Submissions

Now accepting submissions!
March 26 – May 6

BETWEEN THE STACKS
Supporting the freedom to read; enjoying the freedom to desire.

Carmine Pen Press is now taking submissions for our first anthology, a collection of literary-inspired short erotica. 20% of proceeds from sales will go to Every Library, a charity that supports libraries and fights book bans. 

Stories must be rated 5 on the spice scale: lots of sex and explicit language. Both vanilla and kink welcome.

Topics for short erotica might include:

  • Sexy librarians
  • Bookstore meet-cutes
  • Book Club gets dirty
  • Classic characters come to life
  • Literary-inspired fantasies
  • Historical settings where books are considered scandalous
  • Any book-related premise you can think of!

Erotica must be 3000-6000 words. You may submit up to 2 stories. Previously published works will be considered, but unpublished works are preferred.

Submissions close May 6. You will hear back from us on whether or not your submission has been accepted by mid-June. We have a squishy publication date of July 1, 2025.

If we like your story, we may ask for edits prior to publication.

Please copy your story into the body of an email. Attachments will not be opened. Include in your email your (pen) name, website or social media handles (if you have them), and a short bio. Include in the subject line QUERY and your last name.

Email submissions to [email protected]. We do not accept submissions by print mail.

WHAT WE DO AND DO NOT ACCEPT

We accept:

  • All subgenres of erotica, including contemporary, historical, paranormal, scifi, monster, BDSM, and erotic romance. 
  • Polyamory and Why Choose?
  • Dubcon
  • CNC
  • LGBT+ authors and characters
  • Neurodiverse and disabled characters
  • BIPOC
  • Plus-size characters

We do NOT accept:

  • Sweet romance
  • Nonfiction
  • Poetry 
  • Memoir
  • Noncon
  • Underage sex
  • Incest or pseudo-incest
  • Bestiality

ACCEPTANCE

If accepted, you retain rights to your work. Authors will be paid a $25 honorarium plus 30% of profit divided by the number of authors in the anthology.