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From The Editor
Katy Terrega
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Hey, everybody :)

It's been four weeks (and one day) since the last newsletter, which qualifies us as more of a monthly than a bi-weekly, but hey, we're getting there!

As I get my back into the swing of things and everything quiets down around here - Hahahahahaha - I should be able to get this out every two weeks, so please bear with me just a little while longer :)

The big news this issue is that Sex-Writer.com is finally back up! Thanks to JD Sampson, who's been working non-stop for the last couple of weeks, the site has a whole new look and design. It's much easier to navigate now (none of those pesky popups) plus its got search capabilities and a community message board. She's adding more market listings, articles and interviews by the day, plus the site has a great, informative blog. Take a look at http://www.sex-writer.com!
You can order your sub directly from the site or on my order page.

(And if you had a subscription last year when the site went on its abrupt hiatus, please contact JD at JD@sex-writer.com and she'll help you get set up with another sub.)

In addition, I'm working on an adult writing class that will be featured on WritersWeekly.com, and I'm very excited about it. So many people have asked for a class like this over the years and I finally caved when Angela from WW - who's been a friend for years and originally published "It's a Dirty Job..." - suggested I join her team. I'll let you all know the details as soon as I get the class set up; I can hardly wait!

As far as this issue of the newsletter, it's packed with info. JD's written the article - Erotic U: Locating the Goal Post - plus we have a new column by our favorite columnist, CB Potts. " In Through The Back Door" will feature Potts' insight into all things sex-writing related, and the first column is titled, appropriately enough, "Let's Start From the Beginning." We also have four great markets, some news from Brady Magazine, one Goings On (c'mon, get those success stories to me!) and a contest announcement: Sex-Writer's Steam Heat Story Contest, Sponsored by Heatville.com. It's free to enter and JD and I are very much looking forward to reading all your entries.

Oh, and I'm also working on a message board for the newsletter, which is almost, but not quite ready, I'll let you know when it' s live. That's another thing you've asked for and I hope to get it up soon.

Okay, enough from me. Enjoy the newsletter and please keep in touch!

Katy

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--- Market Listings ---
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For The Girls 2nd Birthday Fiction Competition
Website: http://www.forthegirls.com/
Guidelines: http://www.forthegirls.com/shortstorycompetition.html

To celebrate our 2nd birthday, For The Girls is conducting an erotic fiction competition. Our aim is to uncover the ultimate example of sexy writing created expressly for women.

The competition will run throughout June and July and is open to FTG members as well as members of the public. Both professional writers and amateur wordsmiths are welcome to enter.

Competition Rules:
1. Stories should be a maximum of 2000 words in length.
2. Stories can cover any topic, however it must be erotic in nature, sex positive and be written expressly for female readers.
3. Any sex in these stories must feature at least one female orgasm.
4. We will not accept stories that feature any of the following themes or acts: non-consensual sex, bestiality, underage sex, incest, violent or abusive sex, or anything where women are treated without respect.
5. We will not accept stories if the spelling or punctuation are substandard.
6. Stories should be original and previously unpublished.
7. You may use a pseudonym or penname if you wish, however we also need to know your real name for the purposes of the competition.
8. You must be aged 18 or over to enter.
9. All stories must have a title.
10. You may submit a maximum of three stories.

The judges will be looking for high quality writing, original ideas, intriguing characters and situations and - of course - steamy sex scenes. Don't just send blow-by-blow descriptions of sex. Remember that your story is aimed at a female audience.

If your story is a winner it will be published on the For The Girls website.

Rights to the three winning stories shall be exclusive to For The Girls for six months, after which For The Girls retains the non-exclusive right to archive the stories on the site indefinitely.

If your story is selected as an "honorable mention" For The Girls retains the non-exclusive right to archive the stories on the site indefinitely.

How To Enter:

Please email your stories, either in the body of the email or attached as a Word document to: competition@forthegirls.com. Include your real name, pseudonym if required and ensure that your email address is one you use regularly.

The email should have "FTG Short Story Competition" as the subject line.

Please ensure your entry does not contain html tags or excessive formatting. Entries should be single spaced.

All entries must include the author declaration (see below) in the body of the email.

Entries close midnight 31 July, 2005. Winners will be notified by email and the results published on the For The Girls website tour on August 22, 2005.

The Prizes:

First Prize is $200 + publication + 1 month membership to For The Girls
Second Prize is $100 + publication + 2 weeks membership to For The Girls
Third Prize is $50 + publication + 1 week membership to For The Girls

Up to 10 "Honorable Mention" prizes of $10 + 1 week membership to For The Girls may be awarded at the judges discretion.

All prizes are in US dollars.

Winners will be notified of how to collect their prize at the conclusion of the competition.

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Play Ball
Edited by CB Potts, schedule for release from Torquere Press in August 2006

Some of us watch sports a little differently. Sure, we want to know if our team wins, and we're as into a great triple play as the next guy, but there are a few more interesting questions we want answered. What are all those basketball players hiding under those long shorts? Can that cute change-up hitter make it all the way home? Are tight ends really?

CB Potts is currently seeking erotic stories with a sports theme for the upcoming Torquere Press anthology, Play Ball. Torquere Press anthologies are released in e-book format.

Stories should be:
• 1,500-3500 words
• Well-written, literary, and full of hot male/male action
• Original – reprints considered, but not encouraged

Deadline: January 1, 2006

Payment is $20 on or before publication for one-time anthology rights.

No “slash” stories featuring real-life athletes will be considered. All the usual taboos apply.

Snail mail submissions only, to the following address:

CB Potts
101 West Hill Road
Ellenburg Center, NY 12934
Attn: Play Ball Anthology

Enclose a SASE or email address for the response. Please let me know if you would like your manuscript returned, and enclose adequate postage if you do. Inquiries only to ctpotts@juno.com

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Single Shots - Torquere Press
Sometimes readers just need something short, sweet, and satisfying. That's the principal behind Single Shots, a new imprint of Torquere Press. We're now taking submissions for gay and lesbian erotic stories between 10000-15000 words for our Single Shot line. (Pieces shorter than the minimum probably won' t make the cut, but pieces longer than 15000 words might.) The successful Single Shot will have strong characters, a well developed plot, and a fully realized conclusion, as well as erotic or romantic sex. Gay or lesbian content is essential. Exclusive electronic rights are required for one year unless otherwise negotiated, and payment for these stories is $20.00 in US funds.

So, do you have a story too long for the traditional short story market but that won't ever grow to novel length? Give Torquere's Single Shots a try. Send all submissions to submissions@ torquerepress.com, as either a word file or rtf attachment, including in the body of the e-mail a cover letter giving a brief synopsis of the story and your contact information. Please see our general submission guidelines for our formatting and content suggestions. Feel free to query us at the above address with any questions.

www.torquerepress.com

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Project: QueerLit Contest
Website: www.projectqueerlit.com/

Thanks to Bloom, Blowsquish Creative, Books to Watch Out For, Chroma, Damron Company, Lodestar Quarterly, Nightsweats and T- cells, Other, Outsider Ink, Publishing Triangle, Suspect Thoughts Press, TLA Video, and Velvet Mafia, for sponsoring the second Project: QueerLit contest.

The Project: QueerLit contest celebrates and brings media attention to unpublished authors of queer writing and opens doors for publication of their work. The Project: QueerLit contest is open to any unpublished author of an English-language novel with queer and/or bent content.

There is a very important and much-needed niche in publishing—support of creative alternative and queer literary voices—being underserved. More corporate monsters are taking control and less innovative books are being created, distributed, and stocked. Over 70% of the book publishing industry is controlled by a very small group of large multi-media corporations. Similarly, independent and LGBTIQ bookstores are closing at an alarming rate owing to large bookstore chains cornering the market. Like our country’s shrinking media options, the book industry is facing similar pains. Queer authors, or authors who work with queer, alternative, or “subversive” themes, are finding it increasingly harder to get represented, let alone published.

Does this mean it’s harder to publish alternative and queer authors? Yes, but it doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. Nor does it mean that it shouldn’t be done. There’s even more reason to do it! The authors and their words are there. And more folks want to read these authors’ words than ever before. Project: QueerLit intends to bring media attention to these authors and their work, hopefully opening doors for publication for many of them during each contest period.

Authors may not have been previously published or contracted to publish a novel in any form. Previously published chapbooks, nonfiction, shorter fiction and collections of short fiction, and other work published in multi-author collections, magazines, etc. do not disqualify them. A novel with queer or bent content refers to a novel of any genre or blending of genres with LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer), or with alternative themes, situations, voice, or characters. The author (and the novel) did not have to be “gay” to be considered. Queer in this context can also mean a bent or outsider worldview.

All submissions (the first 20 pages of the manuscript) are " blindly" reviewed (without knowledge of author’s name or synopsis) and rated (on originality, style, and, characterization) by members of the Project: QueerLit Advisory and Review Committee, and another applicant.

From this judging, the top-rated group of twenty-five Semi- Finalists are selected. Also from this judging, a group of six Finalists are selected and awarded.

The six top-rated Project: QueerLit Contest Finalists then have their full manuscript reviewed (on originality, style, characterization, and storyline) by the Project: QueerLit Advisory and Review Committee to choose the Contest Winner. This review process is also be done blindly (without knowledge of author’s name.)

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Sex-Writer's Steam Heat Story Contest!
Sponsored by Heatville.com

Summer is here – that time of year when the thought of two hot bodies pressed together in a passionate embrace is . . . well. . . exciting, of course! (Hey, we’re sex-writers. We think doing it naked in the snow is sexy!) It's also time for the Sex-Writer. com Steam Heat Story Contest. Time for you to write a hot, steamy, sexy tale that will have our temperature rising right to the top.

Here are the rules:

Each story must contain “heat.” It can be hot weather, a hot tub or even a hot cup of coffee; whatever works for you.

Stories must be under 500 words and completely original (no copyrighted characters, no previously published material.)

Any sexual niche is welcome with the following exceptions: No one under 18, no incest, no body fluids, no bestiality.

Stories must be emailed to JD@sex-writer.com and must be received by midnight, PST on August 31, 2005. Winners will be announced by September 15, 2005. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded.

Prizes:

First Prize - A year's free membershipt to Heatville.com, the internet's hottest community site, plus a three month subscription to Sex-Writer.com

Second Prize - A two month subscription to Sex-Writer.com

Third Prize - A one month subscription to Sex-Writer.com

You do not have to be a member of Sex-Writer.com to enter (but we’d love to have you!)

By entering the contest, you are giving Sex-Writer.com permission to publish the winning stories online as well as archive them indefinitely.

Good luck!

***************************************************
Has this newsletter helped you get your work published or
motivated you to finally put pen to paper?

If so, please consider making a donation of $5 per year
to help defray the many costs inherent in running a webzine, such as
advertising, payments to contributors and prizes for the contests.

You can donate Here - Thanks for your support!
***************************************************
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--- Column: In Through the Back Door ---
--- By C.B. Potts ---
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Let's Start From the Beginning

Beginnings are hard. You’ve got to grab the reader’s attention right off the bat. At the same time, you also have to set the tone, establish the time frame, introduce characters, all in a distinctive voice. That’s true whether you’re writing a short story, a novella, a feature article for your local newspaper, or even a new series of columns for your favorite e-zine.

A reader’s attention is an elusive quarry. How do you know what combination of words will keep him glued to the page? Erotica is easily found on the TV and Internet – so dirty words alone aren’t going to do it. You need an intro that instantly draws the reader in, and makes him feel like he is actually part of the story.

One way to do this is to open mid-scene. Beginning your story with dialogue plunks your reader in the middle of the character’s conversation, placing them in the moment as it happens.

Another method is to shove the action center stage. Murder mysteries do this all the time, with at least one dead body, and preferably two, showing up by the end of the first chapter. Starting the erotic action early can be an extremely effective method, provided you can continue to ramp up the heat as the story continues.

Setting the tone requires that you consider your word choice, your characterization, and the general speed of the story. A hard-hitting, action packed slugfest featuring your favorite, if fatally flawed, hero who grabs every piece of tail he can along the way will be fundamentally different than a dreamy, romantic etude outlining the intricate web of relationships between your elven princess, her human lover, and an entire stable of centaur toy-boys.

Time frames can be particularly difficult. Have a clear idea before you begin writing the story how long it actually takes to occur. Generally, erotic pieces occur over a very short time frame. An encounter that would take 30 minutes (an hour, if we’re lucky and/or particularly gifted) in the real world can be a literary eternity. But that’s not always the rule. Longer works demand longer time periods. If you are working with a longer time period, pay careful attention to your transitions to ensure you are carrying the reader along with you.

Character introductions don’t need to be elaborate affairs. Remember “Show, Don’t Tell”? If you’re heroine is a proud, spoiled, willful heiress, demonstrate this with her actions and dialog. Rather than writing “Yasmin was a proud, spoiled, willful heiress,” try, “I can’t sleep here,” Yasmin fumed to her lady-in-waiting. “Just look at the sheets! They’re coarse, cheap cotton things! What will it do to my skin?”

Voice is one of the most troubling things for a beginning writer. When we’re learning how to sling words around, it’s natural for us to be imitative of what we’ve read. But after a while, you develop your own style and create a distinctive voice. Not every voice meshes with every type of story. For example, I tend to write in a wry, sarcastic voice. It simply doesn’t work with stories that hinge on the characters being young, naďve, or uber-innocents. Does that mean I don’t write that type of story. No, but it does mean I have to consciously set that voice aside and be true to the needs of the story at hand. It’s a great way to stretch your wings as a writer and try something new.

And so ends the beginning of the first column in my new series, “In through the Back Door.” Let me know what you think! We’re open to covering any topic that is of interest to you, so drop me a line at ctpotts@juno.com

Alex S. Johnson writes: I've sold a novel, Jason X:Death Moon, to Black Flame in the UK. It's not erotica per se but there's a lot of sex!

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Send news of your sales, acceptances, assignments, etc. to me at katy@katyterrega.com so that you can brag about your sex writing successes!

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If you want to read sex stories, check out these two free sites:
Katy Terrega's Free Sex Stories
and
Daily Jack-Off Stories

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--- Q & A ---
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Send me your questions! I'll answer them here, and if I don't know the answer, I'll do my best to find a pro who does.
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--- Looking For Writers ---
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Send Me Your Articles And Ideas!

I'm looking for essays and articles that will inspire and/or instruct other sex writers. These could include: success stories, how to break into certain markets, unique views on the genre, etc.

For full guidelines see Guidelines

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Katy Terrega's Free Newsletter for Sex Writers
The Bi-Weekly E-Letter
Copyright 2005 and beyond - All Rights Reserved

Katy Terrega
http://www.katyterrega.com/newsletter.html
Katy@KatyTerrega.com

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