Contents
Thank you for your interest in writing for Tender and Tempting Tales
Below find information about the publication, as well as submission guidelines.
UPCOMING CALLS FOR ANTHOLOGY SUBMISSIONS 2026-2027
Vows and Valentines: Valentine’s Day love stories
- Submissions open October 2026
- Publish date Jan 2027
Passions & Playoffs (Sports Romance Anthology)
- Submissions Open February 2027
- Publish Date May 2027
Bonfires & Bliss (Fall Romance)
- Submissions Open May 2027
- Publish Date August 2027
CALLS FOR E-ZINE SUBMISSIONS
OPEN NOW! Sapphics of Saturn: Lesbian Sci-fi Romance
Editor: Tara Leederman. Read her guidelines here.
- Submissions Open August 2026
- Publish date: November 2026
- Submission form for Sapphics of Saturn
Oaths and Obsessions: Dark romance
- Submissions open January 2027
- Publish date March 2027
To keep up to date on submissions and author news, subscribe to Tender and Tempting Tales Author News here.
SUBMISSION DETAILS
Tender and Tempting Tales is looking for romance stories that make readers swoon!
By romance, we mean a short story in which the couple’s relationship is the primary focus and ends with a happily-ever-after or happily-for-now.
We’re looking for 5,000- to 10,000-word stories with well-developed characters who have powerful motivations for their choices (good and bad) and who send readers on an emotional journey.
Each anthology has a theme and indicated spice level that your submission should meet.
New and published authors will be considered We are interested in all characters, including diverse, older, LGBTQIA+, or persons with disabilities We’re open to all romance categories and tropes; however, check the theme guidelines given for each anthology. Stories can be a part of an existing series you write, but please no excerpts or cliffhangers. The story should be new and original. Exclusive rights will be held for 12 months from publishing date. Authors are expected to participate in the promotion and marketing of the anthology they appear in. See details below.
What we’re not looking for:
No single chapters or excerpts of stories No erotica (some anthologies are open to spicy stories, but there should be a plot) No non-consensual No underage main characters No incest No previously published works (self or traditionally)
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
If we’re currently open for submissions (see the top of the page), check the information provided there for the theme and other requirements.
If accepted, your story must be submitted by the date specified for the specific anthology project. Plus…
Make sure your story fits the anthology theme AND is a romance (the couple is the focus of the story) Story must be human-written (See below for AI policy) Heat level of the story must be 3 
or more (see below for definition of heat levels) You must have rights to the story you’re submitting. We don’t accept stories that are currently published elsewhere. Manuscripts must be full stories (no excerpts) of 10,000 words or less for anthologies and 7,000 words or less for zines. Your manuscript should be complete and fully edited Manuscripts must be in Word or Google Doc, Times New Roman, 12 pt font, single-spaced, 5pt paragraph indent
Please note that any submissions that DO NOT follow these guidelines will not be considered. You can download our free Submission Prep resource for editing/revision tips, formatting guidelines, and a list of what editors look for when reviewing submissions.
All stories will be reviewed by our editors to ensure they’ve met the guidelines.
We accept 10 to 15 authors per anthology unless otherwise noted, and 3-5 stories in zines.
Authors published in the anthology receive a percentage of the royalties divided among the authors, editors, marketing manager, and publisher. The contract provides more details on royalties.
HEAT LEVELS
Tender & Tempting Tales publishes romance stories that include on-page explicit intimate scenes. These scenes can be mild with soft language and sensuality over mechanics; however, it should be an open-door sexy bit.
Higher steam levels are also accepted; however, there should be a full story arc. We don’t publish erotica.
AUTHOR MARKETING
Tender & Tempting Tales expects authors to promote the anthology their story is in. Since we accept submissions from both new and established authors, we understand that new authors may not have large followings or marketing experience. To assist all authors with marketing the anthology, we have a marketing manager who will keep you informed about book-related promotions, provide marketing resources, and be available to help you if needed.
Currently, Tender & Tempting Tales focuses marketing through Substack, email, Facebook, and Instagram, and we provide resources for you to share through the same mediums. If you do not use these media, we are open to your marketing through the media you do use (e.g., TikTok).
During launch, Tender & Tempting Tales may run contests or host an author takeover as part of the promotional plan. We ask that authors participate in these events.
AI POLICY
Tender & Tempting Tales recognizes that AI can be a useful tool for authors for dictation, editing, and other non-generative tasks, and we have no issue with AI-assisted support.
However, we don’t accept AI-generated content, defined as text created by an AI-based tool. If you use a tool to write the actual story, it is considered AI-generated and will not be accepted.
CODE OF CONDUCT
T&TT values diversity and aims to ensure that authors feel valued and respected. As such, authors are required to maintain a social media and online presence that upholds these standards. Therefore, any posts, reels, stories, photos, etc. that may be deemed as “hate speech” directed at one or more “groups” of people are cause for rejection or immediate termination, if under contract. T&TT will review social media accounts prior to contract issuance and reserves the right to reject a submission based upon online presence.
HOW SUBMISSIONS ARE SELECTED
As mentioned above, we will reject stories that don’t meet the guidelines or are AI-generated.
The review process for submissions is as follows:
Submissions are sent to the managing editor, Jenna Harte, who prepares and delivers them to Tender & Tempting Tales editors.
Stories that fit the guidelines are judged on a 10-item rubric used to score stories based on:
- Initial reaction
- Character development and chemistry
- Plot and Structure
- Emotional impact and reader engagement
- Intimate scenes and sensuality
- Dialogue and voice
- Setting and atmosphere
- Conflict and resolution
- Originality and creativity
- Language, style and tone
Editors score the stories, making a yes-or-no determination. Occasionally, they’ll decide a story isn’t quite ready, but with a revision it could be, in which case they ask for a revise-and-resubmit. In those cases, you’ll receive an email from the managing editor with the details on what needs work and a due date for your story’s return.
If you have questions, contact Jenna Harte here