Call For Submissions
SilkWords Submission Guidelines
www.silkwords.com
SilkWords is a new way to read fiction. Our target market is women who love romance and who will enjoy interacting with a story by making choices that lead to different endings.
SilkWords is a subscription-based model, offering access to all stories on the web site for one monthly fee. We plan to offer a wide variety of subgenres and heat levels and will publish new stories every week, so we are able to work with your schedule.
Stories
We want stories with rich characters/settings that hook readers (in the first couple of pages) so they become invested early on and are compelled to make choices to reach the ending. We also want readers to enjoy the story so much they come back multiple times to explore different choices.
The majority of choices presented to the reader should be significant (i.e. a choice between two potential partners, two locations, two perspectives, etc.). We are flexible about the number and type of story branches; first and foremost we are looking for very high quality stories the reader becomes invested in.
This is romance, so at least one ending should be “happily ever after” or “happy for now.” The exception to this rule is erotica (as opposed to erotica romance), which traditionally doesn’t require an HEA. For SilkWords we prefer that erotica stories have at least one upbeat or hopeful ending.
The length of the story with all of the various branches should be between 15,000 and 20,000 words.
Payment
The base pay for a story is $500, which is negotiable based on author experience. Authors also receive a bio page on the site, where you can promote your other work.
At SilkWords we provide compensation, marketing, and editorial expertise, as well as an opportunity for both new and experienced authors to help redefine the romance (and fiction) industry.
Proposals
Please send the beginning of your story, including the first choice point and a paragraph or two beyond, plus all the proposed choice points. The writing sample should be at least 1,000 words.
If we like your proposal, we’ll ask to see the completed story (and may provide feedback to help you fit the story to our needs and format).
Note: The content of your story up to the first choice point should not include sexual material or excessive adult language. Users don’t see an adult content warning until the subscription purchase process.
Submission Format
Use standard manuscript format (.doc or .rtf): Double-spaced, paragraph indent, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins.
Include title, author name, and page number in the header for each page.
Include a cover page with name (and pseudonym, if applicable), email address, mailing address, and phone number.
Send your proposal to the submissions editor: sharon@silkwords.com. Include “SilkWords proposal” and your title in the subject line.
We look forward to reading your submission!
