Writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon

Sarah_Harvey

You are right... I definitely need to try. I think what might be interesting is a collaboration between a few authors if anyone is up for it. Perhaps start with something like a short story or just write a chapter for the novel. Not sure.

I must say I love my romance books. I am a soppy romantic at heart! (I even cry!) :P

GavB79

I am bumping this thread as I've just started a new thread about Amazon's Digital Text Platform, which may be of interest to posters on here. Please post any experiences you have on the other thread! Thanks

Anglea

Is everyone still writing? Anyone sent in their manuscripts?

SlopingBird

Hi Caz and everyone else

I've just come across this fantastic thread and I'd like to join in if that' s okay with everyone.

I'll come clean and admit that I did write a M & B back in the mid nineties. I was a mature uni student, pregnant with third daughter and had come time on my hands. M & B didn't buy it but they did send me some positive feedback so I drafted novel number 2 . . .

Roll forward sixteen years and I recently found it in a folder of old stories/uni stuff. About ten pages of it.

It's about an urbanite heroine who falls in love with a vet in Mid Wales (who just happens to be her mother's fiance). I'm very tempted to write it up now but I know M & B have moved on with the times so I'll need to read some more up-to-date novels first.

I like the idea of writing a chapter every two weeks - that definitely sounds do-able.

How is everyone else getting on with theirs?

Anglea

Hi SB

That's an interesting twist. I'll be interested to hear how you are getting on.

I haven't had the time to do anything in ages and thought I'd start reading some more books to get into the right frame of mind.

What I have found very difficult over the years is to stick to one idea because just as I started one book, I ended up trying to make it into something else.

I think it's because there are so many different types of genres nowadays compared to before when it was the doctor who was secretly a millionnaire falling in love with his nurse now the spectrum is so broad -very sexy, vampires, crime, historical, single parents etc.

So well done if you stick to that storyline once you begin again.

dniester007

Look at the kdp.kindle website: lots of people are make money from selling Kindle books on Amazon. Romance stories are very popular. Selling some short stoties there would be good practice.

LuckyLucy11

Wow, I'd LOVE to do this! I'll definitely join you in this venture.

I have some published work and one of my hobbies is reading the classics and analysing them to bits (sad, I know ) but hey, this generic romance stuff could be just the ticket!

Now all I need to do is go borrow some from the library and break the plots down to a science.

Wish me luck!

Just to add: Notice how many books have two or three co-authors? Hint hint...

Anyone fancy a writing buddy to double their chances?

SlopingBird

Ahhh, it's my last day (ever) in work tomorrow. After that I've got to put my money where my mouth is and try to earn a living as a writer.

LuckyLucy, like you I love writing but I think it's accurate to say my writing career has been a bit hit and miss. Started another TAB story yesterday and managed around 500 words before I started thinking 'this is rubbish'. It doesn't help that I'm currently reading a Welsh great - Richard Gwyn's The Vagabond's Breakfast - so anything I write seems trite and amateurish in comparison.

On Wednesday I become what I've always dreamed of being - a full-time writer. And you know what, it absolutely terrifies me!

Why don't we all vow to produce one chapter of M&B - or any other novel - by the end of June? I'm good at deadlines (used to be a reporter on a daily newspaper) but absolutely hopeless otherwise.

Who's going to join me?

LuckyLucy11

Off Topic.....

mizzbiz

Interesting thread. I've never read a Mills & Boon but I have heard a lot of jokes about them and seen some samples.
Interesting possibility though - I just wonder if I could write so much prolonged cheese lol. If I could, I would certainly give it a go. I suppose you have to get into a particular mindset and churn creatively.

A challenge of a chapter a month sounds do-able. How much research have people done? How many words (is there a model) in a chapter?