Specialty Publications
for gay male audience

Please tell editors/publishers you read their guidelines on the
Erotica Readers & Writers Association Website
www.erotica-readers.com

Specialty Publications
P.O. Box 4356, Los
Angeles, CA
90078-4356.

Erotic Fiction Writer Guidelines
www.specpub.com

Specialty Publications publishes three erotic magazines that cater to a gay male audience: Men, Freshmen, and Unzipped Monthly. Readers are invited to submit fiction for consideration for inclusion in Men and Freshmen.

TONE
The stories we choose for publication are expected to excite gay men sexually. We know that our readers come from every economic class and racial and ethnic group, and many of them are (apparently happily) married. Thus the themes of our stories can vary: They can be romantic, humorous, outrageous, kinky, rough, tender, casual, or hard. Also, it is a foregone conclusion that people have sex in a wide variety of places.

A story needs to be well-written as well as sexually explicit if it is going to hold the reader's interest. The reader should be able to see what the characters look like; they should have distinct personalities. Articles do not have to be in first person. A story should have a beginning, a middle, and an ending. There should be something explicit on the first page to hook the reader's interest, but a piece should not climax until close to the end. A story should end with something more compelling than, "And then we moved in together, and we've been lovers ever since."

It is imperative to avoid misogynist, racist, or blatantly heterophobic language, especially out of the bedroom.

CONTENT
We will not accept material that features minors. This includes reminiscences of childhood sexual experiences, or depictions or descriptions of individuals under the age of 18 in even slightly sexually suggestive contexts. All sexual partners must be 18 years of age or older. If a story involves students, they must be freshmen in college at the very least.

SPLLC does not publish material which promotes negative images of individuals distinguished by gender, race, religion, ethnic origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability.

We do not accept material that features:

• bondage or involuntary servitude in a sexual context
• incest (this includes sexual activity between members of the same family, whether or not they are biologically related)
• sex with violence, submission, coercion, degradation, exploitation, humiliation, or sex under the color of authority (i.e., teacher/student, cop/motorist, boss/employee, doctor/patient, military ranking, etc.). However, provided that a story is imaginative and well-written, we will consider pieces that describe any other sexual practice, taste, or fetish. Just bear in mind that the more unusual a character's desire is, the more important it becomes to build a strong connection between him and the reader.
• sexual assault, rape, non-consensual sex (i.e. with a drunk or unconscious partner), sexual harassment, or sexual activity which appears to be achieved chiefly by force or deception or as a result of power imbalances between the participants
• sexual activity including pain and suffering, spanking or beating, mutilation, the letting of blood from any part of the body, or the taking of human life
• urination, defecation, or enemas in a sexual context
• sexual activity between human beings and animals
• any sexual activity whatsoever involving dead bodies

Safer sex is encouraged but not required; in some stories it would be out of place. We prefer a brief mention of the use of condoms, etc., to a long lecture about hygiene.

CAUTION
While certainly the vital component, sex alone cannot carry a story. More is required than simply two guys meeting and having sex. Stories must also contain some kind of tension (sexual or otherwise), some variety of conflict and resolution.

SUBMISSIONS
All stories must be original. We do not accept material that has appeared elsewhere, and we do not consider pieces simultaneously submitted to other publications. We do not publish poetry.

Stories for Men should be approximately 2,700 words. Stories for Freshmen should be approximately 2,500 words. Stories must be submitted on 3.5-inch computer disc; we prefer Microsoft Word files for Macintosh, but IBM files in DOS text only may be acceptable.

Submissions via e-mail in simple text are also acceptable; send to fiction@specpub.com. All electronic submissions must be followed by a hard copy. Manuscripts should be typed double-spaced and free of extraneous markings (i.e. proofreading marks). Please label your disk with the name of the file that contains your story, the name of your word-processing program, and its version number. Manuscripts may be mailed to:

Specialty Publications
P.O. Box 4356, Los
Angeles, CA
90078-4356.

Please put your legal name, pseudonym if you choose one for your byline, return address, telephone number, and social security number on the first page of the manuscript. If you would like your manuscript returned, enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Allow at least six weeks for a response.

We pay $150 for first North American serial rights and an additional $25 for nonexclusive worldwide rights if we subsequently choose to reprint the article. We retain the right to edit the material to fit our requirements. We pay upon publication. To process payments we must have your social security number and your legal name.

UNZIPPED MONTHLY
SPLLC's newest publication, Unzipped Monthly, is the definitive journal of gay male sex and sexuality. While it does not contain fiction, we do welcome tips and information about any related news happenings in your town: video shoots, parties, live appearances by porn stars, and any and all other newsworthy events.
Call (323) 960-5400, Ext. 5410, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT with any items.

  E-mail this page

Copyright © 1996 and on, Erotica Readers Association, Inc.
All Rights Reserved World Wide. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or
medium without express written permission is prohibited.