Marcia Colette made the comment that if one door closes, kick open another. With that in mind, I've listed a few possible doors below. (These are all for spicy short stories and novellas, which is what I prefer to write since my writing time is limited. And for a great idea about short stories, visit Clifford Brook's blog.)
Please note: I apologize for any bad formatting. Blogger is misbehaving and won't let me put the correct spaces between paragraphs.
From Cobblestone:
Tryst™ Submissions
Word Count: 10k-20k The Tryst line is our signature short story line. These short, hot, and quick reads should stimulate the reader and the promise of a future.
Brazen™ Submissions
Word Count: 20k-40k The Brazen line is a special line of books dedicated to the feisty and aggressive heroine we have in all of us. She’s not just any ordinary bad girl! She is a strong, determined, kick ass woman who is in control of her life. She is larger than life and so is her take on the world. The man in her life is just as strong and worldly as she is, and he knows he’s privileged to be there.
Outlaw! ™ Submissions
Word Count: 20k-40k The Outlaw! hero is a walk on the wild side and the heroine likes him that way. He’s a bold alpha male with the world as his playground. Whether he's a demon, a vampire, pirate, knight, or a corporate devil. He’s the anti-hero that steals your heart.
Shifter™ Submissions
Word Count: 10k-100k The Shifter series at Cobblestone is dedicated to shape shifters of both genders. Get in touch with your wild side and let us take a look! We are interested in shape shifter romance that crosses over into all genres and heat levels.
(NEW!) Wicked™ Submissions
(open February 14, 2008)
Word Count: 5k-10k Be wicked for us. We're looking for short story erotica with a very high level of sexual content within five to ten thousand words. HEA or romantic content not required. First and third person accepted (male or female POV). All genres considered.
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Silhouette Nocturne is looking to acquire paranormal editorial with strong sexual, fantasy and danger elements for its new eBook program, Nocturne Bites. We're looking for fast-paced novellas that hook the reader early by establishing a paranormal world and its conflicts. We are looking for stories of vampires, shape-shifters, werewolves, psychic powers, etc. set in contemporary times. Many of the elements that make a successful Silhouette Nocturne remain true for Nocturne Bites.
Stories should deliver a dark, highly sensual read that will entertain readers and take them from everyday life to an atmospheric, complex world filled with characters struggling with life and death issues. A strong alpha hero is of the utmost importantance‹he should be powerful, mysterious and totally attractive to the heroine. While action-packed and mission-oriented, the scope of these stories should be more contained, with more focus turned to character development.
All stories should be capable of standing alone; all loose ends need to be tied up, and the relationship between hero and heroine should resolve itself in a satisfying manner. For published authors, this line is a great way to build their miniseries at Harlequin and Silhouette. Unpublished authors are welcome as well.
Only complete manuscripts submitted electronically will be considered from unpublished authors; no partials or queries, please. Submissions should be sent as a Word-compatible attachment.
Submissions should also follow standard formatting guidelines: double-spaced and written in a clear, legible font on numbered pages. Author name and title should appear as a header or footer on each page.
Nocturne BitesE-mail address:nocturnebites@harlequin.ca
Nocturne BitesE-mail address:nocturnebites@harlequin.ca
Also from Harlequin:
SPICE Briefs
Word Length: 5,000–15,000 words
Word Length: 5,000–15,000 words
Format: eBooks
Editor: Susan SwinwoodEditorial Office: Toronto
Spice Books is looking to acquire bold, sexually explicit editorial that pushes the envelope for its new eBook erotica program, Spice Briefs. These are highly erotic short stories; although brief, these novellas should still establish context for the erotic content through an interesting and engaging premise (a great hook), a well-constructed plot and believable characters. Quality editorial is paramount.
Like Spice Books, what will set Spice Briefs apart is its broad spectrum of sexy editorial. We are looking for all kinds of subgenres—contemporary, ethnic, literary, mystery/suspense, historical and paranormal stories told in first- or third-person point of view (female only) or, if it works for the story, multiple points of view. Authors should feel comfortable exploring any and all sexual scenarios, even ones considered "taboo," and should avoid using euphemisms in favor of the frank, graphic language typical of the erotica genre.
Only complete manuscripts submitted electronically will be considered; no partials or queries, please. Submissions should be sent as a Word file attachment, or in a program that can be converted to Word. Submissions should also follow standard formatting guidelines—double-spaced and written in a clear, legible font on numbered pages. Author name and title should appear as a header or footer on each page, and please ensure that the title of the submission appears in the e-mail's subject line.
Spice BriefsE-mail address: spicebriefs@harlequin.ca
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Unleash your imagination with the hottest short stories you can dream up: completed stories of 5000-7500 words of scorching erotic fiction that meets Loose Id's general submissions guidelines. Stories will be due by March 1, 2008. You may enter as many stories as you like. Employees and family and roommates of Loose Id employees are not eligible.
Entries will initially be judged by the Loose Id Staff and a Sweet Sixteen chosen. Excerpts will be made available to Loose Id readers for voting with the top entry in each bracket moving on to the next round. Winner to be announced April 16, 2008.
