Harlequin/Mills & Boon
Tell me about Harlequin and Mills & Boon!
Harlequin is one of the world’s leading publishers of books. Mills & Boon is part of Harlequin and is the brand name used in markets such as the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Our books are written by over 1300 talented authors worldwide, offering readers a broad range of editorial from series romance to single title fiction, from young adult novels to digital first, from fantasy to inspirational romance and more. Our titles make regular appearances on bestseller lists including the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly and more. We publish in 34 languages and in 110 countries covering six continents. Formats include print, eBook, audio and manga.
What is series romance publishing?
Currently we publish a total of 12 series with brand new titles released each month. Our series include Harlequin DARE, Harlequin Desire, Harlequin Heartwarming, Harlequin Historical (Mills & Boon Historical Romance), Harlequin Intrigue, Harlequin Medical Romance (Mills & Boon Medical Romance), Harlequin Presents (Mills & Boon Modern Romance), Harlequin Romance (Mills & Boon True Love), Harlequin Romantic Suspense, Harlequin Special Edition, Love Inspired, and Love Inspired Suspense.
What is Carina Press?
Carina is Harlequin’s digital first imprint. We publish a variety of romance categories including contemporary, paranormal, historical, New Adult, erotica, LGBTQ, sci-fi/futuristic and suspense
What else does Harlequin/Mills & Boon publish?
We publish many fiction titles in imprints including MIRA, HQN, Harlequin Teen, and more. A number of these imprints accept agented material only.
I’ve never read a romance before—what should I read?
We suggest you visit: www.Harlequin.com, www.MillsAndBoon.co.uk, www.MillsAndBoon.com.au and www.carinapress.com to find everything we publish. Our books are also on sale at major etailers and can be found in bookstores, grocery stores and other retail outlets. Sample some of our series books free today at https://www.harlequin.com/store.html?cid=233
Why is Harlequin/Mills & Boon looking for new authors?
We publish many talented writers already but we are always looking for new voices and authors who have a fresh way of telling a story. Writing for Harlequin is a great career as our many authors can attest!
How many new authors does Harlequin/Mills & Boon publish every year?
We publish seventy plus new authors every year. Some are brand new writers while others may have written for other publishers before joining Harlequin.
Where do your writers live?
We have authors who write from all corners of the world. Though North America, the UK, Australia and New Zealand have the largest number of Harlequin authors, we have writers living in other countries including India and South Africa.
Do I need an agent to publish with you?
No. Our contracts are very straightforward, and we are happy to work with both agented and unagented authors.
Do you have any writing advice?
We’re always communicating with potential authors! Check out the Harlequin Writing Community on Facebook, where we have a tremendous network of published and unpublished authors offering advice, encouragement and feedback. Check out www.writeforharlequin.com for tips and hints from editors and authors, interviews with debut authors, feedback opportunities and interaction with editors. Many of our editors are also on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms.
Will Harlequin offer any writing contests this year?
We offer a variety of special submission calls all year long. For news and updates please check our Contests page.
When Harlequin calls for submissions by underrepresented voices, who should submit?
Underrepresented voices includes, but is not limited to, authors who identify as Black, Indigenous or people of color (BIPOC), members of LGBTQ+ communities, marginalized ethnic and religious cultures, and people living with disabilities and neurodiversity. Harlequin is actively looking to acquire more stories by writers in underrepresented communities. Reaching out to authors in underrepresented groups with submission opportunities supports increasing diverse representation among the authors and stories we publish.
Remember that Harlequin welcomes stories from all authors at any time through Harlequin.Submittable.com. You don’t have to respond to a specific submission call to submit your love story. If you’ve written a compelling romance, we’d love to read it.
What does own voices mean?
An own voices story is a book written by an author in an underrepresented community depicting marginalized characters in the same community. For example, an author with a Latinx background writing a story about Latinx characters may be described as own voices.
Site Questions
Help, I’m having trouble finding something on the site. Who can I contact with my question?
Direct all questions to submissions@harlequin.com.
I missed the blog/live chat/other. Can I still access these afterwards?
Yes, you can find all sessions in our Archive tab at the top of the page.
What is your Twitter handle?
Follow us on Twitter @Harlequinsytycw . Also check out @HarlequinBooks, @millsandboonUK and @millsandboonAUS for other updates from our international offices.
Where can I find you on Facebook?