New Adult, contemporary paranormal stories about shifters, weres and
their love interests as they take their first real steps into adulthood and
independence. Hero or heroine (or both) must be a type of shifter or were. The
tales in Decadent Roar explore college life from the shapeshifter or
were-shifter’s point of view. What’s it like to be away from the pack? What
freedoms can be explored? What dangers lurk? Do you pledge a fraternity? What
about a sorority? Does this college happen to have a shifter-only spot on Greek
row? Through parties to mid-terms, to discovering who they are, characters in a
Decadent Roar tale will take you on a journey through college love, the ups and
the downs, and what happens when everything you thought you knew turns out to
be even more difficult than you would have believed?
Decadent Roar Key Elements
Shifters and weres are key to this
series, and story elements should be targeted to an adult, not teen, audience, and should contain adult contemporary themes,
frank, modern language, high relationship drama and intense conflict. Impulsive
actions are welcome in New Adult stories, as long as the protagonist learns something about life and
themselves as a consequence of their action.
•
Juicy, intense, storylines
•
High-stakes emotional and/or external conflicts drive the plot
•
Character development and growth are key
•
Character’s actions, dress and dialogue should be age-appropriate
•
One or both main characters should be in the 18-to-26 age range
•
Stories can be set throughout the world, but must have a
contemporary, real-world feel
•
The author's voice sets the tone for each story. Third
person point of view preferred, first person will be considered on a manuscript-by-manuscript
basis
•
Sexual language may range from two to four flames
•
LGBT, ménage, multicultural, and interracial stories are welcome
•
The reader should want to befriend these characters, and fall in
love with them
•
While college life does have a seedier
aspect, including sexual harassment and assault, no successful rape tales will
be accepted. Avoiding rape, being saved from it, or turning the tables on a
rapist are encouraged
•
All sex should be portrayed as safe sex,
including condoms (exceptions may be made only based on story context, but be
prepared to hear ‘no.’)
•
Internal series within a series are
welcome, be prepared with potential story ideas for future books if submitting
a series within a series. Please note: all books are considered individually
and future submissions are not guaranteed acceptance.
•
Stories should range between 15,000 to 35,000 words in length
•
Longer stories will be considered on a case-by-case basis
Heroes for Decadent Roar are tough, independent,
and making a place for themselves in the world. They may have alpha tendencies,
but they are also capable of being vulnerable, caring, and generous.
Heroines for Decadent Roar are complex,
savvy, and curious about the world they are exploring. It may be their first
time on their own, they may be straining at the jesses or desperate to return
to the safety of the pack—but they are also eager to discover. It is her independent nature and intelligence
that makes her desirable.
In a Decadent Roar, the hero and the
heroine are equally important. They should be the characters you wanted to
know, to discover, and to learn about the world alongside.
Decadent Roar is…
Felicity, The Vampire Diaries, Arrow, Kindred the Embraced,
Charmed, Teen Wolf—When you think about going to college
it’s about independence, beginning a new chapter in your life and being an
“adult” for the first time. While you still rely on your parents, you’re truly
spreading your wings and the bumps and bruises along the way can have a very
real impact on your future.
Details:
ROAR is the business name of the
shifter hotline.
555-ROAR
About: At the heart of the 555-ROAR are a mysterious,
nearly androgynous pair named Hui and Min. Available by text, phone call, Skype
or Facebook page, this pair are considered neutral territory to all shifter and
were packs regardless of alliance or wars. Established as a hotline, ROAR
answers the needs of the young shifter—whether it’s locating a safe place to
hunt, to meet, to mingle, or simply to get advice—and even if a character is
stranded, Hui and Min may be able to send someone to help.
ROAR is run by Hui and Min. They will
not appear in person. Very little is known about the pair, or what type of
shifters they might be. They can be reached from anywhere in the world and they
are the only two who will ever answer the requests. We will not make any
exceptions, so please don't ask.
Hui and Min are Asian, they seem rather
androgynous though Hui is definitely the more male of the two while Min ‘seems’
female.
Phone calls are allowed, but Hui and
Min’s conversations on the phone will be brief. They may or may not respond in
later fashion either with a text or email.
Neither Hui nor Min have any known pack
mates or siblings. No one knows who they ‘belong’ to if any, but even the
alphas respect them. They do not interfere in pack politics or wars. Though if
a young shifter calls them for help to get away, they may send a car to let that
shifter relocate or hook them up with a stronger shifter who can help.
Neither Hui nor Min will ever send
someone ‘evil’ to help. They know what they’re doing. They also don’t offer bad
advice. They will also not be ‘fooled’ by requests from those meaning to do
‘harm.’
Stories may involve characters from
other planets or dimensions, but the story takes place in the CONTEMPORARY
setting with strong paranormal elements.
No dimension-hopping or time-traveling allowed—though if a character is
extremely old and a flashback is appropriate, that will be considered on a story-by-story
basis.
All ROARs should have a distinct HEA
ending.
We don't consider queries, proposals or partial
manuscripts, nor do we consider a manuscript that is simultaneously submitted
to other publishers. All manuscripts must be complete and submitted along with
a submission form, which can be obtained by requesting one at: submissions@decadentpublishing.com
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