Call For Submissions
Rogue Hearts
Editor: Delilah Devlin
Publisher: Cleis Press
Deadline: September 15, 2014
Payment & Rights: $50.00 USD and two copies of the published book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their work, although the editor requests the courtesy of authors not republishing their work until at least 6 months after the publication of this anthology
ROGUE HEARTS is open to all authors.
Editor/Author Delilah Devlin is looking for a special sort of hero—rogues with hearts of gold—for a romantic erotica anthology tentatively entitled ROGUE HEARTS: Erotic Romance for Women.
Let your fantasies run wild! Think of the Jack Sparrows of old—pirates sailing the Caribbean or China seas, and every other flavor of buccaneer and privateer; Regency-era highway men and spies for the crown; modern day jewel thieves, like Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief—men doing bad things, bending or breaking the law, but in a very sexy way.
Delilah will be looking for stories rich in sensory detail that explore women’s forbidden desires. Imagine a Scottish reiver come to steal sheep from a neighboring clan, but instead, he captures the laird’s daughter. Imagine him striding toward her in a dirty tartan. As he scans the glen, his gaze snags on a woman whose frightened face is nonetheless set into stubborn lines as she meets his piercing gaze… Imagine what happens next…
ROGUE HEARTS will seek stories to satisfy the reader who craves the romantic idea of that ultimate bad boy while exploring stories set in every time frame and any international locale. Traditional themes/tropes can be used, but writers are encouraged to create tales that surprise. Delilah seeks unique stories from authors with strong voices, and above all, she’s looking to be seduced by tales filled with vivid imagery and passion.
Published authors with an established world may use that setting for their original short story.
Keeping in mind that this volume is targeted at women, the editor seeks mainly hetero stories, but will consider bisexual or lesbian encounters and polyamorous relationships. This is erotic romance, so don’t hold back on the heat. Stories can be vanilla or filled with kink, but don’t miss describing the connection between strong-willed individuals learning to trust and love one another. Remember, there must be a romantic element with a happy-for-now or happy-ever-after ending. Strong plots, engaging characters, and unique twists are the ultimate goal. Please no reprints. These must be original stories.
How to submit: Prepare your 2,500 to 5,000 words story in a double-spaced, Arial, 12 point, black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, NOT.docx) OR rich text format. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) is required.
In your document at the top left of the page, include your legal name (and pseudonym, if applicable), mailing address, and 50 words or less bio in the third person, and send to temptedroguehearts@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. Authors may submit up to 2 stories. Delilah hopes to respond with decisions in February 2015. The publisher has final approval over the stories included in the manuscript.
Payment will be $50.00 USD and two copies of the published book upon publication. Contributors retain the rights to their work, although the editor requests the courtesy of authors not republishing their work until at least 6 months after the publication of this anthology.
Ms. Devlin has published over a hundred twenty stories in multiple sub-genres and lengths with Atria/Strebor, Avon, Berkley, Black Lace, Cleis Press, Ellora’s Cave, Grand Central, Kensington, Kindle, Montlake Romance, Running Press, and Samhain Publishing. In Fall 2011, she debuted her first anthology with Cleis Press, GIRLS WHO BITE. Since then, she has published SHE SHIFTERS, COWBOY LUST, SMOKIN’ HOT FIREFIGHTERS, HIGH OCTANE HEROES, and COWBOY HEAT.
Direct any questions you have regarding your story or the submission process to Delilah at temptedroguehearts@gmail.com.
