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 SUBMISSIONS 2026
Anthology Calls
CLOSED: Fireworks and Flirtation: Summer stories of love and passion. You don’t need to include the Fourth of July, but fireworks should appear in the story.
Submissions open January 1-31, 2026: Submit here
Publish date May 4, 2026
Starlit and Spellbound: Cozy (yet steamy) love stories for fall.
Submissions open May 1-31, 2026
Publish date Sept 14, 2026
Vows and Valentines: Valentine's Day love stories
Submissions open October 2026
Publish date Jan 2027
Tender & Tempting Tales E-zine Calls
CLOSED: Paws and Peril: Romantic Suspense with a Dog
Submissions open January 1-31: Submit here
Publish date March 2026
Fantastical Foes: Enemies-to-Lovers Romantasy
Submissions open April 2026
Publish date July 2026
Sapphics of Saturn: Lesbian Sci-fi Romance
Submissions Open August 2026
Publish date November 2026
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 relationship between the couple is the primary story 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. (Ezine stories are 5,000 to 7,000 words).
Each anthology/ezine has a theme and indicated spice level that your submission should meet.
New and published authors will be considered
We are interested 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 top of page), check the information given there for theme and other requirements.
If accepted, your story needs to be submitted by the date given in 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 the anthology, and 7,000 words or less for the ezine.
Your manuscript should be complete and fully edited
Manuscripts must be in Word or Google Doc, Times New Roman, 12 pt font, single-spaced, .5-in 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 the list of what editors are looking for when they review submissions.
All stories will be reviewed by our editors to ensure they’ve met the guidelines.
We accept 10 to 15 authors per anthology, and 3-5 authors per ezine, unless otherwise noted.
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 accepted as well; however, there should be a full story arc. We don’t publish erotica.
AUTHOR MARKETING
Tender & Tempting Tales expects authors to promote the anthology/ezine their story is in. Since we accept submissions from new and emerging authors as well as those who are established, we understand that new authors may not have large followings or experience in marketing. To assist all authors with marketing the anthology, we have a marketing manager who will keep you informed of book-related promotions, supply marketing resources, and is available to help you if needed.
Currently, Tender & Tempting Tales focuses marketing through email, Facebook, Instagram, and here on Substack, and we provide resources for you to share through the same mediums. If you do not use these mediums, we are open to having you market through the mediums you do use (e.g. TikTok, etc).
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 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 “group” 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 are 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 the determination of yes or no. Occasionally, they’ll decide a story isn’t quite ready, but with a revision 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
Intriguing. The variety of calls is quite somethin', I have to admit. A clear vision for the stories, indeed.
I'm currently outlining a story to submit to the Fireworks open call in January. Could somebody please point me to some short romance fiction with a "3 heat level"? I want to make sure I'm not to chaste or too steamy with my "moment".