Romance/Romantica/Erotica Short Story Submission Calls

I'm a short fiction writer.  Until the right story comes along just begging me to turn it epic and novel-length...(or forces me to finish it) I'm content with that. I'm proud to be a shortie Story-Teller! :)  I LOVE anthologies and short story collections. My bookshelves are brimming with them.  The biggest collections that I own by far are the "Year's Best Fantasy and Horror" anthologies, Charles de Lint "Newford" collections, romance novel collections, and also the Mammouth Book Of --.  Let's not forget my collection of fairy tales (adult) and mythology.  What better way to get to know a longer fiction author's work than to taste a morsel of their fare?  Or to find a new talented short story author to add to the collection?

I've submitted works before - long ago. I even have an ebook published out there somewhere in the cosmos (contract has been up for a few years). I was a kid back then. I didn't know what I was doing. But I was excited to see my story in e-format and CD. Hah! Shows how long ago that was, huh? Let's just say e-publishing and e-books were an alien word and world at the time. There were no marketing strategies within the publishing companies. Sure, you could make a webpage, but there was no such beast as Social networking or Blogging.  Unless I wanted to go out and promote myself at: schools, libraries, book stores: I was on my own and out of luck.  I was still in school and did not have the luxury of time to do that. 

The people in my life have urged me to submit and try to publish. They've urged me for years.  I've always had some excuse: time, money, life, not enough works under my belt, who would read my stuff, blah-blah-blah. Things we probably all have thought about at one point or another, to talk ourselves out of it.  

I'm a stay-at-home Momma raising my child alone. I'm in school furthering my education and my career prospects. Apparently in the state I now reside in, my Literature and Education degrees are nearly useless (what with the economy and all).  At least with my new focus, my editing and grammar skills will be put to use.  Although, I have to admit this verbatim stuff is really starting to screw with my editing skills.  It might not be what I've dreamed of since I was a little girl, but huge and oft-times scary life changes have forced me to re-evaluate. I'm all about going with the flow. I feel this the time. I know this is the time.  The end of my marriage marked the return of my muse. How sweet Liberation is!

As many of you know; the market (this particular one) out there isn't so open and accepting of short fiction as it is of novels and novellas. Most publishers who do accept short stories for collections and anthologies only accept previously published authors or by invite only.  That makes it challenging for those of us who write works under 50,000 words. Even harder for those who write under 30,000 words. Most of my works are 5K-20K.


I've been perusing the internet, connecting with other unpublished and published authors and have been asking them to please guide me in the right direction. Here is what I've found so far through the help of (Lucy V Morgan) and (Teresa D'amario) and on my own.

Freya's Bower: An Erotica and Romance Publisher


Tease Publishing: Quality Women's Fiction


Ellora's Cave: Romantica Publishing


Samhain Publishing


Harlequin Romance: Entertain, Enrich, Inspire


Loose ID: not currently looking for short fiction :(


Then the Blogs which Post, Feature, and Review the publishers:


Erotica Readers


and


Erotic Romance Publishers


Please, anyone jump in with your thoughts, feelings, experiences, and suggestions!