Loveswept and Flirt are Random House’s digital only imprints focused on romance and women’s fiction.

They are accepting queries for submissions in contemporary romance, erotica, historical romance, paranormal romance, women’s fiction, and new adult.

There is no strict word count limits for submissions. But work must be at least forty thousand words in length.

If your book does well as an eBook they will publish a print version of it at a later date. The great thing about publishing digitally with Random House is that your book still gets the same serious consideration in terms of editing, marketing, and designing that their traditionally published books do, but no agent is required.

Although, if they accept and publish your book, it would be much easier to get an agent, moving forward.

Both Loveswept and Flirt are open to books that have been previously self-published or traditionally published. You just have to own the rights to the books before submitting them.

Royalties are split between the author and the publisher 50-50. No advances are offered. It is important to note that their contract was initially very controversial, and was modified. There are still points of contention, but there are fewer. You can read more about that here.

All submissions must be made through their easy to use form. All submitters must be 18 years of age or older. I would encourage you to edit the information you are putting into the form elsewhere before submitting it, as you could easily lose it in the form itself and it is harder to edit in that format.

To learn more visit their website here. The FAQs are easy to miss but very helpful, so make sure to read those before submitting.

Beginning in April, 2017, Grey Borders Magazine will be published monthly online and in print, in tandem with Grey Borders Reading Series. Right now, they are seeking submissions for their April issue. For each issue, a feature author will be selected and showcased. The feature author will receive payment, as well as copies of the issue in which their work is published. All other authors published in Grey Borders will receive one copy of the magazine.

Grey Borders accepts submissions via email and by post. Poets may submit up to fifteen pages of poetry. Fiction and nonfiction authors may submit up to twenty pages of work. All submissions should be accompanied by a short biography.

If you would like to learn more or submit to Grey Borders, please visit their website at http://www.greybordersmagazine.jigsy.com/Submissions.

They accept a wide variety of writing; fiction, non-fiction and poetry of various kinds. Some have themed calls, including fantasy stories on fascism and writing on Islamophobia. A few pay writers.

Here they are, arranged by deadline

The Matador Review

This is a quarterly journal for alternative writing, and welcomes writing that is unconventional or provocative. They accept fiction and creative non-fiction, flash fiction and poetry from new and established writers.

Deadline: 28 February 2017
Response time: Up to 90 days
Word count: Up to 10,000 words for fiction and creative non-fiction, up to 1,000 words for flash, and 1-6 poems
Pay: None
Details here.
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Mizna – a journal of Arab American literature
They are publishing a special themed issue on Islamophobia, titled Surviving: Arabs & Muslims as Villains, Again. “How are we being affected, responding and not responding, surviving? We are looking for work that wrestles with the topic in thoughtful, personal, whimsical, humorous, critical, or other ways, skipping the speeches and lessons.” Apart from the journal, the organization promotes Arab-American culture; they run an Arab film festival and several public arts events.

Deadline: 28 February 2017
Response time: Unspecified
Word count: 2,500 words for prose, or up to 4 poems
Pay: An honorarium, a one-year subscription to the journal and complementary copies of the journal.
Details here.
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Waypoints – an online literature and arts journal

They are looking for fiction and poetry that that embodies a sense of place, shows what you have encountered on your journey.

Deadline: 28 February 2017
Response time: Unspecified
Word count: Up to 6,000 words for fiction, or 3-5 poems.
Pay: None, but all entries are eligible for an Editor’s Prize.
Details here.
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Barrelhouse

They publish fiction, poetry, book reviews and pop-culture related non-fiction. They are currently open for novella-length non-fiction and book reviews. They keep their submission periods short.

Deadline: 1 March 2017 for non-fiction; unspecified for book reviews
Response time: Up to three months
Word count: 750 words or less for book reviews; 18,000-35,000 words for non-fiction
Pay: $50 for print, none for online
Details here.
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Impossible Archetype

This online journal for LGBTQ+ poetry seeks submissions for its first issue. They accept both formal and experimental work. All contributors must identify on the LGBT spectrum.

Deadline: 1 March 2017
Response time: Within two weeks of submission window closing; quicker for early submissions
Word count: 1-4 poems; submission under 10 pages
Pay: None
Details here.
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Werewolves Vs. Fascism
Werewolves Vs. is a twice-yearly magazine that pits werewolves against a different physical, cultural or ideological foe; this year they plan a special issue, with theme pits werewolves against forces of fascism. The issue will not portray or advocate violence among real, living people; no misogyny, misandry, homophobia, transphobia or racism. They accept comics, prose, poetry, lists, collages, and every other type of submission, provided it can fit on one or more pages. There is no limit to the number of entries published in this issue, and they accept reprints.

Deadline: 6 March 2017
Response time: Unspecified
Word count: Up to 10,000 words for prose
Pay: None for this issue. All profits donated to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
Details here.
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Apple Valley Review

They read poetry, short fiction, including fiction with genre elements, personal essays/creative nonfiction, and self-contained novel excerpts. They prefer work that has both mainstream and literary appeal. Works from this magazine have won awards, been anthologised and selected for various ‘Best of the….’ series. The magazine is published in spring and fall. Submissions are accepted year-round.

Deadline: 15 March for the Spring 2017 issue
Response time: Up to two months; under two weeks whenever possible
Word count: 100-4,000 for prose; short (under two pages) non-rhyming poetry preferred
Pay: Non-paying, but all entries eligible for an annual Editor’s Prize Details here; submission deadline updates on their Facebook page.
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Hold Journal
This print journal publishes poetry, prose, essays and interviews. For their third issue, the theme is subversion. They are dedicated to publishing work by women, queers, people of colour and multi-lingual people, by people who have not been published before and work that doesn’t fit into expected categories.

Deadline: 15 March 2017
Response time: Unspecified
Word count: 10 pages or less
Pay: None specified
Details here.
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Poetry Northwest

They have published some of the best established and emerging poets. The print magazine is published semi-annually. They also publish new work (poetry, reviews, and essays on poetics or the intersections of poetry and civic life, arts, and sciences) on their website; all submissions will be considered for both the website and print magazine. Book reviews and essays on poetics are accepted year-round.

Deadline: 15 March 2017 for poetry; one free submission per reading period for non-subscribers, always free for subscribers
Response time: 10-12 weeks after the reading period closes, sometimes longer
Word count: Up to five poems
Pay: Two copies of the magazine in which the work appears, and a year’s subscription
Details here.
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Whether you are a new writer or a seasoned author, it is crucial to prepare for your novel. But how exactly does an author prepare? Does the mere concept overwhelm you? Do not fear, once upon a time I felt the same way until I developed a list. With time the preparations will change and develop, as you as a writer, also develop and hone your craft. However, you must first have a solid foundation for preparation. Here is how to prepare for your next novel.

1. Firstly, know your stuff
If you are writing about a subject manner of which you aren’t familiar, which is often the case, I suggest you do your due diligence. Hit the books. Scroll through blogs and online articles. Watch documentaries. Speak to informed and educated people in that particular field. Remember to coherently note your findings in a way that will help you refer to them frequently, as you write your novel.

2. Know what’s already out there
Nobody likes a knockoff. Be original. Before you even begin to mind-map your ideas, look into publications with a similar plot, characters, and storylines. Be sure you are offering readers what they can’t get from another author who has essentially already written your book with some minor differences.

3. Map it out
While every author has a different technique of how to plan what exactly will happen in the novel, I highly suggest writing a chapter outline before you start to write the first draft. Bullet point what will happen in each chapter. You could even write scene plans. Leave a section for notes, so as you write the novel, you can keep track of information that could compromise the continuity of the novel!

4. Know your characters
Create character profiles. Likes. Dislikes. History. Appearance. Relationships. Fears. In order to make your characters leap off the pages and appear to be real people who readers can relate too, you must know them. How would they react? What is their view on the world? You must know them as well as your family. Then and only then, will you create memorable characters.

5. Know your audience 
Again, before writing, know who you are writing for. It sounds simple, right? But so many authors just write away, with no idea who exactly they are writing for. Know your demographic. What age. What sex. What type of people do you want to read your book? What do they want to read about? Do they like fast or slow pace? Violence? Know all these and more. That way, you’re guaranteed to please your readers.

6. Sharpen your pencils
And by that, I mean prepare yourself as a writer. Personally, before I begin to draft a novel, I write many short stories. I read writer’s books, listen to podcasts, and watch videos online. Strengthen your weaknesses. If you are unsure of what those weaknesses are, ask fellow writers or beta readers.

7. Set a schedule 
Some authors need a deadline, others work fine without one. Either way, I find that if you set a schedule it will maintain focus. I set a daily schedule (how many pages I want to write) and an overall schedule (when I want to finish the novel).

8. Don’t make marketing an afterthought
Even as you write the novel, be sure to make notes as to how you can market it when it becomes time to launch. Mention that you are writing a novel on social media. Keep readers up-to-date. Don’t just spring the novel on them in a few months. Build hype from the get-go.

9. Get in the zone
Some writers believe you should just write, regardless of whether you feel like it. This is my own opinion, but I believe your head must be in the zone before you actually start writing. You can bullet point ideas for characters, the plot, storylines, twists, the ending, but don’t put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) until you feel ready. Whether you read books, meditate, do yoga, go for a walk, or soak up culture. Find a way to tap into your inspiration.

Also, find a way to give yourself daily doses of both inspiration and motivation, if you need it. I read some of my own work that I am proud of to get in the mood. For you it could be music, reading a great author, listening to podcasts, and so on.

There you have it. How to prepare for your next novel. You can never over prepare. Make that novel worth writing before you even start writing it.

Bio: Wesley Thomas is the bestselling author of ‘Succubus’, ‘Nightmare Fuel’, and ‘What Goes Bump in the Night’. He is also a freelance writer and marketer. His work has been featured in various anthologies, magazines, and on many well-known websites. He is a self-confessed bookworm, horror addict, and avid tea drinker. Visit his website here: http://wesleythomashorrorauthor.weebly.com/