Beachwalk Press is a royalty paying, full-service e-publisher. We are accepting submissions of all subgenres of romance with a rating of “sensual” or higher. We are not accepting “sweet” romances. We are accepting manuscripts of no less than 15,000 words and no more than 75,000 words.
Please send a short query letter in the body of the email and attach a full synopsis and the completed manuscript. These should be two separate attachments named as: Title_AuthorName_synopsis and Title_AuthorName_submission.
It’s February and romance is in the air. Time for kisses and kink, chocolates and chains, roses and restraints… Okay, perhaps your idea of the perfect Valentine’s Day is more traditional (or vanilla) than mine, but no one can deny that underneath the hearts and flowers, Valentine’s is about shared tender moments, intense emotional connections, and getting some tail. Here at the Erotica Readers & Writers Association, our Valentine’s celebrations tend more to the explicit.
Breaking with convention, I begin this month’s tour in the Sex Toy Playground, where our friends from Good Vibrations offer a wonderful article on flirting and foreplay called “How to Set the Mood”. Sensuality and romance tend to get pushed into the background by all the worrisome details of our daily lives. The column provides a wealth of suggestions for bringing them back into the spotlight.
Also in the Playground, we feature a review of Chippendale’s Diva, a device that Mr. and Mrs. Toy praise as being perfect for couples, and our regular round-up of the latest and greatest erotic instruments, Sex Toy Scuttlebutt. For February, Good Vibrations, Babeland and Adam & Eve are all offering discounts for ERWA customers. Check out the Scuttlebutt for details.
From the Playground, I’ll just slide on over (using recently purchased lube) to the ERWA screening room, otherwise known as our Adult Movies section. Headlining here you’ll find the erotic extravaganza “Body Heat”, praised by our reviewer as the best pornographic film he’s ever seen, in terms of acting, plot and cinematography as well as sex. Also of note is the thought- (and arousal-) provoking “Sanatorium”, a tale of a prostitute’s quest to free herself from the crazy-making hypocrisy of society. Looking for something a little lighter? Check out “Cheaters’ Retreat”, where troubled couples come to consult a sexy, unconventional relationship guru. And if you’re really not interested in any plot at all, just steamy, delicious sex, you can’t go wrong with “Buttwoman vs. Slutwoman”. It’s difficult to know who to root for!
We’ve got deals for you here, too, from Adam & Eve, Adult DVD Empire, SmutNetwork, and our new affiliate Hot Movies. Why not pick a flick or two for Cupid’s day? It’s a lot cheaper than a candlelight dinner in a fancy restaurant.
I enjoy sexy films, but (as you might expect from an author), the written word is even more likely to turn me on. The February theme in the ERWA Galleries is, appropriately, “Sensual Romance”. Among our theme offerings you’ll find a reluctant partner, a damaged biker, a historical tryst and an unusual shape-shifting hero. Don’t stop with the theme stories, though. We have several titillating tales that will definitely get you in the mood for amorous adventure. And if you’re still not satisfied, you can rummage through the conveniently categorized ERWA Treasure Chest to find exactly the sort of story you crave: queer, kinky or sensual, long or short.
Exhibitionism and voyeurism rule in this month’s Books for Sensual Readers section. Alison Tyler and Rachel Kramer Bussel team up to offer the sensational collection HIDE AND SEEK, while Christopher Pierce serves up gay stories on the same theme in the I LIKE TO WATCH anthology. BEST LESBIAN ROMANCE 2011, edited by Radclyffe, is an obvious Valentine’s choice, but Kannan Feng’s M/M BDSM fantasy THE LORD OF MISRULE is equally romantic in its own way. Fans of erotic romance may enjoy Kate Pearce’s SIMPLY FORBIDDEN, a Regency featuring a heroine who’s anything but innocent, or Lynne Connolly’s evocative tale of art and love, UNBROKEN. Looking for some fun non-fiction? Check out Rachel Greenwald’s HAVE HIM AT HELLO, a book based on confessions from one thousand guys about what makes them fall in love. My pick in the arts and photography category is AMERICA SWINGS, Naomi Harris’ compendium of photos taken (with permission) at thirty eight swinger’s gatherings across the U.S.
All these titles and many more can be yours with a click of a mouse. Whenever you use our affiliate links, you support ERWA and its mission: to provide the highest quality adult content on the web (i.e. to turn you on!)
Authors! We haven’t forgotten you! This month in the Authors Resources section we begin a new series by the articulate and entertaining William Gaius, entitled “Kill Electrons, Not Trees”. William will focus on topics related to the digital revolution in publishing. Don’t miss it!
Ashley Lister’s The Write Stuff column this month is entitled “Not Writing Erotica” and includes some cringe-worthy examples of what NOT to do in your writing. (If you have an allergy to bared, bouncing breasts, you might want to skip this article…)
Have you visited the Writers Room lately? This compendium of advice and discussion covers topics from Agents to Villains. If you like what you see, consider joining the ERWA Writers email list (from which the Writers Room discussions derive), a great source of information as well as support.
Starting this month, we’ve integrated the Calls for Submissions lists into the Author Resources page. The number of publishing opportunities available is mind-boggling. You’ll find at least a half-dozen calls for “Best of” anthologies, as well as collections focused on dark mythology and Father’s Day. M. Christian and A. Rosselini are putting together a collection on sex and food, entitled A LOVERS’ FEAST, while C.B. Potts needs stories for MELT IN YOUR MOUTH: CHOCOLATE, BOYS AND BED. What could be more appropriate for Valentine’s Day? ERWA offers the most comprehensive guide to erotic publishing opportunities on the web, updated several times a month.
Inside the Erotic Mind this February, our members discuss “taking care of business” – masturbating in the (possibly sleeping) presence of your partner. How do you feel about this? How does your partner feel? You’ll find a wide range of opinions. Add your own by clicking on the Participate link.
Our featured February Web Gem is HotTalking.com. For fans of audio erotica, Hot Talking is a fun website that offers hours of quality stories and albums for your listening pleasure. If you’re really adventurous, you can compose your own fantasy and your favorite voice on Hot Talking will professionally record and mix it for you. Very cool!
Hot Talking is always on the lookout for new voice talent and the process of selling on Hot Talking could not be easier. Just register your voice profile and start selling. The payout model is similar to iTunes and Amazon without all the content restrictions. It’s really a great place to buy and sell audio erotica. Their story listings are always growing so you are certain to find something that interests you at Hot Talking: http://hottalking.com
Well, if I haven’t managed to get you in the mood for Cupid’s day, I don’t know what will! My personal Valentine’s plans involve champagne, caviar and hot wax. I’ll leave the details to your imagination.
Whatever the amorous adventures in which you choose to indulge this month, may your love be requited and your pleasure immeasurable!
Romantically yours, Lisabet
ALMOST HOME – M/M/F Holiday Romance by Lisabet Sarai Available now from Total-E-Bound! –
To wet your appetite for A Slip of the Lip, here is the Introduction to our collection of kisses:
Introduction from Slip of the Lip: The Erotica Readers & Writers Association Collection of Kisses Edited by Remittance Girl
Kisses have been described in literature throughout history, but rarely have they been given the attention they deserve. A kiss is often the first, truly intimate contact lovers have. In fact, it is often the event that allows the people involved to think of themselves as lovers.
Other animals may meet, mate and bond but only humans kiss. And, although there are many cultures that view other forms of contact as more intimate, western literature, photography and film have spread the romantic and erotic concept of the kiss around the world.
In erotic fiction, the kiss is too often described in passing on the way to more overtly sexual acts. This collection of kisses grew out of a challenge thrown down in the Writers’ section of the Erotica Readers & Writers mail list: write the best, most innovative and original description of a kiss.
Each of the pieces is less than 1000 words long. They are not meant to be complete stories, only the capturing of those breathtaking, heart pumping, andrenalin inducing moments when lips meet and – whatever lies you might tell yourself – there’s no going back.
The old theme song from the 1942 movie Casablanca tells us that ‘a kiss is just a kiss,’ but we beg to differ.
at Faber and Faber Bloomsbury House 74-77 Great Russell Street London WC1B 3DA
Course cost: £450 / €505 (inclusive of VAT)
Literary erotica has become a thriving genre, what with the success in recent years of the Catherine Millet’s memoirs, Italian author Melissa P., Charlotte Roche’s Wetlands, the writings of Michel Houellebecq, Adam Thirlwell, and many others. It has, of course, a worthy heritage going back to Henry Miller, Anaïs Nin, The Story of O etc …
More importantly, integrating writing about such a common activity as sex has become a dilemma for all writers: how explicit should one be? Where do you draw the line between eroticism and pornography, exploitation and observation? Why is there such a veil of privacy and self-censorship around an activity that is so integral to everyday life?
The Faber Academy course on erotic writing will try to answer some of these questions, study the history of the genre, and examine the dos and don’ts of writing about sex.
Set over three days at the home of Faber and Faber in the heart of literary Bloomsbury, the course will be conducted by writer and editor Maxim Jakubowski, whose Mammoth Book of Erotica series is now in its 14th year and whose own books have proven controversial. He will teach alongside acclaimed author Stella Duffy.
I’m very proud to announce that RWA has officially accepted the Rainbow Romance Writers Chapter for authors of GLBT romance into the National organization. Here is the official announcement from chapter president Jade Buchanan:
Rainbow Romance Writers is the newest Special Interest Chapter within the Romance Writers of America. A lot of hard work has gone into setting us up as a chapter, but we are very proud to announce that writers specializing in LGBT romance now have a specific place to network with other career-focused writers and concentrate on our unique needs within the romance genre.
Our goals are:
* to promote excellence in gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender romances * to help members become published in LGBT romances * to be an advocate within the industry for our genre * to be a resource to our members and others on writing and the publishing industry
We currently have 50 wonderful members who represent all different aspects of the LGBT romance genre.
Interested writers can contact us at [email protected] if they would like to become members of Rainbow Romance Writers. They can also email me directly at [email protected]
(From the archives here’s one of my classic Confessions columns. Enjoy!)
While it isn’t the most important thing to do before sending off a story (that’s reserved for writing the story itself), drafting an effective cover letter is probably right below it.
So here is a quick sample of what to do and NOT when putting together a cover letter to go with your story. That being said, remember that I’m just one of many (many) editors out there, each with their own quirks and buttons to push. Like writing the story itself, practice and sensitivity is will teach you a lot, but this will give you a start.
So … Don’t Do What Bad Johnny Don’t Does:
Dear M. (1),
Here is my story (2) for your collection (3), it’s about a guy and a girl who fall in love on the Titanic (4). I haven’t written anything like this before (5), but your book looked easy enough to get into (6). My friends say I’m pretty creative (7). Please fill out and send back the enclosed postcard (8). If I have not heard from you in two months (9) I will consider this story rejected and send it somewhere else (10). I am also sending this story to other people. If they want it, I’ll write to let you know (11).
I noticed that your guidelines say First North American Serial rights. What’s that (12)? If I don’t have all rights then I do not want you to use my story (13).
I work at the DMV (14) and have three cats named Mumbles, Blotchy and Kismet (15).
(1) Don’t be cute. If you don’t know the editor’s name, or first name, or if the name is real or a pseudonym, just say “Hello” or “Editor” or somesuch.
(2) Answer the basic questions up front: how long is the story, is it original or a reprint, what’s the title?
(3) What book are you submitting to? Editors often have more than one open at any time and it can get very confusing. Also, try and know what the hell you’re talking about: a ‘collection’ is a book of short stories by one author, an ‘anthology’ is a book of short stories by multiple authors. Demonstrate that you know what you’re submitting to.
(4) You don’t need to spell out the plot, but this raises another issue: don’t submit inappropriate stories. If this submission was to a gay or lesbian book, it would result in an instant rejection and a ticked-off editor.
(5) The story might be great, but this already has you pegged as a twit. If you haven’t been published before don’t say anything, but if you have then DEFINITELY say so, making sure to note what kind of markets you’ve been in (anthology, novel, website and so forth). Don’t assume the editor has heard of where you’ve been or who you are, either. Too often I get stories from people who list a litany of previous publications that I’ve never heard of. Not that I need to, but when they make them sound like I should it just makes them sound arrogant. Which is not a good thing.
(6) Gee, thanks so much. Loser.
(7) Friends, lovers, Significant Others and so forth — who cares?
(8) Not happening. I have a stack of manuscripts next to me for a project I’m doing. The deadline for submissions is in two months. I will probably not start reading them until at least then, so your postcard is just going to sit there. Also, remember that editors want as smooth a transition from their brain to your story as possible; anything they have to respond to, fill out, or baby-sit is just going to annoy them.
(9) Get real — sometimes editors take six months to a year to respond. This is not to say they are lazy or cruel; they’re just busy or dealing with a lot of other things. Six months is the usual cut-off time, meaning that after six months you can either consider your story rejected or you can write a polite little note asking how the project is going. By the way, writing rude or demanding notes is going to get you nothing but rejected or a bad reputation — and who wants that?
(10) When I get something like this I still read the story but to be honest it would take something of genius level quality for me to look beyond this arrogance. Besides, what this approach says more than anything is that even if the story is great, you are going to be too much of a pain to work with. Better to find a ‘just as good’ story from someone else than put up with this kind of an attitude.
(11) This is called simultaneous submission: sending a story to two places at once, thinking that it will cut down on the frustration of having to wait for one place to reject it before sending it along to another editor. Don’t do it — unless the Call for Submissions says it’s okay, of course. Even then, though, it’s not a good idea because technically you’d have to send it to two places that think it’s okay, which is damned rare. The problem is that if one place wants your work, then you have to go to the other places you sent it to tell them so — which very often results in one very pissed editor. Don’t do it. We all hate having to wait for one place to reject our work, but that’s just part of the game. Live with it.
(12) Many editors are more than willing to answer simple questions about their projects, but just as many others will never respond — especially to questions that can easily be answered by reading a basic writing book (or reading columns like this one). Know as much as you can and then, only then, write to ask questions.
(13) This story is automatically rejected. Tough luck. Things like payment, rights, and so forth are very rarely in the editor’s control. Besides, this is a clear signal that, once again, the author is simply going to be way too much trouble to deal with. Better to send out that rejection form letter and move onto the next story.
(14) Who cares?
(15) Really, who cares?
(16) Another sign of a loser. It’s perfectly okay to use a pseudonym but something as wacky as this is just going to mark you as a novice. Also, cover letters are a place for you, as a person, to write to the editor, another person. Put your pseudonym on your story, don’t sign your cover letter with it.
(17) Email address — this is great, but it’s also very obviously a work address, which makes a lot of editors very nervous. First of all, people leave jobs all the time so way too often, these addresses have very short lives. Second, work email servers are rarely secure — at least from the eyes of prying bosses. Do you really want your supervisor to see your rejection from a Big Tits In Bondage book? I don’t think so.
Do What Johnny Does Does
Hi, Chris (1),
It was with great excitement (2) that I read your call for submissions for your new anthology, Love Beast (3). I’ve long been a fan not only of werewolf erotica (4) but also your books and stories as well (5)
I’ve been published in about twelve websites, including Sex Chat, Litsmut, and Erotically Yours, and in two anthologies, Best of Chocolate Erotica (Filthy Books) and Clickty-Clack, Erotic Train Stories (Red Ball Books) (6).
Enclosed is my 2,300 word original story, “When Hairy Met Sally” (7). I hope you have as much fun reading it as I had writing it (which is a lot) (8). Please feel free to write me at [email protected] if you have any questions (9).
In the meantime best of luck with your projects and keep up the great work .(10)
Molly Riggs (11)
(1) Nice; she knows my real first name is Chris. A bit of research on an editor or potential market never hurt anyone.
(2) It’s perfectly okay to be enthusiastic. No one likes to get a story from someone who thinks your project is dull.
(3) She knows the book and the title.
(4) She knows the genre and likes it. You’d be surprised the number of people who either pass out backhanded compliments or joke about anthologies or projects thinking it’s endearing or shows a ‘with it’ attitude. Believe me, it’s neither — just annoying.
(5) Editing can be a lonely business, what with having to reject people all the time. Getting a nice little compliment can mean a lot. It won’t change a bad story into an acceptable one, but making an editor smile is always a good thing.
(6) The bio is brief, to the point, and explains the markets. You don’t need to list everything you’ve ever sold to, just the key points.
(7) Everything about the story is there: the title, the words, if it’s original or a reprint (and, of course if it’s a reprint you should also say when and where it first appeared, even if it’s a website).
(8) Again, a little smile is a good thing. I know this is awfully trite but when the sentiment is heartfelt and the writer’s sense of enjoyment is true, it does mean something to an editor. I want people to enjoy writing for one of my books, even if I don’t take the story.
(9) Good email address (obviously not work) and an invitation to chat if needed. Good points there.
(10) Okay, maybe it’s a bit thick here but this person is also clearly very nice, professional, eager and more than likely will either be easy to work with or, if need be, reject without drama.
(11) Real name — I’d much rather work with a person than an identity. I also know that “Molly” is not playing games with who she is, and what she is, just to try and make a sale.
There’s more, as said, but this at least will keep you from stepping on too many toes — even before your story gets read. If there’s a lesson in this, it’s to remember that an editor is, deep down, a person trying to do the best job they can, just like you. Treat them as such and they’ll return the favor.
Please take a moment to see if you qualify to partake in an important academic research study. It is part of a PhD dissertation on Post-Menopausal Women’s Sexuality. Feel free to pass this information on to friends and relatives who are post-menopausal baby boomers.
What is the relationship amongst postmenopausal women’s sexual desire, sexual arousal, sexual quality of life and experience with explicit sex videos?
You are invited to participate in a research study. The purpose of this study is to discover the patterns that may exist among postmenopausal women’s sexual quality of life, sexual arousal and desire functioning, demographics, and experience along with benefits derived from viewing explicit sex videos.
The person conducting this study is Susana Mayer. She is a certified clinical sexologist and doctoral candidate at the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality in San Francisco. This research is being conducted for her dissertation.
REQUIREMENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN STUDY
Women who are naturally menopausal (last date of menstruation a minimum of one year ago), born in or between 1946 –1964. Women who view explicit sex videos (genitals exposed). Various types of films fall under this category- romantic, porn, instructional, with and without plots. Women who presently have at least one sexual partner of the opposite sex, and consider themselves sexually active (with and without intercourse).
Mary Anne Mohanraj is teaching a few online writing classes over this winter break, starting Monday 12/8. Beginner fiction/nonfiction, Intermediate, and Erotica. Details at:
http://www.mamohanraj.com/classes.html
Bio: Mary Anne Mohanraj is the author of Bodies In Motion (HarperCollins 2005), a Sri Lankan-American novel-in-stories; it was the winner of a Illinois Arts Council Award, a finalist for the Asian American Book Awards, and has been translated into six languages. She has also written/edited nine other books, including Silence And The Word, Torn Shapes Of Desire, the bestselling Aqua Erotica (ed.), Kathryn In The City (a choose-your-own erotic adventure), The Best Of Strange Horizons (science fiction and fantasy, ed.), A Taste Of Serendib (a Sri Lankan cookbook), and The Poet’s Journey (a children’s picture book).
“…all of […Pam Rosenthal’s books…] are interested in questions of conventions and their bounndaries. How far can the characters go, given their place in society? And how far can the book go, given its publication in the genre? Where is that dangerous edge that is going too far, and what is more exciting (for the characters and perhaps even for the author) than pushing up against it?”
A writer couldn’t wish for a more thoughtful, provocative mention than that, could she?
And while I wait on the edge of my seat for those same readers (online at DearAuthor.com) to post their promised “controversial review” of THE EDGE OF IMPROPRIETY, let me invite you to a celebration of this newest of my historical romance novels.
Date: Friday Night, November 21 Time: 6-8 pm Place: The Center for Sex and Culture, 1519 Mission Street between 11th and S. Van Ness, San Francisco, CA
There’ll be eating and schmoozing at 6. And at 7 I’ll talk a little about how Molly Weatherfield, mild-mannered San Francisco writer of comic BDSM, found her real-name-Pam-Rosenthal self, writing erotic historical romance novels at the boundary of the huge happy-ever-after American romance fiction industry.
Of course I’ll also be reading from EDGE and signing copies — and reading and signing Molly Weatherfield’s stuff too. All this after an intro by Center co-founder Carol Queen: writer, educator, sexologist; and radiant, radical source of inspiration to Pam, Molly, and many many others.
If you read Pam’s books, come to learn a little about Molly Weatherfield. If you read Molly, check out Pam. And either way, do yourself the great favor of meeting Carol Queen and finding out about the work of the Center for Sex and Culture.
Hope to see you November 21 – at the Edge and at the Center too.
, mild-mannered San Francisco writer of comic BDSM, found her real-name-Pam-Rosenthal self, writing erotic historical romance novels at the boundary of the huge happy-ever-after American romance fiction industry.
