I need help!

short_story · Nov 14, 2006

I need a publishing company who publishes explicit multicultural erotic thrillers.
I don't want just an ebook publisher, I'd like one who'll publish in print as well. I've been rejected from WCP, Genesis press, and new concept.
Please help.

veinglory · Nov 14, 2006

To make a good suggestion it would help to know length, whether there is romance and why it didn't fit with the publishers you tried. Perhaps Samhain or Triskelion. They my not specialise in multicultural but the do include it.

BarbaraSheridan · Nov 14, 2006

I know that Loose ID is interested in multicultural.

JulesJones · Nov 14, 2006

Though Loose Id is currently an ebook house, and thus not what the OP was after. Yes, I know there are some print titles and plans for more, but at the moment I wouldn't be looking at LI for something I definitely wanted to see in print. On the other hand, I'd rather go with a decent epublisher than a print vanity press.

I don't know if they take multicultural, but were I looking for a publisher for something like that described, I'd be checking out Kensington.

Maryn · Nov 15, 2006

Isn't Black Pearl among the multicultural publishers seeking erotica? I can never keep them straight--no pun intended.

Maryn, who can't keep her characters straight, either

short_story · Nov 15, 2006

Maryn said:
Isn't Black Pearl among the multicultural publishers seeking erotica? I can never keep them straight--no pun intended.

Maryn, who can't keep her characters straight, either

Is black pearl a publishing press? I've never heard of it.

Sassenach · Nov 15, 2006

short_story said:
Is black pearl a publishing press? I've never heard of it.

There's a thread about them in Backgrounds and Bewares.

Cathy C · Nov 15, 2006

Define "explicit" as you understand it. Different people have VERY different definitions. For example, where would your book qualify using the Ellora's Cave definitions for Romantica

S – ENSUOUS
E – ROTIC
X - TREME

Ellora’s Cave Publishing offers three levels of Romantica® reading entertainment: S (S-ensuous), E (E-rotic), and X (X-treme).

S-ensuous love scenes are explicit and leave nothing to the imagination.

E-rotic love scenes are explicit, leave nothing to the imagination, and are high in volume per the overall word count. E-rated titles might contain material that some readers find objectionable—in other words, almost anything goes, sexually. E-rated titles are the most graphic titles we carry in terms of both sexual language and descriptiveness in these works of literature.

X-treme titles differ from E-rated titles only in plot premise and storyline execution. Stories designated with the letter X tend to contain difficult or controversial subject matter not for the faint of heart.

I know some print publishers in all three definitions, but hate to steer you to the wrong one.

short_story · Nov 19, 2006

Cathy C said:
Define "explicit" as you understand it. Different people have VERY different definitions. For example, where would your book qualify using the Ellora's Cave definitions for Romantica

I know some print publishers in all three definitions, but hate to steer you to the wrong one.

At this point, I'll try anything.

Sean D. Schaffer · Nov 19, 2006

short_story said:
At this point, I'll try anything.

I'm new to the Erotica genre, (I write Fantasy mostly,) but I would be somewhat more selective, if I were you, in who I submit to. Trying anything could land you with a scam company. I would never want to see another writer caught up in such a situation.

Plus, if your work is not right for a particular house, then it's not right for them. Researching the house you go with, no matter what genre you work in, should always be an essential part of your decisions.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't be in a huge hurry. The publishing industry takes time to do its job. If you want your story told the way you intended it to be told, then you definitely will need to be careful who you submit to. Don't just go for anything; your hard work is worth waiting to get published the right way.

I hope this helps you out. Good luck to you.

Cathy C · Nov 19, 2006

short_story said:
At this point, I'll try anything.

But what is it RIGHT NOW, without editing? It seems silly to edit to a publisher's guidelines, when there might be one just right for it as it stands.

James Buchanan · Nov 19, 2006

Phaze titles over over a certain length are eligble for print and stocked in Barnes & Nobels. You have to get out there and promote your butt off and sell a minimum number of e-books over a certain period... but you might try them.

short_story · Nov 19, 2006

Ian D. Mecantie said:
I'm new to the Erotica genre, (I write Fantasy mostly,) but I would be somewhat more selective, if I were you, in who I submit to. Trying anything could land you with a scam company. I would never want to see another writer caught up in such a situation.

Plus, if your work is not right for a particular house, then it's not right for them. Researching the house you go with, no matter what genre you work in, should always be an essential part of your decisions.

I guess what I'm trying to say is, don't be in a huge hurry. The publishing industry takes time to do its job. If you want your story told the way you intended it to be told, then you definitely will need to be careful who you submit to. Don't just go for anything; your hard work is worth waiting to get published the right way.

I hope this helps you out. Good luck to you.

Would you agree? If your manuscript is edited by a professional, and you feel it is ready to be viewed by a publisher, why not try whomever is open for submission to what you write? This is what I mean by, "I'll try anything or anyone." Whomever the publisher may be.

veinglory · Nov 20, 2006

Yet you have tried small print houses and ruled out medium sized ebook publishers?

I am more than willing to help you find some more options but it really is impossible wihout length, heat level, erotic content and a short summary of content. i.e. not romance? Novel length? Could it be called erotica?

Sean D. Schaffer · Nov 20, 2006

short_story said:
Would you agree? If your manuscript is edited by a professional, and you feel it is ready to be viewed by a publisher, why not try whomever is open for submission to what you write? This is what I mean by, "I'll try anything or anyone." Whomever the publisher may be.

I think I know what you're saying; it's still taking me some time to figure out as my brain is still pretty much mush this morning and I've only had a couple sips of coffee. But I do think I know what you're saying.

Let me put it to you this way: Author James D. Macdonald, on this site, says, "Aim high" when speaking of submitting to houses. In other words, don't just go with whomever. Go from the top down when submitting, because if you are published through a smaller company, you might never know whether or not you are good enough to be published through a big company.

But like I pointed out in my previous post, you can very easily end up, with the attitude of, "Submit to whomever", with a scam company.

So no, I would not agree with your statement, "Submit to whomever is open to submissions for what you write." There are too many bad apples in the business to just blindly reach for one. And some legit houses even, might not do enough for your work. I would echo Mr. Macdonald's statement in that you should aim high and work your way down the ladder.

short_story · Nov 28, 2006

veinglory said:
Yet you have tried small print houses and ruled out medium sized ebook publishers?

I am more than willing to help you find some more options but it really is impossible wihout length, heat level, erotic content and a short summary of content. i.e. not romance? Novel length? Could it be called erotica?

The length of the entire book of short stories is "45,000" and the heat index is sizzling. I don't think I mentioned it was an anthology of short stories. It's an erotic thriller. Crime, detective stuff.

JulesJones · Nov 28, 2006

Okay. A couple of points about wanting print
-- 45,000 words is probably going to be too short for print.

-- I have heard varying things about how easy it is to sell an anthology or collection of short stories. But it does sound as if a collection is very difficult to sell, unless you're already a name author. (If it's single author, it's a collection, not an anthology.) If what you've got is a fix-up, i.e. a set of short stories that put together look like a novel, that's a different matter.

Having said that, it's not impossible. It's just going to be very hard work. A quick poke through Ralan turned up Elastic Press
http://www.elasticpress.com/submissions.htm
though I can't find any background information on them in the usual places -- remember, always research a publisher first, because there are a lot of incompetent and outright scam presses out there. There are other small presses that look like possibles.

short_story · Dec 1, 2006

What do you all think of extasy press? Does anyone know their credibility? Has anyone worked with them?

veinglory · Dec 2, 2006

eXtacy press is, as far as I am aware, an epublisher.

Jules might be onto a good line for you. There are quite a few respectable small presses like elastic who like edgy material and would not be bothered by erotic content. They also tend to go down to novella/chapbook length.

JulesJones · Dec 2, 2006

eXtasy is an epublisher, with a few titles taken to print. There have allegedly been problems in the recent past, now being fixed, detailed at Piers Anthony's website:
http://www.hipiers.com/publishing.html#E1
I am inclined to take recommendations on Anthony's site with a large grain of salt, given that he was merrily promoting the vanity PODs at one point, but he's good at recording complaints and replies.

Maryn · Dec 2, 2006

JulesJones, I don't believe I've thanked you for watching our collective back.

Maryn, grateful

JulesJones · Dec 2, 2006

Maryn, you can thank a whole bunch of other people, some on this board, for teaching *me* how to protect my back.

short_story · Dec 2, 2006

Don't think I'm being ungreatful or anything, but the site you suggested is a bit dreary looking. There were just a few novels featured on the site.
When I'm shopping for a publisher, I look for more than ten published novels on their home page. The site brought me to a screeching halt, when I saw some of the books were not published by elasticpress.

veinglory · Dec 2, 2006

If you mean Elastic, their books create some buzz, I have bought one in the past and found it to be excellent, they have a degree of respect in the industry (in proportion to the size of the press, which is very small). With a small press having few books may well mean they actively distribute and promote those books. They have many more than 2 books, you just hit a link to their deal over 2 from another press. A bad website is not necessarily a big problem, c.f. a big glossy website full of books which as often as not leads to an epublisher that sell 5 copies of each. Elastic will better suit a UK writer though.

In the same general genre you might look at soft skull http://www.softskull.com/index.php and generally investigate the horror small presses with good readership.

I need help!

short_story

veinglory

volitare nequeo

BarbaraSheridan

insert catchy phrase here

JulesJones

Maryn

I Tried

short_story

Sassenach

5 W's & an H

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

short_story

Sean D. Schaffer

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

James Buchanan

short_story

veinglory

volitare nequeo

Sean D. Schaffer

short_story

JulesJones

short_story

veinglory

volitare nequeo

JulesJones

Maryn

I Tried

JulesJones

short_story

veinglory

volitare nequeo

I need help!

volitare nequeo

*insert catchy phrase here*

I Tried

5 W's & an H

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

volitare nequeo

volitare nequeo

I Tried

volitare nequeo

insert catchy phrase here