Guiltless Pleasure is all about quality genre erotica, by women, for women. Here's (almost) everything you wanted to know about submitting to Guiltless Pleasure:

• What we are looking for
• How to submit
• Why is it worth your while
• When can you expect a reply
• Where will your work be available

The What

We're looking for stories that have the perfect match: on one side, toe-curling, mouth-watering erotica; on the other, an edge-of-your-seat plot and storytelling.

Stories must be:

• Novel-length. This somewhat debatable definition aims at 60-90k words. In the future the publication may open its doors to novellas and short stories as well, so if that's your style, be sure to sign up for updates.
• Genre. Most commonly fantasy, occult, and science fiction, but we'll consider historical and others if the story is good.
• Engaging. Characters that make the reader care, and a strong plot that keeps her turning pages. If you replace all the sex scenes with fade-outs, the story should still work (in a much drier, not-as-fun way).
• Hot. Be it hetero, gay, lesbian, or mixed, erotica must play a palpable part. You can dive straight into the bedroom or take a tortuous road of sexual suspense, but if you take out the relationship from the plot, the story should fall apart.

Stories must not be:

• Disrespectful of human life. This includes excessive gore, random violence, and acts of rape or hatred that are portrayed in a positive light. People are shaped by what they read; we make it our responsibility to promote no harmful shaping.
• Fanfiction. All rights to the characters and world of your story must be exclusively yours.
• Previously published. This includes everything from previous print publishing to your private blog. The only people who should have seen the manuscript so far are your family and friends, critique groups, and your cat. Oh, and you.
• Also, among the things we don't print: sex between adults and minors, bestiality (except with werewolves and the likes), and necrophilia (except with vampires).

back to top

The How

You must be a registered user on this site in order to submit a story. Registration is free, simple, and spam-free (newsletter sign-up is separate). Don't forget to activate your account when you register! An activation email will be waiting for you at the email address you provide.

Once you have activated your account, you'll see some new items under the "Writers" menu on the right-hand side. Choose "New submission", and follow the instructions on the form. You'll have to include a plot summary and the first three chapters of your novel. When you're all done, scroll to the bottom and hit "Save".

The other new menu item is "Your submissions". It will give you an overview of all your submissions and their statuses. If your submission has been reviewed, clicking on its name will take you to a detailed screen which might contain some editor notes. You'll be notified by email when a status changes in any of your submissions.

• We accept multiple submissions (you can send more than one manuscript at a time).
• We accept simultaneous submissions (you can send your manuscript to us and to someone else at the same time). Please mention this in the Comments field when you make a submission.

back to top

The Why

Publishing with Guiltless Pleasure is, first and foremost, a pleasure. Each manuscript goes through a complete production process: editing, ISBN, layout, cover design, print and digital packaging, and marketing. The result is a book you'll be proud to sign.

And while pride doesn't put bread on the table, this will:

• Advance payment of $750, paid in part on acceptance and in part on final approval of the edited manuscript
• 40% royalties of net revenue on all digital sales
• 40% royalties of net revenue on all print sales

We buy exclusive digital and print rights for a minimum period of two years, which can be extended upon mutual agreement. Digital rights include text formats only. Any rights not mentioned here are retained by the author.

Read the Royalties FAQ section for more information.

back to top

The When

Our reply time is 2-4 weeks. If 4 weeks have passed and you haven't heard from us, please use the contact form to query about the status of your submission.

Once your submission is accepted, it might take 1-2 weeks to discuss how much editing is required and where, and to finalize the contract. Part of the advance is paid once the contract is signed.

The editing process itself may vary in length, depending on how much editing is needed, and also on your turnaround for editing requests. At the end of this process you will be paid the remainder of the advance.

Once the edited manuscript is approved, it may take up to 4 months for the public release of the novel. On the whole, the submission-to-publication process may take from 4 weeks to 6 months.

back to top

The Where

Every book published by Guiltless Pleasure will be sold in trade paperback and in digital format.

In print, novels will be available through Ingram Books, the largest wholesale distributor of book products in the world. This means your book will show up on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and many other online stores. It will not reach bricks-and-mortar stores, but clients may order your book from those stores through Ingram's database.

In digital form, the main sales venue will be the Guiltless Pleasure website, which has the advantage of sparing your royalties from third-party commissions. Digital copies might also be available on Amazon's Kindle and other electronic outlets.

back to top

You can find additional information in the FAQ.