Announcing Lady Mantis Books, an imprint of Brigids Gate Press. Lady Mantis Books was created in 2023 between Brigids Gate Press and Editor-in-Chiefs, Rae Knowles and Evelyn Freeling.

"Lady Mantis Books publishes at the intersection of terror and titillation. The imprint specializes in erotic horror, and is interested in stories that are sex and kink positive, queer, and subvert the ways sexuality has often been portrayed in the horror genre." Rae Knowles

Submission details:
 

Submissions Open: September 1, 2023 – December 31, 2023 -- Submissions open until January 31, 2024 for marginalized voices.*

Type: Erotic Horror Novella Submissions 

Editors in Chief: Rae Knowles and Evelyn Freeling

Theme: We're looking for novellas where the aim is to titillate by blending the grotesque with the erotic. We want beautiful prose, lush settings, fleshed out characters, and work that empowers the traditionally disempowered. LGBTQ+ authors are strongly encouraged to submit. Looking for work that is sex-positive and kink-positive. Our tastes leans toward weird, gothic, folk, historical, and body horror.

We will accept 4 novellas to be published in 2025.

Unsure what erotic horror is? We recommend listing to the episode of Terrify Me about Les Petites Morts: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/terrify-me-with/episode-19-les-petites-morts-Yi2VNpLXSQx/
 

Recommended reading: Les Petites Morts edited by Evelyn Freeling and Marionette by Antonia Rachel Ward

 Won't Accept:

·Racism, Anit-Semitism, Anti-LGBTQIA+

·AI generated work

·Sexual situations involving minors

·Bestiality

·Work rooted in purity culture (i.e. where the message is sex = bad)

·Work where the “erotic horror” is just SA

Guidelines: 

·Novellas between 25,000-49,000 words

In Cover Letter include:

• Title, word count, comps (Don’t stress about comps. Could be songs, movies, books new and old, or a fun “what if” scenario)
• Pitch (about 300 words describing up to the climax)
• Content Warnings
• Author bio
• Submit your cover letter along with the first three chapters

• Submissions should be:
  • Double Spaced
  • DOC, DOCx, or RTF format
  • Pen name is fine, no legal name necessary

·Simultaneous submissions acceptable, but please let us know if your piece is accepted elsewhere

·Only one submission per author

Send Your Submissions To: https://brigidsgatepress.moksha.io/publication/lady-mantis-books

*January is a one month execlusive submission period for authors with disabilities, LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and ESL authors. Marginalized writers can submit anytime during the whole open submission period, but since we are seeking novellas, will have this extra month to submit. Writers who are not marginalized and submit in January will not be considered for publication.