Spare a thought for those who really suffered during the financial crisis: investment bankers, traders, and high-powered CEOs in their tailored suits.
Few things are as fierce as a young banker clawing his way up, and there’s no telling what he’ll do for the deal or the promotion or his seven-figure bonus. Give us a glimpse into the world of boardroom politics. Show us how they relieve the stress of their of power and responsibility. Backstabbing, quickies in the copy-room, veiled barbs over the water cooler . . . show us your meanest, most devious alphas playing for power, money—or more.
Length: 15,000 to 100,000 words
Genres: Contemporary, historical (18th century forward), near-future. Urban fantasy is a possibility, but be prepared to wow us.
Heat Levels: At least one explicit scene required. More is welcome as serves the story. Kink is most welcome.
Ending: Any
Orientation: Gay, bi, or trans*. We are eager to see strong female protagonists in the man's world of the boardroom.
Submissions Due: Sunday, July 15, 2012
Acceptance Letters Sent By: September 1, 2012 for novellas, September 15, 2012 for novels.
Anticipated Release Date: February, 2013
From Farscape to Deadwood, Firefly to Marion Zimmer Bradley’s epic Darkover series, little inspires our imaginations—and our passions—more than a frontier. Colony ships, space stations, the Wild West, the Australian gold rush, the uncharted oceans . . . wherever and whenever your characters may be, they are many and varied, intimately entwined, and utterly dependent on one another for survival. Big casts, nosy neighbors, lawmen who make their own laws, corrupt officials, whole cities cut off from the higher powers—and the niceties and conveniences—of civilization.
Show us your best, your worst, your most difficult, your most exciting. Bring us the excitement of new worlds and the drudgery of deprivation and isolation. Past or future, real or speculative, bring us gossip and backstabbing, teamwork and revelation, good guys versus bad guys and man versus the untamed wilds. And whatever you do, bring us there with you in full color—engage our senses and our imaginations.
Length: 20,000 to 100,000+ words
Genres: Romance and/or erotica in the following sub-genres: paranormal, horror, western, space opera or epic, historical, contemporary, fantasy, mystery, thriller, near-future, drama, alternate history. Will consider others; please query first.
Heat Levels: Any for romance. Hot for erotica.
Ending: HEA or HFN for romance. Any for erotica.
Orientation: Gay, bi, or trans*. Lesbian characters are welcome in the ensemble but should not be the primary relationship in the story.
Submissions Due: Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Acceptance Letters Sent By: October 1, 2012 for novellas, October 15, 2012 for novels.
Anticipated Release Date: April, 2013
Whether captured in battle or plucked off the field by an invading army, protagonists in this submission call have been uprooted by war and forced to work for the enemy. They may be tending the enemy's livestock, making goods, or providing services—all under guard, of course, to prevent escape or sabotage behind enemy lines. Such tasks may break the monotony of imprisonment, or breed bitter resentment, or both.
Thoughts of home may be still-bleeding wound or a distant memory. Cut off from family and friends, prisoners of war find solace where they may: with a fellow prisoner—or even with the enemy. Many dangers await: losing hope, leaking information (by torture or more subtle means), punishment for a foiled escape, perhaps even Stockholm Syndrome or genuine star-crossed love. Once you’ve served the enemy, can you ever truly come home?
Editor's Note: Given the nature of this call, we understand that rape or torture may play a (potentially quite significant) role in your story. Please do not feel the need to censor yourself; we ask only that such acts, if graphically depicted, are clearly necessary to the integrity of the story or character journey. However, please refrain from our standard list of no-nos: sex with non-animated corpses (vampires etc. are fine), sex with underage characters, sex with non-sentient beings (shifter sex in shifted form is fine), and scat play.
Length: 15,000 to 100,000+ words
Genres: Any subgenre of erotica and/or romance. Literary fiction will also be considered.
Heat Levels: Any
Ending: Any
Orientation: Gay, bi, or trans*
Submissions Due: Saturday, September 15, 2012
Acceptance Letters Sent By: Nov 1, 2012 for novellas, Nov 15, 2012 for novels.
Anticipated Release Date: May, 2013
Where will you be when the world ends, and how will it happen? Old standbys like zombies, a super-flu, aliens, an asteroid, or even the Rapture? Mayan gods (who knows, maybe we counted wrong!), super-heating of the earth’s core, nuclear annihilation, worldwide infertility, a black hole in the Hadron Collider? There are so many ways for life—and perhaps even the Earth—as we know it to cease, but what we want to know is what happens after.
Do your characters hole up with shotguns in the mountains? Hunker down in an underground CDC base to find a cure? Maybe martial law reigns supreme, or the survivors band together to create a new form of government (or resurrect an old one). Do a lucky few get to live on beneath the sea or in space on the hunt for New Earth? Does the world begin again?
Sure, the end of the world is an unpleasant place, but we’re looking for sparks of light amidst the misery. Show us survival, resilience, laughter, love. Show us the dark things too—it’s tough out there, after all, and even the best among us may do things we’re not proud of to survive—but give us romance, and hope, and the promise of a bright new day at the end of the journey.
Length: 25,000 to 100,000+ words
Genres: Romance in the following subcategories: urban fantasy, paranormal, horror, contemporary, near-future, sci-fi, thriller, mystery, alternate history. Non-romances with strong romantic elements are also acceptable. Unlisted genres will be considered as long as the story is set on Earth; please query first.
Heat Levels: Any
Ending: HEA or HFN
Orientation: Gay, bi, or trans*. Lesbian characters are most welcome in your ensembles, but should not be the the primary romantic interests.
Submissions Due: Thursday, November 1, 2012
Acceptance Letters Sent By: January 15, 2013 for novellas, February 1, 2013 for novels.
Anticipated Release Date: July, 2013
We're seeking well-researched historicals set during the Second World War, a time of unprecedented upheaval and change. Maps all over the world were re-drawn, usually by force, and enemies worldwide fought to the death under the waves, on the oceans, on land, and in the air.
But not all conflicts were open or even hot. From the race to crack enemy codes to misleading by trickery and camouflage, the conflicts encompassed the battlefield and well beyond. This call is focused on the time, the mood, the culture of WWII, but takes no preference for location. We encourage you to explore the less-obvious places and themes, as long as you stay close to the history and spirit of the times. From the Finnish-Russian Winter War to Slim’s campaigns against the Japanese, from German U-Boats to colonial soldiers serving in Africa or any other nation’s home front, tell us stories set between 1939 and 1945.
Length: 35,000 to 100,000+ words
Genres: Historical romance, erotica, or literature. Some paranormal elements or magical realism will be considered, but be prepared to wow us.
Heat Levels: Any
Ending: Any
Orientation: Gay, bi, or trans*
Submissions Due: Friday, February 1, 2013
Acceptance Letters Sent By: Mar 15, 2013 for novellas, April 1, 2013 for novels.
Anticipated Release Date: December, 2013
