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Submissions Blackfire seeks stories, articles, photography, models, illustration and a very limited amount of poetry all related to black men unclothed or in erotic situations. STORIES AND ARTICLES The best way to determine our needs is to read and study several recent issues. Here is a partial list of our needs: • Full-length erotic fiction of 2,000-4,000 words detailing the exploits of black men in the life. • Nostalgia and humor pieces are welcome if they are black, ITL and erotic. We also publish historical articles and first-person accounts that meet these criteria. • Where-to articles that include details on where black men in the life congregate. These can range from the latest local bar to out-of-the-way resorts. Thoroughness and accuracy are the keys to acceptance of these articles. • Shorts. We use articles of 400 to 700 words with one to two photos for one-pagers. Subjects include fresh, sharply focused erotic ideas. • We do not solicit product reviews, games or puzzles. Subjects considered inappropriate include stories that refer to minors, illegal drugs, bestiality, water sports and scat. WRITING STYLE Blackfire seeks erotic material of the highest quality, but it need not be written by professional writers. The most important thing is that the work be erotic and that it feature black men in the life or ITL themes. We are not interested in stories that demean black men or place them in stereotypical situations. Erotic fiction can range from descriptions of idealized men having idealized sex ("his 13-inch dick spurted a cupful of love juice"), to depictions of typical men in plausible encounters ("homeboy didn't have no meat, but I didn't care; I wanted that booty"), to unconsummated hints at sex ("ballet is the politically correct way for men to stare at other men's dicks in public"). We are partial to the latter two categories.
We want to publish concise, well-organized articles, so material must be tightly written. We reserve the right to edit submissions and to change titles as necessary. Study the magazine to see what we do and how we do it. Some fiction is very romantic; other is highly sexual. Most articles in Blackfire cater to black men between these two extremes. Include your name and address on the title page as well as your pseudonym, if you intend to use one. If the work you submit to us is being submitting to others as well, please let us know. RIGHTS Blackfire secures first North American rights and the right to anthologize accepted work. You retain all other rights to your work. If the material you're submitting has appeared elsewhere, tell us when you submit it. Payment for articles averages about 10 cents per word. This payment is based on quality of the material, research required to complete the piece, length of the copy and how badly we want the story. Writers whose work is included in an anthology receive an additional payment. ACCEPTANCE Individuals whose works are accepted for publication must provide Blackfire with a brief biographical sketch. Accepted works should, whenever possible, be provided on diskette in either PC or Macintosh format. You should provide the original or a reproduction-quality duplicate of accepted artwork. PEP TALK Because you're reading these guidelines, you're one step closer to having us accept your work than are many others. We want to hear from you by way of a tantalizing query, a top-notch completed manuscript, or an article we can't resist featuring on the cover. Every year we work with a few unpublished writers, and in our pages you can also find the bylines and credits of established professionals. It doesn't matter if you're a pro or a novice. If the material meets our needs and standards, we use it. PHOTOGRAPHY AND ILLUSTRATION If you are a photographer or an artist, submit your work. MODELS If you have a nice face, a great body or are heavy in the meat department and want to appear in Blackfire, let us know. In fact, if you don’t have a nice face, you’ve got an average body and God sent your dick elsewhere, and you want to appear in Blackfire, contact us anyway. DEADLINES We accept submissions year-round. Submit seasonal material six months in advance. For instance, a piece about Kwanzaa in December must be received in June, and an April piece about Easter must be in our hands in October. DELIVERY Submissions may be mailed to Editor, Blackfire, PO Box 83912, Los Angeles, CA 90083-0912. Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope with adequate postage if you want your work returned. Submissions may be faxed to the Editor at 310-410-9250. Submissions may be emailed to: newsroom@blk.com. We usually respond within a month. LEGALESE The Editors do not assume responsibility for loss of or damage to submitted materials. Publication of the name, photograph or likeness of any person or organization in articles or advertising in Blackfire is not to be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of such persons or organizations. The opinions of Blackfire are expressed only in editorials. Other opinions are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Blackfire.
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