Anton Strout’s!

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1 January 2011 — Red Velvet and Absinthe: Gothic Tales of Erotic Romance — ed. Mitzi Szereto, Cleis Press

A trade paperback to be published by Cleis Press, USA. Publication date: Autumn 2011. Deadline: January 1, 2011 (I’ll be selecting stories on a rolling basis, therefore earlier submissions are strongly encouraged, though I’ll still consider stories that make it in by the deadline).

Word count preferred: 3,000 to 6,500.

What I’m looking for: Well-developed story lines and well-crafted prose told in a unique voice and containing interesting characters and settings. Think atmosphere, passion, desire… imaginative stories that send a shiver up your spine and make your heart beat faster. Readers should be able to feel the red velvet beneath their fingertips and taste the absinthe on their tongue! Tales that contain supernatural beings such as ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters, demons, and other entities of a paranormal nature are welcome, as are those of the Wuthering Heights variety with tormented heroes and dark secrets. Stories may be set in the past, present, or future. Stories from female and male writers are welcome, as are those written from the POV of characters of any gender and containing characters of any sexual orientation (including those that haven’t yet been created!). Take your inspiration from the pens of the Brontë sisters, Mary Shelley, Daphne du Maurier, Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, Poppy Z. Brite, Stephenie Meyer, Laurell K. Hamilton…

Note that sexually explicit content is acceptable as well as a more subtle approach; however, no stock sex scenes or formulaic writing/terminology. Please refer to my previous anthologies to get an idea of the variety and style of content I look for. No excessive gore or violence. No reprints.

One-time payment in the range of USD $50-70 (payable on publication) and 2 copies of the anthology.

Submission requirements: Stories should be formatted as follows: double-spaced Arial 12-point black font Word or RTF document. Indent the first line of each paragraph by half an inch. Do not add extra lines between paragraphs or any other irregular spacing. American spelling and punctuation only (i.e. quote marks, etc). Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), postal address, and a fifty-word maximum author bio written in the third person. Contract is for one-time, non-exclusive anthology rights with one year’s exclusivity from date of publication. (This may be waived if your story is selected for a “Best Of” collection). No simultaneous submissions please.

In the subject line of your email, please state: Red Velvet and Absinthe

Send to: submissions @ mitziszereto.com

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3 January 2011 — Historical Lovecraft Anthology — ed. Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R. Stiles, Innsmouth Free Press

What We Want: historical fiction with a Lovecraftian twist. Stories should be set in a variety of places, cultures and time periods. While we might buy one story set in 1920s New England, we want to stray far from the normal Lovecraft milieu. If you’re going to do 1920s, why not ship us off to China and tell the story from the point of view of a native of Shanghai? Please note that for our purposes we consider historical anything up to 1937 (the year of Lovecraft’s death).

Length: from flash fiction (1,000 words or under) to novelette (10,000 words). Keep in mind we have a payment cap of $50 CAD, so your long novelette might be better served by finding another home.

Payment: one cent per word up to a maximum of $50 CAD. One physical copy of the anthology and one e-book copy. Payment made via PayPal or Canadian check upon acceptance. We are purchasing first English print and electronic rights for the anthology.

Reprints: considered, with a few caveats:
1. Indicate where and when the story was originally published in your cover letter.
2. Reprints offered should not be easily available in print or online.
3. Payment is a flat $25 CAD for reprints.

If you published it in a small collection in 1985 and it’s no longer on the market, that’s fine. If it was published in a German magazine and never translated to English, we’d like to see it. If it appeared in a now-defunct zine, that’s okay, too. If it was in a recent issue of an English-language zine that is currently online, no.

Submitting: e-mail us at innsmouthfp AT gmail.com. Subject line: Historical Antho, [Title of your Story, Author's Name]. The subject line is important; otherwise, the story might go into the wrong pile.

Do not send simultaneous submissions. Do not send more than one submission. If we reject one story, you can send another one.

Include a cover letter with the story word count, salient writing credits and any reprint information (if applicable). Yes, we do read cover letters, so please include the information (Paula gets cranky when stories arrive sans byline, title or cover letter).

Attach story as RTF (preferred) or Word (doc, not docx) document. Use standard manuscript format. Italics as italics, bold as bold. No fancy fonts.

Stories can be sent in English, French or Spanish.

Submissions are accepted from September 1, 2010 to January 3, 2011. Do not send anything before or after that date.

We will reject some stories as they come in and send others to the hold pile. Final story selection will take place in January 2011. Check back for updates.

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15 January 2011 — Canes — Torquere Press

Three-story mini-anthology of short, sexy m/m stories on the theme, 3-7K words, 35%/25% of cover price from publisher’s site/vendors, divided among the three authors. Send attached file to Submissions@torquerepress.com.

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1 February 2011 — Cyberpunk Anthology — Samhain [scroll down about a quarter of the way]

Welcome to the future, a cyberpunk future—post-industrial dystopias where society has broken down; a world of advanced science, cybernetic and tech. The cyberpunk world is a dark and gritty place, blurring the border between actual and virtual reality.

I’m very happy to announce an open call for submissions for a new, yet-to-be-titled summer 2011 cyberpunk romance anthology. Don’t know what cyberpunk is? Think The Matrix and Bladerunner, or the popular role-playing/computer game/book series Shadowrun. For more information on cyberpunk, you can check out the entry on wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberpunk .

I’m open to M/F, M/M, F/F, or multiples thereof, any sexual heat level, and the romance must end happily ever after or happy for now.

The novellas must range between 25,000 to 30,000 words in length, no more, no less—please note, only manuscripts that fall in this word count will be considered for this anthology—and will be released individually as ebooks in August 2011.

Submissions are open to all authors, published with Samhain or aspiring to be published with Samhain. All submissions must be new material—previously published submissions will not be considered. Additionally, manuscripts previously submitted, whether individually or for past anthologies, will not be considered either. Be aware that manuscripts submitted to this anthology cannot be resubmitted at a later date unless by invitation from an editor.

To submit a manuscript for consideration, please include:

The full manuscript (of 25,000 to 30,000 words) with a comprehensive 2-5 page synopsis. Also include a letter of introduction/query letter. Full manuscripts are required for this as it is a special project.

As well, when you send your manuscript, be sure to use the naming convention Cyberpunk_Title_MS and Cyberpunk_Title_Synopsis. This will ensure that your submission doesn’t get missed in the many submissions we receive, and makes it easy for me to find in my ebook reader.

Submissions are open until February 1, 2011. No submissions will be accepted after this date—no exceptions. A final decision will be made by February 28, 2011. Send your submission to editor@samhainpublishing.com and include Cyberpunk Anthology in the subject line. Questions and queries can be addressed to Sasha Knight (sasha@samhainpublishing.com) though do your due diligence and read this anthology call completely and check the Samhain Submission FAQ page before emailing. www. samhainpublishing.com/faq

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15 February 2011 — Truth or Dare — Torquere Press

Three-story mini-anthology of short, sexy m/m stories on the theme, 3-7K words, 35%/25% of cover price from publisher’s site/vendors, divided among the three authors. Send attached file to Submissions@torquerepress.com.

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15 February 2011 — Tall, Dark & Delicious — ed. Marcus Anthony, STAR Books

Tall, dark and handsome. That expression has been around forever. So, how tall and dark do you like your men? Do you dream at night about a handsome black man making love to you? Do you want to feel his smooth velvety skin? Do you want to taste his forbidden fruit?

Of course you do. And, so do your readers. This time, it is your fantasy come true. Imagine being on a train after a hard day’s work, and a handsome black gentleman in a dark suit sits next to you. His leg brushes yours. You both say excuse me, and your eyes lock. What happens next? Or, you are at the gym, and you ask the sexy trainer to give you some pointers, and you smell his irresistible scent and cannot take your eyes off his glistening muscles. What happens next?

Now, you will let us know what happens next. Send us your best stuff.

Please note: Keep the ghetto in the ghetto. Let’s give our brothers some class. If you submit a story with illiterate dialogue and characters from the projects, I will reject them without a reply.

Your characters need to be at least 18 years old.

We are seeking well-written stories that are erotic, not just pornographic. There are no limits to the possibilities or scenarios. All we ask is that writers be creative, have fun, and offer our readers something fresh and new. And, humor is always greatly appreciated! We want well-developed characters and plots, believable and accurate situations (even if it is fantasy or science fiction, it must make sense), and settings, along with internal consistency. All characters must be at least 18 years of age.

Feel free to query me about the thinking you may have about a story for this anthology at marcus@starbookspress.com.

Submit your query to marcus@starbookspress.com in the body of an email. Include a short bio, your name, postal and email addresses, the title and a five-paragraph excerpt of your story. Indicate whether or not your submission has been previously published and, if so, where and when. You don’t need to sell your story in the letter; your work will speak for itself. If your query is accepted, We will be in contact with you about submitting the complete work. The end product should be no more than eight pages of single spaced 12 pt. type. Occasionally, novellas are accepted, but they must be exceptional. Be sure to edit and proof your query.

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15 February 2011 — Corsets and Clockworks: Steampunk Erotic Romance — ed. Kristina Wright, Cleis Press

I am looking for romantic erotica that reflects the excitement, fantasy and rebellion of steampunk. Not sure what steampunk is? Think Victorian elegance and aesthetics meets futuristic invention and exploration. But it doesn’t have to be Victorian (or Edwardian) era—it can be any time period, real or imagined, that blends elements of science, history, fantasy and technology. The one thing the genre has long been missing is romantic relationships and erotic encounters. Steampunk erotic romance is shiny brass and crushed velvet; mechanical inventions and romantic conventions; sexual fantasy and kinky fetish.

The steampunk world includes steam engines and scientists, corsets and clockworks, aviators and airships, alchemy and anachronistic technologies—not to mention those damned goggles and gadgets that everyone always references when talking about the genre! Steampunk is a spirit of high adventure that bridges the past and future. It captures the imagination in ways that make the eyes go wide and the heart beat a little faster.

What I do want:
= Stories that embody the essence of steampunk and pay homage to the genre.
= Stories that fetishize steampunk elements.
= Time travel, alternate histories, “second” or parallel worlds and non-traditional steampunk settings.
= Stories that are lush, wicked, sexy and romantic.

[Click through above for more examples of steampunk.]

What I don’t want:
= Stories that throw in everything but the steampunk kitchen sink.
= Stories that are pure camp. A little campy fun is okay, but don’t overdo it.
= Fan fiction or slash fiction. Do not steal another author’s characters, please.
= Stories that are more about the technology than the characters.

I want stories with strong plots, good character development and scorching hot sex. This collection will feature primarily heterosexual relationships, but stories may include lesbian and bisexual elements, triads, polyandrous relationships or group encounters.

Stories should be written with a female audience in mind and I have a preference for female point of view. No incest, bestiality or underage characters, please. According to Romance Writers of America, a romance must include two key elements: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying, optimistic ending. So be sure to give me a steampunk story that is erotic and romantic!

Submission Guidelines: Unpublished stories only, no simultaneous submissions. The desired story length is 2,500-5,000 words. Double-space and indent the first line of each paragraph. Do not put extra spaces between paragraphs. Include your full contact information (legal name/pseudonym, mailing address and phone number) and a bio of 50 words or less written in the third person. Please paste your story into the body of your e-mail and attach it as a Microsoft Word .doc file.

Payment will be $100 per story and 2 copies of the book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their stories. I will notify contributors of their acceptance in June 2011, but please note that Cleis Press has final approval over the manuscript. [Note: they're not kidding here. I know a writer who had a story accepted for a Cleis antho and went through edits and everything, only to have Cleis veto her story. This is not a pro forma approval, so be aware that you might well go through a lot of work here only to end up out.]

Send your submission to corsetsandclockworks@gmail.com with Submission: Story Title in the subject line. Please direct any questions to the same address.

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28 February 2011 — Anywhere But Earth — ed. Keith Stevenson, Coeur de Lion

[The whole site bangs off one URL; scroll down a bit and click on the Anywhere But Earth logo for content info, then on the Submissions button on the left for formatting, etc.]

Coming in 2011, Anywhere But Earth will bring you stories that challenge your ideas about the future; tales of the adventures, discoveries, mistakes, revelations, and testing times that individuals or humanity as a whole will face and how we will be changed by, or adapt to, those experiences. Stories will be set in deep space, on human or alien vessels, orbital platforms, rocks, planetoids, terraformed worlds and alien environments. In short, anywhere but Earth. Fantasy or Horror stories will not be accepted, although your Science Fiction story may have horrific or fantastic elements.

A minimum word length of 3,000 words applies to all submissions. The maximum word length is 15,000 words although to be published at the upper end you’ll have to sustain our interest for the entire story length. Longer pieces may be accepted for assessment but send a query email first (see the contact email box below).

Payment is calculated on the basis of 1 cent (Australian) per word (paid on acceptance of story), plus a contributor’s copy of the anthology (on publication), plus a proportion of royalties on sales of the paperback and e-book (paid every six months from publication) based on the following formula: [see submissions page for formula -- basically a penny a word (Australian) plus a trib copy, plus proportional royalties.]

E-mail: abearth@optusnet.com.au

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UNTIL FILLED — Horror Library, Vol. 5 — Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2011.

We’re looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what’s already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won’t cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They’re just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we’ll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission – title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]

If you’ve just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. I do these posts every month, so if this post isn’t dated in the same month you’re in, click here to make sure you’re seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, “Until Filled” markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guildelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Note there are a couple of spot shifts — Jack-o’-Spec was previously under “Until Filled” but now has a (very close) deadline, Warrior Wisewoman has been pushed back six months, and Panverse Three has been filled. If Panverse follows their previous pattern, number four will open for submission within a couple of months. Also, note that I included In Situ because it sounds like a neat project, but I just found it and it’s due in less than three weeks. [Edit: make that five weeks -- deadline moved.]

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Jack-o’-Spec, In Situ, Bewere the Night, The Faery Taile Project, the Historical Lovecraft Anthology, Horror Library and Warrior Wisewoman 4.

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15 November 2010 [Formerly UNTIL FILLED] — Jack-o’-Spec: Tales of Halloween and Fantasy — ed. Karen A. Romanko, Raven Electrick Ink

Submissions open 11 October 2010; closing date will be announced when the book is close to full.

Jack-o’-Spec: Tales of Halloween and Fantasy is a planned paperback anthology of speculative short stories, flash fiction, and poetry about Halloween and the traditions and legends surrounding it. All works must contain an element of science fiction, fantasy, or supernatural horror. If it’s not speculative, I’m not interested. Also note that this will not be an all-horror anthology. I want to see science fiction and fantasy in a variety of sub-genres. In addition, please be mindful of the caveats about gore, as stated below.

EDITORIAL CAVEATS:
Nothing sexist, racist, or above a “PG” rating; no gore (i.e. no cannibalism, evisceration, “skinning,” severed body parts, dead babies, etc.); no simultaneous submissions.

FICTION:
Length up to 2500 words (word processor count ) for new fiction. Length up to 3500 words for reprints. For reprints, include story’s publication history.
Send one story. (It’s okay to have one poem and one story under consideration at the same time, as long as each is sent in a separate e-mail.)
E-mail fiction submissions to: jackospec@ravenelectrick.com.
In the subject line, type “Fiction Sub” with your last name, e.g. “Fiction Sub: Asimov.”
Send the story in an attached .rtf file.
Use black text only.
Include your biography in a brief cover letter.

TERMS: By submitting your work to Jack-o’-Spec, you agree that:
The submitted story or poem is an original work; you are the author of the submitted original work (”the work”); you own the copyright to the work; no other publisher holds exclusive license to the work at the time of submission to Jack-o’-Spec.

PAYMENT:
New fiction: 3 cents per word (rounded to the nearest 100 words) for stories to 800 words, $5 minimum and $24 maximum. Flat rate of $25 for stories 900 words to 2500 words.
Fiction reprints : 1 cent per word (rounded to the nearest 100 words) for stories to 2400 words, $3 minimum and $24 maximum. Flat rate of $25 for stories 2500 words to 3500 words.

Also looking for poetry; see submissions page for that and other details. Query address: comments@ravenelectrick.com.

***

1 December 2010 — Male Model Anthology — ed. Neil Plakcy, Cleis Press

Who hasn’t experienced a pang of lust or longing at a photo of a male model? Whether a hundred times life size on a billboard, or romping through the pages of a glossy magazine in his Calvins, Tommys or Ralphs, the male model is the gold standard for masculine beauty.

But what happens behind the scenes at those South Beach photo shoots or Manhattan runway shows? When the students put away their sketch pads, and the photographers shelve their lenses? Model Men will show these men at their handsomest and sexiest moments.

The editor of Hard Hats, Surfer Boys, Skater Boys and The Handsome Prince is looking for great stories focused on male models. Hand models, silver foxes, and locations around the world are fair game for Model Men. I’d love to see stories set in the traditional locales of New York, London, Milan and LA as well as other, unexpected places. Surprise me, romance me, get me hot and bothered!

Story length: 3,000 – 5,000 words

Publication Date: 2011

Payment: $60.00 per story, payable on publication, plus 1 copy of the book

You may forward this call to other erotica writers you know. Submit your story to Neil Plakcy at plax@bellsouth.net as a MS word attachment.

***

15 December 2010 — Dancing — Torquere Press

Three-story mini-anthology of short, sexy m/m stories on the theme, 3-7K words, 35%/25% of cover price from publisher’s site/vendors, divided among the three authors. Send attached file to Submissions@torquerepress.com.

***

15 December 2010 [formerly 30 November] — In Situ — ed. Carrie Cuinn, Dagan Books

We will respond with acceptances after December 15, 2010, once all stories have been reviewed. Some rejections may be sent prior to the closing date. Payment will be 2 cents per word, up to $80 US, paid within 30 days of publication.

We’re looking for stories of between 2,000 and 4,000 words. “In situ” is a Latin phrase meaning in the place. According to current archaeological usage, in situ refers to an artifact that has not been moved from its original place of deposition. In other words, it is still where it was left. An artifact being in situ is critical to the interpretation of that artifact and, consequently, to the culture which formed it. Once an artifact’s ‘find-site’ has been recorded, the artifact can then be moved for conservation, further interpretation and display. An artifact that is not discovered in situ is considered out of context and will not provide an accurate picture of the associated culture.

But what if the artifact isn’t from a human culture? Could we, as humans, possibly understand it? If not, what might we mistake it for? Whether it’s 19th century scholars finding an alien artifact at an a dig site in the Mediterranean, or 25th century explorers uncovering ancient ruins on a recently discovered planet, far out in space, In Situ seeks to unearth something new.

SUBMISSIONS FORMAT:

Send all stories to submissions (at) daganbooks (dot) com in .doc or .rtf format. You must put the following in your email subject line:

[In Situ] “Name of your story” LastName

For example, our editor might submit a story with the following subject line:

[In Situ] “Alien Archeology” Cuinn

Use a common font in your submission, like Courier or Times New Roman, 12 pt, and if you need to note any funky formatting or spelling, please do so at the end of the document. Thank you.

***

31 December 2010 — Fire and Ice: Short Gasps of Romantic Suspense — ed. Jessy Marie Roberts, Pill Hill Press

Email submissions to: fireice@pillhillpress.com

Please put SUBMISSION, followed by the title of the story, in the subject line of your email. Thanks!

This anthology will feature SUSPENSEFUL short stories with a STRONG ROMANTIC THEME. We want interesting submissions where the protagonist(s) FALL IN LOVE through the course of the story, all the while facing incredibly SCARY situations. Love scenes are acceptable, as long as written tastefully and are integral to plot development (think romance novel sex, not Penthouse sex – we are not looking for erotica or pornography).

Most genres are acceptable as long as they contain strong elements of both suspense and romance. They can take place anywhere (Earth, outer space, other planets, etc.), at any time (past, present, future, alternate. Stories should be written in the third person.

We prefer short stories in the 4,000-6,000 word range, but will consider stories from 1,500-15,000 words.

Payment is 1 cent per word (up to 6,000 words or a $60.00 cap), plus 1 contributor’s copy upon publication.

***

31 December 2010 — Bewere the Night — ed. Ekaterina Sedia, Prime

I’m looking for stories dealing with any were-creatures; werewolves are welcome, of course, and the stories should be in a general urban fantasy vein. I’ll need the stories by the end of December 2010, and I’m looking for reprints as well as originals. Reprints pay 1c/word and originals 5c/word, and the length should be between 1,000 and 7,500 words. Also, please suggest reprints by other authors if you happen to think of any.

***

31 December 2010 — The Faery Taile Project #2 — CatsCurious Press

There are two sides to every story… And we here at CatsCurious Press think that our readers deserve to read BOTH! Again!

A Call for Submissions… of the Faery Taile Kynde! CatsCurious Press will re-open to submissions starting October 1, 2010 for all well-written, humorous fairy tale re-tellings (except red riding hood, but that’s because we’ve been there, done that)! But there’s a catch — these stories must be written from ONE POV only… the protagonist’s.

Why would we be so strict, you ask? Because Anton Strout, author of Dead To Me, Deader Still, ‘Dead Matter and Dead Waters has already gotten on board to write a counterpoint story! That’s right — once we have plowed our way through the slush, Anton will review our favorite stories and then choose ONE from among them to write a counterpoint to.

The end result will be a double-sided book with two covers (one featuring artwork for Anton’s story, the other featuring artwork to coincide with the protagonist’s point of view). Stories will be printed upside-down from one another — flip the book over, and start fresh from the top! I can’t wait to see the end result! Check out Faery Taile Project #1 to see what we have in mind.

Here are the requirements:

Story length must be between 7500 and 12,000 words
Stories must be humorous
Stories must appeal to a broad range of folks — from twelve years old to adult (so no raunchy humor, please!)
Stories must be single POV, from the protagonist’s point of view (this will take some finesse — leaving enough details to the imagination that Anton can create a counterpoint, yet creating a rich-enough world that the reader won’t be left wanting)
Submission period: October 1st, 2010 to 11:59:59pm December 31st, 2010

Any fairy tale is fair game (except red hood of course, for obvious reasons)!

The payment? $.06 per word and seeing your name next to Anton Strout’s!

***

1 January 2011 — Red Velvet and Absinthe: Gothic Tales of Erotic Romance — ed. Mitzi Szereto, Cleis Press

A trade paperback to be published by Cleis Press, USA. Publication date: Autumn 2011. Deadline: January 1, 2011 (I’ll be selecting stories on a rolling basis, therefore earlier submissions are strongly encouraged, though I’ll still consider stories that make it in by the deadline).

Word count preferred: 3,000 to 6,500.

What I’m looking for: Well-developed story lines and well-crafted prose told in a unique voice and containing interesting characters and settings. Think atmosphere, passion, desire… imaginative stories that send a shiver up your spine and make your heart beat faster. Readers should be able to feel the red velvet beneath their fingertips and taste the absinthe on their tongue! Tales that contain supernatural beings such as ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters, demons, and other entities of a paranormal nature are welcome, as are those of the Wuthering Heights variety with tormented heroes and dark secrets. Stories may be set in the past, present, or future. Stories from female and male writers are welcome, as are those written from the POV of characters of any gender and containing characters of any sexual orientation (including those that haven’t yet been created!). Take your inspiration from the pens of the Brontë sisters, Mary Shelley, Daphne du Maurier, Bram Stoker, Anne Rice, Poppy Z. Brite, Stephenie Meyer, Laurell K. Hamilton…

Note that sexually explicit content is acceptable as well as a more subtle approach; however, no stock sex scenes or formulaic writing/terminology. Please refer to my previous anthologies to get an idea of the variety and style of content I look for. No excessive gore or violence. No reprints.

One-time payment in the range of USD $50-70 (payable on publication) and 2 copies of the anthology.

Submission requirements: Stories should be formatted as follows: double-spaced Arial 12-point black font Word or RTF document. Indent the first line of each paragraph by half an inch. Do not add extra lines between paragraphs or any other irregular spacing. American spelling and punctuation only (i.e. quote marks, etc). Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), postal address, and a fifty-word maximum author bio written in the third person. Contract is for one-time, non-exclusive anthology rights with one year’s exclusivity from date of publication. (This may be waived if your story is selected for a “Best Of” collection). No simultaneous submissions please.

In the subject line of your email, please state: Red Velvet and Absinthe

Send to: submissions @ mitziszereto.com

***

3 January 2011 — Historical Lovecraft Anthology — ed. Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Paula R. Stiles, Innsmouth Free Press

What We Want: historical fiction with a Lovecraftian twist. Stories should be set in a variety of places, cultures and time periods. While we might buy one story set in 1920s New England, we want to stray far from the normal Lovecraft milieu. If you’re going to do 1920s, why not ship us off to China and tell the story from the point of view of a native of Shanghai? Please note that for our purposes we consider historical anything up to 1937 (the year of Lovecraft’s death).

Length: from flash fiction (1,000 words or under) to novelette (10,000 words). Keep in mind we have a payment cap of $50 CAD, so your long novelette might be better served by finding another home.

Payment: one cent per word up to a maximum of $50 CAD. One physical copy of the anthology and one e-book copy. Payment made via PayPal or Canadian check upon acceptance. We are purchasing first English print and electronic rights for the anthology.

Reprints: considered, with a few caveats:
1. Indicate where and when the story was originally published in your cover letter.
2. Reprints offered should not be easily available in print or online.
3. Payment is a flat $25 CAD for reprints.

If you published it in a small collection in 1985 and it’s no longer on the market, that’s fine. If it was published in a German magazine and never translated to English, we’d like to see it. If it appeared in a now-defunct zine, that’s okay, too. If it was in a recent issue of an English-language zine that is currently online, no.

Submitting: e-mail us at innsmouthfp AT gmail.com. Subject line: Historical Antho, [Title of your Story, Author's Name]. The subject line is important; otherwise, the story might go into the wrong pile.

Do not send simultaneous submissions. Do not send more than one submission. If we reject one story, you can send another one.

Include a cover letter with the story word count, salient writing credits and any reprint information (if applicable). Yes, we do read cover letters, so please include the information (Paula gets cranky when stories arrive sans byline, title or cover letter).

Attach story as RTF (preferred) or Word (doc, not docx) document. Use standard manuscript format. Italics as italics, bold as bold. No fancy fonts.

Stories can be sent in English, French or Spanish.

Submissions are accepted from September 1, 2010 to January 3, 2011. Do not send anything before or after that date.

We will reject some stories as they come in and send others to the hold pile. Final story selection will take place in January 2011. Check back for updates.

***

15 January 2011 — Canes — Torquere Press

Three-story mini-anthology of short, sexy m/m stories on the theme, 3-7K words, 35%/25% of cover price from publisher’s site/vendors, divided among the three authors. Send attached file to Submissions@torquerepress.com.

***

[UPDATED] 31 July 2011 — Warrior Wisewoman 4 — ed. Roby James, Norilana Books

Warrior Wisewoman is an annual anthology series of science fiction featuring powerful and remarkable women, edited by Roby James. The first volume was published by Norilana Books in June 2008, the second volume in June 2009, and the third volume in August 2010.

The anthology was conceived as a sister volume to the classic Sword and Sorceress fantasy series originally edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley, with the main difference being that the story themes will involve science fiction instead of fantasy, and they will be intended for a more mature audience, allowing a mixture of serious contemporary issues and reasonable sexual content (but no erotica) in addition to action and adventure. The stories will have a stronger focus on the interface between scientific exploration and our sense of wonder.

Editor Roby James says “I am looking for stories that shed light on the truth of what it means to be female, that illuminate the wisdom and the strength of a woman, but not in cliche ‘goddess’ stories. I love action and adventure, grand space opera, thrilling discovery, and intelligent protagonists. Make the story thoughtful, wise, and surprising. In addition, the stories in the anthology should appeal to genuine emotions, suspense, fear, sorrow, delight, wonder. The science can be part of the background and the characters foremost, or the science can be central to the story, as long as the characters are realistic and appealing. It is strongly recommended you read the previous volumes to get an idea of what kind of material we’re looking for.

“This is science fiction, but I also welcome stories of spiritual exploration, looking at the bond between the scientific and the divine. I want to see how a woman survives tragedy and disaster, overcomes impossible odds, achieves her true potential, or goes on to thrive in a marvelous universe of so many possibilities, using what is inside her, as well as what she finds in the laboratory, the alien planet, or space itself.

“The stories should contain the question of ‘what if’ on some level. And they should have a woman answer it.”

RIGHTS PURCHASED: First English Language Rights and non-exclusive electronic rights. The anthology will be published by Norilana Books in a trade paperback edition in June 2011, to be followed by an electronic edition to be produced later.
PAYMENT: $0.02 a word on acceptance, and a pro rata share of royalties, plus a contributor copy.
WORD LENGTH: Up to 10,000 words, with longer stories having to be exceptional.
READING PERIOD begins on September 15, 2010. Please do not submit your stories before then.
DEADLINE: January 15, 2011 July 31, 2011.
HOW TO SUBMIT: Submissions are electronic only. Please submit your story as a Word (.doc or .rtf) attachment to your e-mail. The subject line of your e-mail should say “Submission: Story Title, last name of author.” Also, include a brief cover letter. It should have your full name, address, e-mail address, title of story, number of words, and brief biographical information in case we don’t know you, with most recent publishing credits, if applicable. We are open to new writers and seasoned veterans alike.

EDITORIAL ADDRESS: roby dot james at comcast dot net.

[EDIT: Note that Norilana is postponing most of its upcoming anthologies by six months, so the deadline is later, although the guidelines still say reading began on 15 September 2010. They're open, but it'll take a lot longer to get a response than originally indicated.]

***

UNTIL FILLED — Horror Library, Vol. 5 — Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2011.

We’re looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what’s already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won’t cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They’re just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we’ll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission – title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]

If you’ve just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. I do these posts every month, so if this post isn’t dated in the same month you’re in, click here to make sure you’re seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, “Until Filled” markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guildelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

We seem to be out of the summer slump — lots more open books this month, definitely enough to keep everyone busy for a while.

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Tattered Souls, Bewere the Night, The Faery Taile Project, Panverse, Horror Library and Jack-o’-Spec.

***

31 October 2010 — Tattered Souls 2 — Cutting Block Press

For TS2, we’ll be reading original, unpublished stories of between 6,000 and 25,000 words in length, though we’re willing to go beyond that length for works of special merit and if you’ve one of those you should submit it. No simultaneous submissions. No multiple submissions. Each work must be accompanied by a separate synopsis, describing the story in full. All submissions will be reviewed by at least one editor, but a Senior Editor will read every synopsis. Only submissions e-mailed to the address below will be considered. Failure to follow guidelines may result in a submission being rejected without being read.

Submissions deadline is October 31 2010, with publication scheduled during the 1st half of 2011. A provisional response to your submission should be expected from us within 90 days of receipt.

Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights for print, and electronic rights to publish TS2 on Kindle. We accept no reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributor’s copy. For established authors, rates are negotiable. Final response time: six months or sooner.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs (Use the return/enter key for this space, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story (No html tags, please).

Send your submission to tatteredsubs@yahoo.com.

[See web page for a special offer for authors who want a copy of the first Tattered Souls for research purposes.]

***

1 November 2010 — Holiday Sips — Torquere Press

Which list would your boys fall on this Christmas? Naughty, or Nice? It doesn’t matter, because we want both! Give us your best version of naughty or nice for our Christmas Sips this year! Stories should have a holiday theme, should feature gay or lesbian characters, and should range between 3000-8000 words. We want romantic, sexy stories with great characters and engaging plots! Sips are a royalty paying line, and pay 25% of the cover price on distributor sales and 35% of the cover price on all Torquere site sales. Send your Christmas Sips to submissions@torquerepress.com by November 1, 2010.

Please see our general writer’s guidelines for formatting and submission information.

***

15 November 2010 — Leashes — Torquere Press

Three-story mini-anthology of short, sexy m/m stories on the theme, 3-7K words, 35%/25% of cover price from publisher’s site/vendors, divided among the three authors. Send attached file to Submissions@torquerepress.com.

***

15 November 2010 — Gym Buddies and Buff Boys — ed. Mickey Erlach, STAR Books

Remember those old-school gyms where you walked in and smelled sweat, chalk and testosterone? You didn’t know whether to work out or go into the shower room and get worked over. There was no spandex or spinning classes, just a bunch of big muscular dudes working out in old torn up sweats or even no shirt. Their muscles were glistening, bodies were straining, and veins popping. Yeah, you know where we are going with this.

Your story doesn’t necessarily have to take place in a gym, but your characters better know what the inside of a gym looks like! And, they better be old enough to have a membership, which means no body gets any unless his is over 18 years of age!

We are seeking well-written stories that are erotic, not just pornographic. There are no limits to the possibilities or scenarios. All we ask is that writers be creative, have fun, and offer our readers something fresh and new. And, humor is always greatly appreciated! We want well-developed characters and plots, believable and accurate situations (even if it is fantasy or science fiction, it must make sense), and settings, along with internal consistency. All characters must be at least 18 years of age.

Feel free to query me about the thinking you may have about a story for this anthology at mickey@starbookspress.com.

Submit your query to mickey@starbookspress.com in the body of an email. Include a short bio, your name, postal and email addresses, the title and a five-paragraph excerpt of your story. Indicate whether or not your submission has been previously published and, if so, where and when. You don’t need to sell your story in the letter; your work will speak for itself. If your query is accepted, We will be in contact with you about submitting the complete work. The end product should be no more than eight pages of single spaced 12 pt. type. Occasionally, novellas are accepted, but they must be exceptional. Be sure to edit and proof your query.

***

1 December 2010 — Male Model Anthology — ed. Neil Plakcy, Cleis Press

Who hasn’t experienced a pang of lust or longing at a photo of a male model? Whether a hundred times life size on a billboard, or romping through the pages of a glossy magazine in his Calvins, Tommys or Ralphs, the male model is the gold standard for masculine beauty.

But what happens behind the scenes at those South Beach photo shoots or Manhattan runway shows? When the students put away their sketch pads, and the photographers shelve their lenses? Model Men will show these men at their handsomest and sexiest moments.

The editor of Hard Hats, Surfer Boys, Skater Boys and The Handsome Prince is looking for great stories focused on male models. Hand models, silver foxes, and locations around the world are fair game for Model Men. I’d love to see stories set in the traditional locales of New York, London, Milan and LA as well as other, unexpected places. Surprise me, romance me, get me hot and bothered!

Story length: 3,000 – 5,000 words

Publication Date: 2011

Payment: $60.00 per story, payable on publication, plus 1 copy of the book

You may forward this call to other erotica writers you know. Submit your story to Neil Plakcy at plax@bellsouth.net as a MS word attachment.

***

15 December 2010 — Dancing — Torquere Press

Three-story mini-anthology of short, sexy m/m stories on the theme, 3-7K words, 35%/25% of cover price from publisher’s site/vendors, divided among the three authors. Send attached file to Submissions@torquerepress.com.

***

31 December 2010 — Fire and Ice: Short Gasps of Romantic Suspense — ed. Jessy Marie Roberts, Pill Hill Press

Email submissions to: fireice@pillhillpress.com

Please put SUBMISSION, followed by the title of the story, in the subject line of your email. Thanks!

This anthology will feature SUSPENSEFUL short stories with a STRONG ROMANTIC THEME. We want interesting submissions where the protagonist(s) FALL IN LOVE through the course of the story, all the while facing incredibly SCARY situations. Love scenes are acceptable, as long as written tastefully and are integral to plot development (think romance novel sex, not Penthouse sex – we are not looking for erotica or pornography).

Most genres are acceptable as long as they contain strong elements of both suspense and romance. They can take place anywhere (Earth, outer space, other planets, etc.), at any time (past, present, future, alternate. Stories should be written in the third person.

We prefer short stories in the 4,000-6,000 word range, but will consider stories from 1,500-15,000 words.

Payment is 1 cent per word (up to 6,000 words or a $60.00 cap), plus 1 contributor’s copy upon publication.

***

31 December 2010 — Bewere the Night — ed. Ekaterina Sedia, Prime

I’m looking for stories dealing with any were-creatures; werewolves are welcome, of course, and the stories should be in a general urban fantasy vein. I’ll need the stories by the end of December 2010, and I’m looking for reprints as well as originals. Reprints pay 1c/word and originals 5c/word, and the length should be between 1,000 and 7,500 words. Also, please suggest reprints by other authors if you happen to think of any.

***

31 December 2010 — The Faery Taile Project #2 — CatsCurious Press

There are two sides to every story… And we here at CatsCurious Press think that our readers deserve to read BOTH! Again!

A Call for Submissions… of the Faery Taile Kynde! CatsCurious Press will re-open to submissions starting October 1, 2010 for all well-written, humorous fairy tale re-tellings (except red riding hood, but that’s because we’ve been there, done that)! But there’s a catch — these stories must be written from ONE POV only… the protagonist’s.

Why would we be so strict, you ask? Because Anton Strout, author of Dead To Me, Deader Still, ‘Dead Matter and Dead Waters has already gotten on board to write a counterpoint story! That’s right — once we have plowed our way through the slush, Anton will review our favorite stories and then choose ONE from among them to write a counterpoint to.

The end result will be a double-sided book with two covers (one featuring artwork for Anton’s story, the other featuring artwork to coincide with the protagonist’s point of view). Stories will be printed upside-down from one another — flip the book over, and start fresh from the top! I can’t wait to see the end result! Check out Faery Taile Project #1 to see what we have in mind.

Here are the requirements:

Story length must be between 7500 and 12,000 words
Stories must be humorous
Stories must appeal to a broad range of folks — from twelve years old to adult (so no raunchy humor, please!)
Stories must be single POV, from the protagonist’s point of view (this will take some finesse — leaving enough details to the imagination that Anton can create a counterpoint, yet creating a rich-enough world that the reader won’t be left wanting)
Submission period: October 1st, 2010 to 11:59:59pm December 31st, 2010

Any fairy tale is fair game (except red hood of course, for obvious reasons)!

The payment? $.06 per word and seeing your name next to Anton Strout’s!

***

UNTIL FILLED — Panverse Three — Ed. Dario Ciriello, Panverse Publishing

The anthology will be open to submissions until we have enough good stories.

Looking for pro-level novellas of between 17,500 and 40,000 words. Stories should be Science Fiction (except Military) or Fantasy (except Heroic/High/Superhero/S&S). We’ll also look at Magic Realism, Alternate History, and Slipstream (whatever that is). The story should be original and unpublished in any medium (this includes web publication).

Depth of characterization will count for a lot – however clever the idea, if we don’t care for the protagonist, we’ll bounce it. We like stories that instill wonder. Subject matter is pretty wide open. If we care, can’t put the story down, and find no big holes in the plot or worldbuilding, you’ve got a good shot.

What we don’t want:

Military SF, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Horror, RPG, superhero, or shared-universe stuff, etc. Vampires and Cthulhu-mythos stories are strongly discouraged unless you’ve done something absolutely original with either theme. No gratuitous or wildly excessive sex or violence: what this means is that sex or violence which serves the plot is okay, within limits; the same goes for language. Think R-rated rather than XXX-rated.

[NOTE: there are some unusual bits in their formatting and cover letter requirements. Nothing ridiculous, but definitely click the link and read the full guidelines before submitting.]

***

UNTIL FILLED — Horror Library, Vol. 5 — Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2009.

We’re looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what’s already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won’t cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They’re just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we’ll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission – title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]

***

UNTIL FILLED — Jack-o’-Spec: Tales of Halloween and Fantasy — ed. Karen A. Romanko, Raven Electrick Ink

Submissions open 11 October 2010; closing date will be announced when the book is close to full.

Jack-o’-Spec: Tales of Halloween and Fantasy is a planned paperback anthology of speculative short stories, flash fiction, and poetry about Halloween and the traditions and legends surrounding it. All works must contain an element of science fiction, fantasy, or supernatural horror. If it’s not speculative, I’m not interested. Also note that this will not be an all-horror anthology. I want to see science fiction and fantasy in a variety of sub-genres. In addition, please be mindful of the caveats about gore, as stated below.

EDITORIAL CAVEATS:
Nothing sexist, racist, or above a “PG” rating; no gore (i.e. no cannibalism, evisceration, “skinning,” severed body parts, dead babies, etc.); no simultaneous submissions.

FICTION:
Length up to 2500 words (word processor count ) for new fiction. Length up to 3500 words for reprints. For reprints, include story’s publication history.
Send one story. (It’s okay to have one poem and one story under consideration at the same time, as long as each is sent in a separate e-mail.)
E-mail fiction submissions to: jackospec@ravenelectrick.com.
In the subject line, type “Fiction Sub” with your last name, e.g. “Fiction Sub: Asimov.”
Send the story in an attached .rtf file.
Use black text only.
Include your biography in a brief cover letter.

TERMS: By submitting your work to Jack-o’-Spec, you agree that:
The submitted story or poem is an original work; you are the author of the submitted original work (”the work”); you own the copyright to the work; no other publisher holds exclusive license to the work at the time of submission to Jack-o’-Spec.

PAYMENT:
New fiction: 3 cents per word (rounded to the nearest 100 words) for stories to 800 words, $5 minimum and $24 maximum. Flat rate of $25 for stories 900 words to 2500 words.
Fiction reprints : 1 cent per word (rounded to the nearest 100 words) for stories to 2400 words, $3 minimum and $24 maximum. Flat rate of $25 for stories 2500 words to 3500 words.

Also looking for poetry; see submissions page for that and other details. Query address: comments@ravenelectrick.com.

If you’ve just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. I do these posts every month, so if this post isn’t dated in the same month you’re in, click here to make sure you’re seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, “Until Filled” markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guildelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Tattered Souls, Panverse, and Horror Library.

***

1 October 2010 — Pain/Pleasure Anthology — ed. Jane Litte, Berkley

I am looking for stories of 5,000 word length (you can go slightly over but you won’t be paid more) about the concept of the twin emotions of pain and pleasure. The submissions must be full (the story complete) and turned in to me litte. jane at gmail dot com by October 1 as an MS Word Attachment with the subject line: Pain/Pleasure Anthology Submission.

The submission can be, generally, anything with a strong erotic content. There is no limitation on genre. I definitely want a lot of variety such as m/m, femdom, diversity in characters. The work can have been published on your website but it cannot have been sold in publication.

I will be paying $500 for each contracted submission with .25% royalty in exchange for world digital, audio and print rights.

[The royalty is kind of ridiculous, but for a $500 up-front payment, they can send me all the three-dollar checks they want later on. ]

***

31 October 2010 — Tattered Souls 2 — Cutting Block Press

For TS2, we’ll be reading original, unpublished stories of between 6,000 and 25,000 words in length, though we’re willing to go beyond that length for works of special merit and if you’ve one of those you should submit it. No simultaneous submissions. No multiple submissions. Each work must be accompanied by a separate synopsis, describing the story in full. All submissions will be reviewed by at least one editor, but a Senior Editor will read every synopsis. Only submissions e-mailed to the address below will be considered. Failure to follow guidelines may result in a submission being rejected without being read.

Submissions deadline is October 31 2010, with publication scheduled during the 1st half of 2011. A provisional response to your submission should be expected from us within 90 days of receipt.

Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights for print, and electronic rights to publish TS2 on Kindle. We accept no reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributor’s copy. For established authors, rates are negotiable. Final response time: six months or sooner.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs (Use the return/enter key for this space, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story (No html tags, please).

Send your submission to tatteredsubs@yahoo.com.

[See web page for a special offer for authors who want a copy of the first Tattered Souls for research purposes.]

***

UNTIL FILLED — Panverse Three — Ed. Dario Ciriello, Panverse Publishing

The anthology will be open to submissions until we have enough good stories.

Looking for pro-level novellas of between 17,500 and 40,000 words. Stories should be Science Fiction (except Military) or Fantasy (except Heroic/High/Superhero/S&S). We’ll also look at Magic Realism, Alternate History, and Slipstream (whatever that is). The story should be original and unpublished in any medium (this includes web publication).

Depth of characterization will count for a lot – however clever the idea, if we don’t care for the protagonist, we’ll bounce it. We like stories that instill wonder. Subject matter is pretty wide open. If we care, can’t put the story down, and find no big holes in the plot or worldbuilding, you’ve got a good shot.

What we don’t want:

Military SF, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Horror, RPG, superhero, or shared-universe stuff, etc. Vampires and Cthulhu-mythos stories are strongly discouraged unless you’ve done something absolutely original with either theme. No gratuitous or wildly excessive sex or violence: what this means is that sex or violence which serves the plot is okay, within limits; the same goes for language. Think R-rated rather than XXX-rated.

[NOTE: there are some unusual bits in their formatting and cover letter requirements. Nothing ridiculous, but definitely click the link and read the full guidelines before submitting.]

***

UNTIL FILLED — Horror Library, Vol. 5 — Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2009.

We’re looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what’s already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won’t cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They’re just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we’ll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission – title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]

If you’ve just wandered in off the internet, hi and welcome. I do these posts every month, so if this post isn’t dated in the same month you’re in, click here to make sure you’re seeing the most recent one.

Markets with specific deadlines are listed first, “Until Filled” markets are at the bottom. There are usually more details on the original site; always click through and read the full guidelines before submitting. Note that some publishers list multiple antho guildelines on one page, so after you click through you might have to scroll a bit.

Non-erotica/romance writers: check out Tattered Souls, Panverse, and Horror Library.

***

15 September 2010 — Pine Switches — Torquere Press

Three-story mini-anthology of short, sexy m/m stories on the theme, 3-7K words, 35%/25% of cover price from publisher’s site/vendors, divided among the three authors. Please put “Toy Boxes (title)” in the subject line of all emails.

***

15 September 2010 — Cthulhurotica — ed. Carrie Cuinn

[This one only pays a penny a word (although that might go up when they find a publisher, IF they find a publisher) so I'd usually skip over it, but I thought a few people here might get a kick out of the concept. ]

Fiction Submission Guidelines: Cthulhurotica is looking for short stories of Lovecraft-insprired erotica, between 1,500 and 3,000 words. Originals only, no reprints. Multiple submissions are ok, but we will only print the one we think suits us the best. Stories do not need to contain elements of horror, though it’s definitely encouraged. Cthulhu does not need to specifically appear in the story, as long as it contains recognizable elements from Lovecraft – Shoggoths, Deep Ones, Nyarlathotep, cultists, mythos characters like William Dyer, Danforth, or Dr. Allen Halsey.

What that means:

H.P. Lovecraft wrote smart, surreal, supernatural horror stories in the early 20th century. We’re looking for stories that are smart, surreal, supernatural and seductive (adding an element of horror is up to you). They can be set in any time, but need to feature some aspect of the Cthulhu mythos. Think old school pulp romances, but with a Shoggoth on the cover.

What we’d like to see:

* Minor characters from the Cthulhu mythos. The strange little man who sold a copy of that ancient tome must go home sometime (or not; bookshops can be sexy). The bespectacled young grad student might have a roommate, and a bottle of good wine. The man who sold the mountaineering equipment might know more than one use for a strong rope. The possibilities are endless.

* Love, romance, and first dates. Preferably with a Deep One.

* GLBT characters. We can have a schoolteacher slipping into her chalk room for a quick tryst with a tentacled monster; we can’t have a story where the only surreal element is that two men end up in bed together (unless one of them was reanimated by Herbert West – that could be strange enough). Gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered characters aren’t “weird” and a character shouldn’t be considered unusual just because of their sexuality or gender.

* Cthulhu is generally considered to be male, particularly because his sacrifices are young, beautiful, and virginal young women. Give us a story where that isn’t the case.

* Stories that are uniquely yours. Don’t try to copy Lovecraft’s writing style, or anyone else’s. Instead, picture his writing style like a language that you’re learning so you can have a conversation with him, and us. Maybe you speak it fluently, maybe you don’t, but whatever you say needs to come from you.

***

1 October 2010 — Pain/Pleasure Anthology — ed. Jane Litte, Berkley

I am looking for stories of 5,000 word length (you can go slightly over but you won’t be paid more) about the concept of the twin emotions of pain and pleasure. The submissions must be full (the story complete) and turned in to me litte. jane at gmail dot com by October 1 as an MS Word Attachment with the subject line: Pain/Pleasure Anthology Submission.

The submission can be, generally, anything with a strong erotic content. There is no limitation on genre. I definitely want a lot of variety such as m/m, femdom, diversity in characters. The work can have been published on your website but it cannot have been sold in publication.

I will be paying $500 for each contracted submission with .25% royalty in exchange for world digital, audio and print rights.

[The royalty is kind of ridiculous, but for a $500 up-front payment, they can send me all the three-dollar checks they want later on. ]

***

31 October 2010 — Tattered Souls 2 — Cutting Block Press

For TS2, we’ll be reading original, unpublished stories of between 6,000 and 25,000 words in length, though we’re willing to go beyond that length for works of special merit and if you’ve one of those you should submit it. No simultaneous submissions. No multiple submissions. Each work must be accompanied by a separate synopsis, describing the story in full. All submissions will be reviewed by at least one editor, but a Senior Editor will read every synopsis. Only submissions e-mailed to the address below will be considered. Failure to follow guidelines may result in a submission being rejected without being read.

Submissions deadline is October 31 2010, with publication scheduled during the 1st half of 2011. A provisional response to your submission should be expected from us within 90 days of receipt.

Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights for print, and electronic rights to publish TS2 on Kindle. We accept no reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributor’s copy. For established authors, rates are negotiable. Final response time: six months or sooner.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs (Use the return/enter key for this space, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story (No html tags, please).

Send your submission to tatteredsubs@yahoo.com.

[See web page for a special offer for authors who want a copy of the first Tattered Souls for research purposes.]

***

UNTIL FILLED — Panverse Three — Ed. Dario Ciriello, Panverse Publishing

The anthology will be open to submissions until we have enough good stories.

Looking for pro-level novellas of between 17,500 and 40,000 words. Stories should be Science Fiction (except Military) or Fantasy (except Heroic/High/Superhero/S&S). We’ll also look at Magic Realism, Alternate History, and Slipstream (whatever that is). The story should be original and unpublished in any medium (this includes web publication).

Depth of characterization will count for a lot – however clever the idea, if we don’t care for the protagonist, we’ll bounce it. We like stories that instill wonder. Subject matter is pretty wide open. If we care, can’t put the story down, and find no big holes in the plot or worldbuilding, you’ve got a good shot.

What we don’t want:

Military SF, High Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, Horror, RPG, superhero, or shared-universe stuff, etc. Vampires and Cthulhu-mythos stories are strongly discouraged unless you’ve done something absolutely original with either theme. No gratuitous or wildly excessive sex or violence: what this means is that sex or violence which serves the plot is okay, within limits; the same goes for language. Think R-rated rather than XXX-rated.

[NOTE: there are some unusual bits in their formatting and cover letter requirements. Nothing ridiculous, but definitely click the link and read the full guidelines before submitting.]

***

UNTIL FILLED — Horror Library, Vol. 5 — Cutting Block Press

Cutting Block Press is pleased to announce an open submissions period for the 4th Volume of its Horror Anthology Series, +Horror Library+, to be published in trade paperback during 2009.

We’re looking for the highest quality examples of all forms of Dark Fiction, running the gamut from traditional horror, supernatural, speculative, psychological thriller, dark satire, including every point between and especially beyond. No Fantasy or Sci-fi unless the horror elements are dominant. Read +Horror Library+ Volumes 1-3 to see what’s already pleased us. Special consideration will be given those pieces that we find profoundly disturbing, though blood and violence on their own won’t cut it. While we will consider tales of vampires, ghosts and zombies, we tend to roll our eyes at ordinary ones. They’re just too plentiful. Your best bet is to surprise us with something that is different, while well conceived and tightly executed.

Guidelines: Stories will range between 1,000 and 6,000 words, though we’ll look at longer works of exceptional merit. In that case, query before submission. Buying 1st worldwide anthology rights. No reprints. Paying 1.5 cents per word, plus one contributors copy. For established authors, rates may be negotiable. Response time: six months or sooner. Deadline: We will accept submissions until filled. All Queries to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

Manuscript format: 12 point courier font, standard margins, left side of header: name, contact info, right side of header: word count, top of first page: title, author

Variances from traditional manuscript format: single space, NO INDENTS, ONE EXTRA space between paragraphs, use bold, italics and underline as they are to appear in story

Subject box: Short Story submission – title of story

Attach story in MS Word Document or RTF (only). Please paste your cover letter in the body of the e-mail. Send submissions to horrorlibrarysubs@yahoo.com.

[See the web page for a special offer on copies of Horror Library Vol. 1 for writers doing market research.]