ARTIST FAQ

Q. I am interested in freelancing as a cover artist. Whom do I contact?
A. At this present time we are not seeking any more freelancers for cover art, but in the event we put out a call please check our For Artists page. To be informed by e-mail, please contact submissions (at) phaze (dot) com.

AUTHORS FAQ

Q. I sent a manuscript two months ago and haven't heard back. Is it rejected?
A. There may be periods of time when we are overwhelmed with submissions. If you have not heard from us after 60 days of submission we encourage you to e-mail us for a status report. We would not reject any manuscript without notifying the author first.

Q. I write erotica under a pen name and do not wish to associate my real name/identity with these works. Can you guarantee my privacy?
A. We can make no guarantees that your true identity will not be revealed, but we will do our best to make sure your association with Phaze is done only through your pen name.

Q. Are simultaneous submissions okay?
A. Yes, so long as you let us know when you submit to us. Should you accept another offer before we can make a decision, we would expect you to let us know immediately.

Q. I wrote an anthology of short stories, but only half the stories are erotic. Will you consider it?
A. We will consider it.

Q. Why was my novel rejected?
A. Phaze reserves the right not to comment on rejected submissions. The decision to pass on a manuscript does not reflect personally on the author, and it may not necessarily reflect upon the quality of the work. Though it is not a requirement, we do encourage potential authors to purchase one or two of our titles to get a feel for what we like.

Q. Is there a particular genre you wish to see more/less of than others?
A. We don't play favorites, we love all sub-genres of erotic romance. However, we have noticed that M/M stories, interracials with BW/WM elements, and shifter stories tend to do very well. Straight erotica without the happily ever after, on the other hand, does not always resonate with our readers.

Q. My book has a menage scene with two brothers/cousins. Will Phaze consider it?
A. As long as the related characters do not engage in any incestuous behavior, we will consider it.

Q. My book has sex scenes featuring a Catholic priest/nun. Will Phaze consider it?
A. No.

Q. I have written an historical romance where the hero/heroine is rather young. For the setting, this is considered appropriate given the low mortality rates, and people did marry as young as fourteen back then. Will Phaze consider it?
A. While we acknowledge such traditions of the past, Phaze will not consider works featuring sex with characters under the age of 18, regardless of the novel's setting and time period. All characters engaging in sexual acts must be depicted as being of the current legal age, no exceptions.

Q. I have written an historical romance where the hero/heroine are cousins. In this time period it wasn't uncommon for cousins to marry. Will Phaze consider it?
A. While we acknowledge such traditions of the past, Phaze will not consider works featuring sex between immediate blood relations, regardless of the novel's setting and time period. No exceptions. This includes first cousins and siblings, parents and children, and any combination of aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, etc.

In some cases, we may receive a story where the hero/heroine are "kin," or very distant cousins. If the distance in relation is well established, we may consider such a story depending upon the context (setting and time) and development of the characters.

Q. I have written an erotic romance where the hero/heroine are step-siblings/half-siblings. In other words, they are not blood related. Will Phaze consider it?
A. More than likely, no. In the case of half-siblings, there would have to be some blood relation, and that is incest. Step-sibling romance tends to step out of our comfort zone. We would rather not receive such stories.

Q. I have written an erotic romance, but I am under the age of 18. Will Phaze consider it?
A. While we acknowledge some countries set their legal age at 16 or 17, we only acknowledge US law as far as publishing is concerned. Therefore, we will not consider erotic works by minors, even if you present parental consent. We publish only for adults, by adults. No exceptions.

Q. My hero/heroine is from another planet, so technically another species. Would that be considered bestiality?
A. Not as long as he's an intelligent, reasoning being.

Q. I have two stories that total your minimum count and are related. Can I submit as one title?
A. Yes, we will consider such submissions.

Q. You recently accepted my novel. Will it go into print?
A. While it is our goal to increase our inventory of print titles, we cannot guarantee that every novel length work will go to print. Various factors - sales, author promotion, etc. - will be taken into consideration before we make a decision.

Q. Do you pay advances?
A. We do not pay advances, nor do we charge the author fees.

Q. Does Phaze do print runs or POD?
A. At this time, we utilize POD for print, but are considering print runs. Our print editions are produced through Lightning Source, and are available through the major book distributors (Ingrams, etc.)

Q. Are Phaze print books returnable?
A. Yes. Unlike companies that utilize POD for subsidized or vanity publishing, Phaze does not charge authors to go into print, and offers bookstores a sound return policy.

Q. You accepted one of my stories for a themed HeatSheet line. Will all the stories in that line be printed in an anthology?
A. Various factors, like the overall sales and promotion of the lines, are to be considered, as well as royalty considerations (multi-author anthologies can be a nightmare where pay is concerned) before we decide which shorts will go into print.

Q. You recently contracted/published my story. A company is interested in turning my story into a film. Who owns those rights?
A. You. Phaze will only license the rights to publish your work in eBook, trade paperback and hardcover editions (though we may not exploit all of those rights for the duration of your contact). The author will retain remaining subsidiary rights, including audio, film/TV/dramatic, foreign language translations, book club, etc.

Q: Do I have to pay for set up fees for getting my book published?
A: Phaze does not require its authors to pay any fees or charges.

Q: Am I required to buy extra copies of my book?
A: Phaze does not require its authors to purchase any books. We give you free author's copies in accordance with our publishing contract. You are never required to buy a single copy of your book.

Q: Who designs my cover?
A: We have a staff of artists who handle most of our covers. We will send you a cover questionnaire that gets your ideas on what you want to see on your cover. Occasionally, an author with design skills will design his/her own cover. We are very open to working with our authors on the proper design.

PROMOTIONS FAQ

Q. Do you send books to review sites automatically?
A: Yes. When your book goes on sale, requests will be sent to an extensive list of review sites.

Q. I'm used to sending my work off to review sites on my own. Can I still do that?
A: Yes, you may. However, Phaze Books does send work off to a number of review sites automatically. Please be sure to check our auto-send list to make sure there are no duplications.

Q. Which sites do you send books to for reviews?
A: Because our goal is to get Phaze Books' name out there, our list of review sites fluctuates periodically depending on the site's review turnaround time. As of late, Phaze Books maintains a list between 15-17 review sites.

Q. How will I know when my work has been reviewed?
A: Phaze Books' promotions manager will send your review and/or link to your review when a review site forwards it and/or when a periodic check is done on our auto-send review sites. Some review sites will send your review to your directly as well as to our promotions manager. Once you become a Phaze Books author, the list of review sites on our auto-send list will be available to you. You may also check on your own.

Q. Does Phaze Books post my review anywhere?
A: Yes! Phaze Books promotions manager posts your review rating (if a site has one) and a snippet of your review in Phaze Books' Yahoo Chatters list. Because of copyright issues, the entire review cannot be posted.

Q. Okay, what about interviews? Will anyone at Phaze Books help me set up author interviews?
A: If you would like to set up interviews, contact Phaze Books' promotions manager to set that up. Unless you specify a particular site or sites, the manager will set up interviews with the review sites we auto-send work for reviews.

Q. What about chats?
A: Absolutely. Just like with interviews, our promotions manager will contact our current review sites on our auto-send list to set up individual chats, author days and blog days.

Q. I see Phaze Books has a chatroom and a blog. May I use them?
A: Of course! As an author, you can host your own author chats in our chatroom or in the Phaze Books Yahoo Chatters list. And if you would like to take over our blog for an entire day, you can do that as well. All that we ask is that you sign up for the chatroom and blog in the Phaze Author Yahoo calendar so that there are no conflicts or doublebookings.

Q. That sounds great. When my book is released through Phaze Books, how will readers know?
A: Phaze Books promotions manager makes announcements about your new release, which also includes the direct link to buy your work directly from Phaze Books, to more than 10 different Yahoo groups, over 7 forums, on the Phaze Books Twitter account as well as in Phaze Books' My Space bulletin and blog.

Q. Sounds like you have the online presence covered. What about in-person events? You're primarily an ebook publisher. Would I be able to do book signings?
A: Yes. If your work is only available in electronic format, you can sign copies of it on CDs that you can get from the Phaze Books publisher. Just understand that most traditional booksellers like Waldens, Borders, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million may not let you sell your own private stock in their stores. You can, however, sell CDs at book fairs, conventions, conferences, yard sales or flea markets. Any place that allows you to be your own vendor would be ideal to sell your CDs. You can also check with independent music and book stores.

Q. I'm too shy to contact a store myself. Will Phaze Books' promotions manager do it for me?
A: Sure.

Q. I'm not shy, however the business I want to sign at requests that someone from the publishing house contact them. I'm getting that same response from a couple of review sites. Will the promotions manager contact these people for me?
A: Yes. If a business or website requests that the promotions rep at Phaze Books contact them instead of you, we will do that for you.

Q. I can't wait to start promoting my work! I love my new cover! Am I allowed to put my cover on promotional materials?
A: Absolutely! Put your cover on your website, bookmarks, buttons, pens, pins, postcards, rack cards, car magnets, yard signs, banners, T-shirts, whatever you want! Check with your individual author contract for any restrictions.

Q. I would like to run a contest to promote my book. Will Phaze Books help me promote my contest?
A: Of course. The same sites we use to announce the release of your work will be the same sites we'll send an announcement about your contest.

Q. I can't afford to go to a lot of conferences, conventions and book fairs. If Phaze Books attends a large event, may I send my promotional items to a Phaze Books rep or author who is going so that they can be set out for readers?
A: Yes. Announcements will be made to authors on events Phaze Books will be attending and an address(es) to send your promotional items.

Q. If my Phaze Book goes into print, can I have book signings at book stores?
A: Yes. Book sellers can order Phaze Books titles through Ingrams. Many of our authors have had successful signings at Waldens, Borders and Barnes & Noble.

Q. Do you do regular chats outside of the Phaze Books site?
A: Yes, we do monthly chats on 3 different sites right now.

Q. Does Phaze Books participate in print ads?
A: With enough author participation, Phaze Books has done group print ads in Romantic Times BOOK Reviews Magazine.

Q. If I have any questions about promotions, may I ask them?
A: Definitely! Pose your questions to the Phaze Books promotions manager or even the Phaze Books authors. We're all here to help.

Q. Does Phaze Books help with promotional items?
A: Phaze Books does have a Cafe Press store. Each author has his or her own section in that store, and all of your covers are made into mini posters for purchase. If there are any other items you would like created for you in this store, like mugs, bags or T-shirts, please let the promotions manager know.