International call for original short story submissions:
Darker Edge of Desire — an original anthology edited by Mitzi Szereto
A trade paperback to be published by Cleis Press, USA
Publication date: Spring 2014
Gothic literature has always possessed a dark attraction ripe with the promise of the forbidden and the sensual. This theme has been successfully explored in my anthology Red Velvet and Absinthe, but with a far gentler touch. In Darker Edge of Desire, I will take the sexualized Gothic and ratchet it up a few notches into the danger zone, opening the door into the darker side of lust and love that only the courageous dare to venture through.
I am looking for atmospheric and high quality stories with a distinct Gothic flavour that explore our more forbidden desires and contain plenty of added kink. In these tales love and lust know no boundaries, and all nature of being—from vampires, werewolves, shape shifters, ghosts, succubae and creatures we may not even have heard of—can be found. Think Red Velvet and Absinthe, but with some very sharp edges!
Submission deadline:
April 1, 2013
(I’ll be selecting stories on a rolling basis, therefore earlier submissions are stronglyencouraged, thoughI’ll still consider stories that make it in by the deadline).
Word count:
3,000 to 6,500
What I’m looking for:
Well-developed story lines and well-crafted prose told in a unique voice and containing interesting characters and settings. Stories may be set in the past, present, or future. Stories from female and male writers are welcome, as are those written from the POV of characters of any gender and containing characters of any sexual orientation.
Note that sexually explicit content is acceptable as well as a more subtle approach; however, absolutely no stock sex scenes or formulaic writing/terminology. Please refer to my previous anthologies to get an idea of the variety and style of content I look for. No excessive gore or violence. No reprints.
Payment:
One-time payment in the range of USD $50-70 (payable on publication) and 2 copies of the anthology.
Submission requirements:
Stories should be formatted as follows: double-spaced Arial 12-point black font Word or RTF document. Indent the first line of each paragraph by half an inch. Do not add extra lines between paragraphs or any other irregular spacing. American spelling and punctuation only (i.e. quote marks, etc.). Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), postal address, and a fifty-word maximum author bio written in the third person. Contract is for one-time, non-exclusive anthology rights with one year’s exclusivity from date of publication. (This may be waived if your story is selected for a “Best Of” collection). You are free to submit more than one story, but please no simultaneous submissions to other editors. publishers or publications while your work is still under my consideration.
In the subject line of your email, please state: Darker Edge of Desire
Send to: submissions @ mitziszereto.com
I look forward to reading your work!
About Mitzi Szereto:
Mitzi Szereto is an author of erotic and multi-genre fiction and non-fiction, an anthology editor, blogger at her blog “Errant Ramblings” (http://mitziszereto.com/blog), and creator/presenter for the web TV channel Mitzi TV (http://mitziszereto.com/tv), which covers “quirky” London. Her books include Thrones of Desire: Erotic Tales of Swords, Mist and Fire; Red Velvet and Absinthe: Paranormal Erotic Romance; Normal for Norfolk (The Thelonious T. Bear Chronicles); Pride and Prejudice: Hidden Lusts; In Sleeping Beauty’s Bed: Erotic Fairy Tales; Getting Even: Revenge Stories; Dying For It: Tales Of Sex & Death; Wicked: Sexy Tales Of Legendary Lovers; and the Erotic Travel Tales anthology series. Mitzi is known for having pioneered erotic writing workshops in the UK and mainland Europe, teaching them from the Cheltenham Festival of Literature to the Greek islands. She’s been featured in major international newspapers, magazines and on TV and radio. In addition to her workshops, she has lectured in creative writing at several British universities. Her anthology Erotic Travel Tales 2 is the first anthology of erotica to feature a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
