Because Midlife Love Stories Matter…

Empress Editions is on a mission to celebrate the rich tapestry of midlife romance with stories as dynamic and diverse as the women who live them. While we’ve fulfilled our nonfiction needs for the year, we are actively seeking all flavors of midlife romance—romantic comedies, romantasy, and everything in between. If your heroine is navigating love and life with a distinctive voice—be it snarky, intimate, clever, manic, or calm—we want to hear her story.

We’re especially interested in narratives that explore the intricate relationships across generations, families, and partnerships. Authenticity is key: bring us characters who reflect every hot flash and aspect of our vibrant community—across race, class, orientation, disability, neurodivergence, and chronic illness—whose rag-and-bone hearts wrestle with internal conflict and experience transformative arcs. Bonus points for humor as desiccated and light as a fart.

Manuscripts should be between 70,000 and 90,000 words because we know slim volumes make for brisk sales. Please submit 20-50 pages of your completed, PDF-watermarked manuscript, along with your contact information and a concise 500-word synopsis of your project. Submissions are welcome from both agented and unagented authors—though agent representation may assist with project packaging.

If you don’t hear from us within 4-6 weeks, rest assured that every submission is viewed through a developmental lens. Your story may yet find its perfect moment on our list with the right editorial match. Above all, our goal is to support midlife authors and their self-determined paths, never to stand in their way.

We can’t wait to read the voices of this next chapter! Email us at hello@empresseditions.net with “Submission” in the subject line.

Make f*cking way.