I need LOTS more bondage erotica for my new anthology

I almost titled this post, "Where has all the bondage erotica gone?" because save for a handful of short story submissions, the inbox for my Cleis Press anthology Best Bondage Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 call has been quite empty. I'm offering $75 and two copies of the book. The deadline to submit is coming up this Sunday, July 1, 2018. It could be that it's the summer and people are busy or it could be I've failed in my job as an editor to spread the word to enough writing communities. While that's bad news for me as I struggle not to bite my nails over this situation, it's good news for anyone submitting because your chances go way up when I have fewer submissions to choose from. Yes, I could always extend the call if I don't have the stories I need by July 2, but that feels like admitting editorial defeat and is something I avoid if I can help it. If you know of any websites, groups, mailing lists, etc., that might have writers of bondage stories, feel free to pass it on or let me know at bestbondageseries at gmail.com where to submit this call (or the next one, should I get asked to edit another volume).

I'm especially looking for submissions that surprise me with their plotlines and creative types of bondage, stories that feature people of color and stories by authors I've never worked with before, but I'm open to any and all unpublished stories that meet the writing guidelines. So if you know anyone who has a bondage story they've been wanting to get published or can write one in the next few days, please pass along the call for submissions. This graphic is just a way to get people's attention, not a suggestion of the types of bondage I want for this book. Instead, I want people of all genders restrained. I want mental and physical bondage. I want newbies and very experienced bondage players and everything in between. Maybe I'm worrying for nothing that there will be a big influx of submissions over the weekend, but if not, I wanted to spread the word to anyone who might have missed this call or perhaps seeing this post sparks a story idea.



And then August 1, 2018 is the Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 5 call for submissions deadline. Looking forward to reading all your stories!

If you're wondering why it takes so long to hear back, see my Medium post about the timing. In my forties, I'm trying to work smarter so that I can create better books with less stress and fewer errors. Hence, instead of setting the deadline in October or November, which would give me very minimal time to actually edit and select pieces, I've made these deadlines so I can give my copyeditor more time, consult with authors in case I have revisions, and have a manuscript in to my publisher well before they need catalog copy (the blurb you see on the back cover of the book that's also listed in a publisher's catalog and disseminated to retailers 8-12 months in advance of the book release).

My call for submissions for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2 is up

While my primary focus in 2016, especially for the next few months, is on making Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 1 a success, which means reaching out to bookstores and sex toy stores, organizing events, using Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram and basically living and breathing book marketing like I've never done before, I am also thinking ahead. I'm thrilled that Cleis Press had enough faith in me as an editor to sign me up for a second volume before this one's even hit stores, and my goal is to live up to that faith and maybe even exceed it.



I've posted the call for submissions for Best Women's Erotica of the Year, Volume 2. Please feel free to post this call anywhere you like (it's public) and let me know if there are any websites, magazines, organizations, etc. that might be good places to send it, especially anywhere outside the United States I might not know about. I hate when people come to me and say "I just heard about your call" and there's three days left, so I am aiming to get the call to as many writers as I can.

It's long, but already I've had questions. One was whether "women" includes all people who claim that identity? Yes. Anyone who self-indentifies as a woman and whose story conforms to the guidelines is eligible. The second was whether lesbian stories would be accepted. My reply: "As long as the story is from the perspective of a woman, any type of sexuality/sexual orientation will be considered." I'm sure as I get more questions, if it seems elements of what I want aren't clear, I will clarify them in the call, which will live at the Best Women's Erotica of the Year website because I want it to have its own home, which will be expanding and evolving.

I still remember my early forays into submitting to this series, and how thrilled I was when my dishwashing fetish story "Doing the Dishes" made it in. I am humbled and honored that someone might feel that way based on my selecting their work for this series, and I don't take it lightly. Ultimately, my job is to please readers. If they don't like my books, then I find a new profession. I've heard a few early comments about Volume 1 and can't wait to hear what others think. I love all the stories in the book, but I know different ones will appeal to different readers. I may be too close to the work, still, having recently copyedited it and dreading when someone tells me that I didn't catch a typo. Speaking of typos, I just changed "ninetines" to "nineties" in my call for submissions and a bunch of other typos, because I retyped the entire thing rather than figure out how to get it unitalicized, because I'm stubborn and human and mistakes happen, but I will be even more diligent with Volume 2, either giving myself time to do a second round of copyediting or perhaps having another person look at it (yes, my publisher of course copyedits the book, but if you've ever had work published, you know that copyediting is a multifaceted process and that errors easily slip by even the most skilled and trained eyes; I see them in published books all the time).

Issuing a call for submissions is like a puzzle, except that at the start, you don't know wha the questions are, let alone the answers. With the first volume, I received over 200 submissions. I had planned to include 25 plus one of mine, but found I did not have the room given my word count, so the final book has 22 stores by 23 authors (one is co-authored). This year, my aim is to include as much variety as the first volume, perhaps similarly with stories in the first, second and third person, with historical and futuristic stories, but also include aspects of life and sexuality that aren't in abundance in the first volume. That's why I included "stories featuring women in their forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties or nineties." I had an abundance of women in their forties in the first volume, and want to broaden that age range. I made somewhat of a wish list in my call, but what I wish for most of all is the stories I never could have anticipated, the stories that awe me and will stay on readers' minds for a long time to come, the stories that readers will take into their beds and read out loud, or savor to themselves, the stories they will dogear (yes, that is my paperback bias, but I'd also be fine with them "dog-earing" an e-reader or listening on repeat to the audiobook version). My point is, I want these stories to stand the test of time, to be like the books I have owned for a decade or more and still return to when I want to relive a particularly hot, moving tale.

My dream is that I will get the chance to edit many more volumes. Right now, I have no idea if that will happen, and that's okay, because I am working on living in the moment and with reality, not in my own fantasy headspace. So all I can do is spread this call for submissions as far and wide as I can, hopefully reaching around the globe, reaching writers who've never thought of themselves as "erotica writers" but who see something in this call that inspires them, reaching writers in other genres, reaching writers whose work I've previously rejected but whose story fits this particular book. When I do go to put an anthology together, for me that's when the outline of the puzzle really takes shape. I fall for a wonderful paragraph or plotline or character or way of approaching sex (for the latter, see "Waiting to Pee" by Amy Butcher in BWE of the Year, Volume 1).

3 erotica calls for submissions: sex toys, female fantasies and bondage

You heard it here first! This female fantasy erotica anthology is a separate one from my previous call, though the wording is the same; please do not submit the same story you sent previously, unless I've requested you do so. Last time I got a huge abundance of lesbian fantasies; feel free to send those, but if you do, give it a very good twist. Though it has the latest deadline (April 1), the sex toy anthology I expect to fill up fast and I would encourage you to get your stories in as early as possible. I especially encourage those who've taken my erotic writing workshops to submit to any or all of these anthologies and each of my anthologies will publish work by writers I've never published before. The most important thing you can do in submitting work to me is follow the guidelines, and write an insanely hot story. I'm also reposting the Best Bondage Erotica 2015 call, which has a March 1 deadline. If you're waiting to hear back about my previous calls, I will reply to you by the second week of January - my apologies for the delay.

Call for Submissions: Sex Toy Erotica anthology, April 1 deadline
To be published by Cleis Press

Erotica editor Rachel Kramer Bussel is looking for your hottest sex toy erotica stories. Sex toys can include items such as vibrators, dildos, butt plugs, as well as items like handcuffs and other restraints, nipple clamps, paddles, cock rings, whips and canes, sex furniture, etc., but feel free to get as creative as you can with the definition of “sex toy” and its use in your stories. The story can focus on the sex toy or simply incorporate the use of a sex toy into the narrative. Sex toys should be given context and description, but shouldn’t read like catalog copy. Let the story you’re telling drive the detail used to convey exactly what the sex toy/s is/are and their purpose within the story.

The final book will contain a wide range of characters, scenarios, sexualities, locations, motivations and toys, from the types listed above that you’d find at a sex toy retailer, to everyday household objects, to fictional sex toys. The sky’s the limit! All characters should be over 18. No nonconsensual scenes. No bestiality, scat or incest. No poetry. Please see my anthologies Orgasmic, Women in Lust, and Fast Girls for examples of the kinds of stories I'm looking for. Unpublished stories only (this includes blogs and websites).

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. 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. Only submit your final, best version of the story you are submitting. Do not send multiple versions of the same story. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to sextoyantho@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name as well as your pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. For the smoothest editorial process, please double check that the byline you are using with your submission is the byline you'd want published. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 2014. I cannot give any feedback on rejected submissions.

Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication

Deadline: April 1, 2014 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged)

NOTE: I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them. If you have any questions, please contact me at sextoyantho@gmail.com

Call for Submissions: Female Fantasy Erotica, March 1 deadline
To be published by Cleis Press

This collection of erotica will feature female protagonists living out their hottest fantasies. From vanilla kinky, single to partnered, from 18 to elderly, I'm looking for stories of all sorts of women (transgender characters are also welcome) exploring new aspects of their sexuality. For inspiration, feel free to check out a list by Violet Blue of common sexual fantasies, but stories must capture what about that particular fantasy for that particular character is so compelling and make it red-hot to work for this book, and authors are encouraged to be creative, daring and provocative with exploring the definition of fantasy and how it plays out for your character. All characters should be over 18. No nonconsensual scenes. No bestiality, scat or incest. No poetry. Please see my anthologies Orgasmic, Women in Lust, and Fast Girls for examples of the kinds of stories I'm looking for. Unpublished stories only (this includes blogs and websites).

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. 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. Only submit your final, best version of the story you are submitting. Do not send multiple versions of the same story. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to fantasyantho@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name as well as your pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. For the smoothest editorial process, please double check that the byline you are using with your submission is the byline you'd want published. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 2014. I cannot give any feedback on rejected submissions.

Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication

Deadline: March 1, 2014 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged)

Call for Submissions: Best Bondage Erotica 2015, March 1 deadline
To be published by Cleis Press

Best Bondage Erotica 2015 will collect the best bondage erotica stories around, focusing on a range of techniques, implements, characters and scenarios, from newbies to seasoned bondage players and everything in between. Bondage should be a central focus of the erotic element of the story but the plot does not have to hinge on bondage. The final book will include stories focused on both the physical and mental aspects of bondage, from varying points of view. Bondage plus other sexual activity is welcome (spanking, tickling, exhibitionism, voyeurism, intercourse, oral sex, teasing, etc.). Original, unique, creative characters, settings, scenarios and forms of bondage are encouraged. As befitting the title, I’m looking for the best, hottest, most creative bondage erotica for this collection. All genders/sexual orientations welcome. No poetry.

Original stories strongly preferred, but reprints of work published (or slated to be published) between September 2013 and November 2014 will be considered but will be given lower priority than original work and author MUST include original publication information and retain reprint rights. All characters must be over 18; no incest or bestiality. Please see Best Bondage Erotica 2011, 2012, 2013 or 2014 or my other kinky Cleis Press anthologies (Serving Him, Anything for You, Cheeky Spanking Stories, Bottoms Up, Spanked, Yes, Sir, Yes, Ma’am, He’s on Top, She’s on Top) for an idea of the kinds of stories I prefer. I will consider up to two stories per author.

How to submit: Send double spaced Times or Times New Roman 12 point black font Word document with pages numbered (.doc, not .docx) OR RTF of 1,500-4,000 word story. 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. DO NOT submit multiple versions of your story; submit ONLY your final, complete, edited version of the story. Include your legal name (and pseudonym if applicable), mailing address, and 50 word or less bio in the third person to bestbondage2015@gmail.com. If you are using a pseudonym, please provide your real name as well as your pseudonym and make it clear which one you’d like to be credited as. You will receive a confirmation within 72 hours. I will get back to you by September 2014. I cannot give any feedback on rejected submissions.

Payment: $50 and 2 copies of the book on publication

Deadline: March 1, 2014 (earlier submissions strongly encouraged)
I’ve been seeing numerous recent submissions that do not conform to my guidelines. They are there for a reason. Please read and follow them. If you have any questions, please contact me at bestbondage2015 at gmail.com

About the editor: Rachel Kramer Bussel (rachelkramerbussel.com) is the editor of over 50 anthologies, including The Big Book of Orgasms, Baby Got Back: Anal Erotica, Serving Him, Best Bondage Erotica 2011, 2012 and 2013, Irresistible, Gotta Have It, Women in Lust Orgasmic, Fast Girls, Passion, Peep Show, Bottoms Up, Spanked, The Mile High Club, Do Not Disturb, He’s on Top, She’s on Top, Tasting Him, Tasting Her, Crossdressing, and Dirty Girls. Her writing has been published in over 100 anthologies, including Susie Bright’s X: The Erotic Treasury, Best American Erotica 2004 and 2006, and Zane’s Purple Panties and the New York Times bestseller Succulent: Chocolate Flava II. She has written for Cosmopolitan, The Daily Beast, Fresh Yarn, Inked, Mediabistro, Newsday, New York Post, Penthouse, The Root, Salon, Time Out New York, xoJane, Zink and other publications.