Televison writing, young adult writers, Red Moon Romance and more

“Dialogue is not just quotation. It is grimaces, pauses, adjustments of blouse buttons, doodles on a napkin, and crossings of legs.” Jerome Stern
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If you’ve always wanted to write for televison. CBS’ Writers Mentoring Progam could be your ticket to realizing your dream. The program pairs aspiring television writers with a senior-level writer on an existing CBS series, plus a network executive for one-on-one coaching, networking and other opportunities to make contacts and develop your craft. Each candidate for the program must submit a one-hour or half-hour spec script for an existing CBS television series, plus an original pilot script, stage play or short story. The deadline to apply is May 1, 2015. For all the details, go here

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“Tales of the Grimoire” is a forthcoming anthology of erotic fiction for women. Publisher Ylva Publishing is seeking contributions of lesbian dark fiction featuring paranormal creatures such as werewolves, demons, trolls,vampires, etc. Stories may be any genre of erotic, including romance, humor and suspense and should be between 4,000 and 10,000 words. Payment is $40 per story. The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2015. See the guidelines here.

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The next chapters in my Eureka, Colorado stories go on sale at the end of May and June. Both books are available for pre-order now. The e-book only novella, Rocky Mountain Getaway, follows the story of Danielle and Janelle’s chance at the spotlight on a national cooking show. The book includes original recipes from the Last Dollar Cafe. At the end of June, Above It All follows Maggie and Jameso’s efforts to adjust to marriage and parenthood. while another resident of Eureka reveals a secret past. You can pre-order both books now.

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Harmony Ink is sponsoring a Young Author Challenge for LGBTQ youth writers, ages 14-21. Submit your 2,000 to 10,000 word short story showing a LGBTQ character who grows and changes during the course of the story. The deadline for submissions is May 1, 2015. Winners will be including in a special anthology, receive payment of $25. to $55, plus a critique from a professional author. Find all the details here.

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Red Moon Romance is a boutique publisher or romance and erotic romance. Assistant Editor Laura Harvey loves paranormal romance, including time travel and fantasy romance. She likes dark and edgy heroes and strong, smart heroines.

Assistant Editor Trish Thompson craves stories with well-developed characters and unexpected plot twists. She likes stories with humor and great storytelling.

Assistant Editor Cori Vidae  likes dark and twisted stories, and kink among consenting adults. She’d love to see an erotic steampunk romance or an erotic second-world fantasy.

Editor-in-Chief Eileen Wiedbrauk favors sexy paranormal, fantasy and science fiction romance. She likes stories with Alpha males and a sense of magic. Her favorite heroines are ordinary women who rise to the occasion in extraordinary circumstances. Among her likes: “Highlanders, shifters, dragons, plus-size heroines, vampires, dark fae, and hot humanoid aliens.”

Red Moon primarily publishes electronically. They do not pay advances, but pay 40% of net royalties. They accept novellas over 20,000 words and novels 50,000 to 100,000 words. See all of their detailed submission guidelines here.

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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog with others — repost, reprint, retweet. Please credit me as the source of the information and include a link to this blog. Find out more about me on my websites here and here, or on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter@CMyersTex. Thanks!  Cindi

 

Seventeen Books, Liquid Silver Books, Prizm Books and other special calls

“Every rejection is incremental payment on your dues that in some way will be translated back into your work.”

—James Lee Burke

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Harlequin Teen is partnering with Seventeen Magazine to publish original novels as Seventeen Books. These books, to be available in hardcover and ebook formats, will feature ” multi-dimensional and empowered fictional female characters and explore topics and situations that authentically reflect the challenges and joys of being a teenager today.” The first titles will be released in 2016. Though no specific guidelines for the Seventeen books have been released, you can read more about Harlequin Teen here.

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Liquid Silver Books is a royalty paying ebook publisher that publishes all types of romance fiction. Liquid Silver pays royalties of 40 percent, paid quarterly. They accept manuscripts of 15,000 words and up. Currently, the editors are particularly interested in stories based on fairy tales or set in a fairy tale world. Stories may be any romance sub-genre and any heat level. The story may stand alone, or be the beginning of a series. Find Liquid Silver’s general submission guidelines here. Find more about this special call here.

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Totally Entwined is a digital first publisher of erotic romance. They release books in all formats as well as digital and pay 40% royalties on ebooks. The editors are currently searching for all types and sub-genres of erotic romance between 10,000 and 100,000 words. In addition, Editor Nicki Richards is seeking M/F and M/F/M stories 60,000 words and up with the theme of What’s Her Secret? These books feature contemporary settings and a heroine with a secret. Find more details here.

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Prizm Books publishes mainstream and LGBTQ books for teens. The editors are particularly interested in the following:

All types of mysteries, including cozies, 10,000 to 60,000 words.

Punk fiction — steampunk, dieselpunk,  biopunk, cyberpunk, 10,000 to 60,000 words.

Gemstone themed fiction — 10,000 words and up.

Spectrum — stories themed around colors, 10,000 words and up.

In additiong to stories featuring hetero, gay and lesbian teens, Prizm is interested in stories that spotlight trans, queer, bisexual, asexual, pansexual, asexual, polyamorous relationships, etc. Stories should be between 10,000 and 60,000 words. Characters younger than 17 may have sexual encounters, but these should take place “off screen.”  Find all the details here.

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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog with others — repost, reprint, retweet. Please credit me as the source of the information and include a link to this blog. Find out more about me on my websites here and here, or on Facebook, or follow me on Twitter@CMyersTex. Thanks!  Cindi

 

Middle grade, mystery and romance short story opportunities

“Writing is an exploration; you start from nothing and learn as you go.” E.L. Doctorow

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We Need Diverse Books is sponsoring a short story contest for middle grade stories. The winner will be published in an anthology “Stories For All of Us”, from Crown Books For Young Readers in January 2017. In addition to publication in the anthology, alongside writers such as Matt de la Pena and Grace Lin, the winner of the contest will receive $1000. Stories may be up to 5,000 words long, suitable for readers ages 8 to 12,  The story should be written by a writer from a diverse background ” including but not limited to, LGBTQIA, people of color, gender diversity, people with disabilities, and ethnic, cultural, and religious minorities currently marginalized in North America.”  Your story should include diverse characters, and must relate to the prompt “Once I began to read, I began to exist.” There is no fee to enter the contest. Entries must be received between April 27 and May 8, 2015. For all the details, go to the story page here. 

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The HerStories Project is seeking essays for a new feature, HerStories Voices. if you are a woman writer, you may submit your personal essay of up to 2000 words about an experience or moment that was transformative or that made you realize something important. Payment is $40 per essay. For more details, go here. 

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My first new historical romance in several years, written under my pseudonym Cynthia Sterling, is now available at your favorite ebook seller. Purchase Loving the Outlaw at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your favorite ebook retailer.

Spinster seamstress Laura Brown has a secret. Once the spoiled, privileged daughter of a banker, her life was destroyed by scandal when she fell in love with an outlaw. Disgraced in the aftermath of her lover’s arrest, she ran away and started life over in the small town of New Spring, Texas, where she’s slowly regained the peace and respectability she craved.

But her former lover Cole Randall is out of prison now and has tracked her to New Spring. Unnerved by her lingering attraction to Cole, Laura resists his attentions. But when a bullet meant for her strikes Cole, Laura finds herself back under his spell. Will loving the outlaw destroy Laura again, or will it restore her to the only life worth living?

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Mystery/Crime writers who live in Connecticutt, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts or Rhode Island may be interested in submitting to Level Best Book’s 2015 Short Story Anthology. The editors are interested in crime stories by writers from these states, ” mystery, thriller, suspense, caper, and horror. (No torture/killing of children or animals.)” Stories may be up to 5,000 words and may not have been previously published. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2015. Payment is $25. For more details go here.

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 Canadian publisher Morning Rain is actively searching for romantic short stories between 5,000 and 10,000 words, for a Valentine’s Day anthology, to be published February 13, 2015. The deadline for submissions is January 26, 2015. The stories should be romantic and passionate, but no erotica, please. They only accept submissions from Canadian writers. For more information, go here.

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As always, feel free to share the information in this newsletter with others– reprint, repost, retweet. Please give me credit as the source, and include a link to this blog. Thank you!  Cindi

 

Romance published accepting submissions, anthology calls and more

“It took me fifteen years to discover I had no talent for writing, but I couldn’t give it up because by that time I was too famous.” ~Robert Benchley

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Ravenous Romance is open to romance novel submissions of 50,000 to 60,000 words and short stories of 2500 to 5000 words. The editors are interested in erotic romance with a happily-ever-after or happy-for-now ending. They publish all sub-genres of erotic romance, including contemporary, paranormal, lesbian and menage. They look for compelling plots, interesting characters and hot sex. Ravenous is a digital -first publisher; some titles also go into print. They pay royalties. For more details, visit them here. 

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Siren-Bookstrand is a romance e-publisher that has been in business since 2006. They publish in both digital and print formats. They publish a variety of sub-genres under fourteen imprints, including contemporary mainstream romance, erotic romance, BDSM, menage, lesbian and gay romance. Word count: 20,000 words and up. They pay 40% royalties on a quarterly basis. Get all the details here.

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Publisher Supposed Crimes, LLC is assembling a new anthology, Young Love, Old Hearts, featuring LGBT May/December relationships. All sub-genres are welcome. Submit your 2500 to 8000 word story by the deadline of February 28, 2015. Payment is $40 per story. Find the details here.

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The Stoneslide Corrective is a new online literary ezine seeking submissions of short stories and flash fiction. The editors welcome stories in any genre. ” The important factor for us is that the work use story, characters, emotions, and other fundamental elements of storytelling to think, to ask questions, to move the mind forward.” You can read examples of stories they like on their site. Short stories may be up to 7,500 words. Flash fiction should be 1,000 and under. Payment is $250 for short stories and $100 for flash fiction. Read the submission guidelines here.

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While you’re at the Stoneslide Corrective site, be sure to check out their Rejection Generator. As they put it ” We at The Stoneslide Corrective have generously developed an online Rejection Generator, through which you can send yourself some of the nastiest, dream-crushing rejection letters imaginable. After that, real rejection will be no more stinging than a glass of lemonade.”

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I’ve recently re-released my previously published historical romances as ebooks, under my pen name, Cynthia Sterling. Check out A Long, Sweet Ride. A cowboy and a trick rider find love in a Wild West Show.

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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog with others. Please give me credit as the source, and include a link to this blog. To find out more about me and my books, visit my websites here and here. Or find me on Facebook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two new romantic short story markets, a horror short contest and more

“For your born writer, nothing is so healing as the realization that he has come upon the right word.”
—Catherine Drinker Bowen

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Happy Thanksgiving to all my US Readers. I hope you have a peacful, rewarding holiday. This is a slow time of year for market news, but I do have a few items to share:

 

For writers of horror fiction, Blumhouse Books is a new imprint of Doubleday books, set to publish dark fiction and horror from both new and established writers. They plan to launch in the summer of 2015 with an anthology, The Blumhouse Book of Nightmares: The Haunted City. Right now they’re sponsoring a short story contest — the winner will be published in the anthology. Submit your urban horror story of less than 2,000 words by December 1, 2014. Six finalists will be posted online for the public to vote on, with the winner announced in early January. Get all the details here.

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Month9Books, a published of speculative fiction for teens and tweens, is accepting unagented submissions for its Month9 and Tantrum imprints. Month9 focuses on YA fiction,while Tantrum publishes for middle grade readers. The editors are interested in ” fantasy, sci-fi, horror, paranormal, steampunk, dystopian, etc.” Submit your query via Facebook. Find all the details here. 

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I’ve reissued all of my historical romances in new ebook editions, under my pseudonym, Cynthia Sterling. If you enjoy historical western romance, check out my titles on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other e-tailers. One title you might start with is To Love A Lady, the first in my Titled Texans trilogy, about three British brothers who establish a cattle ranch on the Texas plains, and the women who love them. Combining humor, emotion and rich historical detail, these books have long been fan favorites. To Love a Lady is only 99 cents, or you can purchase all three titles in a boxed set for $5.99. I also have a number of other Cynthia Sterling titles available, so check them out. And thanks!

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Do you have a romantic, post-apocolyptic story? Good Mourning Media is assembling a collection of post-apocolyptic romantic short stories for an upcoming anthology “No Place For Us.” Submit your story of up to 15,000 words by the deadline of January 31, 2015. Payment is $30 per story. Get the details here. 

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“Love in the Time of Coffee” is another anthology looking for romance short stories. Send your romantic story of 2,000 to 4,000 words that involves coffee — a coffee shop, brewing coffee, a coffee plantation — whereever you imagination takes you, to Frisky Feminist Press. Stories may have erotic elements, but it’s not required, and the editors want romance, not erotica. The deadline is December 1, 2014. Payment is $25 plus royalties from the anthology. Find out how to submit here.

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As always, feel free to share the items in this newsletter with others — reprint, repost, reblog. All I ask is that you credit me as the source, and include a link to this blog. If you want to know more about me, check out my websites here and here, or find me on FacebookT. Thanks!

 

 

Malice Domestic grants, Riptide publishing, short story markets and more

“If there’s a book you really want to read but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” ~Toni Morrison

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Writers of traditional myteries may be eligible for the  William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grants Program for Unpublished Writers, awarded by Malice Domestic each year. Two grants will be awarded. Each grant consists of $1,500, to be used to offset the cost of attending a writers conference or workshop in the coming year. The winners will also receive conference registration and two nights lodging for the Malice Domestic convention. Unpublished writers must submit the first three chapters and a brief synopsis of a mystery manuscript, along with an application, a resume and a letter of reference. There is no cost to enter. The original deadline for entries (and the date still listed on the Malice Domestic site) is November 15, but the deadline has been extended to December 15. Get all the details here.

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The First Line publishes fiction created using first lines posted by the editors each quarter. Submit your story utilizing the designated first line and your story could be published in an upcoming issue of the quarterly fiction magazine. Stories should be 300 to 5,000 words, and payment is $25 to $50. The First Line is open to stories in all genres, but each story must begin with that quarter’s first line. They’ve posted the following first lines for 2015:

Spring:
Fairy tales hardly ever come true for quiet girls.
Due date: February 1, 2015

Summer:
Laura liked to think she was honest with herself; it was everyone else she lied to.
Due date: May 1, 2015

Fall:
The old neighborhood was nearly unrecognizable.
Due date: August 1, 2015

Winter:
George pressed the call button and said, “Mrs. Whitfield, you have a visitor.”
Due date: November 1, 2015

Find all the submission details here. 

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Sci-Fi Romance Quarterly is seeking story submissions for its next issue. Stories must include both science fiction and romance elements and must have an upbeat, romantic ending. Send your story of  2,000 to 7,000 words by the deadline of December 1, 2014. Payment is 2 cents a word. Find the details here.

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Riptide Publishing, a publisher of LBGTQ fiction, romance and erotica, is now open to unagented as well as agented submissions. Manuscripts should be from 15,000 to 115,000 words and must be complete. In addition to general fiction and romance, the editors have issued special calls for the following themes:

Shifters and Weres – 50,000 to 110,000 paranormal romance stories, any heat level. Deadline Jan 1, 2015

Lesbian romance — any sub-genre, 50,000 to 110,000 words. Deadline March 1, 2015

Shades of the Rainbow — stories featuring trans, bi, queer, etc — any orientation other than gay and lesbian, 25,000 to         110,000 words, Deadline March 1, 2015.

Sweet romance — stories featuring all types of characters, but no sex. Teen-appropriate, though characters don’t have to be teens themselves. 25,000 to 110,000 words, Deadline March 1, 2015

*punk — send your steampunk, diesel punk, cyber punk, etc story of 25,000 to 115,000 words. These should be romances with a HEA or HFN (happy for now) ending. Deadline March 1, 2015

Get all the details about these special calls here. 

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For a limited time, the ebook edition of The Mountain Between Us is on sale for only $2.99. Enjoy the holidays in the tiny mountain town of Eureka, Colorado, as the residents ban together to celebrate in style. This book was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award this year. Buy the book at Amazon here, for Nook here, and check your favorite ebook retailer.

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As always, feel free to share this information with others. All I ask is that you credit me as the source and provide a link to this blog. If you want to know more about me and my books, check out my websites here or here and like me on Facebook here. 

 

 

 

 

Blushing Books, Calls for Submission and more

“Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any.”  Orson Scott Card

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Crossed Genres magazine has issued a call for submissions for its March 2015 issue, with the theme “Ensemble.” Submit your interpretation of this theme, using elements of fantasy and science fiction, 1,000 to 6,000 words. The editors are especially interested in stories from women and from LGBT writers. The deadline for submissions is November 30. Payment is 6 cents a word. Find out more details (and read some sample stories) here.

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For a limited time, the ebook edition of The Mountain Between Us is on sale for only $2.99. Enjoy the holidays in the tiny mountain town of Eureka, Colorad, as the residents ban together to celebrate in style. This book was a finalist for the Colorado Book Award this year. Buy the book at Amazon here, for Nook here, and check your favorite ebook retailer. As always, feel free to share this information with others. All I ask is that you credit me as the source and provide a link to this blog. If you want to know more about me and my books, check out my websites here or here and like me on Facebook here. 

 

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Blushing Books is a digital publisher of romance and erotic romance actively seeking new authors. Blushing Books began in 1991 as an erotica publisher that sold books primarily through mail order. They have gradually shifted their focus from erotica to erotic romance. The editors are interested in all sub-genres of romance. Most of their books feature some kind of power exchange between the hero and heroine, and they like books that feature themes of dominance and/or spanking. Most of the books would be rate PG-13, R or X. All stories must have a happily-every-after or a happy-for-now ending. While they welcome series, each story must stand on its own and have a HEA or HFN ending. At this time they are not interested in any stories where the hero or heroine is a vampire, shape-shifter, angel or werewolf. At the moment they are most interested in “contemporary adventures with domestic discipline underlying the action.” Blushing Books pays a $500 advance for book manuscripts and a 50 percent royalty. For more info, go here.

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Washington City Paper is accepting stories for a special fiction issue to debut in early 2015. The editors are looking for previously unpublished stories about Washington, D.C., no longer than 2,000 words. They pay for stories. The deadline for submission is December 1. Find the details here.

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From Twitter: The following editors have recently tweeted that they are looking for the following —

Deborah Nemeth with Carina Press is eager to acquire more male/male romance, especially new adult, contemporary romance and romantic suspense. Find Carina Press’s submission guidelines here.

Stacy Cantor Abrams at Entangled Teen would like to see some category-inspired YA manuscripts with tropes such as friends-to-lovers, opposites attracting, etc. She’s also like to see stories set outside of high school — at summer camp, theatre groups, etc.  See Entangled Teen’s guidelines here. 

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As always, feel free to share this information with others. All I ask is that you credit me as the source and provide a link to this blog. If you want to know more about me and my books, check out my websites here or here and like me on Facebook here. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Contests and mystery call for submissions

“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.”

Octavia Butler

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The podcast Selected Shorts is sponsoring the Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize for 2015. Submit your short story of 750 words or less on any theme by March 15, 2015. There is a $25 fee to enter. I usually don’t include contests that charge fees in this blog, but since this is a fundraiser for Public Radio (and since Selected Shorts is one of my favorite podcasts) I’m making an exception here. The winner receives $1000, publication of their story on ElectricLiterature.com, a 10-week Gotham Writer’s course of their choice, and a performance of their story to be recorded and broadcast nationally on Public Radio. Find all the information you need to enter here. 

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Chicago-area writers may enter the Chicago Reader’s competition for inclusion in their 15th annual fiction reader. Submit your short story (preferred length, up to 3,000 words) in any genre. Use the online form and submit by November 15. The Chicago Reader pays for the stories it publishes and there is no submission fee. Find all the details here. 

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The Wyoming Arts Council is sponsoring a contest for women writers who live in Wyoming. Submit your poetry, prose, or screenplay by November 17, 2014 for a chance at the $1,000 first prize in the Frank Nelson Doubleday Memorial Writing Award. Submit up to 10 pages of poetry, 25 pages of prose or 25 pages of a screenplay.The first place winner will also receive money to attend the Casper College Literary Conference to read her work. Find all the details here.

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Darkhouse Books is putting together an anthology of historical mystery and crime stories. Editor Andrew MacRae is seeking stories from 2500 to 7500 words set in a time period “more than a few decades prior to the present.” The deadline for submissions is December 31, 2014. Get the details here. 

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Look for the new mass market paper edition of The Mountain Between Us on sale at a WalMart near you. With a new cover and a special low price, this is a great way to dive into my popular Eureka, Colorado series. (Think Northern Exposure in the Rocky Mountains.) 

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As always, feel free to share this information with others. All I ask is that you credit me as the source and provide a link to this blog. If you want to know more about me and my books, check out my websites here or here and like me on Facebook here

 

Spotlight on Loose Id, new anthology calls, writing contest and more

“If you write one story, it may be bad; if you write a hundred, you have the odds in your favor.”
– Edgar Rice Burroughs

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This week I’m continuing my look at publisher spotlights from the RWA National Convention in San Antonio, with Loose Id books. The Spotlight on Loose Id was presented by editor-in-chief Treva Harte and marketing and information officer Allie McKnight. Loose Id (pronounced Lucid) is a digital first company. They have been in business for ten years and have been profitable for all of that time.

Loose Id publishes primarily erotic romance. They don’t mean erotica – they want hot and sensual books with explicit sex scenes, but the conflict arises from character and there is a romantic arc to the story. Sex is important to the story, but it doesn’t have to be kink. Kink works in some stories, but what Harte is looking for is sex that’s important to the stories and important to the characters. Every story should have a definite romance hook.

Under the banner of erotic romance, Loose Id publishes a variety of stories – both heterosexual and GLBT romances. They welcome historical and contemporary stories, paranormal, fantasy, mystery and science fiction under that erotic romance umbrella.

They publish stories 20,000 to 120,000 words. Stories 55,000 to 70,000 words receive an advance and are eligible to print as well as e-release.  They pay 40% royalties (on gross sales) and retain electronic rights for three years.

Harte talked about the submission process. They sometimes ask for revisions from authors before they agree to buy the manuscript. They provide an assessment letter, which points out strengths and weaknesses, with the goal of helping authors to improve. They offer talks and online classes to help educate and inform authors. And they have an author development program, where an editor works with an author to improve a promising story.

Right now, they’ve issued some special calls for upcoming anthologies:

Christmas Menage – 20,000 to 30,000 word Christmas-theme manage stories, XXX rated. Deadline – Oct. 15.

Baby, What a Big Surprise! – Holiday novellas – any holiday between December and March, 20,000 to 35,000 words. The deadline for Christmas stories is past, but they’re still open to holidays after the new year.

Find all of Loose Id’s submission guidelines, contract terms, etc. here. 

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Liz McMullen Show Publications is assembling a Valentine’s anthology on the theme of “appetite.” Send your 3,000 to 4,000 word short story on this theme — any genre, although Editor Ila Goyane prefers that all stories have some element of romance or erotica. Payment is $30 plus two copies. The deadline for submissions is November 1, 2015. Get all the details here.

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Young adult magazine Cicada has issued a call for stories, poems and comics on the theme of Tricksters and Thieves. Send your stories of pirates, charlatans, illusions, deceptions and trickery to editor Marianne Carus. Stories may be up to 9,000 words. Payment is 25 cents a word.  The deadline for submissions is October 31, 2104. Find more details here.

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New York based small press Black Balloon Publishing offers the Horatio Nelson Fiction Prize for an unpublished novel of 50,000 words or more. The novel may be of any genre, and they welcome cross-genre and hard-to-define fiction. First prize is $5,000 and a publication contract. There is no fee to enter. They will accept submissions beginning October 1 to October 31. Find more details here.

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As always, feel free to share this information with others. All I ask is that you credit me as the source and provide a link to this blog. If you want to know more about me and my books, check out my websites here or here and like me on Facebook here. 

 

 

Spotlight on Sourcebooks, two new anthology calls and more

“You could compile the worst book in the world entirely out of selected passages from the best writers in the world.” ~G.K. Chesterton

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This week I’m continuing my look at the publisher spotlights from the RWA National Convention with a look at Sourcebooks. The Spotlight on Sourcebooks was presented by Editorial Director Deb Werksman, Editor Mary Altman, Assistant Editor Kat Clyne and publisher Dominique Racca. Sourcebooks is a general trade publishing house. They publish 350 new titles a year, about half of that is fiction. They publish 8 to 10 romances a month. They are the largest woman-owned, independent publishing house in the country. They are based in Napierville, Illinois, with satellite offices in New York and in Milford, CT. Sourcebooks Casablanca is their fiction and non-fiction romance imprint.  Sourcebooks Fire is their YA list, Sourcebooks Jabberwocky is for children’s books and Sourcebooks Landmark is general fiction.

Both women sent some time talking about how Sourcebooks targets different markets, from mass-retailers such as WalMart and Target, to schools and libraries. Marketing is determined on a book-by-book basis. They produce books as both paperbacks and e-books. They send ARCs to reviewers.

The editors are looking for heroines the reader can relate to, a hero the reader could fall in love with, a world the reader can escape into, and a compelling hook that makes readers immediately want to read books. They love it if the author has ideas for a series. Manuscripts should be 90,000 to 120,000 words. They publish single-title romance in all sub-genres. The editor and author work together to plan future books and a career trajectory.

They talked about some of what they are looking for. In paranormal: shape shifters are popular. Vampires remain popular, but it is very difficult for a new author to break out with a new vampire story. In paranormal, world-building is of utmost important. The reader wants to visit that new world. They also like romance suspense/paranormal mixes.

In erotic romance, the love story and the sex really needs to balance out. The love story must be really engaging, as well as the sex being really hot. Deb thinks BDSM is a “bit overdone” right now. She also likes very sexy romances that aren’t necessarily erotica.  Mary said that when she acquires erotic romance, she looks for a very strong hook that will make the story stand out in a crowded field. Every sexual encounter needs to be vital to the story.

Sourcebooks is eager to acquire more YA. Sales are very strong in YA for them. They do well with contemporary YA thrillers and YA paranormal. They also like YA non-fiction.

In historical, the eras that sell best for them are Regency, Victorian, Edwardian and Georgian England. Anything Scottish sells. Time travel does well for them. They’re also publishing medieval. They also have a strong historical western romance program. They don’t publish stories set in the American revolution, Civil War, or anything after 1900.

They publish women’s fiction, both with and without romantic elements. Deb wants women’s fiction with a strong romantic element; Editor Shana Drehs prefers darker, more issue-driven women’s fiction.

The next section of the Spotlight was a bit unusual – several authors took the microphone to give testimonials about how much they love working with Sourcebooks.

You can learn about everything Sourcebooks is looking for, all the editors at Sourcebooks, their likes and dislikes here. You can find their romance submission guidelines here.Sourcebooks’ romance editors do accept both agented and unagented manuscripts.

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For a limited time, the ebook version of my Harlequin Intrigue, Rocky Mountain Rescue, is

on sale for $2.99 (regularly $4.99) Pick up a copy for Kindle here, for Nook here, or check your favorite ebook dealer.

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Bundoran Press is seeking science fiction stories for a new anthology, Second Contacts. All stories should be set fifty years after humans’ first contact with aliens. Stories should be between 3,500 and 6,500 words. Payment is 2 cents a word, up to $130 Canadian dollars. The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2015. Find all the submission details here. 

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Crimson Romance is seeking novellas (10,000 to 20,000 words) for a Valentine anthology to  be released in February 2015. Stories may be sweet to spicy, though the editors cite a preference for  more sensual stories. The deadline for submissions is Octoer 15, 2014. See the guidelines here.

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