The 2022 Passionate Plume Contest
The 16th Annual
PASSIONATE PLUME CONTEST
for Published and Unpublished Works of Erotic Fiction
Will open for entries February 14, 2022
CATEGORIES
- BDSM Romance Long/Short –stories with BDSM elements. Do your characters like more than light spanking? Bring those stories to this category where romance thrives on kinks, fetishes, and/or power exchanges.
- Contemporary Erotic Romance Long/Short – stories that focus on the developing romantic relationship in a contemporary setting. Includes series and single-title length romances. Can also include elements of romantic suspense/intrigue or romantic comedy.
- Erotic Fiction Long/Short – stories that focus on the individual’s journey (hero’s or heroine’s) and do not have to end in a happily ever after moment.
- Historical Erotic Romance Long/Short – stories set at least fifty years in the past.
- Speculative Erotic Romance Long/Short – Do your characters have extraordinary abilities or shift? Do your stories focus on science, aliens, or futuristic/dystopian setting? Or maybe your story includes time travel. Your stories belong here.
- Steamy Romance Long/Short – stories that contain explicit scenes or high heat, but the sex is not an inherent part of the plot, character growth, or relationship development, and could easily be removed or cooled off without damaging the storyline.
- Virgins —This special category is for UNPUBLISHED authors. Entries will be the first 5000 words of your completed erotic romance or erotic fiction manuscript that fits one of the above categories AND a 300 word blurb. The blurb is the equivalent to the back cover copy or on-line retailer description of the book used to entice the reader to purchase. This category will receive any feedback provided by the judges. The judges will be looking for marketability of the opening. Does your opening hook the judge, potential readers, potential agents and editors? Introduce your character(s), set up your conflict, goals, motivations. Set the tone and POV – make it clear what kind of romance the rest of the story is. The submission should be nearly publication ready as far as editing.
Judging and Prizes
Works will each be judged by three readers, writers, reviewers, booksellers or librarians. The top two scores are added to form the final score. The lowest score is dropped. Ties are broken using the dropped low score or with a fourth reading. The decisions of the judges are final.
First place winners will receive an award with the category, author name, and title of the winning work, and an award graphic for their website/social media. The winner in the Virgin category will be eligible to have their winning 5K word entry included in the next Passionate Ink Anthology as a teaser for their future publication. All others will receive a finalist graphic for their website/social media. Dates for the Plume are still being finalized, check back for finalist announcement, winner announcement dates. Results of the finalists and the winners will be promoted in Passionate Ink’s newsletter, social media accounts, and on the Passionate Ink public FB page.
Questions? Write Passionate Ink Vice President Jordyn Kross at vp@passionateink.org
RULES FOR ENTRY: Entries accepted 2/14/2022-3/31/2022
Eligibility
- Contest is open to all erotic fiction works published in 2021. Erotic romance stories have HEA and the romantic relationship grows through sexual interaction. The genre is discussed here by one of our founders, Sylvia Day. Erotic fiction stories do not require an HEA/HFN.
- All entries must be previously unpublished in any format prior to 2021 and must possess an original copyright date of 2021. (If the paperback format was released in 2020 and the ebook was released in 2021, 2020 would be the date of first publication and the book would be ineligible for Passionate Plume entry.)
General Rules
- It is the author’s responsibility to enter the book in the correct category. All clarifications as to category should be made prior to submission. Entries submitted in the wrong category, as determined by two or more judges, will be disqualified without refund. The judges’ decision is final.
- One novel cannot be entered in multiple categories, but multiple works (up to three entries per category of long and short) are welcome if accompanied by the proper completed entry form and full entry fee.
- All categories, except the Virgin, will have two divisions, long and short. The long divisions are for works 40,000 words or greater. Short divisions are for any work less than 40,000 words. All works, no matter the length must meet the definitions of the parent category. If less than 6 entries are received in either the long or short division of the category, the entries will be combined and three finalists announced for the overall category. If any category, has less than six entries received total, including both long and short divisions, that category will be canceled and authors will be notified as well as refunded their entry fee for the impacted submission.
- Failure to comply with the rules will result in disqualification.
- Decisions of the Contest Coordinator are final.
Entry Fees
– Passionate Ink members: First entry $15, additional entries $25
– Non-members: $40 per entry
The contest opens February 14, 2022.
