Writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon

glowgirl_2

I heard back from M&B a couple of days ago and they rejected my work:( despite the email giving me some pointers on what to improve I think its a generic thanks but no thanks, I do feel disappointed but I'm ok and I'm going to move on and give myself a break from writing, its still in my heart but I hate rejection, how is everyone else?

Anglea

Hi freeoffers what genre is the book you've written?

Any ideas Mrs yardbroom?

Glowgirl, I'm sorry things didn't go your way on this occasion but hope you don't stop writing.

I've been spending my time thinking over books I've read and really enjoyed and working out why v. books that sounded promising from reviews or the blurb on the back but didn't like reading.

Years ago I wrote a thriller but kept getting lots of other ideas and found myself going off tangent, in the end I stopped because I was getting too excited by all the possibilities and found it hard to keep on track. Looking back I could have written the book from a number of different viewpoints or else the extra ideas could have been short stories instead.

SlopingBird

glowgirl wrote: »

I heard back from M&B a couple of days ago and they rejected my work:( despite the email giving me some pointers on what to improve I think its a generic thanks but no thanks, I do feel disappointed but I'm ok and I'm going to move on and give myself a break from writing, its still in my heart but I hate rejection, how is everyone else?

Glowgirl, I've been following your updates and I'm so sorry to hear that M&B didn't bite this time. Please don't lose heart. My OH and I are both would-be writers and we have had some successes (he's just had an article published in Walking Wales) but far more rejections and disappointments. If writing is in your blood, you'll pick yourself up and keep going. Sometimes I stop and ask myself why I persist with such a masochistic hobby, but if I wasn't creating fictional people living made-up lives, I'd just probably be out spending money (very un-MSE:D). Good luck with the next project!

Anglea

HI SB, I love walking magazines. Did your OH provide just the text or photos too?

glowgirl_2

:AThanks for the messages of support, they really are much appreciated :A

Anglea

Glowgirl, you've got to continue with ideas, even if you don't want to do some writing at this moment.

SlopingBird

He writes the text and I go along and take the photographs (with a four-year old digital camera bought in Asda!). It keeps up fit anyway. I'm more of a creative writer but my OH prefers writing non-fiction.

freeoffers

glowgirl wrote: »

I heard back from M&B a couple of days ago and they rejected my work:( despite the email giving me some pointers on what to improve I think its a generic thanks but no thanks, I do feel disappointed but I'm ok and I'm going to move on and give myself a break from writing, its still in my heart but I hate rejection, how is everyone else?

Rejection is very hard to take glowgirl, very hard. It's a cliche but its not how hard you fall its how high you bounce back that counts. I got a rejection from an agent that was fairly detailed. At the time I was crestfallen because he ripped my work apart. However, when I dissected the rejection I found that some of the points were quite fair so I took them on board, and I think my book is better for it.

The old generic rejection is a bummer but we write because we love it so I cannot let a rejection get in my way. How about you;)

BTW, I've been sent many more rejections, less detailed but the detailed one was worth 100 of them. If you do get a detailed one take it on board (if you think the criticism is valid) and see how you can get better.

Actually, instead of calling it criticism I try and call it feedback, doesn't make it any less painful though sometimes.

Best wishes.

freeoffers

Anglea wrote: »

Hi freeoffers what genre is the book you've written?

I've been spending my time thinking over books I've read and really enjoyed and working out why v. books that sounded promising from reviews or the blurb on the back but didn't like reading.

Years ago I wrote a thriller but kept getting lots of other ideas and found myself going off tangent, in the end I stopped because I was getting too excited by all the possibilities and found it hard to keep on track. Looking back I could have written the book from a number of different viewpoints or else the extra ideas could have been short stories instead.

Hi, my book has nothing to do with romance but I saw this thread by chance and writing is writing. My book is about a politician's daughter who disappears. The book starts with her being found and then pieces together what happened. I was chuffed that an agent liked 30 pages but I've written and rewritten it and it should be ready to send in 10 days.

Yes, it is quite hard to stay on track when you get lots of ideas. Do you write everything down? I find that once one book has finished I'll get another idea. What I usually do is dismiss the idea and if it's any good it'll make itself known to me again at some future point. A good idea won't let you forget!

About different points of view. They can really work but for me I will not read a book with any more than 4. I read a Joanna Trollope book and although I think she's an excellent writer she had about 5 or 6 points of view and I ended up only caring about 2 of the characters and skipped most of it. I think Patricia Cornwell is an exception. I like her writing and there's something about her characters and their vulnerability (even the baddies) that I like.

Sorry to post such a long one! I just love writing!

Anglea

Hi freeoffers, your book sounds like one I'd like to read, good luck on getting it published.

Have to admit that I'm also not really into romance anymore although I wrote most of a MB novel for a writing course years ago.

I used to write a lot long ago and had some articles and fiction published even got a book series commissioned but froze :mad: and backed out. I think I did that because it all happened so easily and quickly (the first person I spoke to) that I wasn't mentally prepared to get my idea accepted.

I always had a feeling that I would return to writing it that's why I've been a regular on this thread, and in the meantime my dad got his book published not long ago, so it's become like an itch that won't go away, I'm waiting for the right idea but I'm not looking for it otherwise I'll end up with too many and that used to paralyse me with too many choices.