Why is Harlequin offering a mentorship opportunity?
We are actively working to increase diversity, inclusion and representation in Harlequin’s romance publishing program so that readers see themselves reflected in the books we publish. Through the mentorship, we are reaching out to the writing community for story submissions by authors in underrepresented communities and offering a publishing contract to a debut author.
Who is eligible to make a submission? What is meant by “underrepresented” authors?
We are interested in submissions by authors of many backgrounds, communities and cultures. This includes, but is not limited to, people who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color, biracial and multiracial, people in 2SLGBTQ+ communities, marginalized ethnic and religious cultures, and people living with disabilities and neurodiversity.
Why are only writers in Canada and the United States eligible?
For legal and privacy compliance reasons, this opportunity is open to writers living in Canada (excluding Quebec), the U.S. and its territories. As always, we welcome story submissions from authors anywhere in the world through our regular submission process on Harlequin.Submittable.com.
When and how can I make a submission?
We are accepting mentorship submissions from May 1 to May 31, 2024 at 11:59 EST at Harlequin.Submittable.com. The submission box will open on May 1, and you can upload your submission to the Romance Includes You Mentorship submission inbox after that date.
Is there an age limit?
Writers must have reached age of majority in their place of residence to apply.
Is there a cost to make a submission?
There’s no fee.
Where can I find information about Harlequin’s romance lines?
Writing guidelines for Harlequin’s romance lines are listed on Harlequin.Submittable.com.
Can published authors apply?
Authors who have published a story with a commercial publisher are not eligible. We are looking to work with an unpublished or self-published debut author during this mentorship.
What is meant by “unpublished” authors?
You are eligible if you have not been previously published in print, digital or audio by a commercial publisher. Self-published authors and writers who have published a poem, short story or academic work in a magazine or journal, for example, are eligible.
Can I submit a story that has been published elsewhere or that I’ve already self-published?
If another publisher owns the publishing rights or if you have already published the work, it is not eligible for this opportunity. We are interested in original, unpublished work for which we can offer a publishing contract.
Can writers who submitted for a previous mentorship competition apply again?
Yes. We welcome your submission, but it must be a different romance story from the one you submitted last time. If you have a new submission that fits what we’re looking for, we encourage you to try again.
What types of stories are you looking for?
We are interested in work that can be published in one of Harlequin’s series romance lines, including Afterglow Books. These stories are typically 50,000 to 70,000 words and range from spicy to sweet, contemporary to historical, romantic suspense, and more. They are trope-based (think friends to lovers, second chances or forbidden love) with a central love story between the main characters and a happily-ever-after ending. What happens along the way is up to your imagination!
This mentorship opportunity does not include Harlequin’s trade publishing or Carina Press imprints.
Read the mentorship information page for details.
Can I make multiple submissions for the mentorship?
We will only accept one submission, and the first submission we receive from you. Once your submission is uploaded, it cannot be modified.
I’ve submitted a story to one of Harlequin’s lines and I am waiting to hear back. Can I submit the same one for the mentorship opportunity?
Please do not to submit the same story twice; however, you can withdraw a submission you’ve already made to another line via Harlequin.Submittable.com and resubmit it to the Romance Includes You Mentorship submission box between May 1 and May 31, 2024.
What about a different story? Is that OK?
If you are waiting to hear back from another line, you can submit a different story for the mentorship opportunity since this is a time-limited submission call for a specific outreach program. (Our regular process is that we ask writers to submit only one story at a time.)
I’m a debut writer but I do have something on submission currently with Harlequin. If I get a contract offer before the mentorship winner is announced, am I still eligible for the mentorship?
If you are offered a publishing contract for your other submission before the mentorship recipient is announced, you would forfeit your submission for the mentorship program. Our intention is that the mentorship winner will be an unpublished author.
If I’m selected, do I have to finish my novel for publication during the 12-month mentorship period?
We hope that the manuscript can be completed within the 12-month period and your editor will support you to meet this timeline. We understand that flexibility may be needed and will work with you to develop a realistic publishing schedule.
Are Carina Press and Carina Adores included in the mentorship call for submissions?
No, however Carina Press accepts unagented submissions anytime through its regular process. Information about Carina Press is available on Submittable: https://carinapress.submittable.com/submit
Does Harlequin publish stories with multicultural or diverse characters?
Harlequin stories feature characters with wide range of backgrounds, genders and sexualities. We believe that readers should see themselves reflected in the books we publish, and we are working to increase diversity and representation across Harlequin’s romance lines.
Does Harlequin publish LGBTQ+ romance?
Harlequin publishes romance stories with LGBTQ+ characters. We are open to romance stories with all gender and identity pairings for mentorship submissions.
Can I submit a young adult (YA) romance?
No, we are not accepting submissions for young adult fiction, general fiction genres and nonfiction in this program.
If I’m selected, can I offer the manuscript completed during the mentorship to another publisher?
If you sign a publishing contract with Harlequin, you are under contract with Harlequin. If you are offered the mentorship, you are under no obligation to accept it or the publishing contract. You will be given a chance to review the contract before signing.
How will the publishing contract and writing grant be handled for the selected recipient?
If you are selected for the mentorship, before being offered a contract we will arrange a discussion with one of our editors to explain Harlequin’s romance publishing program and determine which imprint is best for your work. Once agreed, we will forward a standard publishing agreement to you.
The publishing agreement will include an advance against royalties and standard royalty terms for one novel. You will be given the chance to review the contract before signing. Submitting an entry puts you under no obligation to accept the mentorship or publishing contract.
To get the mentorship underway quickly, we will ask that as quickly as possible and no more than 14 days after being notified of your selection, you either choose to sign the agreement or reject it to allow us to potentially offer this opportunity to another deserving applicant. If a contract is not signed in a reasonable time frame, we reserve the right to retract your offer.
The advance will be paid according to the payment schedule for the imprint that acquires your story, provided that the terms of the contract are met. An initial payment is made upon signature of the contract, for some imprints a second payment is made for the partial manuscript, and the full amount is paid out when the final manuscript is received for publication. The grant is payable upon signature of the contract with Harlequin.
If a suitable submission is not received, we are under no obligation to offer a contract. We can offer contracts for more than one submission we receive depending on the needs of our publishing program.
What are my Intellectual Property rights for work I submit?
As a creative company, we are sensitive about our own Intellectual Property (IP) and respectful of others’. As a condition to be considered for a mentorship, you will be asked to confirm:
- that your submission is entirely your own original content;
- that you own all rights in the submission; and
- that you have not previously sold or licensed those rights to anyone else.
If we come to believe that any entries are copied, infringe on anyone’s rights or are not yours to offer, we will disqualify the entry.
You are the owner of your IP and, if you are not successful in your application, all the rights in your submission will stay with you. If you are successful, the publishing agreement will set out how ownership works going forward and will be consistent with our normal publishing practices.
We ask that all applicants note and understand that Harlequin is a large company with a wide array of creative voices and content. It is possible that we have or will have separate works that may resemble your proposal or may have similar themes, plot or characters. You acknowledge that you will have no rights in any such separately developed works.
I’m not eligible for this program but I would like to submit a romance manuscript to Harlequin. What are my options?
Harlequin is always looking for new talent. We welcome all authors to submit manuscripts through Harlequin.Submittable.com. Authors can submit manuscripts directly or through an agent for our series romance lines and Carina Press for consideration.
Is Harlequin Special Edition accepting mentorship submissions? When will it reopen for general submissions?
We welcome mentorship submissions targeted to all Harlequin series, including Special Edition. Editors continue to acquire new voices for Harlequin Special Edition but are not reviewing unsolicited submissions from Submittable currently. We will continue to assess our needs and let authors know when Special Edition is open for unsolicited submissions.
Are there opportunities to publish with Harlequin for writers with diverse backgrounds who don’t write romance fiction?
Yes. Harlequin has five trade fiction imprints that publish a wide range of fiction and narrative nonfiction under HTP Books. HTP Books welcomes all authors to submit their work through an agent. Find out more about HTP Books.