Call for Submissions: Like a God's Kiss
By jenzorz. Filed in News & Notes |
Circlet Press is looking for original erotic stories of ancient gods and goddesses to be published in its upcoming e-book, Like a God’s Kiss. The submission deadline is April 15, 2009. All stories for ebook publication will conform to the same standards of quality and sensuality as in all Circlet’s print books. Ebook only publications pay $25 per story, with an additional $25 for any book that goes into print.
Like a God’s Kiss
Myths about ancient Greek and Roman gods and goddesses have captivated listeners for so many years oftentimes because they are so profoundly sexual. Think of all the stories that involve male gods having sex with mortal women–and of course all the love and jealousy that goes along with it. In a few cases, of course, female goddesses become smitten with male mortals; and the children that result are always of heroic proportions (perhaps in more ways than one). Recall the myth of Zeus and Io, a beautiful maiden whom he fell in love with and had to turn into a heifer in order to protect her from his jealous wife, Hera. Or the myth of Zeus and Semele, who asked to see Zeus’s true divinity (though, of course, it’s unclear which part of him this refers to…) and is instantly killed from the sight. Or maybe you can only remember one of the other of the dozen accounts of Zeus’s sexcapades. Perhaps, instead, you recall the myth of beautiful Aphrodite cheating on her crippled husband, Hephaestus, and being caught in the act and displayed naked to the other gods and goddesses. Or maybe you prefer stories about Apollo and Daphne… or Poseidon and Caeneus… and on and on and on.
The point is, the ancient gods were incredibly sexual. Some of these myths already exist: perhaps you’d like to write an existing myth, only with more details or a different style. Or maybe you’d like to make up your own myths or stories. Remember: immortals can have sex with other immortals, or they can have sex with mortals. But we don’t really want to see mortals having sex with mortals… the ancient gods and goddesses must play some essential part in your story.
Electronic submissions only. Please send to powerfulpele@gmail.com.
For detailed guidelines please visit: http://www.circlet.com/?page_id=5
Friday, March 20th 2009 at 9:45 am |
Hi guys — Just a clarification to ask: For this project, you’re looking for concepts derived from Greek & Roman mythology, only?
Wednesday, March 25th 2009 at 9:52 am |
Hi there,
What a great idea!
I will be submitting a piece. My question is for the min and max word lengths. I’d like a general idea of what I’m writing to.
Wednesday, March 25th 2009 at 11:22 pm |
Hi Jenn,
Sorry for the confusion. We recently updated the guidelines page and accidentally left the word count information out! Here’s what we just added back in:
“Typically we want short stories between 2500 and 8500 words, with some flexibility about the lengths. Generally we’ve found that below 2500 words there isn’t enough room for an author to get sufficient plot, characterization, and erotic action in to make it a good story, though it has occasionally been done. Over 8500 words and we are often looking at a novel or long novella that someone tried to cram down into short story size. Begin a short story in medias res and use your craft to keep it paced like a story and not like a novel.”
Thanks for your query and I hope you have something exciting to send us.
Also, in case anyone else is wondering, I think we’re pretty much concentrating on Greek & Roman mythology here, but if you wrote a really hot one using Etruscan myths, for example, we might not turn it away. We just did a similar book using Japanese, Korean, and Indian mythology so now we’re coming back to the classics. Celtic mythology might fall into a gray area where if we really needed stories it might do, but for the most part try to keep with the theme, Greek & Roman.
Thanks!
Friday, March 27th 2009 at 11:14 am |
Just wondering about preferences for content. The jealousy, rage and scandal that makes these stories so delicious rarely ends well. Are we shooting for something ending on an “up” note, or should we carry through the Greek tradition of violent endings? Also wondering if it is acceptable to send in more than one submission.
Saturday, March 28th 2009 at 8:17 pm |
Hi Jasmine,
First, we typically prefer one submission per author per book. Second, when it comes to jealousy, rage, etc., we’re mainly concerned with how erotic and arousing the story can be made. That leaves plenty of leeway for conflicts among characters! Sex positive yes, but the overall story can have plenty of dark turns.
Thanks!
Jennifer Levine
Assistant Editor
Thursday, April 2nd 2009 at 12:31 am |
What a great theme! Just to clarify – must the stories be set in ancient/mythological times, or can the participants be transplanted to modern, or even futuristic times? I apologize if this was stated anywhere and I missed it.
Thursday, April 2nd 2009 at 12:27 pm |
Hi Michael,
Feel free to set the stories whenever you want.
Thanks for your interest.
Jennifer Levine
Assistant Editor