Cobblestone Press, LLC

We are an electronic publisher of sensual & erotic romance and short story erotica seeking creative storytelling and original style. Because we at Cobblestone Press are selective about what we accept, we are looking for authors to set the standard of writing for this press; authors that show extraordinary ability to weave tales of romance through strong, unforgettable characters, plots that twist and turn with layers of conflict and emotion, and a style that sets them apart from other writers in the market.

Cobblestone Press is a full service publisher. There are NO fees for the author at any point during our publication process. Your book will be edited, assigned an ISBN number, and cover art will be provided.

Royalty rate is 35% of the cover price and will be paid on a monthly basis. We currently request electronic and audio rights.

We publish sensual & erotic romance stories and short story erotica.

· Sensual romance stories are what “romance” is all about. These love stories should have strong plots, fully developed characters, open-door love scenes, and a Happily Ever After ending. All sexually active characters in the manuscript must be at least 18 no matter the time period.

· Erotic romance stories are tales of love with an erotic flavor. They have all of the same elements found in sensual romances, but must use explicit, adult-oriented language when describing the sexual elements within the story.

· Erotica short stories are all about arousing the reader. These vignettes must have open-door sex scenes using explicit, adult-oriented language. These short stories are not necessarily romances, so a Happily Ever After ending is not required, but a “Happy for Now” is preferred.

For all stories, we prefer you avoid purple prose. If you are unsure of how to define purple prose, check out this informative and hilarious article by Deb Stover: The Purple Prose Eater

We Are Accepting the Following Submissions:

We are currently accepting manuscripts from 5,000-65,000 words in the following genres:

Action Adventure
African American
BDSM
Contemporary
Fantasy
Futuristic/Sci-Fi
Gay (m/m only)
Historical
Interracial/Multicultural

Ménage
Paranormal (Vampire, Shifter, Ghosts, etc.)
Romantic Comedy
Time Travel
Thriller/Suspense
Steampunk
Urban Fantasy

For more information, see our Line Submissions and Seasonal Submissions.

A complete manuscript is required at submission from all authors.

We Do Not Accept:

Manuscripts that depict any group of people in a negative, demeaning light will not be considered. No Exceptions.

Pedophilia

Sex between minors

Incest

Daddy/Mommy fantasies

Felching

Fan Fiction

Rape &/or forced seduction. No exceptions.

Erotic asphyxiation
Knife play

Snuff &/or necrophilia

Bestiality

Urethral sounding

Water play (golden showers)

Brown play

If you aren't sure whether content in your story is acceptable, please feel free to ask before submitting. We try to answer questions regarding our submission guidelines within 48 hours.

Line Submissions

*If you are submitting a novel for one of the lines, please put it in the subject of your email and in the cover letter.* 　

Blue Line (submission are open to In House Authors only)
Word Count: 3k-5k
This line is for erotica shorts for highly sexual and explicit content. Let your Freak Flag Fly! HEA or romantic content not required. First and third person accepted (male or female POV). All genres considered.

Wicked™ Line
Word Count: 5k-10k
Be wicked for us. We're looking for short story erotica with a very high level of sexual content. HEA or romantic content not required. First and third person accepted (male or female POV). All genres considered.

Tryst™ Line
Word Count: 10k-20k
The Tryst line is our signature short story line. These short, erotic, and quick reads should stimulate the reader and the promise of a future.

Shifter™ Line
Word Count: 10k-65k
The Shifter line at Cobblestone is dedicated to shape shifters of both genders. Get in touch with your wild side and let us take a look! We are interested in shape shifter romance that crosses over into all genres and heat levels.

Seasonal Submissions

Space is very limited! Mark your submissions accordingly so they will be routed to the proper place for consideration.

Octoberfest
Word Count: 10k-40k
Genre: Paranormal Sensual & Erotic Romance
Must be submitted by August 1, 2011

Shifters, vampires, ghosts, and everything in between. Octoberfest is about celebrating all things paranormal.

Naughty November
Word Count: 10k-40k
Genre: Ménage & BDSM
Must be submitted by September 1, 2011

We're especially interested in m/m/f or m/f/m ménage. Submissions for Naughty November must be “erotic romance” or “erotica”.

Formatting Guidelines

Use either Times New Roman or Courier New, 12pt. font
All paragraphs should be indented .5 (without tabs-preferred)Double Spaced
One inch margins
Attach the manuscript as an RTF file (no other format will be opened)
Include a cover letter in the body of your email. Discuss past publications, if any, future goals, and at least a paragraph blurb describing your book.
On the first page of your manuscript include in the upper left corner the following: Title of Manuscript, Word Count- Calculated by your word processor program, Genre (or Line), Full Name, Pen Name (if applicable), Mailing Address, Phone Number, and Email Address

Please submit full manuscript as an attachment to: submissions@cobblestone-press.com. Failure to properly format your manuscript can/will result in an automatic rejection. For help creating an .rtf file please check out the forum.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. To whom do I submit my work?
A. Please submit your full manuscript in RTF format as an attachment to: submissions@cobblestone-press.com. Failure to properly format and attach your manuscript can/will result in an automatic rejection. For help creating an .rtf file please check out the forum.

Q. Do you contract on proposal?
A. Yes, but only from our In-House Authors currently under contract with us on at least one other manuscript.

Q. Can I submit a partial manuscript?
A. No. Only full manuscripts are processed for contract consideration.

Q. What if my story was previously published? What about self-published works?
A. We do not consider currently self-published works for contract. If your manuscript was previously released by another publisher but is no longer under contract and, therefore, considered “out of print”, you may contact us to discuss the possibility of contract consideration.

Q. Do you accept multiple submissions?
A. Yes – but do let us know if the work is currently being considered by another publisher.

Q. What should I put in my cover letter?
A. Tell us about you, your work, and the material you are submitting.

Q. What is your current acceptance rate?
A. This depends greatly on the number of submissions during a given month; but a safe estimate would be about 5%.

Q. Do you accept submissions written in First Person POV?
A. Yes. We will consider material written in First Person (past tense only).

Q. Do you accept books from multiple authors?
A. Yes, but the authors will have to split the 35% royalty.

Q. Do you accept anthologies?
A. Contact us directly and we can discuss it.

Q. How long will I have to wait for an answer on my submission?
A. Our current response time is roughly 90 days. At the time of submission, our system will automatically respond to let you know that the submission was received. If you do not receive the automatic reply, it means that we did not get your email.

Q. Do I need an agent to submit to Cobblestone?
A. No, no agent is required but we are comfortable working with and have worked with agents in the past.

Q. I write under a pen name, can you guarantee my privacy?
A. Absolutely. We will do everything within our power to protect your privacy.

Q. If my story is contracted, how long will I have to wait for publication?
A. This depends on the number of manuscripts contracted ahead of you, editing, and special events that are planned at Cobblestone. We like to see contracted manuscripts published within six months of contract.

Q. How many titles do you publish a month?
A. Our current schedule allows for 3 titles a week.

Q. How often does Cobblestone Press pay authors?
A. Monthly

Q. What rights does Cobblestone acquire?
A. Our standard contract electronic rights for five years. Our contract is renewable and can be negotiated if you acquire an agent. Print rights on full lengths are negotiated separately at the discretion of the publisher.

Q. Can I supply my own cover art?
A. No, we do not allow authors to provide cover art.

Q. How much say will I have in cover art design?
A. We have a staff of dedicated and talented artists that produce cover art that fits each book by studying closely the information provided by the authors on the cover art form. We pride ourselves on the quality of our cover art.

Q. Will my book be edited?
A. Of course! We have a thorough and professional editing staff that will do all they can to make your work shine. We will not compromise on matters of grammar and accuracy.

Q. Do you distribute your books to vendors?
A. Yes, we currently have contracts for distribution with Fictionwise, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, and Amazon Kindle.

Q. Why should I publish at Cobblestone Press?
A. We’re dedicated to producing quality. Everything about Cobblestone is designed to create a positive, creative, and attractive experience for both authors and readers. Our contracts are pro-author and demonstrate our dedication to the success of our authors while they are with us and beyond.