avatarSuzy Jacobson Cherry

Summary

Sweet Paprika! is a new Medium publication accepting submissions for tasteful romance stories and poems, with specific guidelines on content and formatting.

Abstract

Sweet Paprika! has been launched as a Medium publication dedicated to romance stories and poetry, with a preference for Gothic Romance-style "spice." The publication is open to submissions that range from 100 to 2,000 words for fiction and up to 100 lines for poetry. It encourages tales of love with developed characters and plots, and accepts varying levels of "spicy" content up to a defined heat level of four. The guidelines emphasize the importance of story-driven romance over erotica, the necessity for proper spelling, grammar, and sentence structure, and the requirement for credited images in submissions. The editor, who is also a Renaissance Festival worker, advises that response times may be slower during festival season.

Opinions

  • The editor prefers romance with a "bite" but without extreme spiciness, akin to Red Bell Pepper rather than Ghost Pepper.
  • Sweet Paprika! values cohesive writing, character development, and a strong plot over explicit content.
  • The publication is strict about the use of credited images, stressing the importance of not getting sued for copyright infringement.
  • The editor is committed to reviewing submissions despite being busy with full-time employment and Renaissance Festival commitments.
  • There is an emphasis on the art of suggestion and emotional investment in romantic storytelling rather than explicit descriptions.

MEDIUM PUBLICATIONS|FICTION AND POETRY|ROMANCE

Publishing a Peck of Pretty Peppers

Or, Sweet Paprika! is taking submissions!

Image created using Midjourney, Canva, and MS Photo by the author

The other day I wrote in a story called “I Tried Writing Spicy,” as a fan of Gothic Romance in the old style (think Victoria Holt), I prefer my “spice” a little less Ghost Pepper and a little more Red Bell Pepper — a little bite, without the ear burning. It is with this in mind that I bring you Sweet Paprika!

Sweet Paprika! is a brand-new Medium publication, is ready to take your submissions of tasteful romance. The intent of Sweet Paprika! is to be a home for stories and poems in the Romance genre.

If you think you would like to write for us, please take a look at the following guidelines. If you’re still interested, please comment on this story and I will add you as a writer as soon as I can.

Please keep in mind that I am employed full-time and am heading into the Renaissance Festival season. I work the Faire from the first weekend in February through the first weekend in April. During that time, I may be a little slower to get to your submissions. Don’t worry — I’ll get ther!

Sweet Paprika! Guidelines

  1. Submissions of fiction should be anywhere from 100 to 2,000 words.
  2. Poetry should be no more than 100 lines, SINGLE spaced. There may be double-spaces between stanzas.We are looking for tales of love and romance, with a strong plot, developed characters, and cohesive writing.
  3. Romance comes in different levels of “Spicy.” Sweet Paprika! accepts stories with “heat levels” of zero to four. You can find more information here. We will not publishing anything with higher levels than four.
  4. Use the techniques of suggestion, nuance, and a little bit of emotional investment between the characters.
  5. We like a plot. Sex for sex’s sake doesn’t work for us. The story should drive the sex; the sex shouldn’t drive the story. This is romance, not erotica.
  6. Check your spelling, grammar, and sentence structure.
  7. You may submit already published works, as long as they are not already submitted to other Medium publications.
  8. VERY IMPORTANT ADDITION TO THE GUIDELINES: All images used in your stories must be credited and available for you to use. The safest images are the once that are created by you, though you can often find public domain photos and art at sites such as Unsplash. Please put your crediting information in a caption below the photo. I will be unable to publish any stories without image credits.

Welcome!

We will be publishing stories soon! Join us. Comment on this story if you would like to be added as a writer.

Please also read:

Romance
Romance Story
Romance Poetry
Poetry
Fiction
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