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Market Update is intended for informational purposes only. Romance Writers United takes no liability or
responsibility for the business practices or financial position of any publisher or agent / agency.
Publisher submission guidelines are provided as a courtesy to members of Romance Writers United, as well as those seeking publication in the romance market. The information on this page may not be copied, distributed, or reprinted in any format, or for any purpose. Amber Quill Press, LLC P.O. Box 265 Indian Hills, CO 80454 Amber Quill Press (and its Erotica and Erotic Romance imprint Amber Heat as well as the Gay/Lesbian imprint Amber Allure) is primarily a "submit by invitation only" publisher, and apart from our annual Amber Heat Wave™ Erotica Writing Contest (see following paragraph), we have never been open to "outside" submissions. Please be aware that any unsolicited synopses, partials, or complete manuscripts sent to our email addresses or snail-mailed to our business office by either an author or an agent will be deleted unread, without exception. And since we are primarily a "submit by invitation only" publisher, we no longer reply to any general query letters, including letters asking for invitations to submit. Invitations are issued only at our discretion, depending on our genre needs at any given moment in time, and the occasions are rare. Our annual Amber Heat Wave™ Erotica Writing Contest (held during the first two weeks of January) is the only time we are open to submissions for our Amber Heat Erotica and Erotic Romance imprint as well as any Gay/Lesbian Erotic Romance for our Amber Allure imprint. This is the sole opportunity each year for "outside authors" to send us material for publishing consideration. Authors of each year's winning manuscripts are then invited to join our roster and, as such, are free to submit any and all new material (whether Erotica or other genres) as it becomes available. Contest guidelines are posted approximately several months prior to January 1st, so if you're interested in submitting any material, please come back toward the end of each year and view the submission criteria. Avalon Books 160 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10016 Guidelines: Available online at www.avalonbooks.com/wrtgdl.html Under its AVALON BOOKS imprint, Thomas Bouregy & Co., Inc., publishes hardcover secular romances, mysteries, and westerns for the library market. Our books are wholesome adult fiction, suitable for family reading. There is no graphic or premarital sex or sexual tension in any of our novels; kisses and embraces are as far as our characters go. It is the author’s responsibility to heighten the romantic atmosphere by developing love scenes with tenderness, emotion, and perception. The heroines of our romances should be looking forward to marriage at the end of the book. There is never any profanity in any of our books. We publish sixty books a year in bimonthly cycles of ten. A cycle consists of two career romances, two general romances, two historical romances, two mysteries, and two westerns. All the romances are contemporary; all the westerns are historical. The important action in all the books takes place over a relatively short period of time, ranging from days to no longer than a year. Books range in length from a minimum of 40,000 words to a maximum of 60,000 words (usually about 160 to 210 manuscript pages). However, if the manuscript is exceptional, we will accept somewhat longer books. Please address any inquiries regarding manuscript submissions to: editorial@avalonbooks.com AVALON ROMANCES: We do not want old-fashioned, predictable, formulaic books. We are looking for contemporary characters and fresh, contemporary plots and story lines. Supporting characters and subplots should be interesting and realistic, and they should add an extra and interesting dimension to the book. HEROINES: Every AVALON heroine should be an independent young woman with an interesting profession or career. She is equal to the stresses of today’s world and can take care of herself, yet she remains feminine and loyal to traditional values; when he comes along, the man she loves will take priority in her life, just as she will take priority in his. HEROES: AVALON heroes should be warm, likable, realistic, sympathetic, understanding men who treat the heroine as an equal, with respect for her intelligence and individuality, and with courtesy. The rude, overbearing, patronizing, egotistical, brooding, macho men and Heathcliff types are not welcome in AVALON romances; they make very poor models for husbands—and men—in today’s world. AVALON HISTORICAL ROMANCES: We accept outlines and the first three chapters for historical romances of every genre. The manuscripts should be between 50,000 to 70,000 words. Time period and setting are the author’s preference. Period, place and cultural events are vital to creating an historical feel. The historical romances will maintain the high level of reading expected by our readers. The books shall be wholesome fiction, without graphic sex, violence or strong language. SUBMISSIONS: We do accept unagented material and multiple submissions; however you should indicate that the proposal is a multiple submission. When submitting, include a query letter, a 2-3 page (and no longer) synopsis of the entire manuscript, and the first three chapters. All submissions must be typed and double-spaced. Please be sure to include a stamped, self-addressed envelope for the return of your material if it is not suited to our needs. If we think that your novel might be suitable for our list, we will contact you and request that you submit the entire manuscript. There is no need to send your partial to any specific editor at Avalon. The editors read all the genres that are listed above. Address your letter to: The Editors. This also goes for email submissions. The address for submissions is: Avalon Books 160 Madison Avenue NY, NY 10016 New rules regarding Self-Addressed Stamped Envelopes (SASE): If you would like your manuscript/partial returned please follow all the instructions below. If any of the requirements are not met, we will recycle the manuscript or partial. 1. You must include an envelope that is large enough to hold your manuscript. 2. There must be sufficient postage for the weight of your manuscript. Do not send us money or money/postal orders for postage--only stamps, please. 3. Please use Priority or First Class mail-no Media Mail, Fed Ex, and no metered mail. 4. We cannot return partials or manuscripts outside the US. No International Reply Coupons, please. 5. Do not put tape or any other covering over the stamps. Black Lyon Publishing, LLC PO Box 567 Baker City, OR 97814 Guidelines: Available online at www.blacklyonpublishing.com/guidelines.html With the exception of current Black Lyon authors, we aren't accepting new queries/submissions for our Contemporary Romance line at the moment due to a very full publishing calendar in that line. Our paranormal, historical and literary love story lines are open for queries as always. Direct all queries to: Queries@BlackLyonPublishing.com. We prefer email, but will accept snail mail queries. No unrequested manuscripts or file attachments please. And please, no multiple submissions. Your email should contain your name, manuscript title, type of novel, word count, a 1-2 paragraph blurb similar to what you might imagine the back cover of your book to read, and the first three paragraphs of your finished manuscript. (No formal synopses please. We hate reading them as much as you hate writing them!) Response time: Approx. 4-6 weeks. We read and respond to all queries, whether you have an agent or not, whether you are previously published or not. However, we're selective. We're looking to give undiscovered gems a launching pad into the industry and we're looking to grow, so please send your best, most polished, most marketable work. LITERARY LOVE STORIES: Black Lyon general fiction includes literary love stories that don't technically fall into the romance genre. Novels in this line are emotion-packed and though the love relationship between the hero and heroine is strongly at the core, the plot may contain complicated or intense issues. Sexual content should be appropriate to the storyline, not gratuitous. The ending may or may not be a happy one. Secondary characters should not pull the focus away from the two main characters, but should instead add depth to the story. Contemporary stories set in America are preferred, but if you have a different timeline or setting you think may work anyway - query! We have the luxury of flexibility within reason. 65,000 - 85,000 words. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: There's nothing like a good romance novel with attractive characters, and we don't just mean physically. Heroes and heroines in Black Lyon contemporary romance novels have personality and depth of character. Heroines can come from all walks of life and have all sorts of interests. Settings should preferably be in America. Rural or urban - it doesn't matter. Traditional contemporary heroes such as wealthy businessmen and cowboys are welcome in our contemporaries, as are most other heroes. We will accept fictional rockstar or moviestar heroes if the character does not demonstrate the lifestyle often associated with those professions. (The movie, Pure Country, would be a good example of achieving this.) Sexual tension is vital, but we do enjoy sweet romances in the contemporary line. Manuscripts should not contain swearing beyond "damn" or "hell." Happy endings are mandatory. Manuscripts containing infidelity, abuse, addiction or other vile, disgusting behavior on the part of the two main characters will be rejected. Stories should be written in third-person and above all, be romantic. Readers should remember that feeling of falling in love simply by reading one of these books. 45,000 - 60,000 words. PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Black Lyon paranormal romance heroes and heroines have elements in their personalities that set them apart from everyday people while still being firmly grounded in modern society. These paranormals should have a dark, sensuously gothic feel in addition to the romance element. Immortals, vampires, werewolves, mermaids, twisted fairy tales, Roman gods - whatever tickles your fancy as long as the characters are darkly creative and seductive. These are not sweet romances. Steamy sexuality is acceptable for this line, but keep in mind that this is not erotica, either. Happy endings are mandatory. Settings can be anywhere in the world - in exotic locales or in the characters' own backyards. Manuscripts containing infidelity, abuse, addiction or other offensive behavior on the part of the two main characters will be rejected. Stories should be written in third-person and above all, be romantic. Mini-series ideas welcome. 60,000 - 80,000 words. HISTORICAL ROMANCE: Unique heroes, but also standard heroes such as nobility or pirates work well in our historicals. Heroines should be bright and independent, yet believable given the time period. Settings include England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales, though other exotic settings are definitely encouraged if well done. Dialogue and manners must be realistic to the medieval time period while blending into the story. These stories should feel like adventures and while settings within the 1000-1600 AD year range are preferred, other more unusual timeframes are also accepted. We are also seeking Ancient Times settings within our Historical Romance line. Timeframe and setting make these books especially unique. Stories might be set in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, the early European Viking period and more! Paranormal or magical elements can be present. Writers will have an incredible amount of freedom regarding the kinds of heroes and heroines that grace these novels. We can imagine characters ranging from hunky blacksmiths to temple priestesses and everything in between. Dialogue, history and manners must be realistic to the time period while blending into the story. These stories should be set prior to 1000 AD. Sexuality should be appropriate to the storyline. Happy endings are mandatory. Manuscripts containing infidelity, abuse, addiction or other offensive behavior on the part of the two main characters will be rejected. Stories should be written in third-person and above all, be romantic. Champagne Books 35069, 4604 - 37 Street SW Calgary, AB Canada T3E 7C7 Guidelines: Available online at www.champagnebooks.com/submissions.htm We are accepting submissions from all genres for ebook publication. Send us your best horror, science fiction, fantasy, and mystery stories. Romance -- we are looking for fast-paced, character driven novels where romance is integral to the storyline. Novels can be in any era, any location and can have fantasy/paranormal elements, however our historical line is limited to the 19 century or earlier. Sensuality levels should be on the higher end of steamy, while remaining tasteful. Only submit finished works please. We don't want to wait for you to complete your novel if we're excited about your initial submission. Word counts are to be approximately 25,000 words for novellas, 70-80,000 words for full length novels. Be sure to proof read your manuscript thoroughly. Your manuscript should be double spaced, New Times Roman 12 point, with one inch borders. No footers or headers. Your submission package must include the following: 1) A professional query letter which includes the title of your novel, target imprint, word count, genre, a brief biography and your contact information. Include this in the body of your email. 2) A synopsis of your book that describes the story from beginning to end. Please keep it to 2-3 pages in length. Attach it to your email in RTF format. 3) First three chapters, saved in RTF format and attached to your email. 4) A promotional plan, showing short term and long term goals. While your submission won't be won or lost on the basis of this 'plan', it will get you thinking about what you can do to help promote your novel. Saved in RTF format and attached to your email. Email your submission to: submissions@champagnebooks.com NOTE: We do not accept snail mail submissions at this time. Submissions not adhering to the guidelines will be deleted unread. Dorchester Publishing 200 Madison Avenue, Suite 2000 New York, NY 10016 Guidelines: Available online at www.dorchesterpub.com/Dorch/SubmissionGuidlines.cfm Founded in 1971, Dorchester Publishing is the oldest independent mass market publisher in America. It is our goal to bring the best genre fiction to millions of fans. Although mostly known for romance, Dorchester also publishes world-class horror, thrillers and Westerns. Our size and independence give us the opportunity to react quickly to the new interests of the reading public and find and develop fresh voices to appeal to today’s fans. In 1994, we created the Love Spell imprint to meet the demands of those who love time travel, futuristic, paranormal, contemporary and magical romances. In 1997 we increased the number of horror titles published each month. In 2003, we expanded our thriller line and developed the SMOOCH imprint for young adult readers. And in 2007, we developed Shomi, a cutting-edge line of action romances. Above all, Dorchester is driven to bring you the best fiction at a good value. Our covers demonstrate the work of the most creative artists in the business, illustrating our determination to produce the highest quality overall product. To make it easy for you to be able to buy the Dorchester books you want, we offer book clubs for automatic, easy ordering. Because of the many submissions we receive, we must strictly adhere to word-count requirements and the descriptions that follow. We are currently acquiring romance and the specific guidelines for each subgenre are below, but generally:
All Romances should be approximately 80,000–100,000 words. We are seeking sensual romances with intriguing plots, strong writing, and a pace that grabs readers’ attention from page one and holds it to the very end. We look for interesting, three-dimensional characters who are separated by emotional conflict or the twists and turns of the plot. And who in the end overcome the barriers keeping them apart and live happily ever after. We particularly enjoy humor where appropriate, and originality—either in plot, character, or writing style—that will differentiate the story from others of the genre without losing the distinct flavor of a romance. We are currently acquiring the following categories of ROMANCE: HISTORICAL ROMANCE: Historical background, details of costume, etc., should be accurate; however, we discourage long descriptions of battles, the political climate of the period, or a treatise on contemporary social history. Our readers are much more interested in the developing relationship between the heroine and hero. We prefer historical romance to take place before 1900. FUTURISTIC ROMANCE: Futuristics contain all the elements of romance—beautiful heroine, dashing hero, some conflict that separates them, a happy ending, etc.—but they are set in lavish lands on distant worlds. Avoid long descriptions of science-fiction-type hardware, technology, etc. TIME TRAVEL ROMANCE: A hero or heroine travels through time and falls in love. For present-to-past time travel, traditional guidelines for historical romance apply. The challenge here is to maintain credibility during the transition between the present and the past. The fun is seeing another way of life through the eyes of someone from a different time. The conflict and resolution of the romance arise from the fact that the hero and heroine are from different eras, but should involve more than the secret that one comes from the future. Beware of philosophizing about the meaning of time, and how the past affects the present. No time machines, please. PARANORMAL ROMANCE: Either a historical or contemporary romance with magic, witches, ghosts, vampires, etc., as a subsidiary element. Must have a happy ending. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: Fun and whimsical, these books should showcase your sense of humor and focus on a modern couple in a zany situation. ROMANTIC SUSPENSE: This genre blends all the action of a page-turning thriller with a highly charged and sensual romance. AFRICAN-AMERICAN ROMANCE: The characters should both be of African- American heritage, the heroine should not be physically involved with any man at the time of the couple’s meeting and the hero should not be emotionally involved with any other woman. The couple can be involved in a contemporary drama, mystery, adventure or suspense. The story can be sexy or sweet. The couple must end up together at the story’s end. The manuscript should be approximately 90,000 words or 400 double-spaced typed pages. The submission must include a detailed synopsis. Please forward queries and materials to: Dorchester African-American Romances c/o Monica Harris 522 East 20th Street, #6D New York, NY 10009 917-584-6915 SUBMIT YOUR WORK TO: Dorchester Publishing 200 Madison Avenue, Suite 2000 New York, NY 10016 Unless otherwise specified, your work can be addressed to the attention of the Editorial Assistant, who will make sure that it gets in the hands of the proper editor. Remember to include a SASE if you wish to have your materials returned. It might also be helpful for you to include a postcard that we can date and send back at the time your package is opened so that you know it arrived safely. We do not accept submissions via e-mail or fax. ImaJinn Books PO Box 545 Canon City, CO 81215-0545 Guidelines: Available online at www.imajinnbooks.com/guidelines.htm NOTE: We are NOT an electronic publisher. We publish Trade-size paperback books. Paranormal Romance Guidelines: ImaJinn (pronounced Imagine) Books publishes supernatural, paranormal, fantasy, and futuristic romances. We are looking for fast-paced, action-packed romances involving ghosts, psychics or psychic phenomena, witches, vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, and futuristic in space or on other planet. All novels should be atmospheric according to the chosen subject. Make sure the supernatural, paranormal, fantasy or futuristic element is strong enough to carry the story. If the element can be lifted out of the story and a publishable story still exists, the element is not strong enough. Also, in the case of vampires, werewolves, witches, or shape shifters, the hero or heroine must be the vampire, werewolf, etc., and these storylines should have a dark, eerie overtone. The developing romantic relationship between the hero and the heroine is the focus of the story. The stories may be told from both points of view, and the hero may be the lead character of the story. Although books written in the third person are preferred, first person will be considered. Sensuality may range from sweet to highly sensual. The heroine must be a strong woman, capable of confronting and conquering any threats of physical and/or psychological danger she faces in the story. She is always a match for the hero who should be bold and brash—an Alpha male—and he may or may not represent danger. The ending must be a happy one, with everlasting romance the reward for triumphing over the darkness or evil faced in the story. Although we prefer Alpha male heroes, we will consider Beta heroes, but they must still be bold and a match for the heroine. However, we do not want Beta vampires, werewolves, etc. We feel these types of heroes must have a dark, dangerous edge for survival purposes, and although they may have some Beta traits, their main personality should be Alpha. Urban Fantasy Guidelines: We are also considering Urban Fantasy storylines along the order of Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. We do expect a romance or a blossoming romance in the story, although the romance does not have to be the main focus of the story. We expect these storylines to be set up for a continuing series with the same characters, although we will consider single book storylines. The main protagonist must be a "kick ass" heroine with the same traits as our romance heroines, as listed above. LENGTH: 70,000 to 90,000 words ImaJinn Books Silk and Magic Erotica Guidelines In keeping with the nature of all books ImaJinn publishes, a story or novel appropriate for our erotica line will be, first and foremost, a romance. The main plot of the story should be the sensual development of an intimate relationship between one man and one woman, who are both heroic in stature (i.e., possessing high moral standards) and who ultimately make a commitment to each other. In general, we are not looking for multiple partner relationships, although multiple partnerships are acceptable in some storylines, such as societies where there are more men than women or vice versa, but again, these multiple partners must ultimately make a commitment to each other. We will accept any type of erotica storyline, from contemporary to historical to paranormal, futuristic and fantasy. We expect there to be sex involved—lots of it—but it must be part of the plot, not gratuitous. Authors are encouraged to begin with a premise that, by its nature, will put the hero and heroine in sexually charged circumstances from the beginning of the story. We don’t expect the couple to make love in the first chapter, although it is acceptable to have it in chapter one, but we do expect some lovemaking or sexually charged foreplay by chapter two. We expect that sexual scenes will be at least half or more of the story. In general, we’re looking for stories that turn us on, not off. We want to be excited—not disgusted or bored. We understand that writing erotic stories about werewolves and aliens could lead to some interesting situations. Indeed, the paranormal element you choose could provide exactly the sort of sexual tension and eroticism these stories will require. LENGTH: We’d like the word count for these stories to be at least 30,000 words, and we have no limitation on word counts above 30,000, but lengthy stories must remain highly erotic from beginning to end. We will consider novellas between 15,000 to 30,000 words. However, we emphasize that even in the shorter format, it’s essential that the story primarily be a romance. Our erotica line will be available in e-book and CD format and as print-on-demand books. E-books and CDs will be sold exclusively by ImaJinn Books. Royalties will be paid at 50% of the net receipts for e-books and CD format. We will routinely combine novellas and books under 40,000-45,000 words into anthologies and offer them in print-on-demand books. Royalties on print-on-demand books will be split among authors, based on the number of stories in a book, and single title royalties will range from 6-10%. Royalties will be paid on a semi-annual basis. These guidelines are subject to change as we refine this line. SUBMISSION: You do not need an agent to submit, but you must query us first. All query letters should include a synopsis no longer than six double-spaced pages and may be submitted by regular mail or e-mail, although we prefer e-mail queries. If you mail your query, please include an SASE if you want the material returned. We do not accept simultaneous submissions. Query letters or inquiries should be sent to: Editorial Department ImaJinn Books PO Box 545 Canon City, CO 81215-0545 E-mail: editors@imajinnbooks.com ImaJinn Books Regency Romance Regency Submission Guidelines: ImaJinn (pronounced Imagine) Books will launch a Regency Romance line around October or November of 2007. We may launch the line earlier, depending on editorial staff availability. We will publish one book every two to three months unless sales indicate that our market will support a larger publishing schedule. We are currently looking for fast-paced Regency romances. The Regency period is from 1811-1820, when the Prince Regent assumed his late father’s throne. Regency novels should be set during this period, although certain Regency themes such as the Napoleonic War allow Regency novels to be set back as far as 1800. Only novels set during this period will be considered. Regency novels owe much to the works of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. They are often described as "comedies of manners," but tones from light and comedic to dark and gothic, even paranormal, will be considered. The book must be Regency in tone. That means the author needs to be familiar with the history, the society, the customs, and the mores of the period. The author must know the levels of the peerage and how each is addressed. Regency readers are very savvy and know right away when someone has made a faux pas in a novel. For example, they know an illegitimate son will never inherit a title. Sensuality: From the traditional Regency’s "close the bedroom door" to higher levels of sensuality will be currently considered. Just remember that the most important aspect of a Regency is the romance. The developing romantic relationship between the hero and the heroine must be the focus of the story. The stories may be told from both points of view, and the hero may be the lead character of the story. Although books written in the third person are preferred, first person will be considered. The heroine must be a strong woman, capable of confronting and conquering any threats of physical and/or psychological danger she faces in the story. She is always a match for the hero. The ending must be a happy one, with everlasting romance the reward for triumphing over the conflicts faced in the story. Although we prefer Alpha male heroes, Beta heroes are acceptable, but they must still be bold and a match for the heroine. The biggest problem we see with Beta heroes is that they are so nice you know that the heroine will end up with him in the end, so you lose the romantic suspense of whether or not they’ll be able to overcome their conflicts and achieve happily ever after status. Secondary characters and subplots are not only desired, but encouraged. Regency readers enjoy quirky secondary characters and characters strong enough to be spun off to have their own story in a future book. LENGTH: 50,000 to 90,0000 words SUBMISSION: You do not need an agent to submit, but you must query us first. All query letters should include a synopsis no longer than six double-spaced pages. We prefer e-mail queries, but if you don’t have access to e-mail you may query us by mail. Please make sure you indicate in your query that you wish to submit to the Regency line. If you mail your query, please include an SASE if you want the material returned. If there is no enclosed SASE, we will dispose of the material. It is recommended that you either check our web site (www.imajinnbooks.com) or write or call us to see what storylines we’re currently looking for. We do not accept simultaneous submissions. We only consider queries with storylines that meet our current needs. Query letters or inquiries should be sent to: Editorial Department ImaJinn Books PO Box 545 Canon City, CO 81215-0545 E-mail: editors@imajinnbooks.com Phone: (877) 625-3592 Fax: (719) 276-0741 We will not consider books currently under contract with an e-publisher because of print-on-demand rights conflicts. If your book is currently under contract with an e-publisher, please do not query us. If you have previously published books, either print or e-published, that you want to see back in print, you may be Interested in what we’re tentatively calling our Keeper Shelf line, which we will start sometime in 2007. We will consider all previously published books, regardless of genre, for this line. Guidelines for the Keeper Shelf will be available on our web site soon. Juno Books Imprint of: Prime Books / Wildside Press 9710 Traville Gateway Dr., #234 Rockville, MD 20850 Guidelines: Available online at juno-books.com/guidelines.html We're temporarily suspending novel submissions until further notice. We need time to catch up responding to what we already have. So, please hold off sending anything in until we reopen. Sorry for the inconvenience! Warning! Due to submissions that either overlook or ignore our most basic guideline, let's put it right up top: The novel must have a strong female protagonist. You might get by with equal male and female protagonists, but that's as far as we stretch. To further clarify: A protagonist is a character or characters whose intentions are the primary focus of a story -- not a supporting character, not the hero's girlfriend, not the main character of volume two in your trilogy which has a male protag in volume one (unless you want to submit only the second one). It is highly unlikely just changing the name of the protagonist from male to female will work. And, no, your novel is not an exception to this rule. Please note, too, this is a fantasy imprint. Techo-thrillers, suspense, crime, action-adventure, etc. without an element of the fantastic are not fantasies. Nor are we interested in Young Adult, teen, or children's books. This means, generally, if your heroine is underage, your book is not suitable for our readership. We do not want novelettes, novellas, collections of stories, or poetry. Juno is currently looking for novels from 85,000 to 120,000 words in length. We publish fantasy novels with a focus on female characters, adventures for women that appeal to men, too. We want stories with strong female protagonists or women who grow and become empowered -- women discovering themselves and discovering new worlds. Fascinating characters interacting in plausible well-built worlds that can be contemporary, completely fantastic, or an alternate reality similar to ours (past or present). We are particularly interested in what is often referred to as "urban fantasy" these days: contemporary fantasy and fantasy crossed with mystery and other genres featuring a woman with "kickassitude" and supernatural power (or some paranormal connection). Humor and romance are usually elements in this mix as well. We are open to fantasy and cross-genre novels of any type (as long as they have a female protagonist), but it must be exceptional. Not only do we want excellent writing, we want you to ask yourself" "What does my novel have that makes it stand out from the rest?" In general, we want books that appeal to numerous readers, but we also will occasionally publish a book simply due to its literary merit. What about science fiction? Maybe. Again, "exceptional" must apply, but also keep in mind that SF is not our primary aim. However science fantasy (like Liz Williams' Banner of Souls) or a cross-genre blend (like military SF, mystery, and romance in a convincing future world such as Sandra McDonald's The Outback Stars) or excellent cyberpunk (like Tea From an Empty Cup by Pat Cadigan)--which, by its nature crosses genres--or even an outstanding novel that also happens to be SF (like Geoff Ryman's Air) might be something that would work for Juno. Since we feel human interactions are basic to a woman's adventure, we'd like some romance or a relationship involved in our novels. Although some of our books are romantic, we don't require he-and-she-live-happily-ever-after-endings and romance should not be the chief plot impetus. Stories can be fairly erotic, but the focus is not on sex, but on character and story. We accept only emailed submissions in .doc or .rtf attached to email. Please submit three chapters (or equivalent sample) and a synopsis. Hint: Include a short cover "letter" in the body of your email. This is your chance to "sell" both yourself and your book. It is what will make us open that attachment right away or put it off as long as possible. Although not required, it is best to have a finished manuscript before submitting. If we like it, we will usually want to see the entire manuscript right away before deciding whether to purchase. We are also still working on a tight schedule, so a substantially completed book will be to your advantage. For established fiction authors, we might buy based on three chapters (or equivalent sample) and a synopsis. Email for submissions or information: Paula Guran, editor@juno-books.com LBF Books C/O Carole Spencer 1787 Cartier Court RR #1 Kingston, NS B0P 1R0 Canada Guidelines: Available online at www.lbfbooks.com/Submission_page.htm LBF Books is closed to submissions until mid 2009. Please check our website for updates. Liquid Silver Books Imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing 10509 Sedgegrass Drive Indianapolis, IN 46235 Guidelines: Available online at liquidsilverbooks.com/guidelines.htm Think about the following words, let your senses take hold as you wrap your mind around them - rich...creamy...flowing...passionate...juicy...burning... sensuous. Take those sensations and let the imagination take control. Think hot, think sexy, just let go. If you can do this with the characters in your story along with giving them depth, a reason for the reader to like them or maybe even identify with them, an imaginative plot, vivid settings and clear dialogue, you more than likely have a story we would be interested in publishing. We are looking for those stories which push the envelope in a big way in romantic writing. We are especially looking for manuscripts in the following areas: Paranormal, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Vampire, Science Fiction, Contemporary and Historical. We want to see strong stories, stories which could stand on their own if the sex was omitted. However, by the addition of explicit sex throughout the book, the entire work then takes on a titillating aura from beginning to end. The sex must carry the story along and not just be included as though it was an after thought in order to submit it. We are looking for the build up of passion, the explosion of a sexual relationship between a man and woman and not just a story with one sex scene after another. We are looking for the traditional "happy ever after" and the commitment of the man and woman involved. We envision our books to be read mostly by women and therefore believe the vast majority of submission will be by women authors. We are not shutting the door on men authors if they can also portray the same elements in their writing - *Guys, that means there HAS to be the emotional side of romance in your stories. If you are unsure in any way of the content within your book, please feel free to write to us and run those ideas by us - we'll let you know ! If you have read Robin Schone, Beatrice Small, or Susan Johnson's novels, these are good examples of what we are looking for. LSB Author Guidelines Super Novels – 80,000+ words Full-length Novels – 45,000 – 80,000 words Novellas – 25,000 – 45,000 words Quick Silvers - Short but not sweet romances 20,000 - 25,000 word length. Send us the first three chapters and the synopsis of your book along with a cover letter. Within the cover letter tell us the following: 1. Your writing background. 2. Your thoughts on ePublishing - the reasons why you are exploring ePublishing and your expectations of doing so. Your submission needs to be formatted in the following way: 1. Arial, 12 pt 2. Single Spaced 3. POV and scene breaks must be individually marked (One * for POV break, **** for scene break) 4. No Headers, footers or page numbers 5. MUST include Pen name, real name, snail mail and email contact information on the first page, top left corner of submission. 6. Saved as RTF (Rich Text Format) 7. Cover letter in the body of the email 8. Submission will be sent as an email attachment to: 9. Maximum title length 25 characters, counting spaces and punctuation. You may use a sub-title if necessary to convey critical information, although we recommend against it as too much text can negatively impact the cover's appeal. subs2008@liquidsilverbooks.com We will try to respond to you within a couple days to confirm receipt of your submission. If we then determine that we would like to read the entire manuscript we will be back in touch with you. This time frame will be in the neighborhood of approximately two to four weeks.. We anticipate a large number of submissions so this time estimate may change. We are a full service, royalty paying ePublisher which means that there are NO fees to the author to become published with us. We will edit your book (not take the life out of it but polish it for publication). We'll assign an editor to work with you but be assured, this is your work and if we made the decision to publish it, it was because we loved it as it is, not because we wanted to get our hands on it to change it. We will provide the cover art for your book. We will assign your book an ISBN number. We will provide you with a final copy of your book in the formats you'd like for promotional purposes. If you have need of CD's for signings or conventions, we can provide those to you with enough advance notice and for a large discount. We pay 40% royalties on retail sales from those sales originating from the Liquid Silver web site. We pay 40% royalties on retail sales minus distribution costs for those sales which originate from various distribution channels we utilize. Royalties are paid on a calendar quarter basis by either company check or Paypal. For International authors, individual arrangements can be made to ease the exchange rate burden. Our contract is for electronic rights for one year. We are placing some of our books into print and contracts will be revised for those. 30% of net proceeds is the royalty paid for print books. Molten Silver - Author Guidelines Distinctive, Alternative, Romantic Erotica Satisfy Your Naughtier Side Tie them up, chain them down, press the envelope. Bring your darkest fantasies to life. Give us your kick-ass heroines, your drool-worthy heroes, and your well-crafted stories that keep us coming back for more. Liquid Silver Books is known for publishing classy, hot, distinctive erotic romances. Now we want to take our stories to a hotter, steamier level. With our new Molten Silver line, we want the stories that are hot enough to melt silver. We’re looking for the naughty, the boundary-pushing, the “holy crap, that was awesome.” Stories that include BDSM, multiple partners, same-sex loving, anal play, or anything else that tickles your fancy. Just make sure to give us a happily ever after (or, happy for now) ending. Got a story that’s right for us? Contemporary, Paranormal, Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Romantic Suspense, or a combination of these—We want to see it! Send your first three chapters, a synopsis, and a cover letter annotating the submission is for the Molten Silver Line to subs2008@liquidsilverbooks.com. Red Sage Publishing P.O. Box 4844 Seminole, FL 33775 Guidelines: Available online at eredsage.com/Submissions-sp8.html Red Sage is currently seeking submissions for E-Books. Red Sage will not accept multiple submissions or any works previously published in e-book format. We will however consider previously published print books for e-books if the author has all rights. Red Sage has always told authors to write what they love writing. It doesn’t matter if the story is historical, science fiction, or any other subgenre. If the author is writing what they love, it shows in the writing and the emotions come through. The stories are funnier, sexier, scarier, etc., when the author has the emotional investment in doing what they love. This is where the great, out-of-the-box stories come from, because the authors are free to do what they love. Authors sometimes ask, "What are you looking for?" We always tell them to write what you write best and love most. We have never said we need so many vampire stories or so many westerns, because a great story is a great story. Don’t ever write a story for us just because you heard we were looking for a certain type of story, because we are always looking for your wonderful, brilliant, beautiful, emotional, jam-packed story, whatever type it may be. With that said we have guidelines, which are to be used only as guide. THE HERO He may be the fearsome warrior, the rogue, the bold conqueror or the imposing captain of industry. He is always intelligent, good looking, usually rich, may be humorous, larger than life, strong willed, domineering (in a sexy way), sometimes unpredictable and very much the Ultra Alpha Male. He is the kind of man who epitomizes every woman's fantasies and, not least, a devastatingly wonderful lover. THE HEROINE She may be the Indian captive, Lady of the Manor, CEO of a corporation or a traveler to distant stars. She is above all intelligent. She has strength, femininity and independence. She may be humorous. She is a woman the reader likes and identifies with. THE SEXUAL RELATIONSHIP We are searching for romance authors who dare to go where today’s romance authors are forbidden to go. Highly intense love relationships involve an equally intense sexual relationship that is sometimes politically incorrect. We are looking for a high level of sexual tension throughout the story to maintain the necessary edge and arousing feel. These love scenes must be sophisticated, erotic and emotional. We want to push the envelope beyond the normal romance novel. Be kinky, be wild, go far beyond spicy, but always write romance. If you’re not sure, query. Any sexual position between a man and a woman is okay. THE PLOT Remember, the more difficult and intriguing or unique the conflict, the more interesting and satisfying the story is for the reader. Tension and conflict can make love scenes excruciatingly effective. With romance there is always a happy ending. THE SETTING Historical, contemporary, mainstream, science fiction, mystery, adventure, fantasy -- let your wonderful creative imagination be your guide. We believe Secret intimate stories told by women to women have forever been at the heart of civilization. We offer fewer restrictions for women writers to tell their Secret stories. Thank you for your interest in Secrets and our e-book line. We look forward to hearing from you. MAIN THEMES Contemporary & Romantic Comedy Your heroine doesn’t have to be a rocket scientist or your hero superman. However, Red Sage is looking for men who are alpha to the bone, be they a cowboy or a CEO of a major corporation, and women who are independent, kick-butt heroines with brains. Looking for love in all the right places is a must, and there should be a happy ending. Comedy should be apparent if you are targeting the romantic comedy genre and all submissions must be in a contemporary setting. Bottom line, give us a serious or light-hearted work but carry your love scenes to completion and make them sizzling hot. Historical Romance has been around since the beginning of time, and so has sex. Give us heroes we want to go to bed with and heroines who aren’t afraid to stand up to their men. We are looking for periods before the 20th century and are most interested in Vikings and Medieval warriors. A Scottish Highlander in a kilt would certainly turn up the heat. Raising the temp is exactly what we are looking for. Make it fiery hot but give your hero and heroine a relationship that will stand up to the adversity of the time period you write. Paranormal & Science Fiction Vampires, werewolves and shades of out-of-this-world are what we’re looking for in this much sought-after genre. Romance should abound, and the hero and heroine should find their pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and a most rewarding erotic relationship. Give us emotions to cry over and if your tale has a bit of bite to it, then so be it. Imagine if you will a world beyond our day and time and improvise what you might see in the future. A bounty hunter in galactic space or a man or woman who has claws or fangs deserves love as well as a night or nights to remember. Pure Erotic Let your imagination run wild as you pander to every fantasy a woman or man could possible experience. Branch out and let yourself go free in this pure erotic genre. Your characters don’t have to find happy ever after, but they do need to find satisfaction between the sheets or wherever they come together with a no-holds barred attitude. A one-night stand, a ménage a trios, or just a wanna-have-fun scenario that makes readers wish they were in the pages of your book. Suspense & Adventure We are looking for walks on the wild side, be it a Caribbean cruise, mining gold in Mexico, or just an adventurous night on the town. Suspense should riddle your submission and keep readers on the edge of their seats. What could be hotter than a private eye or a bodyguard letting his or her hair down and getting a look at love? Open your minds to the possibilities of romance as well as blazing sexual scenes between couples that are ready to leap into love as well as a sensual well of passion. Genres: Adventure, Capture & Bondage, Contemporary, Erotica, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Futuristic, Historical, Magic, Medieval, Ménage a Trois, Paranormal, Pure Erotica, Regency, Romantic Comedy, Science Fiction, Shape Shifters, Suspense, Thriller, Time Travel, Vampires, Werewolf, Westerns. Red Sage accepts un-agented authors and previously unpublished authors. Information on how to submit: Remember Red Sage will not accept multiple submissions or any works previously published in e-book format. We will however consider previously published print books for e-books if the author has all the rights. We are looking for high quality writing and all submissions should have a happy ending except for the Pure Erotica line. However, the Pure Erotica line must have a satisfying, non-depressing ending. Please keep in mind that Red Sage is known for sensual or erotic romance for women and will not accept anything that could be considered offensive or distasteful to readers. Authors may query interest with: a one-page synopsis showing clear emotional and physical conflict defined and the first ten pages of their manuscript in a digital Rich Text format (RTF) or inline text. Please include writing credentials; we welcome unpublished authors as well. With your submission please give us this information: Please put in subject line of your email the following: 1. Author Name 2. Manuscript Title 3. Genre In the body of the e-mail you send us make sure you have given us complete information on how to contact you. Also, again information on your story. 1. Author's Full Legal Name 2. Pseudonym 3. E-Mail Address 4. Title Of Manuscript 5. Word Count - Exact Number 6. Main Theme 7. Genre 8. Legal Address 9. Phone Numbers (Home Phone), (Cell Phone) Please send your submission to: Submissions@eRedSage.com CONTE: Up to ~ 15,000 Words NOVELETTE: 15,000 ~ 25,000 Words NOVELLA: 25,000 ~ 40,000 Words NOVEL: 40,000 ~ 70,000 Words NOVEL EXTRA: 70,000 ~ 90,000 Words NOVEL EPIC: 90,000 ~ Up Words Samhain Publishing 577 Mulberry Street, Suite 1520 Macon, GA 31201 Guidelines: Available online at www.samhainpublishing.com/submissions Samhain Publishing is now open to general submissions of all genres of romance and erotica, as well as fantasy, urban fantasy and science fiction with strong romantic elements. We are refocusing our efforts and will no longer be accepting submissions in other genres for the time being. All submissions must be new material to be considered for publication, no reprints. Once you’ve had a new work accepted by Samhain, you are free to submit previously published works to your editor for consideration. Only one manuscript at a time per author please! And, if the manuscript is being offered elsewhere simultaneously, please keep us informed of its status. We encourage you to let your muse have its way and to create tales that don’t always adhere to current trends. One never knows what the next “hot genre” will be or when it will start, so write what’s in your soul. These are the books that, whether the story is based on “formula” or is an “original”, when written from the heart will earn you a life-time readership. The preferred word count is 60,000 or longer, but we are quite happy to publish shorter works with word counts of no less than 12,000. Any book that glorifies depraved or illegal acts will not be considered. No ick factors, please! All submissions must be sent by email as we are primarily an epublisher, and all our work is done through the internet. We will not respond to any submissions sent via hard copy, nor will we return submissions sent this way. Please send all queries via email to the email address listed below. Please send a query letter in the body of an email telling us a bit about you along with a minimum of 3 sample chapters and a synopsis at least 2 pages in length and sufficient for the length of the story (there is no maximum length for the synopsis but it must be at least 2 pages). You may, at your discretion, send the whole manuscript as it will be requested if it passes the first review. Please send the synopsis and chapters or full manuscript as separate attachments, named with the title of your book. Please format your work (manuscript and synopsis) as follows:
The Wild Rose Press PO Box 708 Adams Basin, NY 4410-0706 Guidelines: Available online at www.thewildrosepress.com/publisher/media/TWRP_SubmissionGuidelines.pdf We are currently accepting submissions in all romance sub-genres in all lengths. We only publish ROMANCE. Every story must have romance as a strong element and in ALL lengths. This includes short stories. Please do not submit women's fiction, poetry, science fiction, fanfiction, or any type of nonfiction. For more information on how we define ROMANCE, please read the articles listed here in our FAQs section. Do not send complete or partial manuscripts unless requested. We ask instead that you submit a query letter and up to a 5 page double-spaced synopsis. The query letter should contain a word count and pertinent facts about yourself as a writer, including your familiarity with the romance genre. Please indicate what line you think your project is appropriate for, if it is completed, what you think makes it special, and previous publishing experience (if any). We would prefer to not receive simultaneous submissions. What this means is do not submit a query to us for something that is under consideration with another house. Please do not send multiple queries for the same line at the same time. Submit your query to queryus@thewildrosepress.com Please note: We prefer Email submissions. If an editor does not adhere to this, a writer may contact Rhonda Penders to discuss the situation. Editors have also been asked to refer any difficult writers to Rhonda Penders for follow-up. Most important: Love must be an essential element in all of our titles. We are not interested in seeing any stories that are not considered romance. *There are numerous publishers that specialize in this specific type of relationship; we feel we aren't qualified at this time to review submissions of this nature. This is not in any way meant to imply that we have any issues with a person's sexual preference. Lines Guide:
Manuscript Lengths: Rosette: Between 3,000 and 12,500 words Miniature Rose: Between 12,500 and 40,000 words Rosebud: Between 40,000 and 65,000 words Bouquet (anthology): Between 65,000 and 100,000 words Rose: Between 65,000 and 100,000 words To determine word count, use the following formula: 250 words per 8.5x11 page, double spaced, Courier New font size 12 Final formatting for publication will NOT reflect this formula Wild Rose publications will average 350-400 words per page |
