New Year, New Writing (Calls for Submission)
December 31, 2012 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Calls for Submission, January 2013, Louisa Bacio, OCC/RWA., short story, Writing Goals
Many authors have a goal of writing in 2013. How about taking it one step further and submitting, too? Kick off the new year with some creative inspiration with these calls for submission, and if you need an extra kick in the pants – a watcher, if you dare, then I’m teaching a “Writing the Short Story for Anthology Call-Out†starting mid-January for Savvy Authors. More information below!
Cosmo Red Hot Reads
If you write romance, you had to have heard of this call. I’m already planning a submission. A super-fun short story I wrote (about 5,000 words), and never submitted anywhere. Want to finish it up, expand it, if necessary, and submit!
Cosmo Red Hot Reads from Harlequin feature contemporary, fun, sexy stories for today’s fun fearless females!
The Heroine:
- She is the Cosmo woman: fun, fearless, female
- She is independent
- She does not need a man to make her life complete, but he is the icing on the cake
- She’s adventurous and daring both in the bedroom and out!
- She values her female friendships
- She is focused on her career
- Our heroine (and hero) grew up with reality TV, texting, online dating
- She is most likely in her early to mid-twenties
- The heroine drives the story
Key Elements:
- Sexy romantic relationship with a satisfying ending
- Love scenes are frequent, fun, detailed, fantasy-oriented and push the envelope
- A strong conflict
- Fast-paced, snappy dialogue, witty repartee
- Strong female lead
- A hero that you want to spend the weekend in bed with
- Fresh, contemporary voice
Stories Can/Will: Include multiple points of view; be told in first person; be contemporary (but not paranormal please!); urban international settings are good; heroes can be bad boys, successful entrepreneurs, geeky scientists—different flavors of men for different fantasies.
Stories are 25,000–30,000 words, 2 titles a month, digital first, launching late spring/early summer 2013. For more information, visit http://www.harlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=1784&chapter=0
ROUGH & TUMBLE
Theme: Fight Clubs, Tattooed Warriors, Muscled Bad Boys
From fight clubs to medieval warriors, dueling cowboys to tattooed mercenaries, what happens when the tough fall hard. Silver Publishing is looking for stories involving those hot men we love to read about. What happens when the mighty fall?
Boxers, ninjas, medieval warriors, gladiators, bouncers –the list goes on and on. Submission close: Feb. 1, 2013. Click on the link for word count, character pairing, cover info, release date and more! http://sp-pub.com/fKOWq
YA Suspense and then Some!
Theme: Goosebumps Galore!
Do you have a story that will have readers looking over their shoulders and double checking their doors? We want your most spine tingling tales… truly suspenseful stories only involving young adults. Everything from edge of your seat to horror is welcome!


• 15k+ words
• Romance and Non-Romance
• All Genres
• No sexually explicit content


Submission Deadline: January 5, 2013

Release Date: May 25, 2013. While this deadline is really soon – more for those almost done, they also have an YA Fantasy & Adventure call due March 23.
Note: at its base, every story within the Young Adult section should involve issues important to young adults—these can be directly related to the storyline or sub-plots that they young adult tackles along the way. No topic is considered taboo as it relates to this age group; however, sensitive topics require sensitive treatment, so please keep that in mind as you craft your stories.
For more information, visit https://silverstreampress.com/pages-title-page-42/?zenid=0cdaab6ef5d4e450a949f705b702636c
BDSM Anthology(ies)
Secret Cravings Publishing is putting together a BDSM Anthology. Depending on how many stories accepted, this anthology may come out in volumes, as many as needed to get the smutty, romantic goodness to the masses. Here’s what I want: BDSM stories of any flavor from uber-kink (keeping the rules of publisher in mind regarding scat, rape, etc) to light vanilla, first-time play. Anywhere from your most Dom males to femdom to menage to an orgy, if you can pull it off and are so inclined. Even bondage out of this world on some foreign planet. Or a world of your own creation where BDSM rules the land ala The Sleeping Beauty series. Any sub-genre, mystery, paranormal, contemp, etc. I want intelligent, hot, tension filled erotic romance or erotica with a HFN or HEA ending. So long as you keep me reading every word from the first page, whether it hurts so good or tickles like a feather is all up to you. Due March 1.
Caveats:
No M/M pairings
Submissions must be 15-20k in length
Steamy to burning the page stories wanted, nothing behind closed doors here
Submissions must be formatted in SCP House Style upon submission
Usual no-no’s apply regarding rape, bestiality, scat, necrophilia, etc. Send all submissions to faithsommerseditor@gmail.com
For more information on submission guidelines, visit http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=6&zenid=5f20023ff157c552b1e3d26413896c3e
Riverdale Avenue Books (RAB) – New Publisher
Riverdale Pop is our pop culture line. We are actively looking for both authorized and unauthorized biographies of celebrities who have captured the cultural spotlight, mostly current, but a blast from the past might be occasionally appropriate. We will also be publishing books about favorite TV shows, movies, and pop cultural phenomenon.
Riverdale/Magnus is our LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) imprint. We are looking for titles, both fiction and nonfiction, in a wide variety of areas, including popular culture, entertainment, biography/memoir, self-help, spirituality, and current affairs, among others.
Riverdale Desire is our erotica and erotic romance imprint. We are looking for works of fiction from 50,00 to 65,000 words that explore either the erotic journey (erotica) or the quest for satisfaction with a happy ending or at least a happy–for-now ending. We will consider anthologies as well as novellas of between 20,000 and 40,000 words.
We are looking for erotica and erotic romance in the following subgenres: contemporary, historical, male/male (m/m,) female/female (f/f), ménage, paranormal (especially vampires, weres and zombies) and BDSM (especially novels featuring dominant women).
Riverdale Truth is our erotic memoir imprint. We are looking for true stories of erotic exploration and adventures from midlife dating to the life of a swinger. This is nonfiction, but we will consider anonymous memoir. We will consider anthologies as well.
Riverdale HSF is our horror, science fiction and fantasy line. We are looking for game- changing fiction in these categories. If anyone has ever read anything like your book before, we don’t want it; we want you to blow us away.
For submission guidelines, and more information, visit http://www.riverdaleavebooks.com
~*~*~*
The first time I taught Writing the Short Story for Savvy Authors last January, a handful of students went on to have their stories final in contests or get published. A half-dozen “repeat offenders†have already told me they’re signed up. I look forward to keeping that track record going!
Writing the Short Story for Anthology Call-out
Jan. 14-Feb. 10, 2013
Beginning writers are often told to: “Write the story you want to read, not what someone else might want to see.†This class, instead, deals with catering a short story specifically to a publisher’s request for submissions. Regularly, editors and publishers list upcoming anthologies and the types of stories they’re looking to include.
The course will explore current call-outs, and students will be encouraged to write specifically for one anthology and to submit the work at the end of the course. Basic crafting of a short story, such as development, characterization, plot structure & dialogue also will be covered. Since most short stories fall within 2,500 to 5,000 words, we’ll also look at ways to making word choice count and the editing process.
— Louisa Bacio
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Writing Camaraderie
November 3, 2012 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Beth Yarnall, Book in a Year, Brenna Aubrey, Darynda Jones, Louisa Bacio, Nikki Prince., Tara Lain
“How’s the Writing Going?â€
It’s one of those questions that writers love and hate. If the writing is going well, we love to talk about the process. If it’s not? Well, it can be a little painful to answer.
No one quite understands the writing process like another writer. Earlier this year, while working on the third book in my The Vampire, The Witch & The Werewolfseries, A Threesome Wedding Adventure, the “writing†actually wasn’t going all that great at times. As I’ve mentioned in other posts, I didn’t care for one secondary character much. He was a disappointment to my main character, and not very pleasant. Unlike some villains who are just so fun to write, this one wasn’t.
At home, the writing exists in a sort of vacuum. If I’m on deadline, my husband tends to ignore the overabundance of mess in the household, and will take our daughters to birthday parties, etc. in order to give me time. That said, he never, ever asks those magic words.
Every now and then, my mom does. She’s an artist, and understands the creative process. When I hadn’t talked about my writing a lot, she ventured forth to test the waters.
More than anything, you know what helped? Coming to OCC/RWA meetings. Believe it. Every single Saturday, Brenna Aubrey would look at me and ask, “How’s the writing going?†and we’d talk. She knew to ask, and even that little push helped. Member Nikki Prince has mentioned that knowing she’ll get a rose for a sale also acts as an incentive. We understand.
Coming off the OCC 31st Birthday Bash and the Pajama Parties, and heading into 2013 and our very first Book-in-a-Year push, headed up by Beth Yarnall, who did wonders for the EVA chapter, and the SoCalRWA Conference in March 2013, I’m feeling the love of the writing camaraderie.
November 1 also kicked off NaNoWriMo – a month of insanity where writers all around the world push to crank out 50,000 words in a month. They don’t have to be the best words ever … just a working draft. We have many members of our chapter taking part. Check out Twitter and Facebook, and share in those high word count days, and those that were a bit harder to get through.
And come Saturday, Nov. 10, when we gather together to listen to the magic of Tara Lain and Darynda Jones, remember to turn to the person sitting next to you and ask, “How’s the writing going?â€
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Some Howling Good Calls (for Submission)
October 31, 2012 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Calls for Submission, Louisa Bacio, October 2012
This month features one call for submission with “bite,†a first-time vampire anthology by Ravenous Romance, a nostalgic look back at mixed tapes and a new shared world series on Cupid’s Conquest.
First Bite

Ravenous Romance is extending the deadline for their virgin vampire anthology FIRST BITE. While the main point is for the characters to have a virginal experience, (first night, first bite, first vamp ménage, etc.) the stories already selected to be in the anthology have created a blood cocktail with a twist. Most stories incorporate a plot twist or discovery that neither the narrator nor the reader see coming. For a cohesive anthology, please include these details in your stories: virgins with a twist, who doesn’t love those? We are open to all types of couplings, but are still looking to fill the voids of ménage, m/m, f/f, and vamp/vamp.

Submission Guidelines: Email your 2500-6000 word short story to Fidencia@literarypartners.comas a word doc, including a short story query letter and your bio. The Deadline is November 30, 2012. Payment is a flat fee of $25.
Mixed Tape – An Anthology Based on Love Songs
Okay, be honest…how many made one? Had one given to them? What? You don’t know what I’m talking about? Way back when, when you needed to tell that special someone how you felt instead of writing a note you put together a compilation cassette tape of MUSIC. Songs that reminded you of that special someone, songs that told them how you felt so you didn’t have to say it to their face (just in case they didn’t feel the same). I’m putting together a MIXED TAPE of stories inspired by love songs (especially from the 1980s). So break out those cassette tapes, acid wash jeans and neon colors.
Stories will:
- Range between 5 and 40k
- Be inspired by a love song that plays a part in the story (some suggestions: Air Supply, Chicago, REO Speedwagon, Duran Duran, to name just a few)
- Flashbacks, paranormal, contemporary, historical (okay, is the 1980s really historical?) all welcome
- Must abide by MLR submission guidelines (M/M)
Stories due by March 15, 2013 to special_submissions@mlrpress.com
Questions should be sent to me at KrisJacen@mlrpress.com
Amber Allure
For the first time in its long history, Amber Quill Press is opening submissions to the general public. Although this open submission call is for only a limited time, we may extend it in the future, so please check back in the months ahead to see if submission deadlines have changed.
Additionally, at any time in the future we may also have specific “series submissions calls” listed below. Typically, submissions for these series are open to allauthors, those already contracted with Amber Allure and those aspiring to be published with us. See below for any current series submission call(s) and the detailed guidelines associated with it/them, and (important) please note that the acceptable word counts, guidelines, etc. may be different from the “General Open Submissions” requirements.
For more information, visit http://www.amberquill.com/AmberAllure/AA_submissioncalls.html
Cupid’s Conquests
Cupid’s Conquest is a new multi-author, shared world series unique to Evernight Publishing.
The series focuses on contemporary romance between unlikely pairings or those kept apart by forces internal or external who are brought together by the magic of Cupid’s arrows. We’re looking for heroes and heroines readers will want to see overcome the odds against them.
Cupid’s been a bad boy…
After years of letting love languish on Earth, Cupid has been banished to the surface until he teaches humanity to love again. One couple—or more—at a time.
- 15,000-35,000 words.
- Evernight Heat Level 2 or higher
- M/F, F/F & M/M
- Combinations of above considered.
- HEA required.
For more information on requirements and how to submit, please contact: Seleste deLaney at selestedelaney@gmail.com and include “Cupid’s Conquests” in the subject line.
— Louisa Bacio
Starting Nov. 12, I’m teaching the Online workshop “Submission: Writing the Short Story for Anthology Call-Out†for OCC/RWA. For more information, visit http://www.occrwa.org/onlineclassNov12.html
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Writing Inspiration: Calls for Submission
October 4, 2012 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Calls for Submission, Louisa Bacio
As we near the end of the year, many publishing companies look to start filling special requests for 2013. This month’s calls feature some sexy Valentine’s Day offerings from Brazen to Big Beautiful Women at Decadent Publishing.
For those writers who want a little more guidance, I’m teaching the Online workshop “Submission: Writing a Short Story for Anthology Call-Out†in November for OCC/RWA.
Hope these calls spark some creativity!
Pagan Holiday Stories
The Black Rose line at The Wild Rose Press is looking for stories relating to the Pagan holidays. *Yule (similar to Christmas)*Imbolc (candlemass)*Ostara (Spring Equinox)*Beltane (May Day)*Litha – Midsummer (Summer Solstice)*Lughnasadh (First Harvest)*Mabon (Autumn Equinox)*Samhain (End of the Celtic year) Length requirement: 20-40KHeat level: SpicyStories should involve characters that fit within the Black Rose guidelines. Please submit this special call directly to Callie Lynn Wolfe, Senior Editor at callielynnwrp@aol.com
Place the words Pagan Holiday Call in the email subject line. Submissions will be considered and a response given between 14-21 days of receipt of manuscript. Submissions are open now!
BBW romance!
Decadent Publishing is looking for stories featuring big, beautiful women who ROCK their size 12 or 22, who live out loud, love their curves, and enjoy the man (or men!) in their lives. IR, PNR, straight contemporary, ménage, erotic, sweet romance, SFR all accepted. For more information, visit http://www.decadentpublishing.com
I Do or I Do Not
Concept: Weddings and June go together. But does the couple? In this submissions call there has to be a wedding prominently involved in the story and some doubt whether the couple who is planning to marry will actually get married or if they will get married the way they planned. Whether they do or don’t is up to you but there must be a romance, lots of erotic heat and a HEA or HFN. Someone is going to end up with the right guy or girl at the end…and maybe even a wedding.
The bridesmaid might finally become the bride, the groom may run off with his best man, the couple who called it off years ago may change their mind again, the wedding planner may have to entirely switch the theme from over the top to an intimate wedding, the rehearsal dinner might poison the guests, the gold digger bride might end up a suspect in her fiancé’s murder at the eve of the wedding…it’s up to you.
We would like a complete manuscript in by Feb. 15. Novellas (20,001 words) and up are acceptable. You are welcome to consult with your editor beforehand, of course, or, if you have none, with me or Christy Lockhart. Turn the ms. in to your editor or, if you have none, to looseid.submissions @ loose-id.com and add I DO SUB CALL in the heading. Release date: June 2013.
Steaming up Valentine’s Day
Forget the flowers and stuffy boxes of chocolate—Entangled Publishing’s Brazen, the bestselling sexy romance imprint affectionately coined “the naughty little sister of Indulgence,†is on the hunt for scintillating Valentine’s Day seductions readers won’t soon forget.
Submissions must:
• Revolve around Valentine’s Day.
• Be 45,000 to 65,000 words in length.
• Feature an alpha hero in either a heroic or high-powered profession.
• Revolve around familiar story lines such as enemies to lovers, one night stand, mistaken identity, matchmaker, best friends to lovers, office romance, etc. Stories that utilize more than one of these tropes are preferred.
• Maintain strong sexual tension throughout.
• End in a satisfying happily ever after.
• Stories due Nov. 25
Brazen only accepts stories with high heat levels, from explicit sexual encounters to light BDSM. For more information, visit http://www.entangledinromance.com/2012/09/05/call-for-submissions-brazen-valentines-day/
In Search of…

Theme: You’ll never believe how we met
Theme: You’ll never believe how we met
April is spring time. Flowers are blooming and spring fever is at an all-time high. Hormones are surging after their winter slumber.
What are your characters in search of? A handyman or a one night stand? SP is in search of stories that involve personal ads, want ads, dating services or internet hookups. The sky’s the limit for the type of ad/situation that brings two people together. Silver Publishing is looking for unique encounters.
Connection is the theme. How do your characters find each other? Must have romance and either a happily ever after (HEA) or a happy for now (HFN) ending.
Release: Thursday, April 18
Submission close: January 5; shared cover, individual releases; Length: 5-18k words; Heat rating: Any; Combinations: Any. For more information, visit the special submissions page on https://spsilverpublishing.com
Louisa Bacio
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April Calls for Submissions & Adams Media
April 3, 2012 by A Slice of Orange in category Archives tagged as Calls for Submission, Louisa Bacio
Adams Media Romance Guidelines
Our new direct-to-ebook romance imprint is launching soon! We’re open to romance submissions in five popular subgenres: romantic suspense, contemporary, paranormal, historical, and erotic romance.
Within those subgenres, we are flexible about what happens. It’s romance, so there must be a happily-ever-after, but we’re open to how your characters get there. You won’t come up against preconceived ideas about what can or can’t happen in romance or what kind of characters you can or can’t have. Our only rule is everyone has to be a consenting adult. Other than that, we’re looking for smart, savvy heroines, fresh voices, and new takes on old favorite themes.
We’re looking for full-length novels, and while we prefer to work on the shorter end of the spectrum (50,000 words, give or take), we’re not going to rule you out because you go shorter or longer.
If you have a finished novel you’d like for us to consider, please just drop editor Jennifer Lawler a line at editorcrimson@gmail.com with a brief description of your work–please, no attachments until I know you’re not a spambot. That’s it! I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can–within a few days for queries and within a few weeks if I request a full.
COVET Submission Guidelines
We’re seeking paranormal stories with fresh voices, between 60 and 70K words in length. Stories need a romantic trope and an alpha hero at their core, with paranormal elements woven into the storyline. For example, a story could have the best friends to lovers trope and the best friend happens to be a vampire. The paranormal element is secondary to the trope and shouldn’t eclipse their growing relationship.
Covet will cater to everything from Greek gods, to witches, to vampires, open door and closed door sex scenes, funny and dark. Voices like Erin McCarthy, Shelly Laurenston, Gena Showalter, and Nalini Singh are good examples of the kind of exciting, fast-paced voices, which will appeal most to Covet readers.
Specifically, we want:
· Quality storytelling that engages the reader and transports them to another world or time
· Dynamic, engaging dialogue
· Lush worlds and environments
· Fast-paced stories
· Active story lines. A minimum of narrative sequel.
· Stories focused on the heroine and hero falling in love; their trope is the main focus. The paranormal/fantasy element is the secondary focus.
· Bold authors who aren’t afraid to push creative boundaries
· Prolific authors who can write three to four books a year are a plus
· Manuscripts must be 60-70k words in length
We accept both agented and unagented submissions, though agented submissions receive first priority.
Secret Cravings
This new line of romance will feature the hero or heroine with a disability. They can be military hurt in combat and now need a wheelchair, someone with a spinal cord injury, someone with hearing loss, blind, etc.
Secret Cravings Publishing is taking submissions of short stories of up to 5k – 10k words for a onetime payment of $50-$100 depending on the length of the manuscript. Any genre; steamy to Burn the page erotic stories wanted. These stories will be released individually with their own cover. One each Saturday of the week. Submissions will be ongoing—no deadline. Check our general submission guidelines for things we do not take. Send submissions to submissions@secretcravingspublishing.com
Crimson Anthology
The Breathless Press Crimson anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, and be original stories. There is no other theme besides having something to do with vampires. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with a royalty of 4% of net sales. No single author shall have more than 2 stories in this anthology. We reserve the rights for digital for 1 year with the option of renewing after that. Some anthologies will go to print, if this is the case for this volume, royalties are 1.5% of net sales and we reserve the rights for 2 years with the option of renewal for another 2 years. Deadline: Feb. 4, 2012 – July 31, 2012. Published: Feb. 1, 2013. http://www.breathlesspress.com/Page/submissions#Themes
Warriors of Rome
Help Riptide Publishing launch their Historical Warriors line with gay and trans stories about warriors during the time of the Roman Empire. Stories can focus on Rome (from the Eternal City to its provinces), or on Rome’s enemies. Explore barracks life with Roman Legionnaires and their officers, or follow Germanic tribes and Gauls as they rise up against the invaders. Let us fight alongside the Persians and Carthaginians, or join forces as auxiliaries and allies with the glory of Rome.
Of course, soldiers weren’t the only ones to take up arms. Gladiators fought and often died for the entertainment of the masses. So too did slaves to earn their freedom, and simple farmers to protect their land against the Roman invaders. We’d love to hear their stories, as well.
We’re seeking historicals for this call, which means research is crucial. Our editors will only select stories that are faithful to the period in which they are set. If you use paranormal elements or magical realism, be sure they fit into the time period; conquerors and conquerees alike have their superstitions, of course, and we welcome those elements as secondary—but not primary—foci in your submissions. All levels of eroticism are welcome and erotic content is encouraged, but sex is no substitute for the plot, character, and worldbuilding we’re seeking for this call.
Length: 25,000 to 35,000 words, or 50,000+ words;
Genres: Historical (some supernatural elements allowed);
Heat Levels: Any;
Ending: Any;
Orientation: Gay or trans;
Submissions Due: May 15, 2012;
Acceptance Letters Sent By: July 1, 2012 for novellas, July 15, 2012 for novels;
Anticipated Release Date: December 2012. Submit to: submissions@riptidepublishing.com. For more information, visit http://www.riptidepublishing.com 

