Writing for Harlequin Mills & Boon

Jei-jei

Hi All,

Just thought I'd let you know that I heard from HMB re my 3 chapter submission.

They want to see the rest of my manuscript. I'm just reviewing it now.

Frankly my aim was to see if I could write x number of words and this is my first completed effort so far, so if anyone's been down this road before, any input appreciated. And of course if anyone has any questions, I'm happy to share.

I don't know whether they'll want to publish or not (to be honest I didn't think it was going to be the right substance for them), but just wanted to say thanks for the support I received from everyone here while I was dithering.

And in case anyone's worried about the issue of typos, I'm now in a position to say that even a submission that's riddled with them won't necessarily scupper your chances...:rotfl:

SlopingBird

Well done you! http://images2.moneysavingexpert.com/images/forum_smilies/sport-smiley-001.gif

That's a brilliant result. Good luck.

http://images2.moneysavingexpert.com/images/forum_smilies/laughing-smiley-014.gif

SlopingBird

Oops. Something went wrong there - but you know what I meant!

surfsister

Sounds like fun and you've done really well with your website!

What are the categories for the comp please?

Jei-jei wrote: »

Sorry everyone -almost forgot! Just letting you know about the IvaNovella competition to celebrate both Valentine's Day and the Leap Year.

Below are some brief details:

Closing date:29th February 2012.
Open to: Anyone aged 18 or over
Theme: Love and romance but can be applied to any genre.
Entry fee: FREE
Short stories 1000- 6000 words, or
A collection of poems minimum (10).
Single poems are excluded

We have some interesting extras for all participants. Please find time to take a look. We love reading so don't be shy!

If you're interested in taking part please use the link below (or cut and paste directly into your browser) for more details.

http://www.ivanovella.com/competition.php

Regards, Jei-jei

Jei-jei

Thanks slopingbird, I knew what you meant! :beer:
Alongside the beginner's luck I managed to nab myself a bit of hate from one individual on another forum though - apparently solo efforts by newbies aren't supposed to get through without an agent, so I must be lying. Only wanted a bit of advice from the experts there. Take heed.

surfsister wrote: »

Sounds like fun and you've done really well with your website!

What are the categories for the comp please?

Thanks surfsister, you can enter under any category: sci-fi, horror, romance, paranormal, historical, as long as the theme is love and/or romance. It doesn't have to be sexual love; could be about a pet or a loved relative (as opposed to a hated one!Winner gets a banner for their story or poems. We need more entries so all are welcome.

Iva was set up for those of us who may not want to compete with the likes of Nora Roberts, and to open up to a new untapped market audience for aspiring writers.

Hope to see you there!
www.ivanovella.com

podperson

Hi,
Can I join a little late? After years of putting it off, changing ideas and giving up after 2 chapters I have finally knuckled down and am about 35k words into my first novel. It's a paranormal romance so am going to try and submit to HBM (among others) when it's (finally!) finished.

LuckyLucy11

Hi everyone, it's been ages since I was last here!

I'm ready to submit my first 3 chapters now, it took ALOT longer than I thought it would but I've been re-writing it over and over.

Has anyone had any good news on the submission front? I heard Jei-Jei's was accepted-congratulations! I really hope you get published and that it doesn't take too long.

I'm still doing poems and illustrations for the writers group and I'm working on a plot for Little Black Dress also.

Jei-Jei please can you tell me how you submitted (e-mail or post) & how long it took to get a reply.

SlopingBird

LuckyLucy11 wrote: »

Hi everyone, it's been ages since I was last here!

I'm ready to submit my first 3 chapters now, it took ALOT longer than I thought it would but I've been re-writing it over and over.

What's that quote on the BBC Writers Room - 'writing is rewriting'. It's hard graft to keep at the same project but it's worth getting any piece of writing as good as humanly possible before sending it out - as long as you do eventually get it out. Most short stories, novels, scripts, etc are subject to some professional editing before they are published. My OH is a freelance editor and he gets publishers' proofs to go through - there are always some 'bumps' that get through, even at that stage.
Good luck and let us know how you get on.
BTW, I'm still writing, just concentrating on scripts at the moment.

Gazing_On_Sunsets

Aside from the historical novel society, does anyone know of any sites or forums where writers of historical fiction - whether romance or otherwise - hang out? Particularly the nineteenth century?

LuckyLucy11

Thanks SBird, rewriting does seem to be a whole process in itself rather than the quick edit I thought it would be.

I hope the editors of my work know more about the world of business than I do as I'm not sure the heroes profession is true to life, even after extensive research.