Champagne Book Group (CBG) started as a Canadian company in 2004. In 2017, CBG moved to the U.S. with the goal to deliver quality digital books crafted with care, and infused with passion that transport readers into the imagination.
• We are primarily a digital publisher, we realize authors want to see their books in print, but this is not a market that sells strongly for the house. CBG is a print-on-demand publisher. We do make print available for books over 60,000 words no sooner than nine (9) months after the digital release. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to that time frame even if the author has a chance to do a book signing, etc. around the digital release date.
• We are a royalty-paying publisher. You can see a draft of the contract by clicking on this line: Sample Contract
• Interested in the staff behind CBG? Visit this page for information, including editors’ wish lists.
•Vintage (historical)
•Rose(category/inspirational)
•Brut(romantic suspense/mysteries/thrillers)
•Sec(contemporary)
•Doux(erotic)
•Blanc de Blanc(paranormal/urban fantasy)
•Blanc de Noir(science fiction)
•Cuvee(fantasy)
•Demi-Sec (young adult)
•Previous Release/Self-Published
•Submission Guidelines
•How to Submit
•Response Times
Please note the specific requirements for each line listed below.
This is the historical romance line for romances from medieval to Georgian, Regency, Victorian and early American, and the Old West. We are looking for strong conflict, well-developed characters, and clear motivations and goals. Love scenes can range from none to hot but be true to the characters' era, speech, and expectations, and morals of the time period.
We especially love Old West romances. Bring on the cowboys, Native Americans, lawmen, gunslingers, outlaws, and US marshals. Bring us the brave men and women who won the West.
And don’t forget romance in the time of the Roman Empire, Caribbean pirates, indomitable Vikings, and Scottish Highlanders.
We really want some wonderful romances for this line. This is our category of romances similar in style to Harlequin. These focus on the building relationship of the hero and the heroine with all the excitement and sensory details of the initial attraction, first date, first touch, and first kiss. We want our readers to close the book with a sigh of satisfaction. Evoking emotion is a must.
We accept a wide variety of settings from small towns to the fast-paced bustle of a big city. While the setting is important, it should not overwhelm the characters. Provide enough detail to create a picture for the reader. Spend your word count developing the romance and characters—complete with attributes and flaws. Start from the moment they see each other initially or for the first time after a long separation.
This is the line where we will accept inspirational works; however, we are very selective in these and are looking for stories that are not preachy, where characters’ relationships with God are well-woven into their lives and romance. Here, we are looking at sweet to sensual with any sexy behind closed doors.
In this line, because the focus is on sexual tension, love scenes are behind closed bedroom doors.
This is our dangerous but exciting Romantic Suspense/Thriller line. Romance under tense or near-death situations brings extra conflict to falling in love.
Suspense stories must be fast-paced and driven by dark motives (greed, revenge, anger, desire, betrayal, and more). There are a wealth of situations to explore (murder, kidnappings, political intrigue, and blackmail to name a few). Bring us, three-dimensional villains, with black hearts or those molded by a bad past into evil. Dark, thrilling, and good conquers evil is the theme. And if you redeem a bad guy, we love those too.
Mysteries tend to be cerebral, but are every bit as intriguing. Craft clues that lead characters through a mystery and pull readers in to join the characters in solving the mystery.
We’ll take spooky paranormal and ghost-hunting mysteries here too. In fact, we love these!
This is our contemporary romance line. Settings can be in the United States or explore relationships in other countries. Don’t forget less used places like Peru, India, Thailand even the Middle East for your inspiration.
These stories range from sweet to hot and must be filled with sexual tension and passionate chemistry. The relationship and characters are key here even if the setting is exotic.
While we want to see romance where naughty rules, we are highly selective in this genre. We still want to give readers a story whether it’s light-hearted or darkly erotic. No sex for the purpose of having sex. The same as all our lines--we are seeking strong conflict, clear motivations, and goals. Whether you write a plot-driven or character-driven story, all must be emotionally compelling. Thank you, but no porn or erotica.
Sex scenes should be specifically described, including narrative, action, and dialogue. No flowery euphemisms. However, readers should be shown the scene and bring readers into the characters’ heads to let them experience what the character is experiencing. We are not about the mechanics here—we don’t want to read scenes where the focus is on what fits where—we want to feel.
The main characters must stay monogamous, and a happily ever after or a happily for now ending is a must. This is the only line we’ll accept those happily for now endings.
Let your imagination be your guide here. We want your vampires, shifters, dragons, gargoyles, angels, demons, and other supernaturals.
As with the other lines, romance is a central theme as the story unfolds. All heat levels are accepted (erotic belongs in Doux), but sex should not be used as the main story thread. Fated mates is a hard trope to craft, so if you have one, we want to see it but the characters need to work for each other, not just accept.
In this line, we want powerful females whether they start out powerful or find their own strength.
Got an urban fantasy? We especially want to see those.
In this line, we want science fiction where romance is integral to the story. There can be a 50-50 split between science fiction and romance that interweave to drive the plot forward. Our wish lists here include space opera, alien romance, futuristic, and other similar subgenres.
This is our dreamy fantasy line with characters like elves, sprites, gods/goddesses, superheroes, fairies, warlocks, wizards, witches, mermaids, selkies, and psychics. The stories are also guided by the imagination and have characters who may be in conflict with dangerous elements or beings.
Here we are seeking clean stories with romance or strong romantic elements with characters that range in age from 13 to 18 with issues that would be relatable to young adults. Settings can be fantasy, contemporary, science fiction, fantasy, historical, mystery/suspense—even thrillers. The themes deal with issues real young adults face, such as loss, facing a challenge, and learning who you are and where you belong in the world.
When we are looking for YA, it should be PG/PG-13. We’ll review language, mentions of drugs and alcohol, violence, and sexual content. Yes, we know that our current young adults partake in a wide range of societal experiences. However, because we want our romance to take readers away and give them a fabulous reading experience, we want characters who swear lightly, drink lightly, and lightly explore sex.
This doesn’t mean our YA isn’t true to teens. We want story-telling to be solid and characters to feel true to life.
• For all romance lines, there must be a happily-ever-after.
• Any explicit sex must occur between consenting adults.
• New adult work falls under the specific lines based on setting, etc.
• In all lines but Young Adult and Erotic, the heat level is sweet to hot. For YA, sweet to sensual, and for Erotic, melting sheets is good.
CBG will consider these books under the following conditions:
• Author must have a letter of reversion from the original publisher or currently hold the rights.
• Author submits with the expectation they will be expected to work with a CBG editor and agrees to complete requested revisions.
• Author understands title will likely change as well as cover (if self-published and the author holds cover art rights).
• We don’t take simultaneous submissions on full requests so please do not send to us if you have sent a full elsewhere. However, if we request to see work through Savvy Authors, #PitMad, #SFFPit, or any other pitching event, we waive the simultaneous submission guideline and welcome your submission. Please note this is only for pitch events.
• We do not accept snail mail submissions.
• We will NOT review or publish stories containing: depraved or illegal acts such as bestiality, rape, degradation of women, or pedophilia.
We employ a full staff of editors and copyeditors. Authors should expect revisions to their contracted work even if it’s been released by another publisher or self-published.
• We have a marketing department, but authors are encouraged to actively promote their work.
• We will look at outside artwork for cover art. However, the final artwork decision remains with CBG, and we reserve the right to decline and use our talented artists’ work.
• If you receive an offer to publish/contract with another publisher, please let us know ASAP.
Minimum Criteria:
• Finished and polished manuscripts only. Please note we are not encouraging you to hire an editor—we will provide that service. Just make sure your manuscript is as clean and as well-written as you can make it.
• Word Count: 40,000 to 110,000
• File Formats: .doc, .docx., .rtf
All submissions will receive an auto-response acknowledging receipt of submission and a reminder of response time.
Query, synopsis & first three chapters: 4-6 weeks
Full manuscript (40-80k): 8-10 weeks
Full manuscript (over 80k): 14-16 weeks
If you haven't heard from us during these times, please do not hesitate to nudge us.
Again, thank you for considering Champagne Book Group for your work!