CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS -- Blowing Kisses -- Deadline: September 15, 2003
[please feel free to forward widely]
Blowing Kisses: The Best of Blowfish (a new anthology of erotic fiction)
Published by Blowfish, Inc., edited by Mary Anne Mohanraj
Projected publication date: Spring 2004
Payment: 5 cents/word for new fiction, 3 cents/word for reprints; $20/poem
Length: Up to 10,000 words, but 2000-6000 preferred
Rights: First worldwide anthology rights
Blowfish has been offering sex-positive products and information for the past ten years, catering to all genders, persuasions, orientations and varieties of relationships. In honor of its ten-year anniversary, Blowfish is publishing its first erotic anthology, a celebration of blowjobs (and other delightful sexual activities). For this anthology, I'm looking primarily for short erotic fiction, any orientation, any (erotic) genre. (Most of the stories will be realistic mainstream, but some fantasy or sf will undoubtedly find its way in. Within spec fic, I particularly enjoy slipstream and magical realist fiction; traditional fantasy or hard sf is unlikely to be accepted.) I'll also be considering poetry.
I'm willing to look at reprints, but be warned that I'm unlikely to take one unless the following three conditions apply: a) you are something of a "name" author, with at least three professional publications, b) the piece is really excellent and sexy, and c) it hasn't appeared in print in the last few years. The anthology will primarily be composed of new material.
The only ground rule for fiction is that the stories must at some point include a blow job -- which I'm going to define extremely loosely. Any oral sex counts, regardless of the gender of the participants (and transgender fiction is welcome). Fantasies count. Thinking about a blow job and then deciding to do something else counts, as long as said thinking is appropriately sexy. And of course, I'm expecting that most of the stories will include other sexual activities as well. The concept is meant to be amusing, fun -- a play on the company's name. But it's also meant to encourage you to investigate a range of sexual possibilities; too often erotic fiction aims straight for intercourse, with no stops on the way. Blowfish's sex toy products encourage their customers to explore their sexuality -- to linger, to experiment, to play. This anthology hopes to do the same.
Beyond the ground rules, what I personally enjoy are characters with strong emotions, facing interesting problems that I can get caught up in. Be wary of simple story lines that are essentially boy-wants-girl, boy-gets-girl; in good fiction, there are difficulties, complications, surprises and reversals. The writing should be sexy and sensual (beautiful language is always a plus), but the story and characters are what's most important to me in the end.
For poetry, please send no more than two (2) poems at a time, and do not send more until I have responded to your previous sub. (You may send both fiction and poetry at the same time, but in separate e-mails, please.) Poetry should be no more than 50 lines in length.
I've previously published two anthologies: Aqua Erotica and Bodies of Water (Random House), and two choose-your-own-adventure erotic novels: Kathryn in the City and The Classics Professor (Penguin). I also publish Strange Horizons and founded Clean Sheets. You can look at any of these or at my home page if you'd like to get a better idea of my tastes.
Format: E-mail submissions strongly preferred, cleanly formatted in plain text (not an attachment). Any attachments will be deleted unread. Please query by e-mail if you need to send snail mail; expect a much slower response. Please submit no more than one (1) story at a time. If you need help formatting in plain text, please reference the Strange Horizons fiction guidelines for assistance.
E-mail subs to: m@mamohanraj.com with a header reading:
BLOWFISH SUB: title
Include word count, author's name, address, phone number and e-mail address.
DEADLINE: September 15, 2003