Romance, from inspirationals to zombies

 

“Any man who keeps working is not a failure. He may not be a great writer, but if he applies the old-fashioned virtues of hard, constant labor, he’ll eventually make some kind of career for himself as writer.”
Ray Bradbury

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Prism Book Group’s newest acquiring editor, Paula Mowery, will be accepting “pitches” from aspiring authors
online July 17th-19th. Paula is interest in inspirational romance in all sub-genres. Read her bio here to learn more about her. In preparation for taking pitches, Paula will be blogging June 19th, June 26th, and July 3rd with great information on how to better your chances of receiving a contract. Then, July 17th-19th she will be accepting pitches. Get the details here.

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As a follow-up to last year’s successful Hungry For Your Love anthology, Riverdale Avenue Books is accepting submissions for more zombie love stories for Still Hungry For Your Love. Whether your story features a romance between zombie hunters, zombies, or even zombies and humans, send it in by August 31. Submit either a short story between 1500 and 5000 words, or a novella of 20,000 to 30,000 words. Get the details here.

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I was very honored this past week to receive a Colorado Book Award for The View From Here. Colorado Book Awards are presented by the Colorado Center for the Humanities and Colorado Center For the Book to “recognize the accomplishments of Colorado’s outstanding writers, illustrators, editors and photographers for books published during the previous year.”

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Port Cities Review is an ezine that publishes fiction and nonfiction about the great port cities of the world.  Submit your story 1000 to 3600 words. Pays $50 to $150. Get the details here.

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Highland Press Publishing welcomes a wide variety of romance manuscripts, from historical to contemporary, adult, young adult and new  adult. Editors are particularly interested in submissions for their Sweet/Inspirational imprint, Grace. Submit full manuscripts only. They’re also looking for novellas for a number of themed anthologies, including

Bling — kick-butt heroines 12,000 to 15,000 words

Into the Sunset — cowboy heroes, both contemporary and historical 12,000 to 15,000 words

Danger In His Arms — romantic suspense 12,000 to 15,000 words

Regency Royale — Regency romance 15,000 to 20,000 words

Love and Glory — World War II 15,000 to 20,000 words

Find all the submission details here.

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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog with others — repost, reprint, tweet, etc. All I ask is that you give me credit as the source, and include a link to this blog. Thank you. Cindi Myers

 

 

 

Short story markets and more

“Stories may well be lies, but they are good lies that say true things, and which can sometimes pay the rent.” Neil Gaiman

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For the next few weeks, I’m going to be looking at markets for short stories. These are magazines you might not be aware of, sometimes because their focus isn’t fiction. But they can be a great place to sell short stories, if you have the right material. A couple of notes: where possible, I list what the magazine pays for stories. If the listing says “payment varies” that’s because, while the magazine’s guidelines say they pay for stories, they don’t say how much. Some of the listings say “length varies”. These magazines don’t have a strict length requirement for fiction, but keep in mind that shorter stories will have an easier time of finding a home in magazines. So let’s get started with this week’s markets:

The Bear Deluxe explores environmental themes through the creative arts. The magazine welcomes fiction from 750 to 4,000 words. Payment varies.

Deer & Deer Hunting covers all aspects of deer hunting. They welcome hunting stories. No specified length, but shorter (under 2,000 words) is probably better. Pays $150-600

Fiddler Magazine is the quarterly magazine of traditional and jazz fiddle music. They publish 500 to 1,000 word short stories and pay $50 to $100.

Fly, Rod and Reel covers all aspects of fly fishing, including short stories that feature fly fishing. Length and payment varies.

Games magazine publishes puzzles, quizzes, games and brainteasers. The editors are interested in short mystery and “whodunit” stories. Pays $150 to $1,000.

GreenPrints A magazine about “the human side of gardening.” Accepts short stories to 2,000 words. Pays $150.

The Humanist “a magazine of critical inquiry and social concern”.Accepts fiction to 1,500 words. Payment varies.

Lighthouse Digest 750-1,500 word historical short stories featuring lighthouses and lighthouse keepers. Pays $75-$150.

North American Whitetail  focuses on all aspects of hunting whitetail deer. The editors are interested in humorous hunting fiction to 1,000 words. Pays $200 to $400.

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I just received the cover for my October book: The Mountain Between Us is the sequel to The View From Here and will be in stores October 27, 2013:

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And speaking of The View From Here — if you live in the Denver area, Thursday the Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm Pl, Denver, is hosting many of the finalists for the Colorado Book Award. Come out and hear readings from the best fiction and nonfiction writers in Colorado 6-9 p.m. I’m a finalist in the genre fiction category and will be reading from The View From Here.

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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog with others. Please give me credit as the source of the information, and include a link to the blog. Thank you. Cindi Myers

 

Publishers seeking romance, mystery, science fiction stories and more

“Writing gives you the illusion of control, and then you realize it’s just an illusion, that people are going to bring their own stuff into it.”  David Sedaris

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Got an idea for a short and sexy road-trip romance? Entangled Publishing is looking for stories for a One Night In… series for both Flirts and Ever Afters. “Have a great idea for short, sexy romance on the road?  Entangled Novellas wants to see it! Whether one or both characters have embarked on a road trip, business trip, foreign port visit, planned vacay, spontaneous getaway, or any other short jaunt, characters should step outside of their comfortable worlds and into a fling or one night stand that changes everything. Whether Stateside or foreign, they are two modern adults who won’t back down from a hook up…and won’t want to let go when it’s time to go home.

Stories should be contemporary romances with a moderate to high heat level, 10k-40k words, focused on a one night stand or fling with a ticking clock (e.g. a non-refundable plane ticket home) and complicated by a fun, light-hearted romance trope (e.g. fake marriage, enemies to lovers, boardroom romance) that pulls the characters into bed even as it threatens to tear them apart. Stories should end positively with at least the promise of a HFN or a HEA obvious on the distant horizon.”

Check out all the details here.

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The View From Here is a finalist for the Colorado Book Award in genre fiction. Winners will be announced in Aspen in July.

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Neverland’s Library is a Kickstarter anthology project seeking short stories between 2,000 and 10,000 words, “focusing on the rediscovery of the fantastic; magic, dragons, the supernatural, etc. We are looking for stories which highlight finding that which was once thought lost, incorporating fantastical and/or fictitious elements. We will not restrict how the story is told. All styles, settings, and tones are welcome.” The submission period ends on June 20, 2013. Authors selected for inclusion in the anthology will receive 3 cents a word for their stories for first anthology print rights. Get the complete details here.

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Untreed Reads is looking for short stories that combine the genres of mystery/suspense and science fiction for an upcoming anthology. “Moonshot: Mystery and Mayhem on the Edge of Space.”  The digital anthology will be published in August 2013. The editors are interested in stories between 1,500 and 5,000 words. Authors will receive royalties based on digital sales. The deadline for submissions is May 30. Find all the details here.

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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog, repost and pass along to others. Please give me credit as the source and include a link to this blog. Thank you.  Cindi Myers

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Romance, science fiction and fantasy calls, Penguin’s Intermix and more…

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”
―    Sylvia Plath

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If you write science fiction or fantasy and you enjoy the challenge of writing on a specific theme, check out Cross Genres Magazine. They publish a monthly ezine, as well as twice-yearly anthologies. They pay five cents a word and are seeking stories of at least 1,000 words and no more than 6,000 words on the following themes. (Submit your story during the appropriate period for the theme):

November 1-30 — Myth — publication in March 2013.

December 1-31 — Discovery — publication April 2013

January 1-31– Escape — publication May 2013

February 1-28 — She – publication June 2013

The editors like character-driven stories and would like to see more stories with female leads, gay characters, disabled characters, stories set outside North America, stories set in the far future and stories where science saves the day. For more details, see the Submission Guidelines.

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Musa Publishing is closing to most submissions during the holidays, but they’re still open to the following Special Calls:

Tuesday Temptations — The editors are seeking steamy stories for the  Tuesday Temptations line, part of Musa’s Erato imprint. “From whirlwind romances to the ultimate dirty weekends, we’re looking for stories 15k and under to steam up our screens and make our staff blush.” GLBT erotica and erotic romance may both apply, in all sub-genres.

Under the Cape — Musa is seeking stories of heroes for their Erato and Calliope imprints. “Tell us about what it really means to be a hero, and show us the person under the cape.” Genres: Romance (sweet through erotic), Action/Adventure Heat levels: All Length: 15k+ Special requirements: All stories must feature a GLBT romance in order to qualify for the Erato imprint. Calliope stories must feature heterosexual romance. (Though the website still says submissions will be accepted through 11/1, my understanding is that this has been extended to 2/1/13)

Perennial: Love Stories for Every Season Musa is seeking love stories for their Erato and Calliope imprints in which the seasons—winter, spring, summer, fall, are strong elements of the story.  Maybe the season forms the setting, plays a character, creates the conflict, or just simply inspires the romance…
Genres: Romance (sweet through erotic) Heat levels: All Length: 15k-100k+ words Special requirements: 1) All stories must feature a GLBT romance in order to qualify for the Erato imprint. Calliope stories must feature heterosexual romance.  The romance can be traditional/contemporary, suspenseful, paranormal, historical, no limitations, etc. 2) The season (one season) should strongly influence the story and be an identifiable element.
Submissions will be considered on a rolling basis but the following deadlines apply:
August 15 for spring Stories November 15 for Summer Stories February 15 for Fall Stories May 15 for Winter Stories

For more information, see the Guidelines.

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The View From Here goes on sale in two weeks. The first in a series set in the small mountain town of Eureka, Colorado, the book received a 4 1/2 star review from Romantic Times and has been picked up by Reader’s Digest for condensation. You can preorder your copy at Amazon, Barnes and Noble or your favorite bookstore.

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Intermix is the digital-first imprint of Berkley and NAL books. Intermix focuses on genre fiction — romance, mystery, science fiction, fantasy and cross-genre fiction. They welcome all lengths, from novellas to very long fantasy novels. Every submission to Intermix is considered for the Berkley and NAL print lines as well — the editors decide if the work is best suited to print or to digital. Claire Zion is editorial director for Intermix, but all Berkley and NAL editors consider submissions for the imprint. They will read unsolicited and unagented manuscripts, though agented submissions have priority. Currently, they’re publishing a mix of reprints and new material, but they’re looking to add new authors. PENGUIN GROUP (USA) Inc. 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014-3657

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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog with others. I only ask that you give me credit as the source, and include a link to this blog. Thank you. Cindi Myers

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Shop Vitacost for all your health and wellness needs. Groceries, vitamins, home items and more, with $10 free for your first order and free shipping for orders over $49.

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One King’s Lane – vintage and market finds for every room in your home. On sale every day.

 

Novella, short story and YA mystery markets

“One thing that helps is to give myself permission to write badly. I tell myself that I’m going to do my five or 10 pages no matter what, and that I can always tear them up the following morning if I want. I’ll have lost nothing—writing and tearing up five pages would leave me no further behind than if I took the day off.”
—Lawrence Block

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The Printer’s Ink blog is hosting a short story competition. Submit your story of no more than 3,000 words on the theme of “Fall” by December 1, 2012. There is no fee to enter and first prize is publication and 10 bound copies of your story. The runner-up wins an Amazon gift certificate. Find all the details here.

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Prism Romance is looking for romance novellas, 10,000 to 30,000 words, for two new imprints. Diamond Facet stories feature all-subgenres of romance in deeply emotional stories with a happily-ever-after ending, while Inspired Cameosfeature uplifting, sweet Christian romance stories. Prism Books publishes digital romance, inspirational romance and inspirational fiction under its Diamond, Inspired and Illuminate imprints. For submission details go here.

As the company expands, they’ve added two new editors:

Marcy Dyerwill accept submissions in any genre but prefers those that fit within Prism’s Christian fiction Illuminate imprint: Amish, Angels, Apocalyptic/Futuristic, Comedy, Contemporary, Historical, Holiday, Suspense, Western and Women’s Fiction. If you would like to submit to Marcy, please email her at mdyer@prismbookgroup.com.

Kerri Nelson enjoys anything in the romance and/or mystery genres and is seriously drawn to stories containing a surprise ending.  She enjoys humorous heroines, heart-of-gold heroes, and books with the potential for a continuing series of interwoven storylines and characters.  Preferred sub-genres include:  Contemporary and Historical (Regency and Victorian England era or Civil War American era) Romance; coming of age Young Adult Christian fiction (where teens learn lessons in fun and unexpected ways); and Romantic Suspense or Cozy Mysteries (with a nail biting dose of danger included). In addition to full-length novels, Kerri is the self-proclaimed “Queen of Novellas” so if you have a short story between 15K and 30K, please send it her way. To submit a manuscript to Kerri, please email her at: knelson@prismbookgroup.com.

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And We Were Hungry is sponsoring the Flying Elephants Short Story Prize, open to writers who are previously unpublished in novel form or in a short story collection. The preferred length for stories is between 2,000 and 8,000 words, though shorter or longer stories that are “exceptional” will be considered. There is no fee to enter and prize money of $5,000 will be split among the top four winners. Write on the theme of “And We Were Hungry For Nature.” The deadline for entries is November 30, 2012. Find all the details here.

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Speaking of short stories, I have a new one out this week from Musa Books. Amy’s World kicks off Musa’s new “Finally Ever After” series of stories about lovers who reunite after an abscence. You can get your copy here.

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In other cool Musa Publishing news, if you have an iPhone or iPad, download the free Musa Publishing ap at the iTunes store. Download the ap and set up a new account at Musa published and you’ll get a $5.99 credit to buy a Musa Book of your choice. Free ap and a free book. Check it out here.

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The Poisoned Pencil is a new imprint from Poisoned Pen Press, focused on mysteries for young adult readers. They looking for manuscripts, 45,000 to 90,000 words, featuring a protagonist between 12 and 18. They’re open to traditional and cross-genre mysteries, but avoid serial killers, vampires or an over-emphasis on paranormal elements, excessive gore or horror.  Get all the details here.

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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog post and pass it alone to others. Please give me credit as the source and include a link to the blog. Thank you.

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Shop Vitacost for all your health and wellness needs. Groceries, vitamins, home items and more, with $10 free for your first order and free shipping for orders over $49.

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One King’s Lane — vintage and market finds for every room in your home. On sale every day.

 

Fast Track Submissions for Love Inspired Romantic Suspense and more

“Engrave this in your brain: EVERY WRITER GETS REJECTED. You will be no different.”- John Scalzi

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Harlequin’s Love Inspired Romantic Suspense line is looking for authors. To find them, the editors are hosting a Fast Track submission process during October. Submit your first chapter and synopsis and get a read in one month. Send your first chapter, two-page synopsis, and a query letter stating how much of the manuscript is complete to LISfasttrack@harlequin.ca between October 15 and October 26. You’ll have a reply by November 26. Love Inspired Suspense features romantic suspense with a Christian faith element. Stories are equal parts romance and compelling suspense, with a faith message woven in. Completed books are 55,000 to 60,000 words. See the guidelines here. Find more details about the Fast Track Submissions here.

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The Journal of Unlikely Architecture is accepting submissions of stories in all genres in which “something pertaining to buildings is integral or significant in your story. The building element can be literal or metaphorical, hallucinatory or behavioral or metaphysical, or any combination thereof. Your story may focus on a single building, or a city, but the constructed environment must be crucial to the narrative.” Stories may be up to 8,000 words, though around 5,000 words is preferred. Payment is 1 cent a word, up to $50. Submissions will remain open until filled. Find all the details here.

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If bugs are more your interest, sister publication The Journal of Unlikely Entemology accepts all genres of fiction featuring bugs — literal, metaphorical, fantastical, metaphysical, etc. The guidelines are the same as for The Journal of Unlikely Architecture. Find the details here.

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Chicken Soup For the Soul is always on the lookout for new stories for its many anthologies. Currrently, the editors are seeking stories on the following themes:

Devotional Stories For Wives — 500 word devotionals showing how faith in God has shaped your role as a wife.   Deadline Feb. 28, 2013

Holiday Stories — stories about Christmas, Chanukah and Kwanzaa. Deadline Feb. 28, 2013

Lemons to Lemonade — How you made the best of a difficult situation. Deadline Feb 28, 2013

Raising Kids on the Spectrum — Stories about parenting children with Autism or Asperger’s. Deadline September 30, 2012.

Unless otherwise indicated, Chicken Soup stories are true, emotional stories up to 1,200 words. Find the submission guidelines here.

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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog with others — repost, reprint or copy — just be sure to give me credit as the source and include a link to this blog. Thank you, Cindi Myers.

 

 

 

 

Editor info, eKensington and more…

“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.”Linus Pauling

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I’m back after a couple of weeks of chaos, with more market news to share. This past weekend I attended the wonderful Colorado Gold conference put on by the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Always a terrific con and this was no exception. I sat in on an editor panel and wanted to share what I learned there.

Erika Imrany from Mira Books works on upmarket women’s fiction for this trade paper publisher, a division of Harlequin. She looks for complex plots with strong female protagonists, with more literary writing that will appeal to a mainstream audience. She’s drawn to strong voices and strong characters. She only works on about a dozen books a year, so she’s able to give a lot of attention to her authors. She’s not interested in chick lit or light mystery. While Mira’s official policy is to not take unagented submissions, she will read a short email query, and will only answer if she’s interested.

Liz Pelletier from Entangled Books almost needs no introduction, since I’ve written often about Entangled. Entangled currently publishes 9 category romance lines in digital only, a single title romance and a teen line in both digital and print. The company is growing and actively acquiring. The editors are especially interested in seeing contemporary romance, YA, and fiction with strong romantic elements. She’s not interested in urban fantasy. Entangled’s guidelines are here.

Peter Senftleben, Kensington Books edits mainstream and women’s fiction, mystery, suspense, gay fiction and young adult fiction. He’s not interested in seeing any “terrorists, sci-fi, fantasy or westerns.” He’s open to unagented submissions. Query him via email, and don’t spend a lot of time in the query on your credentials. “I want to know what the book is about.” Find Kensington’s guidelines and Peter’s contact info here.

Jim Minz, Baen Books loves strong, epic fantasy, action adventure and urban fantasy with strong heroes. Baen has found many bestselling authors through its slush pile; they have dedicated slush readers and are wide open to unagented submissions. Send the complete manuscript, not a query. “The bar is very high” for military fantasy and science fiction — Baen’s list on these is very full, but he’s always looking for other stories that fit Baen’s action-adventure focus. Baen’s submission guidelines are here.

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Kensington Books also launched a digital first imprint this summer. eKensington plans to publish three to six titles a month, with a mix of originals and reprints. eKensington does not pay an advance; authors earn 30 percent royalties on the first 10,000 copies sold and 50 percent after that. If Kensington later decides to put out a print edition of the book the author will receive an advance against the print royalties. Editorial director Alicia Condon heads up the eKensington program and is open to submissions from both agented and unagented authors.

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Nightmare Magazine reopens to submissions beginning September 15. Nightmare publishes horror and dark fantasy stories, 1,500 to 7,500 words (under 5,000 words preferred). They strive to publish a diverse group of stories and pay five cents a word, on acceptance. See their guidelines here.

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Liternational is hosting a contest for previously unpublished writers of fiction and creative nonfiction. The Santa Claws contest is seeking both horror and suspense stories and fantasy stories for two different anthologies. The deadline to submit horror and suspense stories is October 1, 2012. Do not submit holiday fantasy stories before October 15 — the deadline for these stories is December 1st. Stories should be between 1,000 and 5,000 words. The editors prefer horror stories in the psychological thriller or “weird fiction” vein, as opposed to gore; the holiday fantasy stories should present a new take on Santa Claus. There is no fee to enter the contest, and you can submit your stories online. Winners will receive cash prizes of $500 for the first place winner and $250 for a runner-up in both fiction and non-fiction categories. Find all the info here.

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As always, feel free to share the information from this blog, reprint it and pass it on to others. Please give me credit as the source and provide a link back to the blog. Thanks! Cindi Myers

 

 

Soul Mate Publishing, new market for erotica, and more.

“It is impossible to discourage the real writers – they don’t give a damn what you say, they’re going to write.”  ~Sinclair Lewis

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Soul Mate Publishing publishes romance of all kinds in digital format, followed by print approximately 10 months later. The editors at Soul Mate are actively seeking manuscripts in the following sub-genres: Action/Adventure, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Historical, Inspirational, Novellas, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Futuristic, Suspense/Thriller, Time Travel, Urban Fantasy and Women’s Fiction. They accept manuscripts from 12,000 to 60,000 words (epub only)  and 61,000 to 90,000 words (epub and print).  Soul Mate pays a 35 percent royalty. Find all the information about submitting here.

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Captive Unicorn Publishers is partnering with Liberator, a retailor of sex toys and other accoutrements, to produce the Liberator Erotic Library, a series of erotic romance and erotica stories set to launch in early 2013. These stories will be available as ebooks only, and sold through the Liberator website, e-book e-tailors and online vendors that carry the Liberator brand of products.  Books will be published in four lines:

Love Artist — 4,000 to 10,000 word stories aimed primarily at the male reader, with a single POV character, male or female. Explorations of sexual fantasies are a popular theme for these stories.

Intimate Explorations — 10,000 to 75,000 words (under 30,000 preferred) featuring sex between couples. Stories feature exploring new techniques, toys and other creative sexual activities. Within this line, the Enlivenment imprint features stories about committed, older couples who are looking to refresh their relationship in the bedroom.

Bedroom Adventures — 10,000 to 75,000 words (under 30,000 preferred) featuring wilder stories — multiple partners, sex games, fetishes, etc. The primary couple should be male/female, though bisexual relationships in addition to this are welcome. Focus should be on mature, commited relationships.

Rainbow Collection — 4,000 to 75,0000 words, with shorter stories preferred. These stories may explore any of the themes of the other collections, but featuring GLBT characters.

For more information, find all the submission guidelines here. 

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Cerridwyn Publishing is looking for stories for several themed anthologies:

Holiday Mix-Ups — stories set around the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, New Years) involvind some kind of mix-up. No erotica, but nothing overly religious either.

Tied Up With a Bow — holiday erotica

Buckles, Boots and Spurs — rodeo romances

Beyond the Apocalypse — stories of survival after apocalyptic events. No erotica.

For all these anthologies, stories should be 15K to 30K, may include M/F, M/M or F/F love stories.  Deadline for submissions is August 31. Find all the details here.

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In anticipation of my new women’s fiction series set in the Rocky Mountains, which debuts in November with The View From Here, I’ve launched a new website. Check it out here.

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The Woman Who Loved Jesse Jamesis a nominee for an Ariana award for Best Cover Art from EPIC. The cover was designed by author and Bell Bridge president, Debra Dixon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As always, feel free to share the information in this blog with others. Please give me credit as the source, and provide a link back to this blog. Thank you. Cindi Myers

 

Romance, poetry and more — Calls for Submissions

“Rejection slips, or form letters, however tactfully phrased, are lacerations of the soul, if not quite inventions of the devil – but there is no way around them.”- Isaac Asimov

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Still Moments Publishing publishes a wide variety of romance fiction. The editors are open to Chick Lit, Romantic Comedy, Contemporary, Fantasy/Magical, Historical, Inspirational, Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Sensual, Western,  and Young Adult romances, 20,000 to 100,000 words. Books range from sweet to sensual. Find the submission details here.

Still Moments is also seeking submissions for several anthologies:

Unexpected Bumps — stories with a baby or pregnancy theme. 5,000 to 15,000 words. Deadline November 30, 2012.

A Twist of Tales — fairy tales with a unique twist. 5,000 to 15,000 words. Deadline October 31, 2012

Frost Bite — stories about shape-shifters in winter. 5,000 to 15,000 words. Deadline October 15, 2012

Winter’s Kiss — winter romance stories, 5,000 to 15,000 words, Deadline October 1, 2012

Christmas Magic — holiday romance, 5,000 to 15,000 words. Deadline August 18, 2012

Find details guidelines for all these special calls here.

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Female Veteran Writers is seeking poetry written by active duty women soldiers or female veterans. The goal of the anthology is to give voice to women’s experiences in the military. All proceeds benefit the Service Women’s Action Network. Deadline for submissions is December 1, 2012. Payment is one copy of the anthology. Get all the details here.

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Lethe Press is seeking submissions for the anthology Dark Eye Glances: Queering Poe. “Think Gothic and Gay” — the editor is looking for stories that capture the dark, atmospheric world of Poe. You can revisit familiar Poe tales, giving them a homosexual twist. You could also write a story with Poe as the character. Stories should be between 1,500 and 12,000 words. Payment is five cents a word. The deadline for submissions is, appropriately, October 31. The anthology will be released in Spring of 2013. For more information, see the details here.

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Thank you to Cynthia Ward for the above market news! Check out her Market Maven newsletter.

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Another Hot Man of the Old West:

In A Willing Spirit, a young widow’s dearly departed refuses to depart, even when a new man arrives in her life.Tessa Bright found an everlasting love when she married Will – a love that’s endured beyond his death a year previous. But now she needs a flesh and blood man to help her manage her ranch. Newcomer Micah Fox accepts the job, but soon the handsome ranch hand stirs long-forgotton feelings in Tessa. Can she overcome the disapproval of town gossips – and the interference of the not-so-late Will – for a second chance at love?

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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 the blog. Thank you!  Cindi Myers

 

 

 

Mystery novel contests and more…

“It is by sitting down to write every morning that one becomes a writer.”  Gerald Brenan

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Minotaur Books and Mystery Writers of America are sponsoring a First Crime Novel Competition. Authors who have never had a novel published may enter their crime novel of at least 60,000 words. The story must center around murder or another serious crime. The winner receives a $10,000 advance against royalties and publication by Minotaur Books. The deadline to enter is December 17, 2012. Get all the details here.

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Minotaur and Malice Domestic are partnering to sponsor the Best First Traditional Mystery Novel competition. Enter your best traditional mystery of at least 60,000 words. For this contest, Minotaur defines a traditional mystery as a story that revolves around a murder or other serious crime. The crime is an extraordinary event in the lives of the characters. The victim and the suspects know each other and the characters in the story are ordinary people the reader would be interested in knowing. The number of suspects is limited and each has a credible motive and reasonable opportunity to have committed the crime. The detective may be amateur or professional, but isn’t “hard-boiled.” The story doesn’t feature graphic violence. The dealine to enter is October 17, 2012 . First prize is publication by Minotaur and a $10,000 advance. Find the details here.

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Time for another new cover reveal. Great Caesar’s Ghost is a poignant, ghostly romance set at at turn-of-the-century hot springs resort.

A traveling showman like Caesar Hawkins isn’t about to let his own death come between him and his son Jed’s happiness. Unfortunately, the famous cure-all elixer he left behind can’t ease the incurable malady of the young man’s lonely heart. Jed needs something more potent than tonic. Something a little sweeter…
Nixie Dengler knows the toll a rambling man can take on a vulnerable woman’s heart. So what does she see in another rambler like Jed? Actually, it’s what she doesn’t see that’s drawing them together. Can a matchmaking spirit unite two earthly souls in love?

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Expanded Horizons is an online speculative fiction magazine that seeks to publish stories featuring “under-represented peoples.” They’re looking for stories by and about characters you don’t see as often in speculative fiction — native peoples, disabled persons, gay, lesbian, bisexual, asexual and transgendered persons, minorities and any “different” people. They accept stories up to 6,000 words and pay $30. They have detailed and specific writer’s guidelines here.

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MsLexia is an online ezine “for women who write.” The editors are currently looking for short stories on the theme of “The Affair.” “short stories (up to 2,200 words each) on the bliss, buffetting or sheer banality of a love affair.” Deadline for entries is September 17, 2012. There’s no fee to enter, and MsLexia will pay for any entries it decides to publish. Find all the details here.

MsLexia is also sponsoring a Children’s Novel Competition. Submit your novel of 30,000 words or more. First prize is 5000 British pounds. The deadline to enter is September 10, 2012. Find all the details for this competition here.

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As always, feel free to share the information in this blog. All I ask is that you give me credit as the sourse, and include a link to the blog. Thank you. Cindi Myers