Image by the *fucking amazing* James Christopher (sound alert).
Nothing says ego-baiting like a hot-or-not contest. Every time there’s a “sexiest X” contest online I just imagine some overly manicured, watery-eyed, heavily perfumed PR flack spinning in her office chair with a circular filament of drool weaving a circle in the air around her head as she imagines the blatant linkwhoring traffic she’s garnering her paycheck overlords with yet another contest based on superficial sexual comparisons. Well, they fucking work, so there’s the formula. Don’t tell anyone! It’s a big online PR sekrit. Plus — possible boobs! If you look really close.
That said, PETA is doing a “sexiest vegetarian next door” contest. It’s open to anyone so you too can feel the insecurity of probably not being stereotypically hot enough to make the grade. But if you are, you can win win win, though I think the prize is being a Big Fucking Weiner and getting PETA press and traffic. I’m all for the sexing up of vegetarianism — I’m up for the sexing up of *anything* because I am the kind of girl who licks my monitor when I see a goddamn zucchini onscreen. And I’ve been subjected to inclusion in many ‘hot blogger’ contests (ahem, Playboy, who bait-and-switched photo use permission request not telling any of us it was a contest). So until People Eatin’ Them Animals has a literal hot or not contest with bacon bras, go check out the meat-free meat.
The other contest in this carefree, lighthearted post: you can actually win money from and quite a lot, when you consider the going rate for erotica these days. LoveHoney UK is having an erotic short story contest where the winner gets actual currency for writing a hot story — more than what you’d get for getting a story in any anthology on the market. It’s like £500 (more than dollars, yo) and runners-up get some decent scratch, too. And when you compare it with Ravenous Romance’s visionary braintrust screw-you-authors-and-editors, I’m keeping your work forever contracts-from-hell [Cartman voice] and average $10 a story, it just makes me fall in love, honey, all over again with the striking WIN of LoveHoney’s contest. (via my overstuffed inbox)
Thank you. I bookmarked it this time so I won’t lose it again, and am excited to submit! On another note, I have been (aside from one or two comments) a lurker for years, and really appreciate your work. The world needs more positive and knowledgeable sex educators. Keep it up.
K, if you check this, it’s here:
http://www.erotica-readers.com/ERA/G/Best_Womens_Erotica_2010.htm
I’m paying $250 a story. I’ll repost soon in case you miss this, it’s my last year and I want new authors, and the best snapshot of *real* written pr0n for women by women we can create. it’s our legacy, together, the now, and I take it very seriously (even when the stories get fun and silly).
I remember reading a while back that you were looking for submissions for your final year editing Best Women’s Erotica. I can’t remember the deadline or find that post. Maybe you could refresh our memories? Thanks!
Thanks for posting this, VB.