Adult Analysis Anthology Issue 3 Submissions Now Open!
February is going to be a month of frequent newsletters, folks! The following has also been crossposted on the official BP Games blog, but given the timing I decided that it would be a shame if newsletter subscribers were only informed about submissions opening after they had already closed. The regular monthly update will be sent out as usual on the 15th, and I’ll also be sending out one more e-mail on the 24th when the Steam NEXTfest starts. Here’s that blog post:
Now that all of the web versions of both previous essays have been republished on this blog, the time has finally come for the big announcement: the Adult Analysis Anthology is planning its third issue! This means that pitches are now being accepted for essays to be included in said third issue. If you would like to jump right to pitching, you can do so via this form. If you would like to learn more about the anthology and the pitch process, read on!
Firstly, for anyone not familiar with AAA or need a refresher, here's one from our page about the project:
However, the fact remains that more people than ever are making porn games, and more people than ever are playing them. How are new porn games meant to find their audience? Where are major releases from popular porn game developers supposed to go? What kinds of experiences have players had with porn games over the years? What are the emerging trends within the subgenre? Who can track the lineage of design decisions between different releases? Who are the innovators? Who are the bad actors? What is worth playing? What is worth celebrating?
There exist a handful of enthusiast blogging sites and a loose ecosystem of video creators who provide a smattering of adult game industry coverage, but as far as I could tell nobody was attempting to put out thoughtful long-form writing on the games and culture therein. This is what the Adult Analysis Anthology seeks to address. AAA, first organized in 2023 with two issues published in 2024, features multiple paid essays from a wide spectrum of adult game players, developers, commentators, and others. The subjects cover range from 101-level primers on the ins and outs of adult game development for the uninitiated, reviews of adult games and major franchises, anecdotes from longtime subgenre commentators on their experiences, and tender accounts of players’ personal relationships with porn games, to name just a few.
The third issue will be accepting between 8 and 12 pitches 1000-2000 words in length (with some flexibility at the high end) about porn games and/or porn game culture. Here are the details from the submission form:
A few notes about pitches:
Please keep pitches SHORT. Try to keep it to 2-3 sentences per pitch!
Multiple pitches are welcome, but only one pitch per person will be accepted.
Pitches from previous contributors are welcome. Also, if you submitted a pitch to a previous issue and it wasn't accepted, feel free to pitch it again!
You may submit essays you have written in the past if you feel they would fit in the anthology. However, don't go writing a completely new essay in full on the assumption it will be accepted, because it might not be.
No previous writing experience or published works required!
Writing under a pseudonym is completely fine.
Regarding payment:
Once the selected pitches have been finalized, a flexible-funding Indiegogo campaign will be launched, with the goal set such that each contributor will be paid at least $75 USD should it meet the goal.
So, for example: if 10 pitches are accepted, the goal would be set at $750 USD plus tax, platform fee, payment processor fees, and an additional $75 USD for my own work compiling & editing the anthology.
If the campaign exceeds its goal, the excess will be evenly divided among all contributors.
On the other hand, if the campaign does not meet its goal, whatever it does take in will be split evenly between all contributors. Contributors will be given the option of backing out of the anthology should the campaign not meet its goal.
Payment will be delivered via Paypal, although alternative methods might be possible.
Ideas for pitches:
First off, I recommend at least skimming the contents of the first and second issues to make sure your idea isn't too similar to something that's already been covered. You can also read all previous essays in full on the this very blog.
That being said, pitches that are informed by and/or in direct conversation with previous essays are welcome!
Reviews of individual porn games, or series of porn games!
Personal accounts of experiences playing porn games, or your own relationship to porn games
If you're a porn game developer, accounts of your experience are welcome!
Similarly, if you're interested in interviewing someone related to porn games, I'd love to hear your idea!
Observations of trends in the development, evolution, or business of porn games!
Everything is on the table, so long as it pertains to porn games! Surprise me!
If all of that makes sense to you and you feel like you have a good idea for an essay, here's the submission form link again! Pitch submissions will remain open until Saturday, February 15th! Hope to see you there!