Call for Submissions: Up for Grabs 2

Call for Submissions for Up For Grabs 2: the Third Gender by Circlet Press

Up for Grabs 2: the Third Gender is the working title of the sequel to Up for Grabs, which has received a lot of attention in reviews. While UFG had a focus on changing from one gender to another, I would like to see stories about people in between. Gender is not binary. These stories will explore modern and future expressions of third genders. Some ideas I would like to see examined are:

* Protagonists using mechanical, surgical, magical, or VR to express a gender other than the standard two.
* Coming of age stories
* Stories about protagonists who may not be young and gorgeous, but who have age and experience.
* Stories where third genders are normal, even common.
* Descriptions of new ways to have sex beyond the traditional.

Originals only, no reprints. We purchase first rights for inclusion in the ebook anthology for $25, with the additional rights to a print edition later which would also be paid $25 if a print edition happens. Authors retain the rights to the individual stories; Circlet exercises rights to the anthology as a whole.

Submission Guidelines:

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New Review of “Up for Grabs”

This review is from Three Dollar Bill Reviews.

My personal favorites from this collection are “Transplant” and “Passage,” each of which explores a world where there is a unique option available to transgendered individuals. Each story delves into the emotional needs of the person to have a body that matches the soul, and the ramifications of making that change on other relationships. In “Transplant,” Katrina has been disowned by her mother while Chad’s mother is the exact opposite. In “Passage,” Maya is concerned about her lover still being attracted to her new body. The physical changes are one thing, but these stories choose to delve into the other changes that are inevitable and as such are extremely engaging and moving.

Up for Grabs gets a nod

The genderqueer anthology I edited earlier this year, Up for Grabs, got a mention at gather.com:

“If your reading tastes are a bit quirky, if you’re an open-minded reader, and if you enjoy the premise of “What if?”…then Up For Grabs, edited by Lauren P. Burka (Circlet Press) is just the book for you. In these five delicious tales, gender is up for grabs, and science pushes the boundaries between male and female, natural and unnatural.”

The further adventures of “The Ontological Engine”

People who have read my recent ebook anthology Up for Grabs have noticed that there is one story that is not really about transsexuality, though it contains some amazing transformations. It’s a steampunk tale that remains fresh and vivid even now that some of us are growing weary of steampunk. It has mad scientists, orgasm machines, and scandalous behavior set in a realm of Victorian manners. I’ve been asked by everyone including the author why I chose this anthology for The Ontological Engine. The full answer to this question is difficult to convey.

Let’s start with the Circlet Press slush pile. There is a certain type of manuscript that arrives with a cover letter stating “We hope you will enjoy this story, or at least find it funny.” This statement is the sign of doom. You could argue coincidence, or you could point out that these stories seem to be written by people who are so nervous writing about sex that they can only pull it off if the sex is so stupid that it can’t be threatening, or that there’s rarely anything funny about a story that tries too hard. These are stories that we anticipate reading with absolute dread.

“The Ontological Engine” is–not to put too fine a point on it–funny. And hot. Stories that make you laugh so hard that you have to loosen your clothes and so hot that you have to loosen them more are not easy to pull off. How could I not make room for this rauchy little number?

Since the original publication we’ve put an mp3 of this story up for sale (first part is free). We are beginning work on an entire collection of stories set in this world for 2010. I can hardly wait to get to work on cover art for this one. And today, just to bring another smile to my face, we have a lovely buff from the author of ErosBlog. Please enjoy the review, download the free first part of the mp3, pour yourself a nice cup of tea, and enjoy yourself.

ERWA Reviews “Up for Grabs.”

The Erotica Readers and Writers Association, one of our favorite destinations on the web, has reviewed our gender-queer anthology Up for Grabs: Exploring the Worlds of Gender.

The reviewer says, “[a]fter reading Up for Grabs, I have one complaint. It’s much too short!” Read the whole review here.

More Good News: Up for Grabs reviewed by Rainbow Reviews!

If I get any more good news tonight, I may explode.  Rainbow reviews has published this lovely take on Up for Grabs, a short story collection I edited.

Up for Grabs is up!

Up For Grabs: Exploring the Worlds of Gender
edited by Lauren P. Burka

With stories by Vinnie Tesla, Anya Levin, David D. Levine, Zachary Jernigan, and Ellen Tevault.

Up for Grabs is my first editing project with Circlet Press.

Read an anthology of erotic stories where gender is up for grabs. Thousands of people spend time on the Internet identified with a gender other than the one they were born with, for erotic gratification or to stretch their imaginations. But we asked our writers what if you got a tax break for changing your gender? What if you could choose to be no gender at all until you went on a date? What are the implications, both sexual and social, of gender possibilities beyond the choices and ideas our society currently holds.

Buy it directly from us here at Circlet.com as a PDF, or from one of our retailers:

Amazon’s Kindle Store

All Romance eBooks (.prc, Palm, epub)

Smashwords (.mobi, LRF, epub, pdb, HTML)

Fictionwise (all ebook formats)