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Author Submission Guidelines:Please note: We NEVER close our doors to submissions. We are ALWAYS taking submissions. We are an ebook publisher primarily, an internet company. Please do not send paper submissions. Send your query letter and synopsis via email to submissions@newconceptspublishing.com. Response times vary, but we try to get back to authors on emailed queries within a month unless we are overwhelmed by submissions.
New Concepts Publishing, the first totally electronic romance publishing house, was established in the spring of 1996. NCP went on-line with their first four novels, Amber Moment, Lord of Chaos, Liar's Poker, and Shattered Dreams, in October of 1996. At first publishing only 2 to 4 novels a month, NCP is now publishing 8 to 20 novels and short stories every month. NCP paved the way for many current independent e-publishers' success with innovative author contracts, royalty percentages, and by taking chances on fresh and original books. E-publishing is now a force to be reckoned with--it has changed the way major NY publishers deal with authors--and we are proud to have been on the forefront of this burgeoning market! NCP currently receives between 25,000 and 45,000 hits to their website every day. We have numerous authors making between $1,000 and $10,000 in royalties every pay period, with that number growing exponentially each month. It is our goal to have all of our authors making a comfortable living exclusively by writing within the next several years if they can work full time as with any other career. Since 2003 our sales have doubled--and sometimes tripled--every quarter, and we are well on our way to becoming a multi-million dollar company by 2009. Our print books are widely distributed through Ingram's, Baker & Taylor, Bertram's, and many other distributors, and our Trade Paperbacks are sold throughout Waldenbooks across the country as well as a growing number of fine independent bookstores. Our e-books consistently hold many of the top 25 best-selling e-book positions on Fictionwise.com, the leading retailer of e-books. The primary goal of New Concepts Publishing, from its inception, was to bring high quality fiction to book lovers. By offering our authors generous royalty percentages and creative freedom, we've not only attracted many fine authors, but can offer work 'written from the heart', fresh, excitingly different stories stringent guidelines would not allow.
HARMONY™ Submission Guidelines
Authors should know that the Harmony™ line is all about romance and the harmonious blending of races and cultures. These are MULTI-RACIAL romances, not simply interracial romances, and race issues should NOT hang over the storyline like a dark thundercloud. The conflict, as with any other romance, should arise from the characters themselves and should be strong enough to carry the story, and yet resolvable. Bringing together racists is not resolvable conflict within the confines of a book and therefore not desirable as the primary conflict of the story. The hero and heroine can be of the same race, or of two different races. The main difference between the romances written for the Harmony line and other romances is that Harmony will bring color and intriguing cultures together so that readers of many backgrounds and races will have characters to fall in love with and identify with. Authors should keep in mind when they sit down to develop a storyline for Harmony that, regardless of race, creed, color, or religious background, women are women, the world over, all searching for that special someone to love who will give them love and passion in return. Authors should always remember that romances are stories designed to fulfill every woman's fantasy, and Harmony™ is no exception. Stories for the Harmony™ line should follow the general guidelines of any good futuristic, fantasy, historical, or paranormal romance. We are primarily seeking stories in these genres that are spicy or erotic in sensuality. These novels should be a minimum of 60,000 words and no more than 120,000 words long. A query letter and synopsis should be emailed to submissions@newconceptspublishing.com. Please note: We will continue to consider multi-racial romances for our NCP romance line if it does not meet our goals for the Harmony™ line.
We are actively seeking top-notch: Historical Romance
We're receiving a fair amount of good quality paranormals in old favorites like vampires. This is good, however, there are worlds beyond vampires and werewolves. NY is getting into this market in a serious way. Vampires and werewolves are going to get old fast, so it's up to us to keep the paranormal market fresh and alive. Ghosts, fairies, psychics, fire starters, superheroes, skin walkers, mystery, unexplained phenomenon (i.e. X Files) etc. The only limit to this genre is your imagination. Believe me, we have readers dying to get their hands on something different from the norm. Draw inspiration from classic TV like Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, X Files. There's no doubt that this genre is hot right now. You can see it everywhere on TV and in movies. Books should keep up with the times and go beyond. We still have a need for original contemporary, historical, fantasy, and futuristic, so keep this in mind when you're brainstorming your next project. We want "big" contemporaries--not necessarily Harlequin type books, but along the lines of Jaycee Clark, Linda Howard, Susanne Brockman, Cherry Adair, etc. Romantic suspense, chick lit, and some romantic comedy would be great! Just remember, if you've seen the plot a thousand times by Harlequin, chances are it's not going to go over well with small press readers. NY publishers dominate this market. It's going to be extremely tough to build up sales in the small press industry, but it is possible to have good sales with readers-we've done it before. Sexy characters and situations are good. What can you do that's different? Take your story somewhere exotic, introduce elements of the forbidden or taboo in your story like domination/submission, voyeurism, fetishes, or have an adventure like Romancing the Stone or Treasure Hunt. In the historical market, we want something other than what's being published in the NY arena. This means no Avon historical type plots that revolve around catching a husband. Unfortunately, this plot has been done to death. I'd love to see darker historical romance with a lot of "meat" to the plot, tormented/flawed characters, emotionally drenched, gothic, or epic adventures of the type that used to be published. Highland warriors, pirates, highwaymen, spies, clan wars, Vikings, Tudor, Celtic, American Indian, revolutionary period--the list goes on and on, and the possibilities are endless. We need fresh sexy plots, time periods, and exciting characters to revitalize this market. I'd hate to see it die off because it's headed that way right now. I think NY won't take chances, and it's up to us to do it. With the right books we can get the readers back to loving the historical romance genre. Futuristic Romance-the world we live in is changing rapidly. Use it to plot your books. Scientists are discovering new worlds and galaxies right now. The first android has just been introduced in Japan. Nanotechnology is not far from practical use. Read science magazines and visit their websites. There is tons of stuff out there just waiting to be written about. Fantasy Romance-again, good plots and characters are key to this. Chances are, if a reader likes historicals and paranormals, they're just steps away from loving this genre too. Dragons, manticore, centaur, unicorns-add interesting creatures and magical abilities to your characters. Take them on an epic adventure, or deal with social issues like racism, overpopulation, etc. We'd love to see more in this genre, and I know we've only scratched the surface here. Also, keep in mind that your audience is mostly women, 25 years old and up. They want the men in these books to be different than what they see every day in their lives: romantic, cultured, strong, capable, take charge, witty. NO nerds or wimps. If they wanted that, there are plenty of NY books to satisfy that need. Heroes shouldn't demean the heroine or humiliate her and vice versa. Strong heroines are very good. Bitches are not. Learn to recognize the difference between spunky/sassy, and bitchy. Elements strongly desired in any novel or short story include: edgy, unique plots; strong, believable conflict between the hero and heroine; heavy sexual tension; concise story-telling; combinations of dark, sexy heroes with sassy, humorous heroines, inter-racial, and characters that reflect the spectrum of the world such as East-Indian, Asian, African American, etc. We have readers of all colors and would love to publish romance representative of different cultures and races.
REGARDING SEX: Why do readers read romance? For the experience of "seeing" two people fall desperately in love. Sex is a huge part of a relationship. Your romance should fully explore just how fantastic sex is between SOUL MATES. In the real world, would you continue dating someone that didn't excite you sexually? The most likely answer is no. Keep this in mind when writing your romance. What we like to see in our CARNAL rated books are explicit love scenes that relate the FULL spectrum of making love/having sex between characters who are obviously meant for each other. Readers want explosive chemistry between the characters, with a heated buildup of sexual tension. What we want in all of our romances are love scenes that deliver exciting emotion once the characters come together sexually. Vary your language and style in your love scenes to keep them fresh. Explore emotional aspects. Dialogue within a love scene is also good. But take note, overuse of any word, most particularly the more graphic or crude, can become tedious to anyone as well as desensitizing. As a writer, your imagination is key. Euphemisms are acceptable as long as they are not ridiculous or take away from the story. Love scenes should be earthy and frank, sensual and real. Explicit language is perfectly acceptable as long as it not overused and is appropriate for what you've established with your characters. A medieval lady would never say "Eat my p*ssy, my lord"--this would most likely conjure up laughs because of its inaccuracy and lack of realism--something you should always bear in mind. We do NOT publish, nor will we consider, pornography. We publish romance for romance readers. All books should have a fresh PLOT with intriguing characters as well as frank love scenes that make the story line progress and have bearing on the plot. If your love scene can be removed and it doesn't affect the plot, it shouldn't be there. Now, aside from the technicalities of language, we prefer all books to have a strong plot and compelling characters. Romance is also a major focus of these types of books (CARNAL rated). Books with nothing but sex and little or no plot will not be considered. While personally, we have no problem with homosexuality, we cater to a specific audience, and so are not accepting books that focuse on homosexuality, however, this can be a subplot if the book is long enough. Other elements that will not be tolerated: bestiality, incest, underage sex, extreme S/M or D/S to the point of injury and humiliation. If you're unsure about something, please email us and we'd be happy to answer your questions.
NEW PROJECTS!
Anthologies:
CYBERNETIC-Release TBA 2009 The theme for this FUTURISTIC anthology is cybernetics, androids, or cyborgs featured some way in the story. Let your imagination run wild! We are looking for four authors for this anthology. Stories MUST be at least 22,000 but no more than 30,000 words. Stories should be spicy or carnal/erotic. Current NCP authors can submit a detailed synopsis and 5-10k words. Non-NCP authors must submit full manuscripts. Full stories should be turned in no later than the end of September 2008.
The theme for this anthology is dangerous rakes and rogues. Heroes should be wicked, strong and capable, and highly sensual. Tortured heroes are most welcome-but they should never be whiny. Paranormal, fantasy, and historical romance genres are preferred for this anthology. We are looking for three authors for this anthology. Stories MUST be at least 30,000 but no more than 39,000 words. Stories should be spicy or carnal/erotic. Current NCP authors can submit a detailed synopsis and 5-10k words. Non-NCP authors must submit full manuscripts. For consideration, stories should be turned in no later than the end of September 2008.
The theme for this is love lost and love found. All romance sub-genres will be considered. We are looking for three authors for this anthology. Stories MUST be at least 30,000 but no more than 39,000 words. Carnal/Erotic stories only, please. Current NCP authors can submit a detailed synopsis and 5-10k words. Non-NCP authors must submit full manuscripts. For consideration, stories should be turned in no later than the end of October 2008.
The theme for this anthology is life and death--high stakes passion. We want the conflict to be all consuming … dangerous. Stories should push the boundaries of what's expected and leave readers breathless and afraid that all might not turn out all right by the end. Ideally, they should be in doubt that the hero and heroine will end up together until the final pages of the story. Stories should have intense sexual tension and be spicy or carnal/erotic. We are looking for three authors for this anthology. Stories MUST be at least 30,000 but no more than 39,000 words. All romance sub-genres will be considered. Current NCP authors can submit a detailed synopsis and 5-10k words. Non-NCP authors must submit full manuscripts. Full stories should be turned in no later than the end of November 2008.
The theme for this anthology is intense, basic … primeval. Plots should revolve around throwing the hero and heroine into situations where they must rely on each other to survive or satisfying their most base, sensual needs and wants. We are looking for three authors for this anthology. Stories MUST be at least 30,000 but no more than 39,000 words. All romance sub-genres will be considered. Carnal/Erotic stories only, please. Current NCP authors can submit a detailed synopsis and 5-10k words. Non-NCP authors must submit full manuscripts. Full stories should be turned in no later than the end of December 2008.
The theme for this is older woman/younger man/men or vice versa. Stories should have intense sexual tension and be spicy or carnal/erotic. We are looking for three authors for this anthology. Stories MUST be at least 30,000 but no more than 39,000 words. Current NCP authors can submit a detailed synopsis and 5-10k words. Non-NCP authors must submit full manuscripts. Full stories should be turned in no later than the end of December 2008.
Special Projects:
New opportunities for authors (Permission to post)
Send to submissions@newconceptspublishing.com. Please be sure to include the series title in the Subject header of your submission. Harmony™ Line-Ongoing release dates We are actively acquiring high quality, original interracial and multiracial romances for this line. This line is widely advertised in print media and heavily promoted wherever opportunities arise. Romance genres we are most interested in are paranormal, futuristic, fantasy, and historical-spicy or erotic are preferred. Straight contemporary romances are rarely accepted for this line. Novels should be at least 70,000 words but novellas will be considered for anthologies. Current NCP authors can submit a detailed synopsis and 10-15k words. Non-NCP authors must submit full manuscript. More information about this line can be found on our website: www.newconceptspublishing.com/submissionguidelines.htm The Brood-Releasing February 2009 The theme for this series is animal shifter clans, either of earthly origin or of the fantasy variety. (Please, no bestiality themes) Examples include, but are not limited to wolf, lion, bear, dragon, griffin, swan, etc. Stories should be between 10,000 and 35,000 words, but longer novels will be considered. Romance genres can be historical, fantasy, futuristic, or paranormal/contemporary, in any locale or setting and use any plot device, as long as shifting is used within the story. Spicy or erotic sensuality is preferred. Current NCP authors can submit a detailed synopsis and 5-10k words. Non-NCP authors must submit full manuscript. Completed stories should be turned in for consideration no later than the end of October 2008. Inferno-Releasing August 2009 Theme is summer and heat. These stories should be VERY SEXY and should include high sexual tension. Stories should be between 10,000 and 35,000 words. Romance genres can be historical, fantasy, futuristic, paranormal, contemporary, in any locale or setting. Spicy or erotic sensuality is preferred. Current NCP authors can submit a detailed synopsis and 5-10k words. Non-NCP authors must submit full manuscript. Completed stories should be turned in for consideration no later than the end of April 2008. Legends and Lore - Another project on the drawing board are stories based on legends and lore. Every culture has them and there are any number of sites on the web devoted to different regions and the legends and lore of their culture. These projects should be BASED on lesser known legends and lore for the ‘fairy tale’ like atmosphere and the paranormal elements. Writers should avoid those that have already been done ad nauseum—such as the legend of King Author or Robin Hood. These stories can be any length, but novel length is preferred, from category length and up. They should also be at least spicy. Romancing the Classics - Spicy or Carnal preferred, though we will consider Sensual. Classic stories and novels like Dracula, Pride and Prejudice, Beauty and the Beast, etc. are retold in a variety of romantic subgenres, i.e. suspense, futuristic, paranormal, comedy, etc. We want to be surprised with your ingenuity! Stories can range anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 words. NCP also accepts short stories (10,000 - 15,000 words) for our LOVE BITES series. This is a great way for interested authors to break into a new market and target new readers eager for erotic fiction. We also feel stories can be written fairly quickly for a good return on royalties and will be priced $2.00 - $2.99, download only. Stories can take place in any setting or subgenre but must include romance elements as well as fall under the SPICY or CARNAL rating system.
Andrea DePastureThere are certain things we all look for when selecting a book to read, I, as an editor, am no different. What I look for in a book is an unusual plot, interesting twists, characters and situations that wring out every emotion, writing that is clear and concise, easily read or for high reading levels. We all want the thrill of discovering a new talent, and that’s what I’m looking for. The beginning should have a powerful hook that leaves the reader breathless, filled with questions they simply MUST have answered. From there, however, you can’t let them become bogged down with back story. Reveal just enough to leave them wanting more, enough to keep them reading. Pacing should be tight, no matter the genre, and there should be a balanced blend of narrative and dialogue. It is extremely important to have your book grammatically correct and to run a spelling check (you’d be surprised how many authors neglect this step). As for sexual content—it can range from sensual to erotic as long as whatever level it is, it is tastefully done. I do NOT want pornography, but erotica is highly welcomed. I am currently acquiring all genres to round out my list: HISTORICAL ROMANCE AND HISTORICAL EROTIC ROMANCE: I have a love of history and would like to publish books that vibrantly bring the past to life for readers. I am interested in all time periods, including the shorter Regency romances (Regency period is a long time favorite for me). I always enjoy a good medieval and am particularly interested in books set during time periods not frequently written about or set in unusual locales such as Russia, Germany, France, Caribbean, etc. It is my belief that readers of historical romance enjoy being immersed back in time, and every country and island has its own interesting history that I think would fascinate any reader. I am disturbed to see that the historical genre is dwindling down to only a few time periods. I do not want this to happen. Whatever time period is selected, the history and locale should, naturally, be vital to the story—your plot and characters should not be able to survive in another period. They should be products of their surroundings and time period, authentic to minute detail. Sexual tension should be taut throughout the book, teasing and teasing until the culmination. If sex happens early in the book, you still need tension, regardless, though it is more difficult once done. I also do not want to see stereotypical characters. PARANORMAL ROMANCE (CONTEMPORARY AND HISTORICAL), THRILLERS, and PARANORMAL EROTICA: I love all things supernatural, having cut my teeth on horror when I first began reading as a child. Time travel, ghosts, reincarnation, vampires, shapeshifters, fairies, anything otherwordly—it’s all vastly fascinating for me and for many a person, hence the rise of paranormal television shows, movies, and more. Erotic and sexually charged books in the vein of Laurell K. Hamilton are something I am on the particular lookout for. FUTURISTIC/SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE: These would include earth, space, other worlds, and altiverse as well. Futuristic romance is always a good seller for us, in particular captive scenarios, which seem to be a fantasy many readers have. If you have a plot that has been done many times before, that’s fine, but what makes yours different? What makes it outstanding? Something that readers will pick up? FANTASY ROMANCE: I’ve seen it done many times, but I still like epic fantasy, where good triumphs over evil despite the odds stacked against them. Lord of the Rings has brought back fantasy in a big way, and I think it will continue to rise in popularity over the next several years. The Dragonlance series was what I began with, and I still enjoy seeing books with fantastical creatures as an integral part of the action. Give me characters to care about, a villain to despise, magic, strife, sword fighting, even a touch of romance. Fairy tale type fantasy or books based on fairy tales (what about Russian fairy tales? German? Japanese? Indian? Etc.) are another I will look at, but please, no Robin Hood or Camelot. These have been done to death. CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE: I enjoy most contemporaries, including suspense, multicultural, and ethnic. What I don’t want to see are plots that have been overused ie. Secret baby, cowboy and city girl, etc. WHAT I’M NOT INTERESTED IN: I have no interest in religious/inspiration/new age, politics or espionage, organized crime, poetry, or the drug trade. PEEVES: Overuse of semicolons (really, they don’t need to be there at all), incorrect grammar and spelling, wimpy heroines and heroes, telling instead of showing, not following submission instructions. For submissions, I prefer the cover letter to be one to two pages long detailing what the book is about, what the genre is, what other works you have finished or sold, and your current email address. The synopsis should let me know, in more detail, the plot of the book and character development, but it should not be more that four or five pages long.
All submissions should include a letter which briefly describes your publishing history or writing credits (contests, etc.) and/or any organizations you’re affiliated with, the genre and story idea you’re submitting. We do NOT publish non-fiction, pornography, literary works, or gay/lesbian fiction. Markets: New Concepts Publishing was the first, continuously operating romance electronic publisher in the world. Regardless, ebooks are still the new kid on the block and authors submitting should be aware that, although we offer the best royalty percentages possible, royalties at this time are not comparable to royalties paid by the megacorporation print publishers, who have been establishing their markets for 50 years or more. We are still building our markets, but are probably best established in the Romance Market (single title), which is where we began. Regardless, we’re interested in building across the board, and are acquiring most genres. Since we are building markets, we require a minimum commitment of 2 years for exclusive electronic rights. Also, we do print publication, but books will be offered exclusively as ebooks for six months to the first year, so you should not look to see the book in print until after the book is released as an ebook. Word count requirements/limitations - minimum word count for single publication is 60,000 for most genres. Currently, we are accepting some erotic romance novellas 20,000 to 39,000 words, but only those novellas with a SPICY or CARNAL sensuality rating. Maximum for any genre should be no more than 120,000. None of these word counts are set in stone. However, a story should be no longer than it needs to be. Please do NOT decide to make major changes on the book after you have submitted and/or contracted with NCP. When we contract on the submission, we expect to publish the book we have contracted on. The best way to determine whether your book is right for us is to thoroughly research our company by buying NCP books. However, the list below should help also. What we look for: What we don’t like to see: |
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BOOK LENGTH: Epic Novel = 100,000 words and up; 400 pages and up (double-spaced) SENSUALITY RATING: SWEET: behind-closed-doors sex and/or very mild love scenes and sexual encounters
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