Do You Have A Romance Novel In You?

Do You Have A Romance Novel In You?

This competition is now closed.

Harlequin Romance is always looking for new authors to write for them. The Harlequin Romance Blitz is your chance to become one of their authors.

Send your contemporary Romance submission to them between 1 February and Valentine’s Day, 14 February, and they promise a fast-tracked response, including editorial feedback by Wednesday, 21 February 2018.

What Is A Harlequin Romance?

The publisher explains that they “are romantic, uplifting, couple-focused stories that invite readers to get swept away to glamorous destinations all over the world, and experience all the intensity, emotion and sparkle of falling in love! The sensuality level is low – the bedroom door stays shut – but the emotion is high. We’re looking for fresh, contemporary voices who can explore that intense emotional connection between the hero and heroine.”

“What Are The Ingredients For A Perfect Harlequin Romance?

  1. A Harlequin Romance novel is all about the heroine; she’s key in this series! She needs to be real and relatable so that readers can instantly connect with her, and her story should make the reader wish they were in her shoes!
  2. But that doesn’t mean we can forget about the hero! We need a hero we can immediately trust, who is worthy of the heroine. Not all our heroes are super rich international tycoons (although some might be!) but they are successful in their own right and should be a strong man our heroine would aspire to be with.
  3. Gorgeous, glamorous settings are encouraged and international settings work well to add escapism and aspirational elements to our romances.
  4. They should be emotionally intense reads, ranging from the classic to the highly contemporary! We’re interested in being captivated by innovative emotional conflicts as well as traditional emotional themes developed in a unique way.
  5. The key focus of the story is the development of the romance between the hero and the heroine.
  6. Harlequin Romance books are low sensuality: they’re high on emotional and sensual tension by have no explicit sexual detail (keep the bedroom door firmly closed!)
  7. But just because these romances are sweet, it doesn’t mean they can’t be edge-of-the-seat exciting! Make sure to throw your reader straight into the story!
  8. Give rein to your own unique style! We advise that you read widely from the line to discover more about Harlequin Romance, but don’t try to imitate things we’ve seen before – write the story you want to, and let your authentic voice shine through.
  9. Our books are 50,000 words.
  10. Harlequin Romance no longer features cowboys/western themed stories.”

How Do You Submit Your Romance?

If you have a romance that is suitable for Harlequin, visit their submissions page at submittable.com.

Learn How To Write A Book

TOP TIP: If you want to learn how to write a romance, sign up for our online course, This Kiss.

Posted on: 1st February 2018
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