Category Archives: Announcements

Call For Submissions: Halloween Microfictions

September 1, 2022 Jennifer Williams Leave a comment

Things are hopping here in Salem MA, aka the Witch City. Tourists are pouring in by the busload. I’ve seen people in fancy “Witch” hats, navigated around countless walking tours, and already notched five things off my Haunted Happenings bingo card. All of this is to say that it’s that time of year again. Pumpkin spice. Halloween decor. Scary movies. And Circlet Press Halloween Microfictions.

Circlet Press is first and foremost a publisher of literary erotica. We pride ourselves on publishing inclusive and diverse stories of a fantastical nature. We especially seek to lift up authors who come from frequently marginalized backgrounds and identities.

For our Halloween microfictions we want stories that reflect our sensibilities—literary, erotic, exploring and celebrating gender and sexuality—while also harnessing the spirit of Autumn and October and Halloween. Horror is welcome so long as it is erotic and character-driven. Let your imaginations run wild. Stories can be funny or heartbreaking, steamy or sweet, and full on Pumpkin Spice Latte or just dusted with a hint of cinnamon, metaphorically speaking.

A few things to bear in mind:

A happy ending is not necessary. HOWEVER, I will not accept any stories where one spouse kills the other.

Halloween party hookups, night club hookups, demon summoning, and horny ghosts have been done to death. If you’re going to send those PLEASE make it original.

I am 100% open to classic monsters. I love vampires and zombies and werewolves and lots of other creatures. Just make sure to give them your own unique spin if that’s what you do.

I STRONGLY encourage authors to read the works posted to our website in order to familiarize yourselves with what we publish.

REQUIREMENTS:

Stories must contain erotic elements.
Consent must be EXPLICIT.
Nothing under the age of consent.
No bestiality.
No fan fiction.

The details:

Word count limit is 1,500. No reprints. Multiple submissions are okay. Please send as a Word doc or RTF (or in the body of the email) and follow standard manuscript formatting guidelines. Look up William Shunn if you aren’t familiar with manuscript formatting.

The deadline is October 15th, 11:59 pm EST. Payment will be $5 for stories under 1,000 words and $10 for stories 1,000 words to 1,500 words. Author retains all rights. Please include a short bio with your submission. Send submissions to jwsubs13@gmail.com

Announcements, Microfictions

It’s Alive! Call For Submissions: Halloween Microfictions

September 4, 2021 Jennifer Williams Leave a comment

On November 1st of last year I made a very heartfelt post surmising that the Circlet Press Halloween Microfictions had met their end. We were in the thick of the pandemic and Circlet Press had been bought out by Riverdale Avenue Books. Our understanding, at that time, was that we would eventually lose control of the website and no longer have posting access. Bye, bye, microfictions.

Life has a funny way of doing what it wants to do though. Due to circumstances out of everyone’s control we’re still here and still have posting access. So why not make the best of it?

In that spirit, I am reviving the Halloween microfictions. And since this is a bit of a resurrection I’d like to stick with that theme. Rebirth, renewal, resurrection. Pick your flavor. Or if you want to go more in the horror direction you could pick the rising/raising/reanimation of the dead. Whatever floats your boat.

Just remember the following:

Stories must contain erotic elements.
Consent must be EXPLICIT.
Nothing under the age of consent.
No bestiality.
No fan fiction.

Please familiarize yourself with our work before submitting. We prefer character driven stories. No porn without plot.

While all are welcome to submit work we STRONGLY encourage marginalized writers to submit. And, of course, we welcome (and love!) stories featuring LGBTQ+ characters.

The deadline is October 6th. Payment will be $5 for stories under 1,000 words and $10 for stories 1,000 words to 1,500 words. Author retains all rights. Please include a short bio with your submission. Send submissions to jwsubs13@gmail.com

Announcements

Circlet Press is now an imprint of Riverdale Avenue Books

March 25, 2020 ctan 2 Comments

Well, folks, it took us a while to work out the details of the deal, but our much-talked about acquisition by Riverdale Avenue Books has taken place! You can find a nice article about it in Publishers Weekly (https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/82529-riverdale-avenue-books-acquires-circlet-press.html).

I couldn’t ask for a better partner in keeping the Circlet flame burning than Lori Perkins, whose vision of erotica as a liberating force matches mine. She founded Riverdale Avenue Books in 2012 when the landscape of publishing was changing drastically (again!) and RAB is the perfect home for Circlet’s catalog of titles. RAB is an award-winning, innovative hybrid publisher with 13 imprints, including Desire (erotica/erotic romance), Riverdale/Magnus the award-winning imprint of LGBT titles, SFF (science fiction/fantasy), and many others which are so very compatible with Circlet’s quality, values, and subject matter. They had published some new editions of some older Circlet material, like the Circlet Treasury of Erotic Alice in Wonderland (which combined two Circlet ebooks on the subject) and the Circlet Treasury of Erotic Steampunk (three ebooks in one). Now RAB will be the custodians of the entire backlist, as well as the publishers of new, forthcoming material.

The first title launching since the deal closed will be THE EIDOLON INITIATIVE, an erotic mad science graphic novel from the twisted mind of Vinnie Tesla (The Ontological Engine). Within the next few months readers can also expect a passionate tale of gay cyborg love and politics entitled CYGENIC from author Monique Poirier (This World Between) and a sequel to the consentacle space opera romp MONSTER WHISPERER from Nobilis Reed (Like a Whisper In Your Ear).

Stay tuned for more excellent erotic sf/fantasy in our future!

-Cecilia Tan
Founder, and still Editor

Announcements

Deadline Extended! Halloween Microfictions Re-Open Til Friday!

October 14, 2019 Jennifer Williams Leave a comment

Hello, Circlet Friends! In a first, I have decided to re-open the Halloween microfictions submissions. Scary, I know, but I need more stories. Not many. Just a few. So I’m taking submissions again until this coming Friday, October 18th, midnight EST. All the same rules will apply which I will link below but here are some things to keep in mind:

No reprints
Please follow standard manuscript formatting and include a word count and short bio.
Stranger sex and ghost sex are a hard sell. I see a lot of these and they rarely work.
Stories must include explicit erotic content but please bear in mind that we publish literary erotica. So there should also be a strong focus on character and story.
Please do no resubmit work I have previously rejected.
Consent is of the utmost importance.
Don’t try to fit too much in. Flash fiction is more like a scene. Too much world building can drag the whole thing down.

Please also note that I already have vampire, werewolf, and witch stories. So I’d like something else if possible. There are LOTS of different types of monsters out there and lots of different Halloween tropes/myths.

Here’s the link for the full guidelines: 2019 Halloween Microfiction Guidelines

Announcements

Call for Submissions: Halloween Microfictions

August 30, 2019 Jennifer Williams 2 Comments

Pumpkin spice lattes. Autumn chills. Cemeteries by moonlight. Halloween season is nigh and that means it’s time for the annual Circlet Press Halloween microfictions. We want your best spooky and sexy flash fiction and microfictions. We strongly encourage diversity and would love to see that represented in both the stories and in our authors. Give us queer, non-binary, trans, aromantic/asexual, disability centered, neurodivergent, and people of color. Straight and cisgendered are welcome too, of course. Please don’t self-reject. We’re happy to read any story that fits within our guidelines.

So what are the guidelines? Glad you asked! Circlet Press publishes erotic science fiction, fantasy, and horror. For our Halloween microfictions we like to receive stories up to 1500 words. The Halloween theme is a loose interpretation. We want anything in the spectrum from hot monster sex to simple cozy curled up by the fire stories. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. The stories do not have to be specific to Halloween but should at least fit in with the mood of autumn.

Horror stories and comedy are more than welcome but please make sure that consent between sexual partners is explicit. All characters engaging in sexual acts must be of legal age. A happy ending is not necessary however please note that I generally do not accept stories where one lover murders the other. Also, no fan fiction please. And no reprints.

The deadline for submissions is October 1st. Please include a short bio. Payment is $5 and the author retains all rights. You may send submissions to jwsubs13@gmail.com as either a Word doc or in the body of the email.

Announcements, catalog

New erotic short story collection! THIS WORLD BETWEEN by Monique Poirier

September 12, 2018 ctan Leave a comment

This World Between: Erotic Stories
by Monique Poirier

$6.99 ebook/$12.95 paperback
138 pages
ISBN 978-1-61390-182-3 ebook
ISBN 978-1-61390-183-0 POD

Download direct here at Circlet.com

Don’t forget to add the book to your Goodreads bookshelf, as well!

Eight entrancing erotic tales from the rich imagination of Monique Poirier, an author who first began sending stories to us at Circlet in 2009 and we have loved every one. Spanning eras and universes, these stories span the gamut of sexuality and genre. A woman with a broken time machine haunts a big box store looking for a mechanic who can get her out of therewhen. An angel trolls the depths of a dark netherworld where only a demon can ease his affliction. Steampunk pasts, space operatic futures, and mysterious magical nows co-exist in This World Between. And in every story, the passionate meetings that occur are expressed in gloriously carnal detail, leaving the characters forever changed.

Contains the following types of content: lesbian, gay, bi, steampunk, space opera, dystopia, romance, alternate history, time travel, fantasy, science fiction.

About the author: Monique Poirier is a time traveler from 1983, currently residing in Providence, Rhode Island. An enrolled member of the seaconke wampanoag tribe, she is a leading voice for Native Steampunk. Her stories have been featured in many Circlet Press anthologies, including the “best of” Fantastic Erotica. Her novel, Cygenic, is forthcoming from Circlet in the coming year.

Read on for as excerpt from THIS WORLD BETWEEN: Continue reading New erotic short story collection! THIS WORLD BETWEEN by Monique Poirier →

Announcements, Microfictions

Call for Submissions: Halloween Microfictions

September 4, 2018 Jennifer Williams Leave a comment

It might be HOT, HOT, HOT outside but here at Circlet Press we’re already thinking autumn thoughts and you know what that means! It’s time to submit your spooky/sexy/scary October microfictions and flash fiction. As in years past, these microfictions will be posted on our website during the month of October leading up to Halloween. Payment is $5 and you retain all rights.

Details:

Stories can be any length up to 1500 words. No reprints. No excerpts from novels. Multiple submissions are okay.

All stories must be erotic and fit within the theme. All gender pairings are welcome and we strongly encourage marginalized writers to submit work to us. All stories must also be sex positive.

DO NOT:

Send stories where underage characters engage in sexual acts.
Send fan fiction with or without the serial numbers filed off.
Send stories where the consent is ambiguous or takes place after the act. Consent MUST be apparent BEFORE the sexual act.
Send demon summoning stories.
Send stories set at Halloween parties that focus on sexy costumes.
Send me stories longer than 1500 words.
Send me stories with no erotic content.
Send me stories where lovers kill each other.
Send stories where witches are evil monsters.
Send stories set inside haunted attractions.

DO:

Think outside the box. The theme here is pretty broad. We want stories that are erotic that also fit into horror/autumn/Halloween. Send us stories that celebrate the season in some way. Scare us while turning us on. Give us period pieces or pieces set in the far future. Make us think of leaves crunching underfoot, the smell of wood smoke carried on chill air, and harvest festivals in preparation for the dead of winter. Do this in a way that celebrates physical pleasure. A happy ending is not necessary though please bear in mind that I will not accept any stories where lovers murder each other in cold blood. Humorous stories are okay too so long as they fit with the theme.

Please send submissions to jwsubs13@gmail.com as either a Word doc or in the body of the email. Please also include a short bio. Deadline is October 1st.

Announcements, catalog

New Book! Tales from the Arena: Playing for Keeps by Elizabeth Schechter

July 20, 2018 Vinnie Tesla Leave a comment

Tales from the Arena: Playing For Keeps
$6.99 ebook
ISBN 978-1-61390-193-9
269 pages

Rakesh is one of the most skilled of the Collared, the men and women who serve in the Arena to fulfill the unique needs of the super-soldiers known as Swords.

The Swords were genetically altered to be strong, fast, tough, and deadly. But if they don’t exercise their aggression regularly, they become a danger to those around them. At the Arena, the Collareds accept what the Swords dish out, whether pleasure or pain.

Virin, a mid-ranking sword, takes Rakesh as his lover and hopes to rise high enough in rank that they may marry. But a storm is brewing. Former Collareds are disappearing, victims of a dark conspiracy of renegade soldiers that conspires to utterly control the nation of Tyrese and destroy all who oppose them. And they have their eyes on Rakesh.

“Elizabeth Schechter fuses diverse genres with such artful subtlety that we barely notice the genius at work before our eyes. Schechter is not only an engaging storyteller, but a perceptive and intelligent observer of the human condition. (Can we say icing on an already tasty cake?)” — Erotica for the Big Brain

Tales from the Arena: Playing for Keeps

Award-winning author Elizabeth Schechter spins a tale that is part space opera, part romance, and 100% sexy.
Rakesh is one of the most skilled of the Collared, the men and women who serve in the Arena to fulfill the unique needs of the super-soldiers known as Swords.
Virin, a mid-ranking sword, takes Rakesh as his lover and hopes to rise high enough in rank that they may marry. But a storm is brewing. Former Collareds are disappearing, victims of a dark conspiracy of renegade soldiers that conspires to utterly control the nation of Tyrese and destroy all who oppose them. And they have their eyes on Rakesh.

Announcements, catalog

New book! Tales From The Arena: Opening Gambit by Elizabeth Schechter

July 20, 2018 Vinnie Tesla Leave a comment

Tales from the Arena: Opening Gambit
$6.99 ebook
ISBN 978-1-61390-192-2
124 pages

Iras is one of the Collared: the men and women who live to provide taboo pleasures to the super-soldiers known as the Swords.

To win a war, Tyrese created the Swords–fighters faster, stronger and tougher than ordinary soldiers, with the killer instincts to match. But when the war is over, the Swords’ need for certain sorts of… stimulation remains. So the Arena was created, where the Collared voluntarily serve the Swords, providing them with an outlet for their aggression that they literally cannot live without.

Amidst the futuristic torture devices of the Arena, Iras serves Gavir, an officer. He fulfills her deepest, darkest desires and a bond forms between them. But a dark secret from Iras’s past threatens all they have, and all they hope for.

“Elizabeth Schechter fuses diverse genres with such artful subtlety that we barely notice the genius at work before our eyes. Schechter is not only an engaging storyteller, but a perceptive and intelligent observer of the human condition. (Can we say icing on an already tasty cake?)” — Erotica for the Big Brain

Tales from the Arena: Opening Gambit

Award-winning author Elizabeth Schechter spins a tale that is part space opera, part romance, and 100% sexy.
Amidst the futuristic torture devices of the Arena, Iras of the Collard serves Gavir, an officer of the Swords. He fulfills her deepest, darkest desires and a bond forms between them. But a dark secret from Iras's past threatens all they have, and all they hope for.

Announcements, catalog

New Book: Superlative Speculative Erotica is here at last!

June 6, 2018 Vinnie Tesla Leave a comment

Our giant twenty-fifth anniversary collection is now available for download! Twenty of our best stories of the last five years.

$9.99 ebook
ISBN 978-1-61390-165-6
$19.99 print
ISBN 978-1-61390-187-8
285 Pages; 94,000 words

Funded through a Kickstarter campaign run in 2017– the year of Circlet’s 25th anniversary– Superlative Speculative Erotica features stories voted on by the Kickstarter and Patreon supporters and reflects many of the genres published by Circlet Press: a little cyberpunk, a little high fantasy, a touch of horror, some superheroes, a bit of space opera, some paranormal… What unites these stories is their quality. Check this amazing list out:

Bête Noire” by Annabeth Leong from A Beastly Affair
“An Analog Christmas” by Kal Cobalt from Jingle Balls
“From The Shallows, Cold As Death” by Bernie Mojzes from What Lies Beneath
“Double: A Tale of Love and Engineering” by Nobilis Reed from Like A Love Triangle
“The Secret Life of Ramona Lee” by Michael M. Jones from Puxhill by Night
“Deflowered” by Avery Vanderlyle from A Beastly Affair
“Crow Luck” by Dame Bodacious from Like Fortune’s Fool
“Enchanted” by Shanna Germain from Charming
“Stolen Days” by TS Porter from Hard As Stone edited by Julie Cox.
“Bridge Over Shifter’s Chasm” by Raven Kaldera from Extraordinary Deviations
“Questing” by Charles Payseur from Nights of the Round Table
“The Night Air” by Mary Anne Mohanraj from The Stars Change
“The Closing Shift” by JJ Poulos from Coffee: Hot
“Wizard’s Staff” by Julie Cox from Hard As Stone
“Disarmed” by Vinnie Tesla from Silent Shadows Come
“In The Blood” by Kathleen Tudor from Like Fortune’s Fool
“Evidence of Things Unseen” by A.C. Wise from What Lies Beneath
“Season of Fire” by Sasha Payne from Wired Hard 5
“Primè Nocta” by Kierstin Cherry from Like Myth Made Flesh
“I Am The Very Model Of A Modern Circlet Editor” by H.B. Kurtzwilde & Alex Picchetti from Like A Circlet Editor

The anthology, like the cohort of authors and staff of Circlet Press itself, features characters who identify as lesbian, gay, genderqueer, bisexual, trans, and heterosexual. The erotic activities expressed within the stories cover a similar variety, though it’s not an identical match: a gay male author can write a lesbian witch who has sex with a gender-changing demon. What label do you put on that? We call it… superlative speculative erotica.

Here’s a little taste of the very first story: Annabeth Leong’s “Bete Noir:”

For a while, Beauty and I made each other invincible. She relished every beastly part of me, and so I found myself trusting her with anything and everything—even secrets I hid while I was still a lady.

Continue reading New Book: Superlative Speculative Erotica is here at last! →

Erotica for Geeks