Submissions FAQs
eXtasy Books General submission guidelines
Who are we and what can we do for you?
We are open to new submissions from new and existing published authors although currently we do not accept previously published work from authors we have not worked with yet.
eXtasy Books and our non-erotic imprint, Devine Destinies opened our doors back in 2002 and 2008 respectively.
We are a full-service royalty paying eBook Publisher, and include in our service editing, final line editing, proofreading, cover art, ISBN number, and digital publishing on our own website and many eRetail sites, too Print on Demand and audio are considered on an individual book basis dependent on meeting sales and word count parameters.
Our standard contract is three years and for worldwide English digital rights that hold print and/or audio until we opt to release those particular rights after a set time.
For ebooks, we pay 40% royalties received from sales monthly on the home site, and split quarterly on third parties. All royalties are paid via PayPal.
What are we looking for?
We are looking for well developed, romantic and non-romantic plots, exciting worlds creation, rounded characters who are multi-dimensional, and descriptive imagery that envelops the reader. Sex scenes are incidental to the plot—not the main focus—in the stories we are interested in acquiring.
Ideally, there is romance, unless you are submitting an erotica story and even then, while romance may not feature, we do still need your book to meet the above criteria in relation to storyline. We do however accept non-romantic stories too but the criteria in relation to storyline, well-rounded characters and exciting worlds do still apply..
If you feel that your book fulfills these requirements and does not feature any of our do not allow’ list below, then please send your manuscript to extasybooks@gmail.com with SUBMISSION in the subject line.
We are looking for books with a word count 15,000+and please keep any submissions to eXtasy Books/Devine Destinies exclusive for the first three weeks. We do not accept simultaneous submission books. Please ensure that your manuscript has been proofread.
We do expect authors to have sound working knowledge of MS Word and the review tab. Any new authors should familiarise themselves with the editing processes that will be required of them prior to submission and if in any doubt of their abilities to be upfront and make the EIC aware prior to contracts being signed.
What we do not allow:
We do NOT like nor allow;
We do NOT accept currently published books; anywhere on the web is considered published. This includes with another publisher and/or self-published. Your book cannot be available anywhere on the web.
We do NOT accept, currently, previously published works from new to eXtasy Books/ Devine Destinies authors. We MAY consider previously published works once you have published new material with us.
We do NOT accept simultaneous submissions; this means sent to more publishing houses than just us.
We do NOT accept porn; this is sex for the sake of sex or a series of sex scenes; we want a complete story.
We do NOT accept autobiographies, biographies, or any stories based on real lives.
We do NOT accept underage sex (sex with/around minors; minors are under 18). Please note, students in high school are most likely underage and therefore cannot have sex on the page in a book.
We do NOT accept incest in any form. If those having sex, even kissing, share a blood relative such as a parent, that is incest and we do not accept it. As for stepsiblings, we also prefer not to publish stories that feature these relatives in a romantic relationship.
We do NOT accept molestation/abuse/cruelty of children, animals or unwilling participants.
We do NOT accept rape. If one participant objects, it IS rape and it is NOT allowed. Even if the participant starts to enjoy it after a few strokes, any resistance can be and often is considered rape and it is pushing beyond the boundaries. Most readers are going to be upset/offended. Neither do we accept rape/incest fantasies. Please do not submit them.
We do NOT accept BDSM that results in actual physical damage.
We do NOT accept Bestiality. Bestiality is sexual activity between a human being and an animal. Note, shifters are not animals but are intelligent beings. Animals refer to an animal that does not have the thought capability equal to or better than a typical human.
We do NOT accept necrophilia. NOTE: vampires are not dead bodies but are living thinking beings.
We do NOT accept strangulation/suffocation as part of the sex act (includes self- inflicted or otherwise).
We do NOT accept Golden Showers/any act containing the use of faeces.
We do NOT accept hate messages to any race, gender, religion, or sexuality.
Common questions
Q. Do I need an agent to submit to eXtasy Books or Devine Destinies?
A. No, you do not.
Q. What is your turnaround response time for submissions?
A. A careful reading of all submissions takes time, but we will endeavor to respond within four weeks. If, after four weeks, you haven’t received a response, please email
us.
Q. You declined my work, would you be interested in seeing a re-write?
A. This will be discussed at the time of review. If we feel that the story has potential, then we will say so and offer you the chance to resubmit once you have revised it. We will not consider work—whatever the potential—if it is poorly written, has spelling and grammatical mistakes or other writing flaws (POV slips, purple prose, tell v show or any other main issue such as head hopping or incorrect use of tenses) because this work will require substantial editing.
If you want to write professionally, please learn the craft. Editors in every top publishing house do not rewrite books, they edit books.
We at eXtasy and Devine are proud of the reputation we have earned for the quality of both our novels and shorter works.
Q. What is the minimum word count for a new author to submit for the first time?
A. 15,000 words.
Q. Do you accept simultaneous submissions?
A. No.
Q. What is the required heat level?
A. Please look at our flame clarification section. Two flames or less would be suitable for our non-erotic imprint Devine Destinies. We also publish YA books at Devine and these should not contain sex either. eXtasy Books generally features anything three flames and up.
Q. Can I use my own cover art?
A. No. We work with highly trained, professional artists to create a cover that reflects your genre/theme in order to best sell your book.
Q. Will my book be edited?
A. Your book will be assigned to an editor. When you are both satisfied with the standard of your manuscript, you will receive a galley copy to inspect. Once satisfied with that, a proofreader will do a final review.
Q. How long will it take to get my story published?
A. We cannot give you a set timeframe. Each author and work are unique. Some work may require more editing than others, or there may be ‘glitches’ in the process beyond our control. No author favoritism will influence the process. Simply put, depending on the length of the manuscript, the intensity of editing, turn in of all required information and information forms, 120 days from contract to release is a general guideline.
Q. I have a book that has been previously published. Can I submit it to eXtasy or Devine?
A. Yes, if you are an existing author who writes for eXtasy Books or Devine Destinies provided that you hold all the rights to the story. We will need proof of this at the time of submitting the proposal. All due consideration will be given around the circumstances of your book.
If you are a new author to eXtasy Books and Devine Destinies we do NOT accept previously published material although we may reconsider once we have published a few books with you.
Q. What marketing and promotional strategy does the company have in place to promote my book and me (the author)?
A. eXtasy has many strategies to promote the company as a whole and the author and his/her work on release day from internet magazines and newsletters to attendances at conferences and fairs. We will work with an author to help maximize the work and the author’s exposure in the mainstream.
We do not schedule personal appearances nor provide funds for such or for author attendance to a convention or similar function. We also expect authors to have their own strategies and networks to promote themselves and their work. If there is a relevant conference or event in their hometown an author can afford to attend, we encourage an author to make an appearance. Libraries, bookshops, etc. are other venues for marketing and promotion.
Q. Do you offer advances?
A. No, and there is no exception.
Q. How will I be paid?
A. This is detailed in the contract, but it is basically monthly from home site sales and quarterly from third-party sales. All payments are via PayPal only.
Q. At eXtasy Books and Devine Destinies, what is the publishing process?
A. The amount of work needed in edits will be dealt with on an individual basis dependent on the author and the condition of the manuscript submitted, but here is the basic structure;
Upon receipt of your full manuscript and query letter, it is sent to our Acquisition Editor to read. If the Acquisition Editor (AE) thinks the story has potential, the AE will inform the Editor-in-Chief (EIC). This usually takes up to four weeks. If declined, the AE will send constructive feedback in the responding email to the author.
If there is promise in the story but more work is required to bring the manuscript to a standard that we can accept, a revise and resubmit will be requested by the AE along with feedback as to what further revision is required.
If accepted, and after the author follows the AE’s instructions, the AE will notify the EIC, who will then send a contract via Adobe EchoSign followed by the house style sheet and two information forms. These forms gather specific details regarding the author, book and cover and will need to be returned quickly. This usually only takes two to three days.
After the author has e-signed the contract, the work will then be sent to an editor who will work closely with the author to polish the work to the highest standard. This usually takes about sixty days depending on surrounding circumstances and complexity of the edit needed.
After the edits are complete, a galley (PDF) will be prepared and sent to the author for a final reading, specifically for typos. This is NOT the time to do more re-writing. This is at the author’s pace.
The author and assigned cover artist will work together to produce cover art that complements the book. Please note, eXtasy Books and Devine Destinies reserve the right to have final say on the cover in accordance with the contract.
Once the galley is finished and accepted, the work will be sent to the Asst EIC for final proofreading who may make further suggestions or accept the work as presented. This takes about thirty days depending on surrounding circumstances.
After the final proofreading, the work will be passed to the formatter who will prepare the publishing formats. This usually takes thirty days depending on surrounding
circumstances.
The book will then be given a release day, the cover will be posted on our website, the book will also be made available for preorder via home site. The author will be sent a PDF and alerted to their release day.
One week after release on our site books will be listed with Amazon and on all remaining third-party sellers after release on our site.
As you can see the process is both long and involved. Quality control is the overriding consideration in every step for every book.
Q. How many books will eXtasy Books or Devine Destinies publish a month?
A. That depends on the number of works submitted and the publishing process as detailed above. Currently eXtasy Books does not plan to publish more than thirty-six books a month, but this may increase in the future. At Devine Destinies, we currently publish up to four books a month.
Q. I have read the submission guidelines and I am still not certain what sort of books you are seeking. Can you name any authors or other places I can read to get inspiration?
A. You should be familiar with your chosen genre and know of the top authors in that genre. Take time to research the subject matter you wish to write and read books written by those that have reached the top. This will give you a good idea of the standard to aspire to.
eXtasy Books has an Editor’s Choice category on our website that you may find helpful when looking at the standard we require. You may also wish to look at our open submission calls page within this submissions section for inspiration. If you aren’t certain about a story idea, you can email us with an outline and we can advise whether it’s something we may be interested in (without intention to buy sight
unseen, of course!).
We do NOT want formulaic writing albeit romance or otherwise.
Q. Anything else you could suggest to a writer who would like to be published with eXtasy Books and/or Devine Destinies?
A. eXtasy and Devine books must have strong plots, strong characters, and fantastic worlds. Tell your story in a unique, compassionate, compelling style with characters who are multi-dimensional and vulnerable, and we might be interested. Push the boundaries, but please do not tread into the not-accepted list!
We are NOT interested in reading works that have descriptive violence, and/or raunchy sex (porn). Stories that contain such content have little to offer the discerning reader who forms the readership of eXtasy Books and Devine Destinies.
Q. What is eXtasy Books looking for?
A. We look for solid plots, well-developed settings and characters that are three- dimensional. We want originality and professional-level storytelling. Historical stories should be well-researched, and fantasy and science fiction worlds must be visualized clearly.
We accept submissions in all the sub-genres: romance, sensual romance, YA, BDSM, GLBT, interracial, African/American, Science Fiction, Gay, Lesbian, and any and all combinations thereof. We embrace the unusual and original and are interested in all heat levels. If your book is outside the box, feel free to send it as long as it does not violate the do not allow list.
We are not looking for stories that have a thin plot merely linking sex scenes together or characters whose motivations and personalities are shallow and stereotypical. While the purpose of all erotica is to arouse the reader, eXtasy books provide excellent entertainment for the reader as well. The sex scenes should always be incidental to the story. No sex for sex sake, please. Please send original plot lines. Creativity is not only desired but required.
Extensive use of vocabulary is a must, and reliance on standard romance clichés is discouraged as is purple prose. Sensuality is preferred rather than explicit terminology that is neither pleasant or romantic. Graphic descriptions of genitalia should also be avoided. Remember, the most important sexual organ is the brain, so keep the focus on the characters’ feelings, thoughts, and sensations. Make the language appropriate to the setting. Show, don't tell being one of the major considerations when starting to write. Please also steer clear of using existing company names or real-life characters in your stories to avoid any issue with copyrights and trademarks - keep it fictional.
Write your sex scenes with originality and mix them up. Nothing loses a reader's interest faster than having characters do the same thing over and over with only minor variations. Nor, contrary to popular belief, need all sex scenes end in a climax. Interruptions can lead to anticipation, and in the case of erotica, waiting can be half the fun. Sexual tension is perfectly acceptable.
Thank you for checking us out, and we look forward to hearing from you! Submit to: extasybooks@gmail.com
Formatting
Please ensure that your manuscript is in professional order before submitting it to us. We do expect a high standard of work even before editing and will reserve the right to decline or request a revise and resubmit where applicable, should we receive material that does not meet our standards.
Please make sure that you have read our submission guidelines in full before submitting your manuscript. We will cancel any contract should we find content that does not meet our guidelines in accordance with said contract.
Manuscripts should be prepared as follows:
Please use MS Word, Word Perfect or another word processor that is NOT a freebie
as free word processor programs are not as compatible as claimed.
Please submit all works in RTF, DOC or DOCX Word format.
Margins: 1" (inch) top, bottom, left, right.
Single line spacing.
Tabs set at 0.2”
Plain text only, no fancy formatting.
Times New Roman 12-point font or a similar true type font.
No headers, footers, or page numbers
Include the full/complete manuscript, synopsis, and cover letter with author credits.
Manuscripts email should contain on page 1:
Author name
Author’s real legal name
Snail mail address
Phone number
Email address
Website or blog link (if available)
Genre
Manuscripts should contain on page 2:
Title (try to avoid punctuation and special characters as such do not translate well
when importing sales information onto some third-party sites)
Series name
Book sequence number (if applicable)
Word count
Genre
Heat level as measured by our house levels. (See the flame clarification page). Relationships of the main characters, such as hetero M/F, GLBTQIA+ - M/M, F/F, ménage, M/F/M, M/M/F, F/F/M, etc.
A blurb or summary of the story. We do not need a synopsis.
An author bio
No headers, footers, or page numbers
Please take the time to read our submission guidelines before submitting then confirm that you have done so on page two of your manuscript or in your covering letter. We appreciate you letting us know, so that we are aware you have not included anything in the content that should not be there. (See the ‘do not allow’ section.)