First, we wanted to announce the terms of payment for our anthologies have changed. We are doing a single payment of $75-$125 for manuscripts accepted into an anthology, and then those stories will receive single releases one year after the anthology publication which the authors will then earn 40%/50% on. All terms will be in our contracts, and we’re always open to questions!
New lesbian anthology call! Elizabeth Hyder will be editing Sacrificed, a lesbian erotic anthology centering on sacrifices.
The allure of the beautiful young woman as a sacrifice is one that has long been a part of storytelling. From the virgin sacrifice given to calm the monsters/gods to the child who is tithe in fairy stories to a member of their party sacrificing themselves so that everyone else can continue their quest, there are all kinds of examples of women as sacrifices in fantasy fiction.
You can write any type of fantasy: high or low, mythic or fairy tale, urban, historical, or even a universe that combines fantasy and sci-fi elements–as long as the fantasy element is stronger than the sci-fi element, the story is fine. We want very much to see fantasy worlds that are lush and real, but make sure you never lose focus on your characters!
And make sure that your characters get a happily ever after; while we are interested in seeing the women in your story face death, we do not want to see any of them die. We are interested in what these women can do in spite of being the sacrificial lamb.
Submission deadline: October 26th, 2012
HEA or HFN Ending Required? Yes
And we have two new permanent line calls for authors of novellas and novels!
On the Edge
Most of the BDSM that can be found in books is tame: handcuffs, light bondage, floggers, sometimes even whips. While this type of BDSM has its place, what we are looking for is stories that go beyond what is considered normal. We want to see edgeplay, because nothing is hotter than people pushing and exploring the boundaries of what they view as safe, sane, and consensual. This means things that are not light kink: breathplay, knifeplay, fireplay, gunplay, bloodplay, sensory deprivation, and other things that do not necessarily fall under the heading of safe or sane.
That said, we do very much want the consensual part. Healthy edgeplay requires a safe, caring environment and a good amount of aftercare, so we will be looking forward to seeing these things in your story. Stories need to be 20,000 words or longer, and we’re looking for strong GLBT main characters. Happy endings are not necessary for this line, though they are strongly encouraged.
Dubious
Forced seduction, dubious consent, non-violent intimidation, pre-negotiated fantasy — these are all shades of gray in the gradient that is non-consensual sex. These scenes push the boundaries of consent: not verbally giving it but not protesting what is happening either; the passion and arousal of the act overpowers all boundaries.
Let it be clear that we are not looking for stories that are outright rape, where one party physically forces themselves on the other, traumatizing them and committing a crime. We want don’t want to break boundaries, we just want to play with them a little. The individuals must consent in their own way. This can be any variety of situations: BDSM rape-fantasy, a boss having sex with a worker, or even a character who has trouble submitting being forced to submit.
We want to see authors explore the gray areas of consent, contrasting physical enjoyment with emotional hang-ups, abuse of authority, what society deems proper, or anything else. Clarity in the fact that both parties must consent, whether or not this comes in the form of admitting it to their partner, is an absolute requirement. It can be whatever form you like, as long as we know by the end of the story that the characters did consent to the situation.
Stories must be 20,000 words or longer, and we’re looking for strong GLBT main characters. While we really do prefer happy endings, no happily ever after is required for this line. Even so, please avoid full-out rape, abuse, or main character deaths, as we want shades of gray rather than black.
If either of these–or any of our other lines–interest you, take a look at our submission guidelines.
We’d also like to thank Elizabeth Hyder for writing up all three calls, and Angelia Sparrow for suggesting the titles for Dubious and On the Edge. 
