New erotica anthology call for submissions on threesomes and group sex

Good news! I'm editing another 2022 anthology for Cleis Press, this one on threesomes and group sex. I've posted the call for submissions on my website. It's pretty detailed, designed to cover all potential author questions, but if you have a question after reading the writing guidelines in full, feel free to email me at the address listed on the call. I'm paying $100/story and one copy of the book for exclusive rights for one year from the July 2022 publication date. The exact contract terms are listed at the bottom of the call.

As stated in the call, the final deadline is May 1, 2021, but I would strongly advise submitting your best, proofread work as soon as possible. My manuscript draft for this anthology is already starting to fill up (I have a few stories I couldn't use in other anthologies that fit the topic that the authors let me hold for potential publication in this one, pending my publisher's approval), and I have a feeling certain pairings and scenarios will be quite prominent in my inbox. If you know anyone who might have a perfect erotica story for this anthology, please pass along the writing guidelines. Thank you!

3 sexy book giveaways in October

There's so many exciting things happening, even I can hardly keep up! The biggest is that Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6, which has a stunning cover (I mean, how HOT is that?) and 20 super hot brand new adventure-themed sexy stories, hits stores and e-readers December 8!



It just got a rave review in Publishers Weekly that I'm really proud of. I think sometimes people think editing anthologies is super easy and I just pick any random stories and cobble them together. There's so much more involved, and I worked super hard to make this book as varied as possible while also exploring lots of different types of sex and adventure.

So to celebrate the upcoming release, I'm giving away 5 signed copies of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 6 over at Goodreads. You have until October 15 to enter. It's open to those in the US and Canada, the only countries Goodreads would let me select.

But that's not all! During my book tour earlier this year, I got CD Reiss, Sierra Simone and Sabrina Sol to sign copies of their books Marriage Games, Misadventures of a Curvy Girl and Delicious Satisfaction respectively. Over on the Best Women's Erotica of the Year Instagram, I'm giving away signed copies of those plus a signed copy of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 5, which they've all contributed to, to one lucky winner. Open internationally. Deadline to enter: October 18, 2020.



If you're a subscriber to my newsletter, you can enter to win sexy romance novel Getaway Girl by Tessa Bailey by replying to the October newsletter. That went out yesterday, October 8, so look for it in your inbox.



Not a subscriber yet? Subscribe here and stay tuned for November's newsletter PLUS the most fun giveaway of my life, also happening next month.

New call for submissions: The Big Book of Orgasms, Volume 2

Thanks to YOU and all your support for the original The Big Book of Orgasms, I'm editing another volume for Cleis Press! The call for submissions is on my website, and the key details are: I want original, unpublished stories of 1,200 words or less on the them of orgasm by December 1, 2020 at the latest, but earlier submissions will get priority. The call will likely be updated based on the submissions I get. Pay is $25/story and one copy of the book. And I especially want to work with authors I haven't published before. Everything else you need to know is on my site. Hope you'll consider submitting a story and passing this on to any writers who might be interested.

I LOVE getting to work with so many authors and offer readers so many different takes on a single theme. So please submit to this book; I obviously can't guarantee that I can publish it, but I'm looking for lots of variety.

Sexy book trailer for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 4

We are just a few days away from the December 11 release of my new anthology Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 4! I'm so excited for these 20 brand new stories to be out in the world. If you've enjoyed the novels of Alyssa Cole, Alessandra Torre (who has a new novel out today), Megan Hart, Suleikha Snyder, Tamara Lush, Sofia Quintero, I'm pretty sure you'll love their stories in this volume.



I'm even more excited that my publisher, Cleis Press, made a book trailer for this collection. I've made book trailers before (Spanked: Red-Cheeked Erotica was the first and has a special place in my heart), and acted in them, but this one is the first that someone else made for me. I feel special. It seems fitting because this is a special, super hot anthology.

Want to help the book succeed? Add it to your Amazon wishlist and put it on your Goodreads want to read list. You can also follow us @bestwomenserotica on Instagram and on Twitter and Facebook for updates and giveaways. Speaking of giveaways, Monday, December 10 is your last chance to win one of TEN AUTOGRAPHED COPIES over at Goodreads! (U.S. only) And here's all the buy links to get your own copy!

Also below: a snippet from our wonderful starred Library Journal review. Early readers are loving the hotness here and I hope you will too. And stay tuned for the audiobook later this month narrated by Rose Caraway! Want free adult erotic stories on audio? Click here for ones from the first three volumes read by Rose.



From our starred Library Journal review. Once the full review is online, I'll share it here.

The entries range from tenderly seductive—Alyssa Cole’s sf human/android tale “Essential Qualities” proves a true standout in this regard—to playfully raunchy, with everything in between. This anthology’s ­inclusion of diverse characters in terms of age, race, kinks, and ability is refreshing and much-needed in erotica; each writer finds a way to adhere to the collection’s theme while blissfully breaking the mold. VERDICT An exceptional volume of quality quickies; highly recommended.

Happy book birthday to Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3!

On the personal front it's been a hard month so I'm thrilled that there's some good news on the horizon: one of the best books I've ever edited, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3, is officially out today in ebook!



I love that my ebooks are now publishing a few weeks earlier than print since that's how the vast majority of people read them. If you like sexy stories, I'm pretty sure you'll like these 21 tales by women from around the world. I made sure every story is action-packed and super hot. It opens with an amazing bisexual exhibitionism story by Abigail Barnette, which I chose as the first story because it totally blew me away, and goes on from there to everything from sex toys to a bibliophile with a major book fetish to bondage, hiring a Dom, and so much more. If you're planning to buy it, doing so during the first week of release is majorly helpful, but of course sales any time help me a great deal. My grand crazy wild finger-crossed dream is to get to edit at least 10 volumes of Best Women's Erotica of the Year and publish over 200 authors in the process, so if this one sells well, I'll be one step closer to making that happen.

Even if you're not buying the book, a hugely helpful thing to do would be to add it to your Amazon wishlist and your Goodreads want to read list. It may seem like a small thing and takes just a second, but those little things make a big difference in helping more potential readers stumble across my book amongst the millions available out there. This is my livelihood, but it's also my deep passion that I've poured my heart and soul into since I started writing erotica in 1999. I do everything I can to turn that energy into giving these authors, several of whom are being published for the first time, as many new readers and followers as I can. I can't wait for you to check out these stories. You can read my introduction over at bweoftheyear.com.

Here's what others have been saying:

Publishers Weekly (starred review): "With a refreshing variety of characters, configurations, and situations, all 21 stories in the collection deliver without becoming stale or repetitive."

Library Journal (starred review): "Editor Bussel (The Big Book of Orgasms) has curated a variety of quality stories with care and intention, highlighting women reclaiming their agency through erotic experiences. This collection opens with Abigail Barnette’s playfully steamy “The Birthday Gift,” wherein Sophie presents husband Neil with a wickedly unconventional visual treat. Wickedness is also the word of the day in Sommer Marsden’s “Demon Purse,” in which an adventurous makeup artist uses her skills to indulge her boyfriend’s sinful fantasy. "

Slutty Girl Problems: "There was something I enjoyed about each story from Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 3, but a few stories stood out as my favorites. I absolutely appreciated Sophie’s love of books and the feelings they can stir from deep within in “Bibliophile,” and took pleasure in the unfolding of a threesome dream come true in “Red Satin Ribbon” and the unexpected rendezvous in “Weightless.” Role reversal and crossdressing made “Romance and Drag” an intriguing and enjoyable read, while my domme fantasies were satisfied in “Making It Feel Right.” A perfect blend of romance and raunch, this book proved to be titillating and a continuous page turner."

In my opinion, Volume 3 is even hotter than Volumes 1 and 2 and is one of the best books I've edited. I try hard not to just put out variations of the same thing over and over, but to innovate and experiment and push my own boundaries and deliver stories that readers will treasure not just once, but again and again. I hope I've succeeded with this title. I took the feedback I've been getting on my titles and poured that into making this book one that you'll want to race through (or savor slowly). Where to buy the ebook:

Kindle

Nook

Google Play

iBooks

Kobo

Ask me anything about anthology editing

I'm preparing an online class I hope to launch in October on How to Edit An Anthology, based on the numerous questions I've received over the 13 years I've been editing them (I'm up to over 60 anthologies, with more on the way, so I've learned a lot via trial and error). While I will give my insights into erotica anthologies, I'll be covering both fiction and nonfiction anthologies of all kinds and will be getting input from other editors, both self-published and traditionally published, so I can give as many options and answers as possible. Which brings me to you: What questions do you have about the anthology editing process? Please feel free to ask me anything in September and I will do my best to answer in the class. I don't have a registration page up yet as I'm still creating the class's content (this is a new one for me), but as soon as I do, I'll post it here. You can comment or email me by September 30 at rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com with "Anthology class" in the subject line.



I promise, my anthology editing skills are infinitely better than my Canva art skills. Those are abysmal because I'm a word person, not an art person, but thankfully I rarely have to rely on them.

On Fire: Erotic Romance Stories is out today!

Happy release day to me and my authors! I'll keep this short and sweet: today, the ebook of On Fire: Erotic Romance Stories is out! You can 1-click and download it right now for Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Google Play and Kobo.



Want to read the introduction? Visit the On Fire Tumblr. I'm so thrilled that these super sexy stories about couples having erotic adventures, from BDSM and fetishes to swinging and orgies and anniversary celebrations and so much more, are available to the world. This book was three years in the making, due to my own delays, so I'm extra excited. It's also On Fire Week over at group blog Lady Smut so check us out for daily posts related to the themes of the book. Thank you again to Cleis Press for being amazing to work with! And if you want the audiobook or print edition, just wait a little while...audio is coming soon, narrated by Rose Caraway, and the print book publishes officially on August 8th but Amazon told me my copy will arrive by July 31st. And if you've read the book or plan to read it, a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads is MUCH appreciated and helps readers find out about the book and helps me fulfill my commitment to my authors to get their stories before as many people as possible. Good, bad, or indifferent, reviews help; right now there are three on Amazon, two praiseworthy, one who hated it, and to be honest, the one that didn't like it is the most compelling because it has details about what they liked and what they didn't. So all opinions are welcome and valuable and help guide me for future anthologies.

On Fire has a hot cover and even hotter stories and you can review it early!

I'm thrilled that on July 18, the ebook edition of my latest Cleis Press anthology, On Fire: Erotic Romance Stories, will be out (the print edition hits stores August 8). This book is super hot, as befitting an anthology titled On Fire. It's also one that I got delayed on, so I'm extra excited that it's almost out in the world and determined to have these wonderful authors read as widely as possible, because they are seriously hot. Many of them are different from what I've published before; I've got a vampire story here ("Masquerade") and a femdom story ("Dreams Made Flesh") and sexy swingers (my story "The Dance") and so much more..

While most of my books are in bookstores across the country (and occasionally outside the U.S.), the vast majority of you read them as ebooks or listen to them as audiobooks. I love this, both as a price conscious shopper, because people can buy more ebooks since they tend to be cheaper, hence they get to read more, and because I have always had a vision of my books being as accessible as possible. When I took a vacation in Honolulu, I was overjoyed that some of my books were on the shelves at Barnes & Noble. It was like I'd visited Hawaii before I even got there! So I want them out in as many formats as they can possibly be. The On Fire audiobook, narrated by my favorite narrator in the world, Rose Caraway, who I've worked with on 10 other audio titles, will be out at the end of July.

Getting back to accessibility...here's the scoop: Some of the books I've edited since I started this journey way back when are out of print, most likely never to return to bookstore shelves, and lots of those never got an ebook or audiobook edition because they were published before that was so common. Some publishers I've worked with have folded, some books quietly didn't sell and have pretty much vanished. It happens, but these days I work far harder to get my books "out there" and am determined that the ones I put out now stay in print/as ebooks and audiobooks for a long, long time, ideally throughout my lifetime. To that end, I want to spread the word to as many readers and potential readers as possible. This is both my livelihood and my passion, but that means that if my books don't sell, out of financial necessity, I'll have to stop editing them and move on to something else to sustain myself, because I believe equal pay also means, Work only for what you're worth. That's a discussion for another time, but my point is, I both want and need my books to reach lots of readers. My personal goal is always to have each new book outsell the last. Of course I can't control that, but I can set it as my goal to push myself to try harder with each release and explore new avenues of reaching readers in this vast world of endless books available to you at the click of a button 24/7. It's a world I love and indulge in myself as a consumer, but it also makes it more challenging to make any single title stand out.

All of this is to say that the #1 way I promote my books and drive sales is through readers like you leaving reviews on sites like Amazon and Goodreads. Yes, over the years I've tried ads on book-related websites, I've paid to fly myself here, there and everywhere, I've made postcards and bookmarks and buttons. I won't say I've tried everything, but of all the methods of book promotion I've tried, having honest reviews on the main sites where readers congregate has been what gets other people interested. This is partly because of how the algorithms on those sites work, so the books of mine with the most reviews, such as The Big Book of Orgasms, almost always sell better than the ones with fewer reviews.



So until June 18, one month before the ebook release, I'm offering all of you a free e-copy of On Fire, with the request that you leave an honest review of at least one sentence on Amazon (U.S.) and/or Goodreads. To comply with FTC rules, your review should state a version of, "I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review." And that's it! Read one story, or two, or all 20. Share the one you loved the most, the one you liked least, what turned you on, what intrigued you...that part is up to you. I can't tell you what to write, I can only tell you that I am so proud of this book and all the sexiness contained in it. It's filed under "erotic romance" but I think it's safe to say if you like erotica, you'll like much of it, and if you like romance, you'll like much of it. Here's the official blurb about it and endorsements by two authors whose writing I adore (thank you, Charlotte and Elizabeth!):

"Every story is a sinfully sexy yet always romantic delight." Charlotte Stein, author of Never Sweeter

“On Fire is a delicious collection of sensual, luxurious erotic shorts, like bites of the finest chocolate that linger on your tongue.” Elizabeth SaFleur, author of the Elite Doms of Washington series

In On Fire, today’s top erotic romance authors don’t skimp on love or lust--they are entwined in tales that will make pulses pound and hearts race. Bestselling editor Rachel Kramer Bussel takes us inside the passions of couples who go above and beyond in their pursuit of sexual and romantic satisfaction, exploring the racy to the outrageous during their many arousing adventures. You’ll treasure the sex toy exploration in “Every Second of It,” find paranormal pleasure in “Masquerade,” and be transported to “A Place As Beautiful As This.” You’ll go “Beyond the Blindfold,” find out what lurks in the “Art of Darkness,” and delight in discovering “The Sweetest Thing.” These steamy stories by Kristina Wright, Delilah Devlin, Giselle Renarde, Kay Jaybee, Victoria Blisse, Jade A. Waters and others are perfect intimate reads to enjoy with your lover or for your own pleasure.

You can see the full table of contents and my introduction on the book's Tumblr.

That's my spiel. If you want to review the book, leave your name and email address in this form by June 18, 2017 at 11:59 pm EST. I'll send you the PDF and then you can post your review any time at Goodreads and starting July 18, 2017 on Amazon. Of course if you want to review it elsewhere, such as on a blog, other book retailer, etc., that is wonderful, but all I am asking is for you review on either Goodreads and/or Amazon.com (U.S.), which are the sites most of my readers use. If you want to do an extra erotica good deed, you can add the book to your "want to read list" on Goodreads (you'll see the button when you click the Goodreads link above). Again, I'm not an expert, but I believe Goodreads factors in which books have the most people listing them as want to read and promotes/showcases those books more widely. My hope is a) you'll find something, or many things, that entertains you and b) you'll discover a new author whose work you'll want to keep on reading. Thank you in advance and here's to On Fire and a sexy summer!

And if you're sitting there thinking, But I really want a free print copy of On Fire, I'll be giving those away in my monthly newsletter in July, so subscribe on the left-hand side of my Lusty Lady blog or at rachelkramerbussel.com. June's newsletter giveaway will be to win a copy of my femdom anthology She's on Top!

Enter to win erotica anthology Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sexy by Sunday, March 26!

I'm giving away 10 signed print copies of my Cleis Press erotic flash fiction anthology Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex exclusively to my newsletter subscribers. Enter the giveaway here only if you're a subscriber (and make sure you use the same email address you're subscribed with). Want to subscribe? Visit rachelkramerbussel.com - it's sent out monthly with a giveaway each time, writing tips and news on what I'm up to. Here's the March edition. Good luck!



Want to hear some of the 69 authors read their work? Watch the book trailer! Can't wait to read it? Download the Kindle edition or Audible audiobook narrated by Rose Caraway now!

Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 is out in print, ebook and audio!

I'm late in letting you know that the book I worked hard on all year, Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 is now officially released in print, ebook and audio, because I've been busy spreading the word on social media and posting interviews with the authors which you can read on the Best Women's Erotica of the Year Tumblr. Since I don't have time to post here too often, you can get the latest on the series by following us @bweoftheyear on Twitter and on Facebook.



If you are interested in the writing process, I highly suggest checking them out. Even I am learning a lot from them! The basic buying links are at bweoftheyear.com (and more will be added as I hear of more stores stocking it) and for more about my vision for the series and why I'm devoting pretty much everything I've got to it, read on.

About the book: Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 gives us fierce female passion, timeless love, and lustful encounters that are guaranteed to fill you with utter delight. Edited by the award winning Rachel Kramer Bussel, these sexy stories about women on the prowl span the globe, traveling from Peru to the Bahamas and beyond in pursuit of pleasure. Learn why "Teacher Appreciation" is so special, what sex is like "At the End of the World," and explore some very explosive "Volcano Nights." These unforgettable erotic tales by the top authors in the genre as well as newcomers will arouse and thrill readers looking for a hot time between the pages.



To say that editing this series is a dream come true would be a massive understatement, so I'll just say that back when I was writing my first erotica story in 1999, I never dreamed of editing any anthologies, let alone a prestigious annual series. It's a privilege that I don't take lightly, and right now I'm getting ready for our book tour hitting Los Angeles, Baltimore, New York and Jersey City as well as selecting stories for Volume 3. I'm thrilled that this volume has so many authors being published either for the first time or on the early side of their publishing careers, because that's truly my vision for what this series can be: both a place to showcase very sexy stories that, hopefully, readers enjoy reading for years to come, and a launching pad for authors and way of joining forces and forming a community through both live events and social media and the online presence of the series. That's a post for another time, but it's what I'm working toward as I go all out with Volume 2 promo, select stories for Volume 3 and craft the call for Volume 4. See below for how you can help shape those next books!

I'm also doing my best to give back with this series, by increasing author pay, paying authors for out of state readings, offering a free copy to all 2,000+ subscribers to my newsletter (thank you to everyone who took me up on that!), sponsoring events like the Sex Down South conference and funding these readings and promotions so that these books have the longest life span they possibly can. I get sad when I see my books go out of print (though we'll always have ebooks, I hope), so I want these to stay on shelves far into the future. I don't know if I'm capable of making that happen, but I vow I'm trying my absolute hardest and brainstorming daily on how I can make this series better for authors and readers.



I'm thrilled that for the first time in my publishing career, one of my audiobooks was released i the same month as the print and ebook edition and that I got to work with my favorite narrator, Rose Caraway, who I think has the best voice for erotica out there. I never want to feel like I'm just doing the same thing over and over in the exact same way, so figuring out how I can improve is like a never-ending jigsaw puzzle that I keep striving to solve.



I also wanted to ask that if you've read Volume 2 (or Volume 1 for that matter) or are planning to, a hugely helpful thing for me and the series would be to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. It doesn't have to be long; even one sentence sharing something you liked (or didn't like), or a favorite story, not only helps the book gain visibility and therefore new readers (yes, the more reviews a book has on Amazon, the better it will sell generally), it also helps me in making my selections for future books. Right now I'm slated to edit Volumes 3 and 4 and I am hustling every day to help this series sell better than all my other books so that maybe I'll be asked to keep on editing it. I learn from and value reader input and want to include the kinds of stories that you want to read. So if there's something you've seen in the series that you liked or things you wish were in them, leave reviews on those sites and/or drop me a line at bweoftheyear at gmail.com. Ultimately, I answer to readers (and, of course, my publisher), so I want to do my best to give you the kinds of stories you most want to read. Thank you!

Why I want 500 submissions to Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3

The deadline to submit short stories to my Cleis Press anthology Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3 is December 1st, exactly five months away, which means my goal is to get an average of 100 submissions per month between now and then. Why 500? Well, for the first two volumes, I got around 200 submissions for each one, and while I had plenty to choose from, as an anthology editor, more is more. My duty to my readers, in my opinion, is to provide them variety, both within each volume and in the series, and to my mind, the best way to do that is to have a huge range of authors and stories to choose from.

So I decided to set my goal of getting 500 submissions to the book. Now, this does mean that the most horrible part of my job as an editor, sending rejection letters, will also be greatly increased, but I am okay with that because I know that by doing more outreach than I have in the past, so that more authors see my call and, hopefully, submit, I am best serving my readers. I want to find the stories that come from authors who might not have ever considered themselves erotica writers, but had that one amazing idea floating around in their head. I want to see more submissions starring transgender women as protagonists. I want to see more relationships about people 50 and over. I want to see, in a word, more. I could give you a laundry list of what I'd like to see in December when I sit down to sort through submissions, but the truth is, what I love most about issuing a call for submissions is seeing what comes in that I love but didn't know I would.

This series doesn't have a theme per se, but each anthology seems to wind up coming together with some sort of through line. The unofficial theme of Volume 2, as you will see when it pubs in December, is travel. That wasn't something I listed in my call but it wound its way into many of the stories in the book and I appreciate that each author tackled it so differently.

So my favor to ask of you is: if you know someone who might be a good fit to submit a short story to Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3, please pass along the call for submissions. I'm aiming to spread the word as far and wide as I can now to give authors the most time possible to write. I'm sure I will still get emails on December 2 saying "I just heard about this call..." and I'll have to say "Check back again next year," but in the meantime, I am doing my best to reach my 500 story submissions goal so I have a giant, sexy pile of stories to consider.

Why I love editing the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series

I'm in the midst of working on three volumes of the Best Women's Erotica of the Year series at once, promoting Volume 1, which is out in print, ebook and audiobook, finalizing the table of contents for Volume 2, which will be published in December, and doing some early promotions and brainstorming, and spreading the word as wide and far as I can about the call for submissions for Volume 3 so I can meet my goal if receiving 500 submissions.



It's a lot to juggle, especially with two part-time jobs that combine to make a six-day-a-week full-time job, but I'm happy to do it because I'm incredibly honored to be at the helm of the series. For me, editing a series is different than editing a one-off title, because I know that each book does not stand alone. They stand as sequels to all the ones that came before them (in this case, starting with Best Women's Erotica edited by Marcy Sheiner in 2000 through Best Women's Erotica 2015 edited by Violet Blue, before the series changed to using volume numbers and I became editor).

As I'm editing, I also envision the same readers reading all of the volumes I'm editing, and I keep that in mind when I'm selecting stories. I try not to repeat scenarios or pick anything too similar to what's come before; I think of it as wanting the stories to echo and complement each other, to speak to each other but not duplicate. So one thing I'd love to see in Volume 3 is another outstanding pop culture reference erotica story, similar to what Lazuli Jones did with "Starstruck" in Volume 1, but outside the comics/superhero world. I also have subjects that for whatever reason, didn't yield many submissions for Volume 2, so I am definitely on the hunt for the perfect trans woman erotica story or stories for Volume 3, and some stories about older female characters. I know I may not get everything on my wish list into every given volume, and I don't know for sure that I will get to edit more, but that's why I'm putting my heart and soul into promotions, so that I can hopefully keep on editing the series for a long time to come. That being said, it's fiction, and part of the beauty of any writing is that everyone will approach it with their own ideas and experiences and angles, what writer Todd Henry calls your authentic voice.

It also helps me on a personal level when I have to do my least favorite task, sending rejection letters. I just sent out over 200 rejection letters for Volume 2, and that is such a hellish experience it deserves its own post. Suffice it to say, it makes me feel like a terrible person and never want to go through the process again, but what gets me through it every time is knowing that I will most likely have new anthologies on the horizon and a rejection today might mean an acceptance on another story next year, or the next or the next.

This mindset helps me get through sending rejections but on a more positive note, it also helps me conceptualize what I want my role to be as editor. I am taking a more pro-active approach to Volume 3, reaching out to groups and websites and authors I think might appreciate the call, and doing my best to spread the word while there's still 5+ months left before the deadline. I'm not against one-off anthologies, but I feel extra excited about the possibilities for the series, and maybe even doing some joint readings from multiple volumes, if I'm lucky.

To conclude, if you know anyone who might be eligible and interested in submitting their erotic fiction to Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2, please pass along the writing guidelines to them. If you want to help me get a head start in spreading the word about the amazingness that will be Volume 2, please add it to your Goodreads want to read list.

My Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 authors are excited, or why I keep editing anthologies even though they are always a lot of work

I'll be posting more about the anthology editing process, including my number one pet peeve and some advice for writers. It's exciting to have two new calls for submissions and I'm working on spreading the word because I've set a goal of getting 500 submissions for each book to have as much variety as possible in the final volumes (so please spread the word if you know any writers!). In the meantime, acceptances for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 recently went out. (The book pubs in December and is available for pre-order now.) If you're excited to read the book, please add it to your Goodreads "want to read" list and stay tuned to my next few monthly newsletters for a chance to get a review copy!

And I was going to do a separate cover reveal post but I'm too excited about this one to share it. This series is a giant honor to get to edit and every bit of support you can give the book enables me to keep on editing it and keep on publishing new authors each time.



Not only was it very special to me to be working with a book almost entirely comprised of authors I've never published before (one of my goals for the series and my anthologies generally is to publish new writers), their responses helped remind me why I do this in the first place. Yes, it's part of my income stream, but after 63 anthologies, I know I've started to lose steam. I very carefully consider every time whether I've put enough anthologies out into the world and whether there's a real purpose and meaning to my adding yet another one, and these authors have helped remind me that one of the reasons I keep on doing it is the joy of knowing I've helped someone achieve a career goal or get their first erotica byline or simply tell a wonderful story and showcase it alongside their peers.







And Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 contributor Jade A. Waters tweeted about how happy she was to have her Shakespeare-themed short story "Ophelia the Second" read on Rose Caraway's podcast. All 22 stories in the book are read by Rose on the bestselling Audible audiobook!

2 new anthology calls for submissions: Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3 and The Big Book of Submission, Volume 2

These may not need a preface because they are very wordy as it is, but here goes: I chose to post these now, rather than waiting until a later date, even though it means anyone submitting now will have over a year to wait. I did that for my own sake so I am not racing around trying to meet an unmanageable deadline and to put some new calls into the world sooner rather than later. As you'll see below, if this is too long to wait, don't submit to these calls. If you have questions after reading both of them thoroughly, feel free to ask, but please honor your time and mine by not asking me anything that's already stated below.

I get more precise with each call based on things I see happening in the submission process. The truth is, I wasn't sure I would take on any more calls because I have a lot going on these days work wise and want to put every effort humanly possible into making the books I have out there now succeed, which can be hard to do when you are also in the midst of editing one, let alone two, anthologies. But I also know that part of my life's work is giving as many authors as possible a platform, which is why I've strongly encouraged authors new to the genre and those I've never worked with to submit. As for why there aren't bios on The Big Book of Submission, one word: space. Cost is the reason those authors will receive one contributor copy. And yes, I bolded my pet peeves.

I may very well tweak them slightly, as tends to happen, but I wanted to get the process started now. My goal is always to get my calls read by as many writers as possible and increase the pool of submissions, so I will be doing my own research and outreach to make sure these reach a wider audience than my past ones have. If you know of any websites, bulletin boards, groups or individual writers who might appreciate the calls, I would love if you passed them on. I often get writers telling me they heard about my calls right before the deadline, which is obviously less than ideal circumstances for writing, so I hope that this is seen with plenty of time to jog your creativity.

I welcome questions about these calls (though I cannot read any story drafts or comment on any specific plots or storylines, though I will answer specific content questions related to these guidelines if an element is unclear), and I also respect that these calls aren't for everyone. If these speak to you, good luck, and I look forward to reading your stories when it's time!

Lastly, if you submitted to Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2, I'll be getting back to you by the end of June, so please be patient.

My anthology submission calls are probably so long they scare away some writers. I'm okay with that. I'm an editor who asks for what I want.

— Rachel Kramer Bussel (@raquelita) June 14, 2016

Call for Submissions
Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 3
Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel
To be published by Cleis Press in December 2017

This anthology is open to women authors only, as the series has been since its inception (genderqueer and nonbinary authors are welcome to submit as well). I want your best, boldest, hottest, most creative and diverse 1,500-4,000 word erotica stories, written by and starring a wide range of women, from single to coupled, living in big cities and small towns anywhere in the world, of varying sexual orientations, races, ages (all characters must be 18+ for the entirety of the story) fetishes, jobs, interests and life experiences. I want fast-paced stories that grab me from the first word and don't let up on the heat until the final word. I want stories about women with sexual fantasies, fetishes and lives that are underrepresented in the erotica genre. I want stories that sizzle, push envelopes and surprise me. I don't want clichéd plotlines or generic characters.

Stories in the final book will range from humorous and playful to intense and soulful, and will reflect a similar sexual, racial and age diversity as the stories in Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1. Story submissions must be unpublished (never published, in whole or in part, anywhere, online or offline). No scat or incest, although age play will be considered as long as it's clear in the context of the story that the characters are engaging in roleplay. No poetry will be considered.

I don't want to limit your creativity, because I want these stories to be as dazzling, varied, surprising and sexy as possible. I want your very best work, the kind that will make readers want to savor your story over and over again. Some things I'm looking to include in this volume: stories by authors who've never been published in the Best Women's Erotica series or are new to writing erotica, stories by authors based outside the United States (and stories set outside the United States), stories from the point of view of women of color, stories from the point of view of transgender women, stories featuring women in their forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties or nineties, romantic erotica (they don't necessarily need to have a traditional "happily ever after," but happy endings are extremely welcome too), stories involving more than two people, stories in unusual settings, erotica touching on current events (though the story should be one readers ten or twenty years from now will also appreciate), stories that touch on real-life issues affecting women, BDSM stories (especially ones with creative motivations and femdom stories, though I also want stories about outstanding submissive women), and creative fetishes. These suggestions are merely meant as springboards for your storytelling. All stories that meet the guidelines will be considered.

In a nutshell: I want stories that blow my mind, that grab my attention and don't let go, that say something new and exciting about sex and sexuality, that will appeal to longtime erotica readers and new readers. I gravitate toward unique, creative, memorable characters, settings and scenarios. I will consider sci fi, fantasy, paranormal and historical stories, although they will likely not comprise the majority of the book. For an idea of the types of stories I like, see Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1.

In the interest of publishing a range of authors, those whose work appears in Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 or Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2, will not be considered for this volume, but contributors to previous Best Women's Erotica collections are welcome to submit work.

Rights: non-exclusive right to publish your story in this anthology in print, ebook, and audiobook form. Authors will retain copyright to their stories.

How to submit: Submit only 1,500-4,000 original, unpublished stories that are not being considered elsewhere. Maximum two submissions per author. I want only original work that has never been published online or in print. All characters must be 18 or over for the entirety of the story. US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.). Submit to bweoftheyear@gmail.com by attaching a Word .doc or .docx file, double spaced, Times New Roman Black font with legal name, pseudonym (if applicable), mailing address AND 50 word-or-under third person bio on the first page of your story above the title. Please make sure to double check the word count of your bio and only submit 50 words or less. Please make sure to use an email address you check frequently.

All stories must have a title and byline included with the submission (no untitled stories). Indent half an inch at the start of each paragraph. Use double spacing for the entire file; do not add extra lines between paragraphs or use any other irregular spacing. If you cannot use Word, submit as both an RTF AND include the full submission in the body of an email, including title, story text, bio, name and pseudonym (if applicable), and mailing address. DO NOT SUBMIT MULTIPLE VERSIONS OF THE SAME STORY. SUBMIT YOUR STORY WITH THE TITLE, BYLINE AND WORDING YOU WOULD WANT PUBLISHED IF THE STORY IS ACCEPTED. MAKE SURE TO THOROUGHLY PROOFREAD YOUR STORY BEFORE SUBMITTING IT. Only stories that are between 1,500-4,000 words and submitted by December 1, 2016 will be considered. Please do not ask about exceptions to the word count or deadline as they will not be granted.

I will confirm that I have received your submission within 72 hours. I will respond to all submissions by September 30, 2017. If you have not heard back from me by October 1, 2017, feel free to follow up at that time. Please note the time frame and if you need a response sooner than September 30, 2017, this is not the right anthology for you.

Payment: $150 and 2 copies of the book within 90 days of publication

Deadline: December 1, 2016

Questions: Email bweoftheyear@gmail.com

Call for submissions
The Big Book of Submission Volume 2 (working title)
Edited by Rachel Kramer Bussel
To be published by Cleis Press in 2018
Please make sure to read and follow these guidelines in order for your work to be considered. Editor Rachel Kramer Bussel is looking for short erotica stories of 1,200 words or less focused on the theme of submission within BDSM. Stories submitted that are over 1,200 words will be rejected. While the word count is short, I want complex stories with a beginning, middle and end, not simply scene snippets.

I will consider stories from a dominant's perspective if that is the best way to illuminate the mindset of the submissive, but they must explore what the submissive gets out of the scenario in some way. The final book of 69 stories will contain an extremely wide variety of characters, POVs (I welcome first, second and third person stories), settings, scenarios, motivations, experience levels, motivations, BDSM practices (which can be combined with other sexual acts), fetishes, couplings, relationships, etc. I welcome the use of sex toys and BDSM implements, real or imagined. All genders and sexual orientations welcome.

All characters must be over 18 for the entirety of the story; no nonconsensual activity, scat, incest or bestiality. No poetry. Original, unpublished stories only. Stories from authors whose work I have not published before are especially welcome. See The Big Book of Submission to get a feel for the types of short submissive erotica I enjoy. Please note that this anthology will not include author bios.

Rights: non-exclusive right to publish your story in this anthology in print, ebook, and audiobook form. Authors will retain copyright to their stories.

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document (.doc or .docx) with pages numbered OR RTF of 1,200 words maximum to bigbookofsubmission@gmail.com. Stories that are not in keeping with the theme of the anthology or are over 1,200 words will not be considered. DO NOT submit multiple versions of a single story; submit ONLY your final, complete, edited version of your story with the story title and byline you'd want published. Indent the first line of each paragraph half an inch and double space (regular double spacing, do not add extra lines between paragraphs or do any other irregular spacing). US grammar (double quotation marks around dialogue, etc.) required. I will consider a maximum of two stories per author. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name and pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as (such as Jane Doe, writing as Ann Smith). You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 30, 2017.

Payment: $25 and 1 copy of the book on publication in 2018

Deadline: January 10, 2017

Questions: Email bigbookofsubmission@gmail.com

Thanks for getting me over halfway to my goal of 40 Dirty Dates reviews for my 40th birthday!

So, I'm 40. Most days I feel more like 14 or 24, possibly early thirties, but in fact, I'm 40. Turns out, being 40 doesn't automatically mean I'm wiser or more knowledgable. I still fuck up. I still get flustered and confused and panicked and all the other things I did in my twenties and thirties. But for the most part, I like it. I've decided to invest in myself, which means I'll be launching three new websites in the new year, and doing live readings across the country and hopefully teaching webinars and other things.



One of my hopes for my 40th birthday and Dirty Dates: Erotic Fantasies for Couples, the book that dubbed on that day, November 10th, is to get to 40 reviews of it on Amazon. So far, the book has 23, and here's a sampling:

"Justine Elyot’s Baby Steps is a story about a new mother who is determined to get her kink back on. Any parent can relate to this story about how relationship dynamics change once a baby comes along. Nik Havert’s The Rabbit Trap is playful and imaginative. Valerie Alexander’s The World in My Pants and D.L. King’s On Location are both super-hot pieces of Femdom."

"What feels unique about "Dirty Dates" is the focus on committed couples exploring kink. That relational background adds a sweet sexiness to many scenes, which I loved. There's also a strong emphasis on consent in these stories - which makes me feel more excited to recommend it to people newer to kink world. For example, there are a lot of sentences like this one, from Emily Bingham's story: "I run one finger along my labia, shocked at how excited I am. I blush as I realize that daydreaming about the events I've agreed to has made such an impression..." Depending on your tastes, the reminders that everything has been "agreed to" can be distracting or quite a turn-on. More than other erotica anthologies I've read, "Dirty Dates" gives a template for how couples can actually explore kink together, which definitely makes it stand out. "

"Slowburn by Morgan Sierra is a femdom story told from the male submissive’s point of view. I don’t think that I’ve read a Femdom story told this way and it was a nice change of pace. It pulled no punches on the muddled and conflicting thoughts that tumbled through his mind while involved in a scene with his mistress.

The World in my Pants by Valerie Alexander gives us another dose of femdom with some juicy public humiliation and dirty alley sex. Of all the stories in the book, this is easily my favorite. All the girls crowding around him in the bathroom and writing on him with their makeup was especially fun to read.

Switch by Mina Murray tells the story of a couple reuniting after he’s been away for work. Blindfolded and handcuffed to the radiator in front of a picture window she comes to the realization that this was her fantasy made real."

So if you've read Dirty Dates or will be soon, whether you bought it on Amazon or not, I'd love if you'd leave a review there (or on Goodreads or Bn.com or anywhere else readers might see it). The review can say anything you want (although on Amazon, it can't have any curses or "dirty" words). It can be one sentence or 100 sentences. If you're stumped, I suggest sharing what your favorite story was and why, or your favorite stories. Or just what the book was like versus what you expected. Thank you for being interested in Dirty Dates in the first place! I was thrilled to have a book come out on my birthday, and while my focus now is on launching Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, I'm still keeping an eye on Dirty Dates and happy its reaching readers.

4 things this editor gives my anthology contributors in addition to paying them money

I am gearing up for the release of Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, which hits bookstores and e-readers January 12th, and also to post the my new call for submissions for Cleis Press for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2, which you can find on January 1 at bweoftheyear.com. The payment for authors for that volume, will be, as this one was, $100 per story. It's a fee I hope to be able to increase if I am given the opportunity to edit future volumes; I have no idea if that will happen, and right now my focus is on making the first volume as big a seller as I possibly can.



Already, I can tell you that I've gotten the woman I consider the very best erotica narrator around, who also happens to be a contributor to the book, Rose Caraway, as the narrator of the upcoming audiobook. That's one way I'm expanding the reach of this volume and ensuring that it reaches a wide readership/listenership.

Because I know that for most of us, that is a small sum in the grand scheme of bills to pay, I want to talk a little bit about what else I try to provide my authors. As a full-time freelance writer/editor/teacher/consultant, I know very well the value of money. I don't get paid sick days or holidays. I only get paid for work I produce, and that means that I'm highly aware of the value of every penny I spend and every penny I make. It's why I plan to tell those authors whose work is accepted this year to not waste their precious dollars sending their contracts via priority mail, when cheaper, regular old mail will do perfectly and won't cut into their $100 fee.

So because I'm aware that $100 isn't that much money, here's some of the other ways I try to support my authors:

1. Social media - I've made a Twitter list of the contributors to Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 and am doing my best to promote them, retweet them, and share their additional news, such as free erotica stories.

2. Interviews - I try to give authors a way to promote their own work and to highlight the efforts they've put into crafting their stories in my books. In the case of this book, I'm doing a series of Q&As on Tumblr with my authors. So far, I've interviewed: Elizabeth Coldwell, Rose P. Lethe, Valerie Alexander and Theda Hudson.

3. Reviews - The moment I see one of my authors praised in a review of the book they're published in, I let them know. I also post those wonderful words highlighting their stories on social media, as I did with the recent Library Journal review. I want them to hear what people have to say about their work; of course, if a review pans my author, I won't go out of my way to point that out to them, but an up-and-coming author can use some of those reviews in their own promotional materials, to bolster a book proposal or simply to quote on their website.

4. Live events - Plug: come hear me read from Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 at these free events: January 19th, 6:30-8:30 pm at Good Vibrations, 1620 Polk Street, San Francisco, with Amy Butcher, Rose Caraway, Dorothy Freed and Jade A. Waters, and March 31st at The Pleasure Chest, 3436 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, from 6-7:30 pm with Tara Betts and Rose P. Lethe.

This is probably the most costly and time-consuming aspect of anthology editing. On one level, you could see it as me asking authors to provide free labor, because essentially, I am. I'm asking them to take time out of their day or night and read their story to a live audience. But why I think this is helpful to them is: a) they get to bond with audience members and grow their own fan base, b) they get to hear their work read aloud and find out how people respond to it in the flesh, c) they get to meet fellow contributors in person and b) returning to social media, I promote their name and, if they are amenable, their photo on social media. Their name may get mentioned in major media outlets that are listing the event. I firmly believe that live readings go a lot further than the limited number of people who will actually attend such an event. Simply getting your event "out there" means you're raising awareness of the existence of the book and those authors' work in the book.

Is there more I can do for my authors? Most likely, yes! I am in ongoing communication with them and open to suggestions, and hope to add new readings to the lineup in 2016. I want my contributors to feel proud of not just their bylines, but being part of this book as a whole. I want to give them as much support as I'm capable of given my time and resources. And as I said, my goal is to make this book and the next one sell far beyond my wildest dreams, which will enable me to do more promotions, more readers, and pay future authors even more money. For now, this is what I can offer, and I look forward to launching this book and reading submissions for the next one in the new year.

Why Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 is the most important book I've ever edited

While I’m busy promoting this month’s release of Dirty Dates: Erotic Fantasies for Couples, I’m also looking ahead to January and the release of what I consider the most important book I’ve ever edited: Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 1.



I’ve been reading the Best Women’s Erotica series since the very first volume edited by Marcy Sheiner, and have had the honor of having several stories of mine published in the series, including some of my favorites, most notably my dishwashing fetish story “Doing the Dishes” and my oral sex restaurant story "Secret Service," inspired by a former restaurant where I used to live in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. With this new volume, Cleis Press has shifted from using calendar years in the title to volumes, so that the books are not automatically returned by bookstores at the end of the year. This means that readers will have more opportunities to discover the book.

I put everything I’ve learned from my last decade plus of anthology editing into this book. My vision was for an anthology of varied erotica by and about women, and while of course no single book will speak to every aspect of female sexuality, I am incredibly proud of the result. There’s a story set in the past and a story set in the future. There’s a fictional superhero and a pop star. There's kink and tenderness, love, lust and flirtation. There's real life drama and plenty of fantasies.

As I discovered upon my recent copyedit, as befitting my turning 40, there wound up being several women in their forties. There are two trans men (and if I have the honor of editing another volume, I will make sure trans women are included). There are lesbian and heterosexual pairings; there are bisexual stories; there are single ladies and ones in committed relationships, as well as ones in relationships that could use a little improvement. And much more!

I think this is one of the most diverse collections I’ve edited, in terms of race, age, sexual orientation and types of story settings and storytelling. I had to turn down many amazing stories due to space, which is always gut-wrenching to me, but one of the rougher aspects of anthology editing. However, my hope is that this volume reaches readers around the world, as it contains stories written by authors in the United States, Canada, the UK and Japan.

It’s become my new favorite amongst my titles. When people ask me which anthology of mine they should try, I will say Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, because I think it’s both modern and timeless. And yes, these stories are by and about women, but I truly believe anyone interested in varied, well written erotica, will appreciate them. I just reread them and even though I already knew what would happen, I got a kick out of it. My story "Flying Solo," written in the second person, made me want to write more in second person because it's fun (if challenging, but a good challenge).

The other reason I’m so proud of this book has to do with me stepping up as a businesswoman in a way I never have before. When I was asked to edit this anthology, I hired a publishing lawyer to help me with my contract, and then I got on the phone with my publisher and negotiated a better deal for myself than I would have gotten otherwise. I got some terms that I hadn’t even asked for, and all of that makes me even more committed to devoting 100% of my energy in the first half of 2016 to spreading the word about this book wide and far.

Right now I’m working on arranging readings that I hope will take place in San Francisco and Chicago and possibly a few more cities. As a general rule, I only travel for paid speaking events, because that’s what I can afford and what’s best for my business, but I’m breaking that rule to invest in this book because I believe in it so much and want to share that passion in the form of live readings. If those pan out, I will be posting about them all over, especially on the social media accounts for the book on Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr. I hope you will consider pre-ordering the book in print or ebook, or just sharing this link with the cover, table of contents and introduction. I'll be sending postcards to any stores that want them (email me at rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com if you have a store or event where you can put postcards out).

This is the culmination of the work I’ve been doing since I wrote my very first erotica story in 1999, and since I worked on my first anthology in 2004. It’s a huge honor that I do not take lightly. I thank all the authors who’ve allowed me to publish their work, and Cleis Press for believing in me and putting a beautiful cover on this incredibly sexy book. I will be sharing much more about the stories in Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, as we approach the January 12 publication date.

What I’ve been learning in recent months is that if you want to achieve big goals, you have to first dream big. So here’s my big dream: that Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 becomes my bestselling anthology. I love all the books with my name on them, of course, but this one I truly believe speaks to modern sexuality in a way that’s, without explicitly using the word in its fiction, feminist. I can’t wait to share these 22 hot stories with you. If you're a blogger or journalist and would like to cover BWE of the Year (for short), email me at rachelkramerbussel at gmail.com with "BWE" in the subject line and in the body your name, mailing address and publication name.

Below you'll find the links where you can pre-order Best Women’s Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, edited by me, Rachel Kramer Bussel, and published by Cleis Press. I hope you’ll check it out, because these authors are all ones to watch.

Introduction (read it on Tumblr)
A New Canvas Tara Betts
Demimonde Valerie Alexander
Ophelia the Second Jade A. Waters
Revisiting Youth J. Crichton and H. Keyes
Date Night D.R. Slaten
Flying Solo Rachel Kramer Bussel
Drawn by Nic Heidi Champa
The Ropes Elise King
Starstruck Lazuli Jones
The Altar of Lamented Toys Jessica Taylor
Matilda’s Secret L. Marie Adeline
Scents & Sexuality Doriana Chase
Alvin’s Night Elizabeth Coldwell
Enter Me Tabitha Rayne
The Wolf at His Door Deborah Castellano
Out of the Ordinary Rose P. Lethe
Lighting the Pyre Theda Hudson
Restitution Ria Restrepo
The Carnalarium Rose Caraway
Waiting to Pee Amy Butcher
Two Doms for Dinner Dorothy Freed
The Assistant Tiffany Reisz

Get your hands on Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1:

Amazon (print)

Kindle

Barnes & Noble (print)

Nook

Powells

Books-a-Million

IndieBound (find your nearest local bookstore)

Cleis Press

Amazon UK (print)

Amazon UK Kindle

Amazon Canada (print)

Amazon Canada Kindle

69 hot erotica stories for under $4? You've gotta have Gotta Have It! With book trailer

I'm a huge fan of short stories in all forms, which is good because I wrote and edit lots of them. But the short short stories in my books with 69 tales each are among my favorites. Why? Because the authors pack so much into a very short word count: 1,200 words or less. The book of mine that got me started on this path is Gotta Have It: 69 Stories of Sudden Sex, and right now, it's on sale on Amazon: only $3.30 for the paperback and $3.14 for the Kindle edition!



And no, you don't have to have a Kindle to read the Kindle edition! There's Kindle for Mac, Kindle for PC and Kindle for Android. There's also Kindle Cloud reader, which allows you to read in your browser. For an overview, check out How-To Geek walking you through "Read Kindle Books On Your Computer with Kindle for PC."

I don't know how long this sale will last, and prices could change any second, so if you are interested and haven't read this book, I would check it out.

But I'm not asking you to buy it without trying some of the stories free! You can listen to many of them narrated by Rose Caraway, who narrated the audiobook version. You can listen on this blog to 5 stories, which are: "Laugh" by Sommer Marsden, "Police Dogging" by Elizabeth Coldwell, "Remembering the Wrinkles" by Penelope Friday, "Not Just a Myth" by Heidi Champa, and "The Dirty Things She Says" by Sinclair Sexsmith. You can also hear Rose read what might be my favorite story in the book: the gender swapping "Remote Control" by Logan Zachary. Like BDSM? Listen and watch me read my face slapping story "Manners" at Coco de Mer in Los Angeles, shot by photographer Dave Naz.



Want more? 17 authors participated in the book trailer:



Here's the official blurb and my introduction - now go read it on Kindle or in print!

Rachel Kramer Bussel has collected a wide and wild variety of original erotica stories that are deliciously short — just one orgasmic bite at a time. In 1,200 words or less, these authors explore every which way you can “get it on,” including threesomes, sex toys, public sex, BDSM, fetishes, and much more. Get “Anal-yzed,” learn “The Advantage of Working from Home” and spy some risqué “Vacation Pictures.” There are pecan rolls dripping in caramel and meals where lovers feast on nothing but each other. From crossword puzzles to Godzilla, these tales are perfect for reading aloud before you live out your own frisky fantasy. For those who like their sex quick and naughty, Gotta Have It has a host of erotic offerings to get you going.

Introduction: Short, Sweet and Totally Sexy

Everyone needs a break from his or her everyday life sometimes, and what better way to escape than with a short story that gets right to the point? The authors of the sixty-nine stories you hold in your hand understand exactly how to pique your interest and get you off , and they do it all in 1,200 words or less. You don’t need long to get drawn into the drama, tension and lust.

I received close to three hundred submissions for this collection, more than I ever have before, and I think that’s because no one, writer or reader alike, can resist a short story that seduces instantaneously. These stories aren’t all about quickie sex, though there’s plenty of that. There are strangers who meet and know right away they must have each other, neighbors, travel mates, coworkers and long-term couples such as those in “After Ten Years” and “Remembering the Wrinkles” who are looking for ways to hold on to that spark. There are stories of sex in libraries, vacation sex and lots of outdoor sex—in the rain, in the street, all over. There are lovers with pecan rolls dripping in caramel, and meals where lovers feast on nothing but each other. There are even a few stories with no actual sex in them at all—you’ll have to hunt those down and see why anticipation can be the sexiest act of all.

There’s humor, kink, flirtation, Godzilla, missed connections, sex toys, and one very bold census taker. But I don’t want to take up too much of your time that could be better spent getting intimately acquainted with these short but incredibly sexy stories. I hope you will savor them, read them aloud and return to your favorites again and again. Because all of us have a few minutes set aside for a quickie, don’t we?

Rachel Kramer Bussel
New York City

My 40th birthday book Dirty Dates just got its first review!

My new anthology Dirty Dates: Erotic Fantasies for Couples has an official publication date of November 10th, aka my birthday, but I just found out it will be shipping from the printer to stores (and me!) this week, so if you pre-order it, you're likely to get it a little earlier than 11/10.



I'll be posting more about it but wanted to share its first review on Goodreads, in which Dena Hankins, whose novels include Blue Water Dreams and Heart of the Liliko'i, highlights her favorite of these BDSM erotica stores. She also posted the review on her website. Here's a snippet from her review:

One of my favorite experiences reading erotica is grokking the heat of something that doesn’t turn me on at all. "Magic Words" by Emily Bingham lets me feel Daddy/girl play from the point of view of someone it works for, deep and real enough that I really think I get it…even if I’m not about to go looking for it myself.

"Baby Steps" by Justine Elyot got me too. I’m not a parent, but I’ve been through enough life changes during my nearly twenty-year relationship that I recognize this moment. The stakes are high, and I love how this shows the very real way we bring ourselves into the sex we have. This one is a favorite more for the story than the kink and/or sex, though.

"On Location" by D. L. King is fun and flirty, with an absolutely fabulous glimpse into the lives of lovers who don’t share a home. I very much enjoy erotica depicting warm, non-traditional relationships. And the set-up is hot!

"Recipe for Punishment" by Jacqueline Brocker is a-fucking-dorable. The punishment is brutal and glorious, a quick and effective mid-scene check-in is heartwarming, the achievement is his to own, and the love fills them both.

I have a hot new book coming out in 2016!

At some point, when I have free time (ha ha ha), I will post more about what it means to me to have edited the forthcoming in January Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 (the new name for what what I had called Best Women's Erotica 2016), because it's an incredible career high, especially since the stories I've had published in previous editions are some of my absolute favorites I've written. But today I sent over 200 rejection emails and 20 acceptance emails, filed two articles and did so many other things that at one point, I looked up and legitimately wasn't sure where I was for a few seconds. It was like I'd woken up from a dream, but I was at my desk. Yes, that's how crazy this week is making me. If you submitted a story to the book and haven't heard back (check your inbox and spam folder too), email me ASAP at bwe2016 at gmail.com and I will respond.



So instead of everything I had planned to say about this book, which I am now in the paperwork/contracts/sending payment stage of, I will just share the cover. I will also say to all the people who submitted whose work I couldn't include, and anyone who had wanted to submit but didn't, if I am given the chance to edit another volume of this series, I hope to make it as smart and sexy and creative as this one. I have no idea if I will be editing any more anthologies, let alone this famed series, and today is not a day I even want to contemplate anything of the sort, given how exhausted I am. But if I should be so lucky as to edit another volume, I will once again make room in it for many new authors I've never worked with, and new voices. That was one of my top priorities with this volume and I can't wait for it to be out in the world in January. Postcards and readings and promotions to come! This is an important book for me for many reasons, and I will share more about that as soon as I can. Once the table of contents is finalized, I will post it and share why I selected the stories I did. I can promise you now: there's hotness, variety, threesomes, romance, kink, geekiness and much more.