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Introduction Sci-rotica is a new professional imprint for the best in erotic science fiction and fantasy. Stories for the Sci-rotica imprint include both traditional science fiction: Alien worlds, hard-edged technology, time travel, alternative universes etc., and fantasy and speculative fiction: Heroic, contemporary, traditional, feminist, dark, light, and the ever popular "unclassifiable." We are not interested in any form of fanfic, which is a story based on any copyrighted material, whether it is television, movie, comic book, game, novel, or anything else of this type. Sci-rotica is dedicated to the advancement of Electronic Publishing (e-publishing). We feel the most innovative and original new fiction is being published electronically. Many extremely creative and entertaining writers are opting for e-publishing rather than print because e-publishers are interested in more diverse, non-traditional and non-formulaic fiction. Since e-publishing is our primary focus, in most cases our authors are only offered e-book contracts at the outset, with print contracts offered selectively, and at the publisher's discretion. Sci-rotica is looking for authors who are interested in and excited about publishing their works in electronic format. Like many other industries, the publishing sector is presently in a state of flux, with many traditional publishing houses reluctant to embrace fully the electronic medium. Sci-rotica plan to help make e-publishing much more than it is today. Technology is developing at a phenomenal rate and it is our belief that it will continue to grow and expand. With the maturation of the e-publishing industry, more people will turn to e-books. The advantages for authors are many; including higher royalty rates than print publishing and having your books automatically exposed to a world-wide audience. Unfortunately, many people still believe that e-published authors are second rate and have only turned to e-publishing because they couldn't sell their manuscripts to the big publishing houses. Fortunately, Sci-rotica does not share this view. Many big name authors are writing for e-publishers under a pseudonym simply because of the stigma attached to e-publishing, yet they still choose to e-publish because they realise that this is the future of the industry. Whether traditional publishing houses like it or not, e-publishing is here to stay. This is why you should consider e-publishing as the principal medium for your book. It's up to us, the e-publishers to raise the standard. Because our expectations are extremely high, we choose to publish only the best in current fiction and we offer our readers books at a fair price based upon length (word count). Sci-rotica will not sell all e-books at one low price and we will not deflate your book's worth simply because it is an e-book. Customers will pay less for a shorter novel and more for a longer one. That's the only way to be fair both to the author and the reader. The author wants to be compensated for their hard work and the reader understandably wants value for money. Sci-rotica will try to meet both needs. It is our desire to help take e-publishing to the next level. The quality of the book and the entertainment value of the story are paramount! Open Call to Authors If you think you have a story that matches our demanding requirements then we would love to hear from you. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome all year round as we are never closed to submissions. While we do accept multiple and simultaneous submissions, please indicate in your e-mail that your work is currently under consideration with another publishing company. Currently, we are accepting short stories, novellas and novels. Our book lengths are categorised as follows:
Novel (50,000 to 89,000 words). Long Novel (90,000 plus words). Anthologies: (90,000 to 100,000 words). Four novellas by different authors. 22,500 to 25,000 words per novella (90 to 100 manuscript pages). Authors do not have to submit in groups of four as we will compile individual stories into anthologies based around particular themes. Collections: (50,000 to 80,000 words). Short stories and/or novellas all by one author (200 - 320 manuscript pages). Short: (18,000 - 24,000 words). One short work or collection of stories based around a theme. Collections must have a strong underlying connection. One for One (8,000 - 12,000 words). Short stories that we intend to sell for one pound. We are sorry but Sci-rotica is not a market for poetry or short stories under eight thousand words (although see our short story competition). What we do want to see is the very best in the field of erotic science fiction and fantasy. Series and Lines Your novel should contain a plot built around a science fiction or fantasy theme. These themes should be used as integral ingredients of the plot and to enhance imaginative and exciting sex using varied methods, clothing, toys/implements, and settings. Your story must take the reader into an erotic and highly stimulating fantasy - escapist yet believable. Fantasy and science fiction share the tools of creativity that move beyond the limitations of reality. They also have the same rules. In order for fantasy novels to work best and capture the interest of the reader, they must not only have solid plots and good characters, but the world itself must be built on a believable and logical system.
Acceptable Content Sci-rotica are primarily looking for erotic stories with a science fiction or fantasy theme. We are not looking for gratuitous sex without the normal tenures of good fiction: plot and characterization. We would like to think that our books are sensual, character-driven stories, although plot-driven adventures are equally acceptable. We therefore look for solid plots, well-developed settings and characters that are fully three-dimensional. Sensuality is vital. As in real life readers expect characters to use all five of their senses. In addition, fictional worlds in fantasy and science fiction must be logical and visualised clearly to be believable. Your story must take the reader into an erotic and highly stimulating fantasy - escapist yet believable. Above all, we expect originality and professional storytelling. Sci-rotica are not interested in stories that are essentially thin plots stringing sex scenes together or characters whose motivations and personalities are shallow and stereotypical. While the purpose of all erotica is to arouse, our aim is to provide excellent entertainment for the reader as well. In other words, the sexuality must be an asset to the book. While works do not need to be graphic, they must contain an erotic element and focus on the interaction between characters. Extensive use of vocabulary is a must, and reliance on standard romance clichés is discouraged. You needn't use raw Anglo-Saxon to describe the sexual organs but substitutions should evoke a sexual frisson. What classifies as erotic is understandably subjective and varies between individuals. We therefore place as few restrictions on the authors' imagination as possible. However, Sci-rotica will not accept works that include sexual abuse of minors under the age of consent in any form. To help readers decide on the suitability of books, each are rated by content using the following guidelines:
Erotica is a notoriously difficult genre to write well, with many authors mistaking graphic content for erotic content. Remember, the most important sexual organ is the brain, so keep focused on characters' feelings, thoughts and sensations. What's more, make each sex scene different. Nothing loses a reader's interest faster than placing characters in the same situations over and over with only minor variations. Nor, contrary to popular belief, need all sex scenes end in a climax. Interruptions can lead to anticipation, and in the case of erotica waiting can be half the fun! Short Story Competition Anthologies are an established vehicle for getting an author noticed. Unfortunately anthologies are not as popular as novels and are difficult to manage due to the complexities of apportioning royalties. We therefore do not assemble anthologies of short stories on a royalty paying basis. However, Sci-rotica holds a regular short story competition with generous prizes. Winners of the competition are published in our own Sci-rotica and Best of Sci-rotica anthologies, but are not paid further royalties. See the Competition page for details and competition rules. We will also consider an anthology of short stories from a group of authors under certain circumstances. Please contact us for details. Non-Fiction We are always interested in receiving relevant non-fiction ideas, news articles and reviews for inclusion in our regular newsletter. Please contact us for details. Artwork We are always happy to hear from artists wanting to work with Sci-rotica. Send us a digital portfolio that we can keep on file, or alternatively, an email pointing us to your website or gallery. Please remember that Sci-rotica is a professional publisher, and the standard of the illustrations we require is very high. However, we realize that it is difficult, and sometimes discouraging, to break into the illustration field, so we actively encourage young and developing artists with fresh ideas to contact us. In addition, Sci-rotica is looking for artists to create covers for our upcoming novels. We'll be offering open calls for submissions through our ART section and will be paying a flat rate for illustrations chosen as covers. If you are interested in joining the email list to receive the details for the covers needed, please send an email to art@sci-rotica.com Thank You and Good Luck Finally, we would like to thank you for your interest in Sci-rotica and we wish you the best of luck in your endeavours. Remember, we strongly recommend you study the Submission guidelines carefully before submitting your work as this will greatly improve your chances of acceptance. We look forward to publishing your book! |
Horizon: Near future / Contemporary / Urban
Heresy: Vampire / Gothic / Dark Fantasy
Lucid Dreams: Feminist / Lesbian (all sub-genres)
Immortal: Heroic / Mythology / Sword and Sorcery
Beyond: Hard-edged Technology / Cyberspace
Infinity: Time Travel / Alternative Universe (History)
Encounter: Alien Worlds / Cross-Culture
Retro: Pulp / Stylised / Retrospective
Spectrum: Paranormal / Unexplained
