Submitting
Breathless Press is an all eBook publisher who is actively looking for submissions.
*New*: View our Sample Contract.
Market: We prefer manuscripts that target adults.
Genre: We are looking for romance, erotic romance, or erotica. For a full listing of our lines, please see below under Our Lines.
Length: Classified as follows:
Novelette: 10,000 - 20,000 words
Novella: 20,000 - 50/60,000 words
Novel: 50/60,000-100,000 words
What we are not accepting:
Flirts: under 1,000 words
Temptations: 1,500 - 10,000 words*
* Please note that we are only taking under 10k for our Anthologies or Themed Submissions. If you have a story that is under 10k, please submit it for one of our Anthologies or Themed Submissions.
Our Lines:
Timeless: Where Historical Romances Come to Life.
Adonis: (M/M) Hot, Sexy Men Who Love Men.
Aphrodite: (F/F) Where Female Passion and Sexuality Tantalize the Senses
Branded: Putting the Sizzle in the Wild Wild West.
Mocha: A Hot and Rich Blending of Desires
Cyber: (Sci-fi) Satisfying All Your Future Desires.
Paranormal: The Things That Like to Bump in the Night.
Romance: Suspense / Comedy / Chick-lit/ Sweet Romance (Heat rating: Sweet Confections)
Erotika: Adding a Kick to Sex. (Heat rating of 3 or greater)
Embers: Smoldering Romances (Heat ratings of 1 - 2)
Naughty Nursery Rhymes: We all grew up with nursery rhymes, so why not continue to love them (Heat rating: 2+ - Also includes Fairy Tales)
Realms: Cross into fantasy realms of romance. (Heat rating: 2+)
New Hope: Information coming soon
Reflections: No sex is necessary for these non-fiction reflections. We're looking for memoirs, how-to manuals, and recounts of real life events.
Special Note:
*Please keep in mind, if your manuscript is a M/M or F/F whether they are in space, in a western, vampires, or interracial, your story is classified as Adonis or Aphrodite*.
Breathless Press Heat Ratings:
Sweet Confection:Unconsummated sensual scenes, or love scenes that contain no description of actions.
1. Monogamous couples. Infrequent loves scenes with no graphic language.
2. Explicit love scenes with graphic or span language.
3. Frequent and explicit loves scenes/graphic depictions of sexual situations. May include BDSM, D/s, homoerotic sex acts.
Diablo Delight: No holds barred high frequency of sexual interactions with span erotic content. Extreme BDSM, group sex. No HEA required.
Themed Submission Calls
We currently have the following themed submission calls: (When submitting, please send to: acquisitions@breathlesspress.com and put the name of the anthology in the subject.)
Currently Open: Hot Shifters, Hot Shots Anthology, Crimson Anthology
Ad-Dick-tion Anthology: Our Ad-Dick-Tion anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, be m/m (gay) orientated (m/m/f is fine as long as the two males have sex or a relationship together and not just with the female) and be original stories. There is no other theme besides being m/m. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with a royalty of 4% of net sales. No single author shall have more than 2 stories in this anthology. We reserve the rights for digital for 1 year with the option of renewing after that. Some anthologies will go to print, if this is the case for this volume, royalties are 1.5% of net sales and we reserve the rights for 2 years with the option of renewal for another 2 years. Deadline: May 5th, 2012 - October 31st, 2012. Published: May 2013.
Volume 2 Comes out: May 4th, 2012
Hot Shots Anthology: Our Hot Shots anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, and be original stories. There is no other theme besides being erotic. All stories must be m/f. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with a royalty of 4% of net sales. No single author shall have more than 2 stories in this anthology. We reserve the rights for digital for 1 year with the option of renewing after that. Some anthologies will go to print, if this is the case for this volume, royalties are 1.5% of net sales and we reserve the rights for 2 years with the option of renewal for another 2 years. Deadline: Nov 26th, 2011 - April 30th, 2012. Published: Nov 30th, 2012.
Volume 2 Comes out: November 25, 2011
Crimson Anthology: Our Crimson anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, and be original stories. There is no other theme besides having something to do with vampires. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with a royalty of 4% of net sales. No single author shall have more than 2 stories in this anthology. We reserve the rights for digital for 1 year with the option of renewing after that. Some anthologies will go to print, if this is the case for this volume, royalties are 1.5% of net sales and we reserve the rights for 2 years with the option of renewal for another 2 years. Deadline: Feb 4th, 2012 - Jul 31th, 2012. Published: Feb 1st, 2013.
Serviced Anthology: Our Serviced anthology is an ongoing submission call. Stories must be under 10k, have a heat rating of at least 3, and be original stories. There is no other theme besides having something to do with the army, military, navy, or air force as well as being romantic/erotic in nature. We will be doing two a year, one with a focus on m/m stories, the other on m/f stories. The anthology will consist of 10 stories each with a royalty of 4% of net sales. No single author shall have more than 2 stories in this anthology. We reserve the rights for digital for 1 year with the option of renewing after that. Some anthologies will go to print, if this is the case for this volume, royalties are 1.5% of net sales and we reserve the rights for 2 years with the option of renewal for another 2 years. M/M Deadline: Sept 8th, 2011 - Feb 29th, 2012. M/M Published: Sept 7th, 2012. M/F Deadline: Mar 10th, 2011 - Aug 31st, 2012. M/F Published: Mar 8th, 2013.
Home for the Holidays: Our Home for the Holidays is published for December. We will be releasing 8 stories in December all revolving around the holiday season. Stories must be more than 10k with a heat rating of 2 or more. Deadline: Jan 1st, 2012 - June 30th, 2012. Published: December 2012.
Hot Shifters: Our Hot Shifters are published for October. We will be releasing 8 stories in October all revolving around the shifters. This can be wolf, lion, panther, etc. Stories must be more than 10k with a heat rating of 2 or more. Deadline: Nov 1st, 2011 - April 30th, 2012. Published: October 2012.
How to Send Us Your Gem:
Electronic submissions only in a .doc-compatible (or .rtf) file. Attach full manuscript to email.
Send query to: acquisitions@breathlesspress.com Subject line of email must be addressed as follows: Title/author/Line See below for definition of Lines. The body of your email should contain your query, followed by a short synopsis (no more than five pages).
How do you prefer manuscripts to be formatted before sending?
All manuscripts should be double-spaced with one space after a period. We prefer italics to underlines, minimal formatting (no single character ellipses or spaces between periods in ellipses, no curly or smart quotes (straight quotes only), and no fancy characters as section breaks). Courier New or Times New Roman 12pt. font only. The title page should include the title, your name, contact information, and word count, as well as the heat rating of your story. (see below for details)
What do you consider a big NO when it comes to story content?
- closed door sex
- fan fiction
- forced seduction, non-con, rape
- incest
- pedophilia, sexual activities with or between minors, daddy/mommy fantasies
- water play
- brown play
- knife play, or blood play
- urethral sounding (i.e.- cock stuffing)
- erotic asphyxiation, snuff
- bestiality
- felching
- necrophilia
If you are not sure - please feel free to ask at acquisitions@breathlesspress.com We try to answer questions regarding our submission guidelines within 48 hours
Do you accept multiple or simultaneous submissions?
We do not accept multiple submissions, meaning more than one submission at the same time. We do accept simultaneous submissions, but we ask that if you are submitting somewhere else, please let us know at time of submissions as well as inform us of the status of the manuscripts availability.
How long will it take before I have a response?
Approximately 2 - 4 weeks, depending on the length of your submission. If you are ever curious about the status of your manuscript, you are welcome to contact us. But we ask that you please allow a minimum of two weeks before following up.
Breathless Press FAQ
What percent royalties can I expect?
Breathless Press currently pays 40% net sales. We pay 15-20 days after month end and send payment via PayPal or Check.
What do you want to see in my query?
Please include your name, email address, and website url, if applicable. Your letter should include your title, genre, word count, with a short blurb highlighting your story, followed by any relevant credits you may have. End with a brief synopsis ( no more than five pages ) to close your query.
Will my book be edited?
We do expect your submission to be self-edited for grammar and spelling errors. Your book will be assigned to an editor who will work with you to polish it for publication. We do not change your story or your voice, but help it shine through.
How long will it take for my book to be published if accepted?
Four to five months from contract to release is a good guideline, but it could easily be faster or slower.
Can I use my own cover art?
We are hesitant on allowing authors to provide their own cover art. Our process is one that allows author input right up to the approval of the artwork from the Art Director. We allow authors to give feedback and request changes; after all, it is you the author who know your story best.
Will my book be in Print?
At this time we are only offering eBooks but are exploring options with Print. We will be slow to introduce print to test the waters. At Breathless Press, we are going to start with one or two books that will go to print for the year, then possibly expand.
How often are royalties paid?
Royalties are paid 15 days after month end. They are for sales from the home website as well as any third party eBookstores that have paid us during that month.
If I get a rejection, can I resubmit
Yes, we do look at resubmissions. Stories that we feel have potential but are just not there yet, we will send a Revise and Resubmit. Please resubmit according to the first submission guidelines, unless directed otherwise. If we did not offer revision suggestions, then you might want to check our guidelines again to be sure your submission fits our criteria.
Do you accept previously published books?
We limit acceptance of previously published books to current Breathless Press authors who have more than one title with us.
