This is a call for submissions for an anthology I’m going to be putting together myself, with Ryan Field Press, that is focused on the women who love to love gay romance, with women in the storyline. As far as I know, no one’s done anything like this before. There was a good non-fiction book released, I think, last year about it. But I haven’t seen any fiction at all. And if there is one out there floating around, this one will be different.
In any event, I’ve wanted to do this anthology for a long time and I hesitated about pitching it to publishers because I wasn’t sure how they’d react. And I also wanted full control over what goes into this book. There were several things that led me to do this, one of which was when a reader sent me one of her gay romance fantasy stories she’d had published on Amazon. I loved it. And then my best friend of twenty years, a woman who also loves to read gay romance, actually mentioned she wished there was a book out like that and I’d never even discussed this with her. I had that proverbial “Ah-Ha” moment.
So I decided to see what would happen if the women who love to love gay romance were allowed to forget about everything, with abandon, and just write what they want with absolute freedom. And I’m taking the route of old publishing in the sense that I’m in no rush to get this book released. As you’ll see from the deadline below, I’m offering plenty of time for anyone that is interested in submitting. I’ve edited anthologies for publishers before, and I’ve been in more than I can count over the years, so I have enough experience to know that no one should ever rush a writer.
And, I’m only going to be editing and publishing this book. I’m not actually going to be in it. I want to read other voices for a change.
Call for Submissions; Ryan Field Press: “The Women Who Love to Love Gay Romance”
It’s no secret there are more than a few straight women who love to read gay romances, and the audience seems to be growing. I’m looking for the most heartfelt stories about the women who love to love gay romance on the planet. The call is open to everyone, men and women, straight and gay. New writers are encouraged to submit, and readers who always wanted to write fiction are even more encouraged to submit. Established authors are also welcome. But new writers don’t get hung up on grammar and writing because all that can be edited. I’m looking more for great stories about fantasies the women who love to love gay romance have always dreamed about telling. Pen names are fine, and absolute discretion is also something I will respect and take very seriously.
The focus of each story should be at least about one woman (could be more than one) who finds herself involved in a situation either related to gay romance or connected to gay men…or the woman could find herself in a situation where she’s actually part of a gay romance. Think fantasy; think about what you’ve always wanted to do while reading a gay romance and write your own story about it. And don’t hold back. There are no rules this time. It’s fiction, it’s fantasy, it’s escapism in the truest form. It could be a short story based on a favorite fanfic novel. Or it could be fanfic based on something you’ve read and loved. It could be steamy and sexy or emotional and tender. The erotic part is up to you. Or it could be a short story based on a private fantasy you’ve always had about gay men but never had the chance to talk about openly. The only request is that it should be original and never published before.
This is a chance for everyone who has ever read gay romance to do what they’ve always wanted to do with a gay romance. The storylines are infinite and because it’s pure fantasy there’s no wrong way to do it. Don’t worry about what you think I want. Worry more about what you have always wanted to do. If you’ve always wondered what it would be like to seduce a gay man, then write about it and submit it. Contributors will be paid a one time flat fee of $25.00. Word count could range from 3,000 words to 7,000 words, but don’t hold me to that. If a story is 2,500 words and I love it, I’m including it.
If you’ve never been published it’s a good chance to start building publishing credits. If you’ve always dreamed about getting published at least once, and you’re not interested in a writing career, this might be perfect for you to see your name in print just once.
If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at: rfieldj@aol.com. And put “The Women Who Love to Love Gay Romance” in the subject line of the e-mail. If you don’t hear back from me within a week, e-mail me again in case the first one went to spam or I missed it.
Deadline date for this is May 1, 2013. And I’m looking at a summer 2013 digital release date.
Publisher: Ryan Field Press
Additional Guidelines:
All stories should be submitted as Word Docs, with all contact information, including pen names if they are applicable. Also include a 50 word bio.
Please double space, indent paragraphs, use New Roman, and 12 pt font. No double spacing between paragraphs. Quotation marks for dialogue and ***** for scene breaks.
Standards apply: No Incest, rape, underage characters, or bestiality.
You may include more than one story.
Editor Information:
Ryan Field is the author of over 100 published works of LGBT fiction, the best selling Virgin Billionaire series, a pg rated hetero romance that was featured on The Home Shopping Network titled, “Loving Daylight,” and a few more works of full length fiction with a pen name. He’s worked in publishing for twenty years as a writer, editor, and associate editor. His work has been in Lambda Award winning anthologies and you can reach him at rfieldj@aol.com