Black Velvet Seductions
Welcomes Romance Submissions

Because we publish across many romance sub-genres and have lines to represent everything from sweet romance to very hot erotic romance there is space in our lineup for many different and unique author voices. We invite authors to write their best stories and to submit them to us. We represent an excellent opportunity for unpublished authors to become published as we are very committed to discovering and developing new authors. 99% of our authors are published for the first time with us.

There are a few things we are looking for across all lines. They are:

*Authors who take something ordinary and make it super extraordinary

*Very well developed multi-dimensional characters

*A high degree of emotional impact

*A high degree of sexual tension both before the hero and heroine make love and after

*Well-developed backstories

*Strong internal conflicts

*Characters and plots which can be easily summarized with a few sentences

All Stories Must Be Written In Third Person

All stories written for Black Velvet Seductions must be written in deep third person point of view. We do not publish or read submissions written in first person point of view.

Length is Open

Black Velvet Seductions accepts manuscripts of all lengths from very short (for use in anthologies) to very long. We advise authors to use the number of words necessary to adequately tell their story.

GUIDELINES FOR TENDER DESTINATIONS (SWEET) LINE:

Stories for this line should focus on the emotional aspects of meeting someone special and falling in love. These stories are particularly emotion based.

For this line, love scenes should include a stronger emphasis on the emotional aspects of lovemaking rather than on the physical aspects. Physical aspects of lovemaking may be described but should be described romantically as opposed to graphically. Word choices should reflect this with a more lyrical and euphamistic style of description.

We particularly look for deeper characters and broader backstory than most other publishers of sweet romance. We would love to see more flaws in the characters for this line. We would like to see characters who have made some mistakes and who must now make up for the mistakes they’ve made.
Characters in this line do not particularly have to be virginal.

GUIDELINES FOR OUR SENSUOUS JOURNEYS (SENSUAL) LINE

Stories for this line will focus on both the emotional aspects and the physical aspects of falling in love. The core of these stories is a hero and heroine meet and fall in love (or hero and heroine reunite and fall in love). Within that framework we want to see a greater development of the sexual conflicts and sexual attraction between the characters. We would like to see sexual activity described more fully, though do not wish to see a lot of gratuitous graphic language.

These stories may take a more matter of fact and direct approach toward sexuality. Authors for this line do not necessarily need to shy away from conflicts based on differing sexual experiences, differing sexual interests or differing sexual appetites. They may, if they choose use these things to fuel conflict.

We invite authors for this line to explore the sexuality of their characters and to make that aspect of their character as real as any other aspect of the character.

Stories for this line may involve most types of non-fetish sexual activity. Lovemaking within this line may be a little harder, a little rougher than the lovemaking in the Tender Destinations line. Lovemaking will still be described with an eye toward the romantic rather than the graphic. Authors of this line should use appropriate words for male and female anatomy though limited use of euphemisms is still acceptable

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GUIDELINES FOR OUR FORBIDDEN EXPERIENCES (EROTIC) LINE:

For this line we seek romances that may not quite "fit" the guidelines issued by other companies. They will be too erotic for contemporary series romance lines, yet they may have that more traditional category romance flavor. They may lack the graphic language and quick advancement to intimacy that many of the erotic romance publishers require.

What we are looking for first and foremost is a marriage of the romance genre (think of traditional category and series romance lines here) with a much higher degree of eroticism. In other words, we want all the emotional impact, all of the angst, all of the character development, and all of the conflict you would find in any traditional romance novel. Then we want it to contain a very high degree of sexuality and eroticism. Authors are advised to check out His Perfect Submissive by Alyssa Aaron as it is an excellent example of the kind of deep characterization, pacing, and sexuality we are looking for for the series flavored erotic romance element of this line.
Though we particularly seek erotic romance with a category romance flavor we also publish erotic romance that follows a much less traditional romance path.

Work like Robert Cloud’s Toy’s Story: Acquistion of  a Sex Toy represents the grittier, less traditional side of this line.

We especially seek books that explore the eroticism of offbeat sexual practices. Show us the eroticism of spanking, of bondage, dominance and submission, or of voyeurism. We are also open to books which contain less common fetishes. Query us or attend one of our Saturday night chats if you are not sure what is acceptable for this line.

In this line spanking, bondage, dominance and submission, and other similar practices can be portrayed with either a hard or a soft edge. Authors should bear in mind that what we publish is romance and that whatever the sexual content of the piece it needs to remain a romance. If an author wants to push the sexual boundaries of the genre this would be the line in which to do it.

Though many erotic romance publishers want sex in the first few pages and want it to occur frequently thereafter. We do not require that. We do not want to sacrifice the romance story line for increased eroticism. An author's specific story and the make-up of their characters should decide the placement and frequency of sex scenes.

We want authors to take the time to develop their characters, their plots, their conflicts and the sexual tension that exists between their characters. Then when it is time for their characters to make love we want them to deliver something beyond the realm of what traditional romance publishers have allowed.

There are very few sexual taboos in our erotic line. We tend to give our authors the widest latitude. If it is safe, sane, and consensual we will allow our authors latitude to show us the eroticism. However, we will not consider manuscripts with any of the following: bestiality (sex with animals), necrophilia (sex with dead people), and pedophilia (sex with children).

Although we are actively acquiring books in all erotic romance categories, contemporary, romantic suspense, and historical we are especially interested in acquiring books in the following sub-categories.

*Erotic historical romances--especially westerns

*Capture/Bondage/BDSM romances

*Dominance/Submission/Power Exchange romances

*Romances in which the hero and heroine practice some form of domestic discipline (spanking)

*Erotic romantic suspense

We believe that sexuality in many forms is beautiful, healthy and enjoyable. We want stories that portray that message. We want nothing that portrays sex or sexual adventurousness as dirty, shameful, or perverted.

GUIDELINES FOR OUR AMOROUS ADVENTURES (ROMANTIC SUSPENSE) LINE

For our romantic suspense line we are looking for stories that combine all of the elements of a great romance novel with an element of suspense, mystery or a main character in some type of physical jeopardy.

Stories for this line may take a softer, more traditional romantic suspense approach or may take the grittier approach of stand alone type books. In either case, these should be high adrenaline stories in which the reader is vested in both the outcome of the romance and the outcome of the mystery or suspense element.

We want to see fully developed romance components within this line. We do not want to see stories in which the characters have a lukewarm relationship. Hero and heroine in this line must be as attracted to each other, and eventually as much in love, as the hero and heroine in any of our other lines.
Sexuality in these stories can follow the guidelines for any of our other lines. Although all romantic suspense will be published under our Amorous Adventures imprint the covers will depict their heat rating so readers will know the sexual content before they buy.

IN ALL OUR LINES

Length is open and should be determined by the author and the story the author is telling. We have published everything from very short pieces to very long pieces.  Short pieces however need to deliver in the short format everything that is expected in a longer format in terms of plot, character, eroticism, and emotional impact.

We are particularly interested in acquiring pieces with rounded and or curvy heroines who find love with wonderful erotic men who love their rounder curvier figures. All stories with overweight heroines should portray women of size as erotic and sexy and sexually adventurous. Even if the heroine loses weight within the story it should be clear that she is sexy to the hero at any size. We do not accept manuscripts in which the situation is portrayed such that it seems that the heroine must lose weight to be worthy of the hero. All women (and men) regardless of their size and shape are worthy of love.

We are also open to heroes who are sexual and sexually adventurous with a bit of extra weight.

Do not be afraid to hit us with a non-traditional character or plot. We like quirky, interesting and off-beat.

We prefer to receive submissions by email attachment.
Submissions for any of our lines may be sent to:
LaurieSanders@fusemail.com
We do accept submissions by traditional mail as well, but warn that the response time on them is much longer than on emailed submissions. An electronic version will be required upon acceptance.

For Traditional Mail Send Submissions To:

Laurie Sanders, Acquisitions Editor
Black Velvet Seductions Publishing Company
1350-C West Southport, Box 249
Indianapolis, IN 46217