How Hard is it to Publish a Romance Novel?

I have no idea, but how about

"Sozette Oberon"

Ha! I love it!

I'll be looking for it at the grocery check out stand in six months!

Heck, I'll send ya a dozen autographed copies. (Gotta start practicing my signature... lotsa loops and flourishes...)

If you didn't get another offer : I'd like to do the German tranlation.

Sozobe, Harlequin (headquartered here in Toronto) has a website that apparently gives you an outline explaining what their requirements are. I'll look for it in a bit.

Soz

I ran into a woman somewhere who actually wrote for Mills and Boon, and was making a very nice living out of it, thank you.

She said it wasn't difficult, and they gave good guidelines. Once you were established, 2 books a year kept you in gravy!

I looked at it, but decided that wasn't where my talent was.

Don't know how to kick start it now, though.

LOL! Here, there are Mills and Boon writing "courses"!

(We decided to write one, once - never having read one. Started outlining plot and character development and themes and such - read one, realised they don't really HAVE any of that...gave up.)

learn how to write for the harlequin group of companies

(turns out Mills and Boon is in their group)

writing guidelines


Harlequin American Romance
Harlequin Blaze
Harlequin Flipside
Harlequin Historicals
Harlequin Intrigue
Harlequin Presents (Mills & Boon Modern Romance)
Harlequin Romance (Mills & Boon Tender Romance)
Harlequin Superromance
Harlequin Temptation
LUNA
Mills & Boon Historical Romance
Mills & Boon Medical Romance
MIRA
Red Dress Ink
Silhouette Bombshell
Silhouette Desire
Silhouette Intimate Moments
Silhouette Romance
Silhouette Special Edition
Steeple Hill Love Inspired
Steeple Hill Women's Fiction

hmmmmm, looks like those individual company links aren't going to take (they're all part of Harlequin)

here are the guidelines for one of the groups:

under their how to submit FAQ

How to Submit a Novel


Please note that this information is provided as a guide, not as a substitute for extensive reading and research. There is no formula for writing a publishable romance or mainstream women's fiction novel. The editors for each of the series have simply written guidelines that reflect their series' requirements. As a result, each set of guidelines reads a bit differently, with some more specific than others, depending on the degree of focus the editors want their book submissions to have.

What are some other things you can do to help sell your manuscript? First, we expect you to enjoy reading romance fiction. If you are already a fan, your appreciation for this type of book will be apparent in your writing. If you have not done so already, we encourage you to read many, many books from each series. The series that emerges as your favorite is probably the one to which you should submit your manuscript.

Second, remember reading is an emotional experience. We hope you will write from the heart and we will feel touched by what you have to say. When you put pen to paper (or finger to keyboard), do so because you have something to share with other readers.

Should you require further information, don't hesitate to write to us, or check out the eHarlequin.com Writing Resources page. The appropriate addresses have been included after the submission instructions for your convenience. Good luck!

Oh my goodness, look at all that!

Thanks!!

(This doesn't mean I have to READ one of 'em, does it? ) (I have mapped out the pivotal scenes, characters, overall structure, and general themes in the time since I posted this. The hook is really pretty good! If I actually get published under "Sozette Oberon", I'll tell y'all and you can read it then. ) (Hey, a girl can dream!) (Especially a poor girl who would really like to rustle up some cash in a semi-legal manner...)

Sozobe - it looks like it's all set up for you to get going.



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Soz - they want you to have read some from each of the groups before you try to write for them. Of course, I've been known to read 10 or 12 on a sick, lazy afternoon (thank goodness for goodwill), so reading one or two shouldn't be a problem.

Very very cool.

Thanks!

Says to start with a query letter, too, so that's a nice painless beginning. (I.e. two pages vs. 300.) And the hook/concept is the thing, here, which translates well to a query.

I have been looking for what they pay, and have just found this:



Anyone know ballpark?

(Thanks again for getting all that, ehBeth!)

Right, I saw that. I'll read 'em if I gotta.

Lord - could this be the answer to my mortgage?

Hmmm - you have to READ them???!!!!

It looks like this is the category that would fit what I have in mind best:

http://www.eharlequin.com/cms/learntowrite/ltwArticle.jhtml?pageID=021101wu09001

Yup, dlowan - they want you to read some. It's easy. If you ever read Georgette Heyer as a tweenie, look at some of the historical ones.

I remembered where to find some of this as a friend and her dad were considering writing some. He eventually went on to become a bit of a German literature cult figure based on his translations of some children's lit from German dialect into German and English.