It’s finally here! Starting January 1, 2023 you can submit your romance story for the Romance Includes You Mentorship at Harlequin.Submittable.com. We are accepting submissions until January 31, 2023. We are especially interested in submissions by authors who are underrepresented in the romance genre.
We’re looking forward to reading your story! To help you out, here’s a checklist on what to include, plus tips on creating the best possible submission. You’ve got this!
Checklist:
- Review the types of romance stories we’re interested in and the eligibility requirements at the Write for Harlequin Mentorship page. Please note we are accepting submissions from writers living in Canada (excluding Quebec) and United States only this time around.
- Ensure your submission is a category romance story for an adult audience (YA romance is not eligible). Ask yourself:
- Does my story have a central romance between the two main characters?
- Is there a problem or obstacle (AKA the romantic conflict) that threatens to keep them apart despite their irresistible and undeniable attraction?
- Does it end with the characters falling in love – the guaranteed happily ever after?
- Prepare your submission. You’ll need to include:
- A Word document (we’re not fussy about formatting) containing a one-paragraph story pitch and a synopsis outlining the story arc, characters, plot, themes and ending (maximum 1,000 words)
- In the same Word document as your synopsis, the first 5,000 words of your romance novel
- A personal statement (maximum 300 words) explaining why you applied for the mentorship, what you are hoping to get out of the mentorship if you are selected, and what greater diversity and representation in the romance genre means to you. You’ll be entering your personal statement in a text field on the submission form.
- Go to Harlequin.Submittable.com and select the Romance Includes You Mentorship category to upload your submission. If it is your first time submitting a manuscript, you’ll need to create a Submittable account – it’s free!
Tips:
You can find lots of great advice on WriteforHarlequin.com to make sure you’ve got everything you need for a standout submission.
- Hook an editor with a great pitch or blurb. Get tips on how to write a strong query blurb.
- Learn how to pitch your story and nail your synopsis.
- Get advice from Senior Editor Patience Bloom on conquering the first chapter.
- Never submitted to Harlequin before? Check our step-by-step guide.
Good luck! We can’t wait to read your submission!
More Information:
- Get to know Harlequin’s romance lines
- Get more details about the mentorship submission process
