Image of Rin via SG teasers @ Flickr, hoping they make a guest pass for this set: with apols to all the bloggers (some, my friends) who were just axed from Suicide Girls.
Some of you are probably looking at that post title and shaking your heads… because I said that I’d only edit three volumes of the Best Women’s Erotica series and then be done — and this year’s, newly-released Best Women’s 2008 was my best-of swan-song and I made it as intense and hot as I wanted to be remembered by. But then I got to talking with Cleis Press. Both BWE 06 and BWE 07 won “Best Erotic Book” Independent Publisher awards (keep your fingers crossed for this year’s ’08), and Cleis loves my reckless, explicit and surprising editorial style… They trust me, and let me do what I want. Oh, and I sell a lot of books for them, and could really use the (paid) work. So I agreed to do 2009, 2010, and cap it off at five years in a row and they can finally pass the mantle onto another editor, making the series fresh and shiny all over again.
So, let’s make these last two a couple doozies, shall we? Let’s win awards five years in a row and walk away with one grinning editrix (me) and a whole roster of award-winning new and well-known authors. Let’s give women readers what they really want (as sales have shown). Let’s show mainstream publishing (who are still afraid of publishing books like this) that real, hot, authentic female sexual experiences in all their wet and raw and SMART and romantic and hardcore fucking glory — that all of it sells the hell out of these books because it’s actually who we are. Our sexuality isn’t corporate fiction’s dry version of “risque” like Sex and the City: we’re empowered and erudite porn sophisticates, we love real sex, vibrators don’t scare us, and we love sexual adventure. Female erotic pleasure, in all its permutations is the centerpiece. I just submitted the call for submissions to the Erotica Readers and Writers Association and I’ll have a link for that in a bit. The call for submissions for Best Women’s Erotica 2009 is after the jump.
On a related note: other than the sex ed/erotica e- and audio books I do for my indy publishing venture Digita Publications, right now there’s only one book I’m considering writing (rather than editing) this year. My memoirs of life on the streets after I ran away from home right before I turned 14. I lived on the streets (in the gutters, parks abandoned cars, squats and rooftops) of SF until I turned 18. It’s probably too “tragic” and “ugly” for mainstream media, but I have to tell these stories. I’m not leaving this place until I’ve told my story.
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Title: Best Women’s Erotica 2009
Editor: Violet Blue
Publisher: Cleis Press
Deadline: May 1st, 2008
Please note: Publisher has final right of refusal on all submissions. Payment is upon publication, plus 2 copies of the book; pub date is November 2008.
Best Women’s Erotica is a legendary and groundbreaking yearly series, and is the best-selling women’s erotica collection, period. Every year BWE raises the bar for explicit erotica written by and for women, penned by the most exciting female authors, from around the world.
This edition (BWE 2009) is selected and edited by Violet Blue. In this edition, we are looking for fictional stories that seek to push the boundaries of female sexuality, present realistic fantasies and situations, and break taboos. The sex acts depicted must be explicit and realistic in detail. A strong focus on character, predicament, and compelling situations is desired — smart, literate erotic fiction. The desired orientation within the main sexual element of the stories is primarily heterosexual, yet bisexuality and lesbian encounters are also encouraged. The primary focus of sexual activity must be on the female experience; female pleasure is the main element. A playful, clever approach is welcome, as are intense scenarios.
Both editions of BWE 2006 and BWE ’07 won the Independent Publisher award for Best Erotica Book. Both BWE ’06, ’07 (and just-released ’08) edited by Violet Blue are very different from past editions — please read a few stories from either book or the introductions for examples of tone. Dark themes (such as breakup, jealousy, infidelity and death) must be exceptional in content for acceptance and are *least* desired. Do not send sci-fi, poetry or fantasy fiction.
Established authors and newcomers alike are welcome.
Desired themes include: Women’s sexual fantasies and experiences of all kinds, such as taboo sex acts, fantasy scenarios (real or imagined), bondage, fetish, male anal penetration (such as strap-on play), first-time experiences, light S/M, exhibitionism, power-play, voyeurism, public sex, seduction, role-play, spontaneous sex, spanking, erotic punishment, sexual surprise, emotional honesty, desire, longing, lust, passion, female fierceness, power (and power struggles), deviousness, meaning, themes that involve the Internet and technology, and sublime humor. Above all, include explicit sex.
Paste your pieces into emails and send to: cleisbook at gmail.com
Editor’s notes: If you send an attachment, I will delete your email immediately. I am not accepting paper submissions. Only three submissions per author. Word count: 2500 to 4500 words is the desired range. You *must* include your name, a short bio, mailing address and main contact email address with your submission. No simultaneous submissions (you will be disqualified with no hesitation if you submit it to multiple publications), and no reprints. Excerpts from already-published, full-length books will be considered. Authors must be female; sorry, no male authors writing under pseudonym. Because of the volume of submissions last year (literally hundreds), I likely won’t be able to respond to your submissions until late May. Please only use the cleisbook at gmail.com address for correspondence about this book. I appreciate your patience in advance!
