Guidelines for prospective authors

Adam L G Nevill
Erotica Editor
Virgin Publishing Ltd
Thames Wharf Studios
Rainville Road
London W6 9HA

BLACK LACE – EROTIC FICTION FOR WOMEN
Inaugurated in July 1993, Black Lace has emerged as the leading imprint of erotic fiction for women, selling over four million books worldwide. It has without question been an enormous success, and the success looks set to continue. In publishing a series of attractive, strongly branded books aimed at women, we have created a new genre.
First things first. We accept submissions from female authors only, with no exceptions. We have found that, in this genre, authors tend to write better for their own gender. Besides, the fact that all our authors are guaranteed to be women is a valuable part of our marketing strategy.

THINGS CHANGE
The past few years have seen a number of changes in British society around matters of sex. Programmes such as Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives, countless documentaries along the lines of C4’s ‘Sex Tips for Girls’ – as well as the new upmarket sex emporiums like Agent Provocateur and Coco de Mer - have given a lot of prominence to the female perspective. Black Lace books were launched before any of this: before the Spice Girls, before lad mags, before Brit Pop and before chick lit. Back in 1993, the books were a sensation, but these days sexuality is very much about entertainment and lifestyle and no one bats an eyelid. The effect of this opening up of attitudes means that we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. Our readers these days expect narratives that are entertaining as well as arousing. Consequently, our editorial policy has sharpened to keep pace with the demands of the market, and our guidelines, image and preferred writing styles have changed considerably from the early days.

Black Lace will continue to be a broad church in terms of storylines and characters but the bottom line is the actual writing. I am looking for work that really is a cut above tired, formula erotica. We are looking for surprises and well-developed characters who maximise their erotic potential. This doesn’t mean that we won’t consider ‘darker’ narratives, and characters do not all have to be high-flying and glamorous – but your storyline and the people who populate it should sizzle, and the writing should hit the ground running from the word go. I would recommend anyone who is thinking of writing new material with contemporary settings to check out titles by Alison Tyler, Alaine Hood, Savannah Smythe or Emma Holly.

We will continue to change and develop the series to keep pace with an increasingly sophisticated audience. We strongly recommend that you acquaint yourself with one or two recent books in the series if you are planning to submit a proposal.

THE READERSHIP
Although some Black Lace books are read by men, they are designed to appeal to women in terms of both image and content. Our market research shows that the readership spans a wide age group, the majority being 18 - 40, and from relatively high-income households. Although we should make Black Lace novels accessible to the widest possible readership, we should remember that a large number of our readers will be very discerning and highly literate. We mustn’t patronise them.

WHAT TO SEND
A Black Lace novel should be between 70,000 and 75,000 words long. What we want to see in the first instance is a paragraph explaining what the novel is about, a full synopsis or chapter breakdown of the story (about 1,000 words) and about 10,000 words (usually the first couple of chapters) of finished text. Send your submission to the address on the front page. We do not accept proposals as emails.

RETURNING YOUR MANUSCRIPT
The number of submissions we receive means, unfortunately, that we can no longer afford to be generous. If you would like your typescript returned in the event of rejection, please enclose a large self-addressed envelope and enough postage to cover its despatch. If you are sending material from the US, please note that US stamps do not ‘work’ in Britain. We prefer to receive IRCs (International Reply Coupons). If your proposal is for a full-length Black Lace novel, don’t forget the synopsis! To an editor, few things are worse than completed, unsolicited manuscripts arriving without synopses.

EROTIC SHORT STORIES
We are currently taking a break from short story collections to begin a new series of cross-genre erotica and erotic romance novellas (see below).

THEMED NOVELLA COLLECTIONS
Each volume will contain three novellas at a 25,000 word length. The first four themes are: vampires; were-creatures/shapeshifters; magic and desire; enchanted – erotic fairy tales.

Writing for these collections will be primarily by invitation only. Vampires is full. But, we will consider exceptional submissions for the next three collections. Covering letter and synopsis and 2000 words in the first instance.

FIRST THINGS FIRST – A WORD ABOUT WHAT EROTICA IS AND ISN’T
Contrary to popular belief on the part of many unsolicited authors – erotica is not ‘writing about genitalia’ – good erotica should explore the psychological dynamic that occurs preceding and during sexual arousal. We do not want to see manuscripts or short stories that focus on what happens to genitals when people become aroused.

THE SETTING
A Black Lace novel should be an arousing, escapist fantasy, but it should also function as a good story. Page after page of undiluted sexual gymnastics and anatomical description is not what we’re looking for; this soon becomes dull. Whereas men seem to be fixated by anatomy, women seem to be more interested in scenarios in which the build up, the environment, or the dynamics between the characters are paramount – and certainly more important than what someone’s cock looks like. This doesn’t mean that women want ‘softer’ sex scenes, but they do want characters who are believable - i.e. not the men’s magazine ideal of impossibly proportioned nymphets with 18-inch waists who orgasm at first touch, or the women’s magazine ideal of flawless 6ft beauties who are obsessed with perfection. Do not feel you have to pack your story from beginning to end with sex scenes. Even within erotica, the sex does not have to be gratuitous, tiresome or unrealistic. The reader wants story, too. Sexual tension is the greatest friend of erotic writing – do not forget this. Allow the sex scenes to evolve naturally.

The essential requisites are: well-drawn characters that are entertaining to read about, engaged with each other in:

All of our erotica should include a modern ‘voice’ comprehensible to a modern reader. The reader must find it easy to suspend her disbelief. The ideal narrative is one where the reader can vicariously enjoy all manner of thrilling, erotic experiences, but they must be experiences which are credible i.e. not too far into the realms of make-believe. For this reason, futuristic settings are not popular. The most important thing to remember is that we are looking for surprises, excitement, convincing dialogue and evocative writing that hits the ground running from the word go.

DOWNBEAT MUNDANITY
You should strive for credibility, but not for mundane reality. You are writing for an audience that wants to be entertained and aroused. Begin your story with a punchy intro. The same is true for erotica as it is for all general fiction. A prospective reader is likely to decide whether or not to buy your novel on the strength of that first paragraph. Make it good; the workmanlike approach is not a friend of erotica. We will not publish books that begin with a weather report (‘it was a dark and stormy night’) or an over-description of someone waking up (Lucinda stretched languorously . . . ) combined with a weather report (. . . as the morning sun filtered through the curtains and cast a golden glow over her slender limbs).

We prefer a narrative voice that has more in common with either pulp fiction or general fiction than ‘sensual romance’.

Far too many Black Lace novels have begun with a woman having just split up with her ‘boring’ boyfriend/husband and (for some reason) taking a scented bath before embarking on a sexual adventure. At one time this was an original idea. Not any more. Do strive for originality. Please also remember that Black Lace books are not the place to work through the more bitter themes of sexual rejection. They should not have an autobiographical slant – unless the ‘I’ of the narrative is a character of your own creation and she’s going to be a little more upbeat than 99% of the ‘I’ s I have to read about. Black Lace books should be entertaining, sexy and fun.

They should not focus on:-

or, most importantly . . .

. . . (especially in SM stories). In Black Lace stories, kinky sex is hyper-real, fun and entered into as an adult choice for the purpose of naughty thrills – not as a ‘harrowing journey of self-discovery’. If you must include downbeat elements in the narrative, please try to add a wry slant on things. I see far too many proposals that are autobiographical accounts of miserable marriages or horrid childhoods. Worthy they may be; well written, even. Sexy they are most definitely NOT. As an addendum to this, it’s not suitable for your characters to have background stories that include domestic violence, unwanted pregnancies, chronic illness, alcoholism or drug-addiction. Stories generally should not have, for instance, the death of a close friend, partner or parent, or tragedy generally – it’s just not right for the list.

GET TO KNOW YOUR SUBJECT
So many of the proposals we receive are from people desperate to be published – and they don’t mind where - they just want to see their work in print. At Black Lace, we are looking for writers who are real fans of erotica. It really helps if you can do a little research into the history of the genre throughout the 20th century. Get acquainted with the ‘names’: Anais Nin, Henry Miller, Georges Bataille, Hubert Selby Jnr. etc. Although literary styles have changed, the ideas these writers were dealing with have an enduring quality within the erotic genre. If you have an awareness of erotica’s place within the literary canon, your own work will benefit from that knowledge. Recently, erotic literature has had something of resurgence with titles such as Catherine M and 100 Strokes of the Brush Before Bed. It is worth checking these out.

HISTORICAL, PARANORMAL ROMANCE AND LITERARY EROTICA
Historical: at least 40% of the titles in the Black Lace series have had historical settings. It was important that our authors eroticised history - this avenue of female sexual fantasy needed to be explored. Though many of our readers want to read about women like themselves in contemporary situations they can relate to, we will still commission new historical Black Lace if the proposals are exceptional (and we regularly reprint our older historical titles too). We aim to publish the best erotic writing submitted to us by genuine female authors, be it historical or contemporary. But the storylines and writing will have to be exceptional to get commissioned.

Paranormal Erotica: this is a difficult genre to get right. Themes and events that are out of most people’s experience often do not lend themselves well to the erotic novel. Most sexual fantasies are firmly rooted in reality. The combination of the paranormal and the erotic can easily slide into the arena of the risible. Bizarre sexual behaviour is one thing; psychic phenomena in all its forms is another. But again, if you are particularly adept at paranormal romance, capable of exceptional storytelling and strong imaginative writing, your paranormal erotica proposals will be most welcome. And we’d recommend authors be familiar with the genre currently led by contemporary authors such as C Feehan, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Janine Ashbless, Olivia Knight, Michelle Pillow.

Literary Erotica: we will also be looking for groundbreaking and original literary erotic novels – where styles and approaches to the erotic novel differ from the conventions of popular/pulp fiction. In addition, striking adult biographical works will also now be considered by the Erotica editors at Black Lace

WHAT’S BEEN DONE TO DEATH?
A lot. When it comes to contemporary settings, please try to avoid the following: women’s health clubs/hotels ‘with a difference’; luxury yachts; fantasy islands; impossibly wealthy suitors (i.e. Arab princes); fetish nightclubs; masked balls; sex shops or the sex industry; and sex as therapy – unless you can write these settings completely devoid of cliché. Stories about the ‘mile-high club’ are as passé as it gets. Also, the ‘high-flying Armani suit-wearing businesswoman in corporate espionage’ is very tired. It’s a common misconception to confuse ‘strong’ with ‘successful in a corporate environment’. Women with genuinely strong personalities might often choose to opt out of that rat race. Businesswomen aren’t the only ‘strong’ heroines. There is also room for anti-heroines.

UPDATE ON EXHAUSTED NARRATIVES AND CHARACTERS
We have already featured more than enough characters who are actors (particularly regional theatre) and narratives set in the art world: galleries/arts administration/art forgery/antiques/fashion photography/art tuition etc. Also, the female private eye is getting very stale. For the foreseeable future, I’m afraid that I cannot justify any new novels with these particular settings and occupations unless they are truly exceptional.

When it comes to characterisation, nothing is worse than reading the inane internal dialogue of two-dimensional characters to which things ‘just happen, inexplicably!’ With lots of exclamation marks as to how surprised they are at their arousal!’ Make your characters think, feel and act like sophisticated adults, with opinions, doubts, desires and failings. Of course, you can include shallow characters, but set them off against others who are more complex. Try writing a psychological profile of your characters before giving them dialogue. You should know their cultural tastes, political opinions, interests, hobbies and backgrounds before you script their sexualities. Make them as fully fleshed as a character in modern general fiction.

We want manuscripts that deal with ideas, characters that are fully fleshed individuals, and writing that has maturity to it. Just because it is erotica, that is no excuse for lazy characterisation.

SM
The Story of O setting has been a stalwart mise en scène for erotic novels for a long time. The isolated castle/dungeon/mansion populated by masters/barons/submissive maids is another avenue that has been explored to the extent that few taboos survive, and those old whips and chains are now creaking with fatigue. One of the downsides of SM and sexual theatricality being appropriated by mainstream culture is that it’s all too easy to be cynical these days. There is still much to be explored, however. And there is no reason to think that it’s all been covered. We just need to look in different places. The raison d’être of SM sex is the power exchange. You don’t have to be wearing the stereotypical leather catsuit and high heels (yawn) in order to exercise sexual dominance. Surprise is everything. For instance, it’s ruder to take your knickers off in a supermarket than at an ‘orgy’ (where it is expected). However, if the writing is clever and entertaining enough, a clichéd setting can be given a new lease of life. Inappropriate behaviour is a friend to the erotic imagination. Often, discrepancies between characters in terms of their occupations, ages, political views etc. can add an erotic thrill.

Contemporary Black Lace stories must keep pace with the developments in popular fiction. We want an upbeat, contemporary flavour to the writing, and central female characters that are culturally clued-up, streetwise, adventurous, and don’t suffer fools gladly.

And don’t be afraid of exploring the more shocking or bizarre avenues of the imagination. We recommend that you write what turns you on. Be brave and don’t fake it. We can always tell when someone’s heart isn’t really in it.

SEX
Turning to the content of sex scenes, we should aim higher than producing stories about well-endowed couples shagging. Firstly, we want well-written, interesting novels. We therefore need believable settings; a gripping, possibly sex-oriented plot; interesting characters who – at least by the core of the novel – are very keen on sex; and an atmosphere sizzling with erotic tension and/or fun and excitement. Our readers do like to read about experimental sex–but it should be within the bounds of believability. And SM, dressing up or bondage etc. should be fun for all concerned. If you do not understand the difference between consensual SM and domestic violence or abuse, please do not submit your story to Black Lace. We will not publish a novel that suggests women enjoy being subjugated to men outside of fun, consenting sexual roleplay.
Secondly, we can provide variety. Try to make sure that, even if the sexual theme is very narrow, the sex scenes are varied in terms of characters involved, settings, narrative viewpoint, and so on. It is very useful to have more than one viewpoint character. In this way you can vary the point of view chapter by chapter or scene by scene. (Don’t change viewpoint mid-scene, however; this can be very confusing for the reader.)

HUMOUR
We like characters that have a wry take on life but we don’t want bedroom farce or dialogue full of innuendo to the detriment of the arousal factor. Bitchy humour is fine, but use jokes judiciously; your characters can have a sense of humour, but the narrator should keep the arousal factor at the top of her agenda at all times. Chatty, catty, self-absorbed lead characters are also becoming something of a status quo in popular female fiction. Unless you can do this ‘voice’ really well and make it convincing and entertaining, best to use a narrator or character point-of-view that relies upon your natural strengths as a writer, rather than miscasting characters to fit into ‘types’ that are perceived to be popular. Creating facsimiles of ‘It’ girls and Sex and the City types rarely convince. An original and natural narrative voice always stands out and is more convincing.

REALISTIC ORGASMS
One thing of which I’m dubious is a sex scene where female orgasm happens solely (and often immediately) by means of penetration. Some form of clitoral stimulation is nearly always necessary for female orgasm to occur (although see point on ‘anatomy’). Also, clichéd descriptions like ‘he plunged into her and she came over and over’ reek of porn hyperbole. The narratives in Black Lace books can be hyper-real and escapist, but the actual sex should be believable. Multiple orgasms through penetration alone are not most women’s experience. In terms of erotic description, less is more. Use simpler, realistic language, without filling a scene with overwritten description.

THE LIMITS
The accent should be on pleasure throughout a Black Lace novel. We want varied and exciting sex but – please – no sex featuring under 16s or flashbacks to childhood ‘experiments’; in fact, we’d rather all Black Lace characters were in their 20s at least, and certainly over the age of 18. Whilst literary fiction has featured many ‘sexual awakening’ stories, this is an imprint of adult popular erotica, and we want adult characters, please. No sex acts that cause serious physical damage, genuine tragedy or anguish; no incest with parents or guardians; and no bondage that involves constriction around the neck. Other than that, the sex can be as experimental as you like, as long as your characters are consenting adult humans. That means no animals! The bottom line is: consenting sex between adults, with the accent on pleasure.

VIEWPOINTING
Writing for Black Lace, you should be aware of viewpoints. If you are writing a story with several viewpoint characters, it will be acceptable if one of them is a man. Women do want to read about men being turned on. If you are writing from only one viewpoint, however, and particularly in the first person, the viewpoint character should be a woman. Also – and I know I’m repeating myself here but it’s important – do not switch viewpoint mid-scene unless it’s absolutely necessary. It interferes with the flow of the narrative and with reader identification with the characters.

SEXUAL VOCABULARY AND ANATOMY
As explained on page 6, you don’t actually have to describe genitalia or the effect of arousal on sexual organs in erotica; merely describe genitalia as hard, or wet, and the reader gets it.

But hold the euphemisms too. Please try to refrain from using expressions such as ‘the centre of her womanhood/his rampant manhood’ etc. We aim for a streamlined, economical prose that is more upbeat and less meandering. The erotica-buying public is practically unshockable these days, and would rather a cock was called a cock, and a penis a penis, than ‘a pulsing member’. What’s going on in the characters’ heads is always more arousing than close-up detail of every millimetre of their genitals.

Less is more. Pull back and remember that dirty dialogue and more basic and clear descriptions have a place, too. ‘Sexually explicit’ need not mean ‘the minutiae of genital anatomy’. For instance, a common female fantasy is having sex with a stranger on a train. What’s arousing about it is the naughtiness of the situation, and not the exact length, colour and consistency of the guy’s cock. We know how the plumbing works. Try to use words that are in common currency, too. People do not think about their ‘glans’ and ‘labia’ when they’re horny. In fact, you’ll have a job finding a guy who has ever said ‘glans’. Also, when describing genitals, be sparing with the modifiers. Not every clit or cock has to be ‘engorged’ and ‘pulsating’. Body parts only throb when they’re injured.

Also, we want to take the ‘YUK’ factor out of Black Lace sex scenes. Our readers do not want endless references to ‘sopping vaginas’ and ‘semen-filled cunts’. Please, a little more decorum!
And we are perfectly willing to receive proposals that have no genital descriptions at all.

ECONOMY OF PROSE
Be judicious with adjectives and adverbs. Over-description in erotica tends to read like amateur confessionals. We prefer a pared-down style and mature descriptions, so please, do not make your characters overact. We like heavily viewpointed engaging narratives and characters that think and speak like adults. A final note: it is not necessary to use every verb of speech in your manuscript. Often a simple ‘said’ is preferable to characters ‘retorting’, ‘trilling’, ‘murmuring’ and ‘exclaiming’.

A WORD ABOUT CLICHÉS
Racial stereotypes should not be used as a short cut to characterisation. In particular, avoid using the following ciphers: -

Italian (possibly wearing an Armani suit and being involved in ‘something dodgy’) for virile and exaggeratedly masculine.
Arab for highly sexed and pushy.
Native tribespeople for ‘weird and exotic’.
Spanish lovers with names like Ramon, Juan, and Raoul for passionate.
Female characters with 80s-style glitzy names
You can add your own clichés to the list.

It’s quite amazing how many proposals I receive with the archetypal ‘Italian stud’ as the pinnacle of the fanciable male.

A WORD ABOUT BODY PIERCING
Body piercing has seen a huge growth in popularity over the past ten years and it’s no longer uncommon to have bits of our bodies pierced. This said, if you are going to include ‘pierced bits’ in your story, please do your research re. how long they take to heal, how it’s done etc. There are hundreds of websites where you can find out the facts. Remember: clitoral piercing is still extremely rare, while the clitoral hood and labia are more popular. Piercing should not feature in Black Lace books as a punishment, or be done while someone is not able to give their consent. It’s a rite of passage thing, really, and should be pleasurable for the person on the receiving end.

GAY SEX
We admire the Oscar Wilde philosophy: that humans are not strictly hetero or homosexual, just sexual. However, we should bear in mind that Black Lace is catering for the heterosexual reader. It’s fine to include a hint of lesbian eroticism in Black Lace but research has proven that the readers do not want extended scenes of lesbian sex or novels where the central relationship is a lesbian/gay one.

Here’s a list of the most common reasons why we reject manuscripts sent to Black Lace:-

Remember the ‘phuc’ formula! The key words for future Black Lace books are:-
i) pacy (page-turning narratives with engaging characters)
ii) horny (loads of good, intense, believable erotica that is entertaining)
iii) upbeat (no more stories that begin with women being downtrodden and ‘trapped’ in dull marriages), or wanting revenge on errant husbands
iv) contemporary (writing styles that have bags of energy, attitude and humour and characters who are culturally clued-up and heavily viewpointed), and exceptional historical and paranormal submissions, devoid of silliness or cliché

A final word
We believe that women, as well as men, should be able to enjoy uncensored, explicit erotic writing. Black Lace is without doubt providing that. The reaction from our readers has been overwhelmingly positive. These guidelines represent our own editorial opinions, obviously, but they also reflect the feedback we receive. We’re open to suggestion. If you’re a woman, and you find what you’re writing erotic, then perhaps other women will too. Send it in and let us read it – as long as it fulfils our criteria for editorial standards. But please do not submit your work if it doesn’t conform to our criteria.

Remember that we’re looking for surprises! We’d rather reject a manuscript for being too bizarre than too cliché-ridden and predictable.

Your typescript will be acknowledged as soon as we receive it. But you’ll have to be patient for further news. We receive a large volume of proposals a week, so we’re constantly working with a huge backlog. The average waiting time is eight to nine months.

Once your proposal has been acknowledged, we’d very much appreciate if you don’t call or fax to ask how it is faring. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can, with a detailed assessment of why it is or isn’t suitable. Thank you for your patience and good luck.

CHECKLIST MANDATORY POINTS
House style	Must be followed.
Language	Correct punctuation, spelling and grammar essential. Use standard English. Take care with slang. Do not use phonetic spelling in dialogue because a character is foreign/has a regional accent: ‘Oi’m Oirish’, for example.
Comprehensibility	Clarity of expression is essential.
The limits	Sex: anything goes between consenting adults. So, no children (or flashbacks to childhood ‘experiments’), no animals, lasting physical damage, parent/child incest or misery. Kinky and ‘rough’ sex is fine as long as it’s with the characters’ consent. Focus on enjoyment at all times, however peculiar the pleasure is!
What to send	A synopsis and a sample of text – approx. 10.000 words. Return postage if you want your ms returned.
Readership	Women and some men. Female narrative viewpoint characters preferred.
Setting	Believable, consistent - not too far-fetched or ‘jet-setting’. Contemporary settings good for all readers but avoid stories with an art or acting setting (done to death). Realistic, believable situations preferred, but exceptional historical, paranormal and literary erotica will be considered too.
Plot	Not just one sex scene after another. A story is required. Plots arise from personal interactions. Upbeat, contemporary, exciting stories with a flavour of the forbidden are ideal.
Sex	Aim of books: to cause sexual arousal in reader. Kinky sexual practices welcome but remember to include lots of sexual tension. Take care with humour – can undermine eroticism. Efficient use of words required to convey sex and story. Narrate sex acts through characters’ perceptions.
Favoured Themes	Saucy behaviour, showing off, power games, sex in unusual places, sexy clothes, horny dialogue.

AMENDMENT TO BLACK LACE GUIDELINES – FOR 2005 AND BEYOND

ARE YOU DESPERATE TO BE PUBLISHED?
Many people are desperate to have their fiction published – and it seems they don’t mind how or by whom. We are receiving an increasing number of proposals from people who just want to have a book published, and not because they have a genuine enthusiasm for writing erotica. We are looking for writers who do have a relish for erotica, who are passionate about crafting sexy prose, and who love telling stories. We are NOT looking for authors who are just desperate to be published per se.

As of close of 2004, the Black Lace list has become oversubscribed to bursting point and we are looking for reasons to reject rather than accept new writers. The standard of material that comes into our offices is also nothing short of appalling, with under 10% of it having the remotest chance of being published. Wading through stacks of poorly written text is time-consuming and depressing and, consequently, we are toughening our submissions policy. In the past, we used to give authors lengthy feedback as to why their proposal wasn’t right. Unfortunately this is no longer possible given our increasing workloads. I’m afraid that as of January 2005, unsuitable manuscripts will be returned – as they are from other publishers – with a very brief reply. While this sounds harsh, remember that if your writing IS good, and you have something original and entertaining to add to the series, your work will receive careful consideration and attention - and we do need new blood. So, before you submit work to us, please ask yourself the following questions. If the honest answer is ‘no’ to any of these, please reconsider.

There is more to writing an erotic novel than writing swathes of explicit text. Like any fiction writing, you need to use craft, skilful pacing and a strong narrative structure. You need plot, excellent characterisation and a strong sense of what is entertaining and what is dull for an audience. If you understand these principles, then we want to see your work. Writing erotica should be fun and rewarding and pleasurable. The same should apply to its reading!

Thank you for your attention.