Because we publish across many romance sub-genres and have lines to represent everything from sweet romance to very hot erotic romance there is space in our lineup for many different and unique author voices. We invite authors to write their best stories and to submit them to us. We represent an excellent opportunity for unpublished authors to become published as we are very committed to discovering and developing new authors.

There are a few things we are looking for across all lines. They are:

Authors who take something ordinary and make it super extraordinary.

Very well developed multi-dimensional characters

A high degree of emotional impact

A high degree of sexual tension both before the hero and heroine make love and after.

Well-developed backstories

All stories must be told in third person viewpoint. We have a strong preference for very deep point of view.

We do not have length requirements. We accept short stories for compilation in anthologies and accept longer novellas and novel length pieces for publication as stand alone books.

GUIDELINES FOR TENDER DESTINATIONS (SWEET) LINE:

Stories for this line should focus on the emotional aspects of meeting someone special and falling in love. These stories are particularly emotion based.

Although lovemaking may occur within these stories it may not occur before the characters have fallen in love. The characters do not necessarily have to have admitted their love to themselves or to each other prior to lovemaking, but it should be clear to the reader that they are in love.

For this line, love scenes should include a stronger emphasis on the emotional aspects of lovemaking rather than on the physical aspects. Physical aspects of lovemaking may be described but should be described romantically as opposed to graphically. Word choices should reflect this.

GUIDELINES FOR OUR SENSUOUS JOURNEYS (SENSUAL) LINE

Stories for this line will focus on both the emotional aspects and the physical aspects of falling in love. The core of these stories is a hero and heroine meet and fall in love (or hero and heroine reunite and fall in love). Within that framework we want to see a greater development of the sexual conflicts and sexual attraction between the characters.

These stories may take a more matter of fact and direct approach toward sexuality. Authors for this line do not necessarily need to shy away from conflicts based on differing sexual experiences , differing sexual interests or differing sexual appetites. They may, if they choose use these things to fuel conflict.

We invite authors for this line to explore the sexuality of their characters and to make that aspect of their character as real as any other aspect of the character.

Stories for this line may involve most types of sexual activity including the use of toys and light bondage. Lovemaking within this line may be a little harder, a little more rough than the lovemaking in our sweeter line. Lovemaking will still be described with an eye toward the romantic rather than the graphic. We want authors for this line to use appropriate words for male and female anatomy or use appropriate slang terms. We do not want to see an overuse of euphemisms.

GUIDELINES FOR OUR FORBIDDEN EXPERIENCES (EROTIC) LINE:

For this line we seek romances that may not quite "fit" the guidelines issued by other companies. They will be too erotic for contemporary lines like Silhouette Desire and Silhouette Intimate Moments, yet they may have that more traditional romance flavor. They may lack the graphic language and quick advancement to intimacy that many of the erotic romance publishers require.

What we are looking for first and foremost is a marriage of the romance genre (think Harlequin, Silhouette, MIRA) with a much higher degree of eroticism. In other words, we want all the emotional impact, all of the angst, all of the character development, and all of the conflict you would find in any traditional romance novel. Then we want it to contain a very high degree of sexuality and eroticism. We especially seek books that explore the eroticsim of offbeat sexual practices. Show us the eroticsim of spanking, of bondage, of dominance and submission, or of voyeurism.

In this line spanking, bondage, dominance and submission, and other similar practices can be portrayed with either a hard or soft edge. Authors should bear in mind that what we publish is romance and that whatever the sexual content of the piece the piece needs to remain a romance and there needs to be a high focus on the emotional relationship between hero and heroine. If an author wants to push the sexual boundaries of the genre this would be the line in which to do it.

Although this line represents a much more varied playground for our authors we like the flavor of traditional romance novels with their secret babies, forced marriages, captive brides, revenge plots, and reuniting couples. We welcome stories that include these kinds of basic plot devices, however stories certainly don't have to have them.

Many erotic romance publishers want sex in the first few pages and want it to occur frequently thereafter. We do not require that. We do not want to sacrifice the romance story line for increased eroticism. An author's specific story and the make-up of their characters should decide the placement and frequency of love scenes.

We want authors to take the time to develop their characters, their plots, their conflicts and the sexual tension that exists between their characters. Then when it is time for their characters to make love we want them to deliver something beyond the realm of what traditional romance publishers have allowed.

There are very few sexual taboos in our erotic line. We tend to give our authors the widest latitude. If it is safe, sane, and consensual we will allow our authors latitude to show us the eroticism. However, we will not consider manuscripts with any of the following: bestiality (sex with animals), necrophilia (sex with dead people), pedophillia (sex with children).

Although we are actively acquiring books in all erotic romance categories, contemporary, romantic suspense, and historical we are especially interested in acquiring books in the following sub-categories.

We particularly seek:

Domestic Discipline (please click here for specific guidelines for this sub-genre)

Capture/Bondage/BDSM romances

Dominance/Submission/Power Exchange romances

Erotic historical romances--especially westerns

Erotic romantic suspense

We believe that sexuality in many forms is beautiful, healthy and enjoyable. We want stories that portray that message. We want nothing that portrays sex or sexual adventurousness as dirty or perverted.

GUIDELINES FOR OUR AMOROUS ADVENTURES (ROMANTIC SUSPENSE) LINE

For our romantic suspense line we are looking for stories that combine all of the elements of a great romance novel with an element of suspense, mystery or a main character in some type of physical or emotional jeopardy.

Stories for this line may take a softer, more traditional Silhouette Intimate Moments type approach or may take the grittier approach of stand alone type books. In either case, these should be high adrenaline stories in which the reader is vested in both the outcome of the romance and the outcome of the mystery or suspense element.

We want to see fully developed romance components within this line. We do not want to see stories in which the characters have a lukewarm relationship. Hero and heroine in this line must be as attracted to each other, and eventually as much in love, as the hero and heroine in any of our other lines.

Sexuality in these stories can follow the guidelines for any of our other lines. Although all romantic suspense will be published under our Amorous Adventures imprint they will be rated according to their sexual content so readers will know the sexual content before they buy.

IN ALL OUR LINES

Length is open and should be determined by the author and the story the author is telling. We publish everything from short to very long. Shorts however need to deliver in the short format everything that is expected in a longer format in terms of plot, character, eroticism, and emotional impact.

We are particularly interested in acquiring stories with rounded and or curvy heroines who find love with wonderful erotic men who love their rounder curvier figures. All stories with overweight heroines should portray women of size as erotic and sexy and sexually adventurous. Even if the heroine loses weight within the story it should be clear that she is sexy to the hero at any size. We are also open to heroes who are sexual and sexually adventurous with a bit of extra weight.

Do not be afraid to hit us with a non-traditional character or plot. We like quirky, interesting and off-beat.

Submissions for any of our lines may be sent to:
LaurieSanders@fusemail.com

By Mail -- send submissions to:
Laurie Sanders, Acquisitions Editor
Black Velvet Seductions Publishing Company
1350-C West Southport Road, Box 249
Indianapolis, IN 46217