CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Desire Behind Bars: Lesbian Prison Erotica

Publisher: Bella Books
Length: 2,000-6,000 words
Deadline: 15 December 2014 (early submissions welcomed!)
Payment: $50 USD by PayPal and 1 copy each of paperback and eBook upon publication

With the incredible popularity of Orange is the New Black, the subject of prison romance and sex is hotter than ever and in a new fashion sensitive to power inequities and the diversity of lesbian desire. This collection will ask, How does prison life complicate (and at times create) lesbian romance? From self-aware dykes to first time players, from Daddy/girl duos to lipstick playmates, we want to see the rich desire and hot sex you bring vividly to life among women behind bars. We welcome backstory and memories, intimate romance, wicked fantasies, risky tussles, secret trysts, and self-pleasure in a restrictive space with little to no privacy. Whether your imprisoned protagonist is guilty beyond a reasonable doubt or a poor little lamb who’s lost her way, we want to meet her, to see how she lives and loves.

Stories may take place in any prison locale, and we will consider historical submissions, but we’re mostly looking for contemporary, realist settings. Lesbians or other women-with-women only. (Men may appear in a story but not as lovers. Trans characters welcome if they fit the lesbian or women-with-women category.

No rape or any form of nonconsensual sex, though reference to past trauma (e.g. hurt/comfort) and pushing boundaries (e.g. BDSM) is fine. No underage sex, incest, bestiality, or graphic violence. For Bella Books’ audience, HEA (happily ever after) or HFN (happy for now) endings strongly preferred. Complications, yes. Tragedy, no.

We are not looking for Orange is the New Black fan fiction.  Stories and characters must be original.

Unpublished work strongly preferred, though we will consider selected reprints for work to which the author owns the rights. No simultaneous submissions.

Contributors retain the rights to their work, and right to republish will revert after a short period of exclusivity.

Please send author name and story to desirebehindbars@gmail.com. Subject: DBB Submission: [“Title” Author Name]. In your submission email, include a 50-100 word description of your story.

Specifics: Attach a Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document (.doc or .rtf) of your 2,000-6,000 word story. (We will consider stories outside this range only if exceptional—i.e. there is a good reason for ignoring length requirements.) Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space lines (regular double spacing, remove lines between paragraphs). Single space after end punctuation. Edit and proofread carefully; we want your final, polished draft. At the top of your document, include your legal name (and pseudonym, if applicable), mailing address, and a 50-word bio in the third person.

Expect a confirmation email upon receipt. We anticipate notifying authors of acceptance/ rejection by early February 2015. Bella Books has final right of refusal on all submissions.