The Harlequin Historical team is always looking for new and exciting voices which really capture passionate stories from the past. The #HistoricalBlitz is your chance to become our next new Harlequin Historical author! Submit your first chapter and pitch from the 16th May until the 31st of May and receive feedback on your submission by the 10th June.
So, what do we (and don’t we) want to see?
What we’re looking for:
- Original, unique and captivating voices and storylines set anywhere, and any time from Ancient civilizations, up to and including the Second World War.
- Strong Historical heroes, from Regency dukes to muscled Vikings to courteous Medieval knights, to whatever takes your fancy…
- A heroine who will challenge your hero! She could be shy or spirited, from any walk of life, but she’s got to really shine!
- An intense emotional connection between your hero and heroine! Historical accuracy and a believable plot which is appropriate to the time-period are important, but they’re secondary to the richness of an exciting romance.
- Any level of sensuality… We’re looking for both sweet and sexy new Historical romances. But, whether you want to leave things at the master bedroom door, or explore that sizzling passion, tension and chemistry between your characters are essential!
- An intimate look into the past. We love to see stories where the Historical setting is woven in beautifully (and authentically) with the romance!
- Our stories are 70,000 to 75,000 words.
What to avoid:
- Don’t try to re-hash someone else’s story. We’re after innovation, not imitation!
- Don’t go overboard on secondary characters. We’re looking for the focus on the hero and heroine, so beware of overbearing mothers/sisters/brothers/cousins/aunties/uncles/family pets etc. taking over!
- Don’t get bogged down by archaic language. Whilst we’re looking for authenticity, ‘thee’, ‘thou’ and ‘thus’ are likely to pull readers out of your story.
- Don’t try to establish all of the Historical background in your first chapter, rather ensure you have an exciting set up, which really grabs our attention.
From 16th – 31st May, go to Harlequin.Submittable.com and select #HistoricalBlitz to submit!
Good luck! We can’t wait to read all of your wonderful submissions!
The Historical Team
2 replies on “#HistoricalBlitz Top Tips!”
Hello,
Do you allow scenes from a villain’s POV or do you just want scenes from the hero and heroine’s POV as per LIH?
Hi Laurie,
Yes, very much so! We’ve had our fair share of evil masterminding scenes!
Good luck!
Comments ( 7 )
I spent the entire shutdown working. Had no time to wind down. I didn’t see my son much when school shutdown. My one co worker was told to stay home for 3 weeks so I picked up her hours. This year has been really crappy.
Ugh, Janell. Here’s hoping the rest of your summer is better.
Thanks for the info, Carol! Everyone is different in how they deal with the shutdown! I stay at home all the time since I don’t work so I haven’t been too effected but my shopping and errands sure have been effected!
Valri, I’ve been doing most of my shopping online. My local Target is still low on some items – mostly cleaning supplies. Grocery store is pretty much back to normal. Most of the dining in our town is outdoor. I can’t imagine have school-age kids!
Wow–getting your creative process on track must have been daunting–especially with “extra-large dog” glad to have you home. You don’t like coffee–I love coffee and have enjoyed my fortifying 2 cups in the morning even more than usual! How as COVID affected your story lines and characterizations? Best Wishes for all releases!
Interesting question, Virginia. You’ll have to tell me if the tone of my “COVID” books changed any! LOL
Life has changed so much! My dad passed Feb 2. The assisted living facility my folks were at went into hardcore lockdown the beginning of March. Mom couldn’t leave her apartment for 4 months! She was on the third floor, Will be 89 in two months & doesn’t use the phone. My husband and I remodeled the lower level completely and moved her in with us July 1. What a life change and difficult transition for the 3 of us! But we’re working thru it!