Authors of Erotic Romance

Here’s the information if you would like to make a submission.

Information correct as of March 3rd, 2007. Please verify your facts using this link.

Prospective Authors

Loose Id is actively acquiring stories from both aspiring and established authors. We are a royalty-paying e-publisher, and we hold ourselves to the highest standards of contract fairness as defined by EPIC. Before submitting a query or proposal, please read the guidelines below.

Submissions

Stories must meet our guidelines as set forth below. Please don’t hesitate to contact us for any information you don’t see here.

Introduction to Our Guidelines

Publishing is all about the readers. All about finding readers and giving those readers what they want.

Right now, readers are very clear on what they want, and it’s causing some amazing changes in the genre fiction market. Some of that change has been wrought by the success of highly erotic e-books. Some of it by the success of such ‘with romantic elements’ paranormals as Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake series, Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series, Kelly Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series. Chick-lit, action heroes and heroines, powerfully compelling science fiction and fantasy universes—you know what’s selling, because you are buying it.

In recognition of these trends, such publishing giants as Harlequin and Tor have launched new lines, and others are modifying their existing lines to deliver what the readers want. Harlequin created LUNA and its new single title line. Tor has been pushing its Women in Fantasy and now has a Paranormal Romance program. Pocket and St. Martin’s and Kensington and Berkley and others are looking for sexier stories with stronger plots.

As readers, we’re absolutely delighted with the new offerings. As writers, we’re jumping up and down with glee that someone is finally starting to want the books we want to write. As publishers, we think they’re absolutely right, but we don’t think they’ve gone far enough. There are more barriers to cross. More freedom to be given. At Loose Id, we think it’s time for Love Unleashed TM.

Love UnleashedTM

Loose Id wants to ‘unleash’ the power of love and sex to transform good stories into great ones. In order to do that, we’re bringing down the walls between genres. Erasing the dividing lines between sub genres to give readers what they want.

At Loose Id, we want books that:

* Unleash love stories from traditional romance, fantasy, science fiction and genre formulas by crossing traditional genre lines. While we want a love story, the primary conflict need not be between hero(es) and heroine(s) (though a strong relationship conflict creates terrific story potential).
* Unchain love stories from ‘happily ever after’ endings by allowing the ‘happy for now’ ending. In the real world, relationships don’t always proceed quickly and conflicts don’t always resolve themselves neatly. Not everyone survives big, climactic battles. An ending can show the hero(es) and heroine(s) taking the next step toward ‘forever’; or show the primary romantic characters getting what they want, but at great personal cost. Or, an ending can be the traditional, wonderful, always beloved ‘happily ever after’.
* Unfetter love stories from traditional run-of-the-mill romance hero(es) and heroine(s). Though we love those Alpha-dominant heroes, we also love kick-ass Alpha heroines, gutsy gammas, and sexy subs. While straight heterosexual Caucasian romances are fine with us, everyone needs love in their lives. Bring us multi-culturalism, alternative lifestyles and sexualities, big, beautiful heroines—make your characters real. No bland characters or Mary Sues need apply.

With that said, there’s no one formula for a Loose Id book, no magic sales key. What worked for Mary may not work for Sue. On the other hand, there is an evolving Loose Id look and feel.

A Loose Id story:

* Is well-written and well-crafted. Take the time to do it right. And please, please, please proofread.
* Has a strong plot, whether it’s a traditional ‘goals and motivations in conflict’ (in other words, boy meets girl, boy and girl have problems caused by who they are and what they want, boy and girl resolve problems, boy and girl live happily ever after) romance or an external conflict love story or an ongoing series hero(ine) adventure.
* Is original. Just because we love Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong, Laura Kinsale, MaryJanice Davidson, and Angela Knight doesn’t mean we want to see a parade of clones. Sure, vamps, weres and futuristics sell. Everyone who knows e-books knows that. It’s just that we’re not interested in a vamp, were or futuristic. We’re interested in your vamp, were or futuristic.
* Knows its market and hits it. Every subgenre of romance has its special keys. You have to understand the conventions and employ them—even if only to break them—or you will disappoint the readers. While we want original and unique stories, we still expect you to be market-savvy.
* Delivers. When you’ve finished reading a Loose Id book, you feel it. The author made you a promise and s/he fulfilled it. You may not like the book, or the ending, for personal reasons, or perhaps you won’t like the premise to begin with, but you should never be able to say that the book didn’t work on its own terms.

Specific Guidelines

Now that you’ve read about Love UnleashedTM, and you have a sense of Loose Id’s publishing mandate, we can give you some specific guidelines. Remember, we’re looking for stories at the cutting edge. So as long as your story doesn’t hit our absolute no-nos, if it fits the spirit of Love UnleashedTM, send it along and let us be the judge.

We’re currently accepting:

* Stories 20K and up, with the exception of Flings from authors previously published by Loose Id, which may be shorter. Previously published stories will be accepted only if author owns all e-rights.
* Cross-genre love stories. That is, a romance or love story, plus significant elements of another genre. For example: action-adventure, alternative lifestyles and sexualities, comedy (please, not just light drama; by comedy we really mean comedy—whether a comedy of manners or a chick lit, there must be a strong comedic element), fantasy, futuristic, paranormal, suspense (please, not a minor mystery for the characters to resolve; make the suspense a central element of the plot), science fiction, urban fantasy. No straight contemporaries or historicals. A straight contemporary or historical is any contemporary or historical where other genre (or content, see below) elements are non-integral to the plot and represent less than 50% of the content/conflict of the story.
* High degree of sensuality. No closed doors, no purple prose. But also no gratuitous, unmotivated sex scenes; however, eroticism and language should be as graphic and explicit as the plot and characters will bear.
* Love story. Traditional ‘goals and motivations in conflict’ romance is fine, as are ‘with romantic elements’ big plot stories. In any case, the love story should be no less than roughly 35% of the plot.

While we are accepting anything that fits our guidelines, we are specifically seeking:

* Unashamedly sexy ideas.
* Multi-cultural, non-Caucasian, BBW, and alternative sexualities and lifestyles. (Contemporaries and historicals that deal with issues of culture-clash, body image, or alternative sexualities and lifestyles, may be acceptable, if these issues are 50% or more of the content or conflict.)
* Strong, well-built science fiction, paranormal or urban fantasy worlds that support multiple stories.
* Series heroes or heroines with ‘happy for now’ endings and ongoing series potential.

Absolutely no:

* Straight contemporary or historical, see above for definitions.
* Short stories, see above.
* Erotica without a developing relationship and at least a ‘happy for now’ ending, see above.
* Pedophilia. That is, sex between adults and underage characters.
* Necrophilia. Undead doesn’t count.
* Bestiality. Sentient shifters, aliens and paranormal creatures are OK.
* Scat or golden showers. Territorial marking may be acceptable in extraordinary cases. Inquire before submitting.
* Rape or incest (as defined by the culture in which the story occurs) calculated to arouse the reader. Villains may commit rape or incest to demonstrate malicious intent, but it should occur in a manner that is not arousing, or offstage. Rape or incest can have occurred in a character’s past, but the hero or heroine should never perpetrate rape or incest during the scope of the story.
* Snuff.

Sending a Proposal

Please submit exactly and only the following:

A Query Letter with:

* Your name and contact e-mail.
* The name of the manuscript you are submitting and the name of the series it is a part of, if any.
* The completion status and expected length of your manuscript.
* The genre, the premise, and the degree of sensuality present in your manuscript.
* The marketing hook and intended readership of your manuscript.
* Your bibliography and sales history, if any.

A short but complete Synopsis focusing on the characters’ goals and motivations, the major story events, climax and ending.

A Partial which includes the first Three Chapters of your manuscript. A short prologue should not be counted. If all of the major characters are not represented in the first three chapters or the love story has not yet begun, please send through those points to the nearest chapter break.

Authors with multiple previous publications may submit a proposal which includes a Query Letter and an expanded Synopsis. Please note that acceptance on proposal, while it does occur, is not the norm.
Formatting Your Submission

Please follow these simple formatting guidelines precisely.

* RTF files only. Submissions in DOC or in the body of the e-mail will not be accepted. This is not arbitrary. DOCs carry harmful viruses while RTFs do not, and unformatted text is exceedingly difficult to read.
* Double-spaced. Standard 12 pt serif font. Times New Roman or Courier preferred.
* Emphasis and foreign words may be underlined or italicized.
* Place the Query Letter only in the body of the e-mail; you may address it to the Editor-in-Chief, Treva Harte, or to a specific editor of your acquaintance. Attach the Synopsis and Partial to the e-mail (RTF files only).
* Include your name, pen-name and contact e-mail in the Query Letter, Synopsis and Partial.

Send the submissions package to
.

* You will receive confirmation of receipt within one week. If you have not received confirmation at the end of one week, please e-mail Editor-in-Chief Treva Harte at alterego@loose-id.com.
* Our current submissions’ read time is three to four weeks. If you have not heard from an editor at the end of one month, inquire by e-mail to submissions@loose-id.com as to the status of your submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following questions are the ones we hear most often from prospective authors. Don’t see the answer to your question below? Feel free to contact our Editorial department at submissions@loose-id.com.

What’s your turnaround time on proposals?

Our current response time to a query or proposal is less than one month.

If my book is contracted, when will it be published?

Barring unforeseen circumstances, your book should be published between two and four months after we receive the final manuscript from you.

Why doesn’t Loose Id publish books in print?

At Loose Id, we’re committed to expanding the electronic publishing market, bringing in new customers, and finding new market segments. Electronic publishing is, still, the wave of the future. So far, e-books have barely begun to catch on, but with the technologies now coming to market and just beginning to mature, we expect to see even more growth. Publishing books in print would take our time and energy away from that goal.

When my book is published, what can I expect from Loose Id?

At Loose Id, we’re commited to treating every author and every title like an individual. You can expect the most professional marketing materials our current budget can support, targeted promotions, and top-notch assistance with your own promotional efforts. While we don’t have an unlimited budget at this time, we’re always interested in working with authors to develop high-quality materials and provide the expert assistance of our cover artists, web designers, and staff members to create whatever you might need to promote your book your way.

How often are royalties paid?

Monthly.

Do I need an agent to submit to Loose Id?

Not at all. We welcome submissions from aspiring and previously published authors, agented or not.

If I publish under a pen name, can you ensure that my real name won’t be revealed?

Yes. Loose Id will not reveal any confidential information about our authors unless you authorize us to do so. All of our authors are asked to complete a detailed Marketing Information Form that specifically states what information about you we may disclose for publicity purposes. This includes not only your name, but your e-mail address, web site URL, and other personal information. You may wish to review our Privacy Policy for additional information about our commitment to protecting the privacy of our customers.

Are there any subjects or plots that you won’t accept?

Good authors can make a difficult subject work, so we hesitate to discourage you from writing any story that’s yearning to be written. However, we will not accept a story that includes pedophilia, necrophilia, or the inclusion of certain bodily functions. If you have a question about a particular element of your story, feel free to ask our Editor-in-Chief, Treva Harte, via e-mail: alterego@loose-id.com.

Contract Terms

Loose Id is a royalty-paying epublisher. We hold to the highest standards of contract fairness, as defined by EPIC.

We ask for electronic rights for a term of two years, have a full audit clause, and pay 35% of gross sales on standalone stories. We do have a series first look clause, but it applies only while the contract is in force, and only if we are not in breach of our obligations under the contract; all ownership in characters, worlds, and ‘themes’ remains with the author. We currently pay royalties on a monthly basis.

We do reserve an option to publish contracted books in print, but we cannot guarantee that a specific title will be published in print.