Category: Writing Advice

Latest Posts

Two chili peppers intertwined on a black background. There are flames rising from the bottom. The text in the lower right reads How Spicy Is Your Story?
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Heat Levels: How Spicy Is Your Romance?

By Editor Emma Cole It’s usually simple to decide where you should place your story with Harlequin. If you’ve written […]

Posted on: June 14, 2023
A red apple stacked on a small pile of books with the words Writing Advice beside in white.
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Pacing in High-Stakes Stories: How to Sustain Suspense without Losing Romance

By Editor Emma Cole Every plot needs to move at a good pace to keep readers interested. But in suspenseful […]

Posted on: May 10, 2023
Paper being edited with a red pen. An arm rests on the page on the right side
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The Do’s and Don’ts of a Revise and Resubmit

If you’re reading this post, you’ve likely put in the time to complete a draft of your manuscript and taken […]

Posted on: April 19, 2023
A man is sitting in a chair with a notebook in his lap and is petting a white dog
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Spotlight on K9s: Writing about Dogs

By Editor Emma Cole As you may have noticed, dogs are a very popular element in many of our Harlequin […]

Posted on: April 5, 2023
Top view of feet and black shoes behind a white line and the word start written on road.
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How to Submit to Harlequin using Submittable – A Guide for New Authors

By Deirdre McCluskey So, your manuscript is done and you’ve prepared your synopsis and cover letter. You’re ready to hit […]

Posted on: March 28, 2023
Young Woman working from home who is sitting on the floor in front of the couch.
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Hooks Vs Tropes: What’s the Difference?

This post has been updated from its previously published version “Hooks” and “tropes” are two words that category romance readers […]

Posted on: March 17, 2023
A piece of paper with a red heart drawn in pastel. Behind the paper there is a box of pastels waiting to be used.
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Color Coding Your First Draft for Editing

By Editor Emma Cole Happy new year! It’s time for new beginnings. If you’re working on a new manuscript (or […]

Posted on: January 16, 2023
An open book, heart cut outs on top of the book.
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Popular Trends in Romance

Whether you’re a longtime romance writer or new at it, you are always on the lookout for the latest trends. […]

Posted on: November 1, 2022
A man and a woman stand in silhouette against a sunset
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Tropes Spotlight: Opposites Attract

“Tropes”, one of those factors that category romance editors are always searching when reading a manuscript. But, what is a […]

Posted on: September 26, 2022
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3 Things Romantic Conflict Adds to Your Story

Romance is never perfect, is it? Not in real life, the movies, or in the books we all love! We’ve […]

Posted on: September 1, 2022