Official Rules for the Harlequin Presents Writing Competition 2009
98 Comments July 9th, 2009 in writing contest Posted by Amy
These are all the full rules for the Harlequin Presents Writing Competition 2009. Naturally, the names of the winners will also be posted on the blog!
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER
1. To enter, submit by e-mail a Microsoft Word file of a typed, double spaced, first chapter (no greater than 5,000 words) of a story you have written which is suitable for the Harlequin Presents or Modern Heat series, and a synopsis (no greater than two pages in length, double-spaced) of the complete novel, along with your name, address, e-mail address and phone number to:
writingcompetition[at]hmb.co.uk
2. All submissions must be in English and be received no later than November 2nd, 2009. Story concept must be original and must not have won a previous prize/award nor have been previously submitted, reproduced or published. One entry per person.
3. Entries will be judged by a panel of members of the Harlequin Mills & Boon editorial staff, based on the following criteria:
- Voice
- Content
- Writing Skills
in equal measure.
In the event of a tie, duplicate prizes will be awarded. Decisions of the judges are final.
4. Submissions will not be returned and may be used for promotional purposes only. All rights of the submitted work will remain with the author. Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited, at its discretion, may request to see one or more full manuscripts from contest entrants after the close of the competition. No responsibility is assumed for lost, late, illegible, incomplete, non-compliant, non-delivered or misdirected submissions.
5. This contest is open to entrants who are 18 years of age or older and is void wherever prohibited by law; all applicable laws and regulations apply. Employees and immediate family members of Harlequin Enterprises Ltd and Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited, including contracted authors, their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries and all other agencies, entities and persons connected with the use, marketing or conduct of this Contest are not eligible to enter. By acceptance of a prize, the winner consents to use of his/her name, photograph or other likeness for purposes of advertising, trade and promotion on behalf of Harlequin Enterprises Limited and Harlequin Mills & Boon, without further compensation, unless prohibited by law.
6. All entrants may be contacted via email for the purpose of disclosing whether or not the entrant has been declared a winner in the competition. By submitting an entry, all entrants agree to be contacted by Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited via email for this purpose.
7. Winners will be determined no later than November 30th, 2009, and will be notified by e-mail. Winners will be required to sign and return a Publicity Release and Affidavit of Eligibility certifying his/her eligibility and that the submitted chapter and story outline are his/her own original work, and it has not won a previous prize/award nor has it previously been submitted/reproduced/published, within 10 days of notification. Non-compliance within that time period may result in disqualification and an alternate winner will be selected. Harlequin Enterprises Ltd and Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited, their parents, affiliates and subsidiaries are not responsible for errors in the electronic or printed presentation of this Contest. Winners agree that Harlequin Enterprises Limited and Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited, their parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, agents and promotion agencies shall not be liable for injuries or losses of any kind resulting from acceptance of or use of their prize.
8. Prizes:
1st – winner will be awarded the services of a Harlequin Mills & Boon editor for one year [1st December 2009 - 30th November 2010], who will offer advice and guidance on contest entry, plus subsequent, previously mutually agreed submissions of partial or full manuscripts aimed at Harlequin Presents or the Modern Heat series.
2nd – consultations for two runners-up on their first chapter and synopsis aimed at Harlequin Presents or the Modern Heat series (5,000 words) with a Harlequin Mills & Boon editor.
Only one prize per person. No cash alternatives.
9. For a list of winners (available after 7th December 2009), send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to:
Harlequin Mills & Boon Limited
Eton House
18-24 Paradise Road
Richmond
Surrey TW9 1SR
United Kingdom
98 Responses to “Official Rules for the Harlequin Presents Writing Competition 2009”
- 1 Pingback on Dec 1st, 2009 at 7:39 am
And to let everyone know, we’ve set up a forum in the eHarlequin Community to discuss the Writing Competition here: http://community.eharlequin.com/forums/write-stuff/harlequin-presents-writing-competition-2009
I’m pretty sure there’s also a section on the Mills & Boon website (called the Modern Heart Writing Competition over there) — but wouldn’t you know it, when I want it I can’t find it! Does anyone have the link?
Of course, IHP is still your central spot for Competition news and the comments are always open for questions and discussion about entries. We’ll have posts and open threads until the deadline.
~Amy
Hi Amy,
Is this the link you are referring to, http://community.millsandboon.co.uk/forums/write-stuff/how-write-modern-romance
I have printed out the master class tips and they are fabulous. I have them stuck all around my office. lol… This is truly a great opportunity for writers. I started casting my characters and plot this morning which was exciting. I always love starting a new manuscript.
One question. In the rules above it states for Modern Heat. Just to make sure
It is Presents as well isn’t it?
Regards,
Tarnya
“I’m pretty sure there’s also a section on the Mills & Boon website (called the Modern Heart Writing Competition over there) — but wouldn’t you know it, when I want it I can’t find it! Does anyone have the link?”
http://community.millsandboon.co.uk/forums/cafe-social/simply-series/modern-modern-heat
The discussion’s not a separate thread, but in the cafe-social section in the Modern/Modern heat thread.
Amy, they don’t seem to have set up a special thread yet on the M&B community forum. Or if they have, we haven’t found it! A few of us are getting some conversation going on the Modern thread-http://community.millsandboon.co.uk/forums/cafe-social/simply-series/modern-modern-heat .
Hurrah! I was hoping that you would repeat this contest at a time when I could participate! I have a brand-new netbook dedicated to romance writing, a husband who’s free all summer to amuse the children, and six weeks of vacation ahead of me from my compensated writing jobs. Count me in, with enthusiasm!
Karily
We’re working on getting a thread up on the M&B website – I’ll let you know where to find it when it is up and running!
The contest is for Presents too and not just Modern Heat? The original posting said it was for both but the rules state it’s for MH.
Hello all,
Yes, the contest is for Presents as well, sorry for the confusion. I can see where the confusion came from is since it doesn’t mention “Presents” in the first paragraph (under prizes it says “first chapter and synopsis aimed at Harlequin Presents or the Modern Heat series”). Let me just check there are no legal-y problems with clarifying the first bit in the official rules before I update the post…
~Amy
The hardest thing about a contest is deciding to try again. At least that’s the part that nearly defeated me. I watched part of the special ceremonies honoring Michael Jackson and I feel the people who showed him the most respect and honor was his family. His brothers helped him become the pop icon he was. They sang and danced and rehearsed for years right there with him. And his sister did to. I think I am learning by reading the websites of Harlequin that it takes a lot of people to make an “instant star”. Thank you for the encouragement and patience and the sharing your writers do. I think the most important part of these contests to me is the feedback given by the helpful Harlequin team as they help us aspire to be writers of romance.
Hi, I’m new to this contest. Can you help me understand, are we to send our first chapter and synopsis as word doc or other preference? Is there a word count requirement for the first chapter? Must the book be entirely written or just a synopsis outlining where the story line will go?
sorry for so many questions – hope you can help.
Thanks.
Hello all – please note that the rules have been edited to include two things mentioned in the contest announcement but were left out of the official rules originally:
1) Only ONE entry per person will be accepted (so better make it your best! Quality over quantity
)
2) The synopsis should also be double-spaced.
JoAnne — The answers to your questions are in paragraph #1 of the post: Word document attachment, maximum of 5000 words for the first chapter. You don’t need the full manuscript completed, just the first chapter and synopsis.
Wanting to have a first-time go at entering this competition I have a question, sorry if it’s a such a basic question, but in the rules it said that it has to be written “double spaced”. What is that? Isn’t that the normal line spacing in a Word document?
Thanks in advance for your replies.
Hi btlim5163 — double-spaced means there is a blank space between each line of text. So this paragraph here is an example of single-spacing since the lines are right on top of each other…
….but this paragraph here is
double spaced because there
is a blank line in between.
That probably looks a tad wonky, but I hope you understand my example
In Word, go to the “paragraph” menu and there will be an area to change your spacing from single (which is usually the default) to double.
~Amy
Dear Amy,
Thanks for your quick reply!
I do got your example of double spaced paragraphs. I just don’t understand why it should be typed like that. Perhaps it’s more easier to read for the judges? Nonetheless, thanks for your answer!
-Bettina
Hi Bettina,
Double spaced is easier for editors to read and there is room to write notes. Pretty much every publisher (and agents, too) ask for double-spaced submissions as well.
~Amy
Hey .. i want to ask a question .. suppose I am Taking part in Competition ..
I despratly want to Take part in it .. But i got many Querries 
Hope my sisters goona help me out .. ryt? 
And sending my Entry ..
I want to know that I have to write the 1St chapter first and then the synopsis or 1st I have to write synopsis and them the 1St chapter?
Plx Help me out Girls
no ans 4 me?
It would be nice to be able to read all of the contest rules, but the ad for “Free 60th Anniversary Books” blocks out a lot of the information. Besides, the contest does not tell how many words your manuscript is supposed to contain. I have several stories that I could enter, but all are over 80,000 words. Do they fit with the word count for Harlequin or Modern Heat? All the contest says is 5,000 words for first chapter and synopsis, and that’s for second place.
Hi, I wanted to know whether the competition is open internationally, i.e. to countries outside the U.K. ?
Linda, you will find the manuscript guidelines for Harlequin Presents and Modern Heat on eharlequin.com.
http://eharlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=547&chapter=0
http://eharlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=1294&chapter=0
Both of these lines run 50,000 words in length.
Good luck!
roorkee,
I believe it is open to everyone…Harlequin Mills & Boon has authors from all over the world.
I do remember reading somewhere that the manuscript must be written in English.
Good luck!
Giya,
You may write the first chapter first, or you may write the synopsis first. It is completely up to you. You would submit them both at the same time, however.
Good luck!
Oh thank u Trenda thx thx thx a lot
Hi Linda,
What browser are you using? I might be able to fix it if the post looks all wonky.
You don’t need a full manuscript for this contest, but generally Presents books are 50,000 words (as Trenda mentioned, thanks for posting the links to writing guidelines!)
~Amy
Are there more rules on the format of the synopsis? I know it should be max two pages and double-spaced, but what about
- font (Times Roman or Courier New?)
- font size (12 pt?)
- paragraphs indented or separated by a blank line?
- 1 inch margins all round?
Given how little space there is in two double-spaced pages, this could make a lot of difference.
Hi Everyone,
I believe this to be the official rules. It’s all in there. The synopsis, the first chapter, font, and font size.
http://www.iheartpresents.com/2009/07/official-rules-for-the-harlequin-presents-writing-competition-2009/
If this doesn’t get you there, it can be found on the left under archives on the 9th of July.
Also I think one should have an idea of the characters including plot before writing the synopsis. And double spaces are for ease of reading and a requirement most publishers insist on.
Suzanne
Are men eligible on the competition?
and about people living out of US or UK?
Just a question putting our contact details in our entry. It is sufficient to put our name, addy and phone number in the body of the email or should it be on each page in the header or footer area? Is there a preference for adding page numbers etc and where they should go?
cheers
When it says the entry is not to have won another contest, what if the entry has finaled in a RWA chapter contest? Is that still within the submission rules?
I have just sent off an entry of a new book I am working on to a RWA contest and if (with fingers, toes & eyes crossed!) I final, I wondered if this will make it ineligible.
Thanks in advance,
Rachel
@Felipe Yes, men can enter the competition & people from all over the world!
@Rachel & Kerrin, I’ll check with the editors for you questions.
~Amy
Should I hav to describe the Location truly??
??
Or can I take help from my fantasy
Hi Giya,
Well if you’re describing a real place it should be accurate as possible. But there are Presents with totally made up kingdoms so it really depends where you’re setting your story…
~Amy
Awlrite .. ThX Girl
Hi again, got some answers for questions from Jo! She’s having trouble posting so I’m doing it on her behalf.
@Rachel – As it didn’t win the contest and wasn’t submitted to Harlequin – this will be fine.
@Kerrin – Please include page numbers – no preference where they go. No need to include all contact details in header/footer – your name and name of submission will be fine.
~Amy
Your prize says ‘winner gets the services of an editor for a year’ – does this also translate into a manuscript accepted for publishing?
Thanks Amy!
Is it possible to enter the competition from another country? I mean not UK or USA. And if your first language is not English?
Thanks, I´d love to try it, been a fan of these novels for long…
@Nishat That depends — writing contest winners have been bought after working with their editor in the past, but winning is not a guarantee of selling.
@Pat Yes, submissions from all countries all welcome as long as the manuscript is written in English.
If you enter the competition can you do so under a pseudonym?
Adora – yes you can!
I was getting quite interested in this when I spotted the ‘no immediate family members … of contracted authors’ rule. By contracted, that means actually under contract right now, is that correct? Both my late mother and my sister used to write for M&B, but presumably I’m still okay to enter this competition? Thanks, Jane
Jane – that is correct, you are fine to enter if your family members are no longer under contract.
Is it really a must for the writer’s to be 18 or above?? Would a little younger hurt ? :S
Can partners of contracted authors enter or are they excluded under the family rule?
I’m not sure what Modern Heat means. Is this explicit sex scenes or implied?
Orlene,
You can find writing guidelines for Modern Heat here:
http://www.eharlequin.com/articlepage.html?articleId=1294&chapter=0
Happy Writing!
Trenda
Thanks for the info Trenda. It helped
Orlene
Can a published author who hasn’t written for HQ and hasn’t sold in the past three years enter the contest?
Does the entry have to be from a completed work? Or can it be from a work in progress?
I’ve got a question.
Can a Preface be submitted as the first chapter?
Can the chapter be emailed via a WordPerfect file format or does it have to be Microsoft Word?
Hi Orlene,
The official rules say Microsoft Word — better use that format or otherwise the editors might not be able to open your entry.
~Amy
Thanks for your assistance, Amy. I just have the WordPerfect software, but it does have the Microsoft Word conversion option. After I saved to the Word format, I emailed my chapter to myself and it does open correctly, so that is the route I will use.
“2. All submissions must be in English and be received no later than November 2nd, 2009. Story concept must be original and must not have won a previous prize/award nor have been previously submitted, reproduced or published. One entry per person.”
Does that mean submissions close at midnight on Nov 2? In what time zone?
Thanks…
@Regina – Yes, a Preface or Prologue can be submitted in place of Chapter One (but just to be clear not a Prologue AND first chapter, it’s one or the other.). Editor Joanne Grant also adds that “This competition is all about great openings, so if the author has decided to open it with a Prologue, it ought to be a good one
”
Will check the exact closing time for you Elizabeth!
I have a question about the competition. When I submit my entry, should I include in the e-mail a brief note about myself and my writing background, as I would if I was submitting a partial manuscript to HMB?
Hi Elizabeth — The contest will close end of day Nov. 2. So anything that hasn’t hit the inbox by 9am GMT will not be entered.
Maggi — Your entry is the most important thing; whatever you put in the email message won’t make or break your entry, so up to you!
~Amy
Hello! Do we need to specify on our contest entry or in our covering email whether we are aiming at Modern Heat or Presents?
Hi Rachel,
Presents publishes both Modern Heat and Modern Romance from the UK — you can say which one you’re aiming for, but I wouldn’t worry too much about the distinction, though, since editor Joanne Grant said her chat that if you’re not sure which line you fit in or if the editors think your style is more suitable for the other one, they’ll steer you in the right direction (if you’re a winner, that is
)
~Amy
Hi Amy,
Scrolling thru the posts, I don’t think these Q’s have been asked before, but apologies if they’ve been asked and answered before:
1) Are the first chapter and the synopsis to be in the same Microsoft Word document file, or submitted as two separate files, i.e. two attachments?
2) Are the info (name,address, email address and phone #) to be written on the MS Word document (as header/footer) or only in the email body?
3) Do the editors have a preference for either UK English or US English, or either one will do?
Many thanks!!!
PS Amy,
Just saw your reply to Kerrin above, which replies to my Questions # 2 on contact info
Would appreciate a reply to Questions 1 and 3 only, unless you have something to add to your reply to Kerrin…
Thanks again!
Hi Cat,
1) It doesn’t matter; though if you do the synopsis and chapter in the same file, please put the synopsis first.
3) Again, it doesn’t make much difference, just be consistent.
good luck
~Amy
A two page, double spaced synopsis isn’t long. Are the judges looking more for a ’set up’ of the story (personalities, reasons for conflict, why hero/heroine can’t be together etc.) or do they actually want a blow by blow account of the storyline from beginning to end? If the latter, it would probably have to read like bullet points due to lack of space. Thanks for help.
Hi Susan,
My advice to another entrant was to read the synopses from previous contest winners we have posted to the blog. They can give you an idea of what worked for the editors in the past. Here are the links:
http://www.iheartpresents.com/2008/04/writing-contest-winning-synopsis/
http://www.iheartpresents.com/2008/04/synopsis-the-heiresss-instant-seduction/
http://www.iheartpresents.com/2008/04/writing-competition-synopsis/
http://www.iheartpresents.com/2008/11/lucy-robertss-winning-synopsis/
http://www.iheartpresents.com/2009/03/feel-the-heat-runner-up-rachael-blair%e2%80%99s-synopsis/
http://www.iheartpresents.com/2009/02/feel-the-heat-contest-jackie-coatess-synopsis/
http://www.iheartpresents.com/2008/12/feel-the-heat-runner-up-felicity-rogers-synopsis/
(sorry for some broken coding in old posts causing weird characters). Hope they are a help to you!
~Amy
Thanks for your reply re. synopsis Amy, it was very helpful to read other winning synopsi (is that the plural of synopsis?
I’m desperately trying to fit my synopsis onto two pages. I’ve read through the rules but can’t find any stipulations about:-
1) Font style
2) Font size
3) Size of margins
Please could you advise. For example, would it be acceptable to use font size 10 in Arial for the synopsis and font size 12 in Arial for the chapter? Thanks in advance.
Hi – I’m new to this site and new to writing novels, though I’ve written and produced for television (docs and drama-docs). So I’m really excited to find this competition and am furiously trying to get my story worked out and written up in time.
I started one story, which I got quite a long way into when I realized my characters are more at home in a “Tender Romance” than a “Modern Heat” or a “Harlequin Presents”. I definitely felt they needed the privacy of a closed bedroom door.
So I started another story with a new set of characters (hopefully I’ll pick up the threads of my first attempt after the competition closes).
My problem is that I’ve reached what feels like the natural end of my first chapter, but it’s only 1700 words long. Is that too short?
My story continues in another country, which will require a bit of a set up. Should I put in a gap and carry on the next section of the story within Chapter One? Or should I start Chapter Two where it feels right and submit two chapters? Or should I just submit the first chapter as it stands?
Oh and I’ve read the rules but I’m afraid I can’t find font, font size and margins. I’m using Arial 11pt, double spaced across the whole page at the moment.
Thank you so much, M&B & Harlequin for this opportunity and I’d be grateful for any replies.
Cheers.
Hi Susan and Mary,
Susan, I had to chuckle a bit at question since it reminded me so much of when I was in university and went over the word limit for my essays every time, so I am very familiar with the question of margins and fonts
(good thing I’m not entering the contest!) Anyway, I think Arial 10/11/12/whatever is fine — as long as it’s big enough for the editors to read comfortably, they won’t rake you over the coals because of your font I’m sure 
(and don’t forget that double-spacing *is* a must!)
For size of margins, about 1 inch all around is standard.
Mary, I’m a bit hesitant to advise on your chapter one question since that’s more of an editorial decision. So here’s my thought: the whole point of the first chapter is for the editors to get to know your voice. Do you think what you have so far is a sufficient example of that? If so, there you are. If not, you might use the scene break to take advantage of the length permitted.
~Amy, Harlequin Digital
Hi
When we’ve sent the synopsis and first chapter, will we receive a receipt of delivery? Sorry to sound daft, I just get nervous wondering if you’ve received it or not.
thanks, sorry to ask a silly question.
Gem
Just received an answer to my own question.
Yes, you do get a receipt of delivery!
hehe
Gem
Hi Amy,
Thanks for the old synopses, they are great to read through for assistance and ideas. I just jumped on this afternoon, wondering where to find them (as I sit and stare at the blank Word page that is supposed to display my synopsis), and voila, there they are!
Cheers, and good luck to all entering the comp,
Madeline
Glad you found them useful Madeline!
~Amy
Hi
Your chat site is great! Wonderful to see so many questions honestly answered.
I have one question. I notice that the entry’s you have posted are all formatted with an extra line space between the paragraphs. I know this is not done in finished manuscripts and I have been taught never to do it in a novel submission.
Instead I have been taught to indent new paragraphs and only use a line space to indicate a change, usually time, place or point of view.
Which do you want? I can do either and would like to submit in the format you prefer.
Thanks
catch
Hi Amy,
“Hi Elizabeth — The contest will close end of day Nov. 2. So anything that hasn’t hit the inbox by 9am GMT will not be entered.”
Sorry, a bit confused. Can submissions be sent in right up till midnight on November 2nd. Or do they need to be in by 9am GMT?
Thanks and all the best,
Hi Dawn,
I’m not sure. I just sent mine in, at 11:58 PM GMT on Nov 1. I have moved on to writing my nanowrimo novel for the month of November in any case, so procrastinating further was unlikely to result in improvement, just in not sending the thing in at all. This was my writing project for October, and while I didn’t complete the rough draft entirely, as I had hoped, I did polish up the first chapter and have it outlined, so the synopsis was only painful for it’s required brevity.
Good luck to everyone!
Elizabeth
I was still polishing at midnight – my competition entry, that is, not the furniture – so have emailed the first chapter and synopsis at 12.45am, in the hope that Amy’s previous comment about 9am GMT being the deadline for entries still holds.
Fingers crossed! It was fun to write, anyway.
Hi Amy
I realised after i sent my post that you wouldn’t see it until after I had submitted. So I’m attaching two versions one with indented paragraphs and one with extra line breaks. That way the editors can just take which ever format they want. I hpe that will be OK, the chapters will be absolutely identical apart from that so it won’t matter which one they open.
Thanks again for all the effort you’ve put in to answering the questions that have been posted. It’s been SO INFORMATIVE and lots of fun preparing an entry.
Good luck to all
Catch
Hello
Thanks to Amy and to you all for your help and advice.
I have just sent off my entry, but I’m a bit worried by the last couple of posts.
I thought we had up to midnight tonight US time and that I’d read somewhere that we in the UK had until 4.p.m. today to send them off.
I found the competition really late and was still writing my synopsis and revising my draft of chapter one this morning, so I couldn’t get it off before.
I’m now scared that all my hard work might have been in vain.
I did get an e-mail back saying my entry had been received.
Hi everyone,
Don’t worry Jane, you are more than safe! The deadline for entries is midnight TONIGHT.
Catch, the blog formatting is different than what was on the original word docs — it is Wordpress than adds the extra line between paragraphs. I’m sure you’ll be okay either way, though.
Best,
~Amy
Hi Mary,
You are right, today is the deadline so your entry is in on time
~Amy
Hi Elizabeth and Jane
I sent mine in at 8:50 this morning anyway – just in case. Wasn’t too sure and better to be safe than sorry.
I’m doing NanoWriMo too this year… thought as I’d got the first chapter and a plot done, I might as well just keep on going. And I’m really loving the escapism of delving into my story and getting my hero to do whatever I want him to do (for a change!).
Good luck and best wishes!
Dawn
Hello:
I am in the United States (central/standard time). Is the deadline for entries 11/2 @ midnight UK (GMT) which is 4pm for me?
Sorry, I am late finding the contest and have some last minute changes.
Thank you
Korohen
I just sent mine in today (2 November, 2009, 11:40am PST) and am hoping it’s been received. Someone mentioned that they got a delivery receipt/confirmation email when it arrived. Hopefully mine won’t go into a spam folder.
If I don’t receive a receipt should I resend it? I don’t want to be one of those people that bombard a site thinking it didn’t go through.
My instinct tells me no, it’s been received because it hasn’t bounced back, but my nervous self says, “Are you SURE it’s been received?!” LOL
@Korohen — aim for midnight tonight, your time. The editors have graciously said anything in their inbox by Tuesday morning GMT will be considered to cover everyone in later time zones.
@carinae — well I’m not sure how soon after sending an email the autoreply goes out — does anyone know if it’s right away or if there’s a bit of a delay? Check your Spam folder in case it’s in there as well.
Amy, my auto-reply showed up about an hour after I submitted my entry.
Hi Carinae and Amy,
I sent my entry at 4:02 p.m. my time and received a reply at 4:06 p.m. Hope that helps.
Good luck to everyone who entered the contest!
All the best,
Gail
Hi Amy. Since the rules say: “Winners will be determined no later than November 30th, 2009, and will be notified by e-mail. ” and “For a list of winners (available after 7th December 2009)”, I guess if we haven’t been notified by now, we can assume we didn’t win? And we’ll find out who won by 7th December?
Thanks!
@Meridien
Whoops, well in practice the rules are a bit outdated — the winners will be announced on the blog Dec. 11. I do not know at the moment if they have been chosen yet. Sorry for any confusion.
~Amy
p.s. I’ll see if I can get any “latest scoop” on the current status from the eds!
Whew! That’s a relief to know, Amy. I was just about to go on a chocolate and ice cream feel-better-after-losing binge
Would also appreciate whatever scoop you can share!
By the way, how long is the winner given to submit the entire manuscript? Wishful thinking, I know, but it’s best to be prepared!
I know the answer to this one, Meridien. I haven’t had a full request yet (fingers crossed for one from this comp!) but several of my writing buddies have, and Michelle Styles also answered this on the eHarlequin forum.
There isn’t a set time usually given when the full should be in, though sometimes the editor will suggest a time frame. Within three months is generally considered good form. I think with all my friends the full request didn’t have a time suggested but the revision requests did.
An excellent question as I know I need to get on with editing my story! Unfortunately I’m home with the flu and can blog and Twitter fine but the concentration to actually mess with my story isn’t there.
Fantastic!
10 more days to find out how we went!
Thanks, Mulberry. It’s great to have more info about how the editing process works. I figured the editors probably wouldn’t want to see a first draft straight away as they would have suggestions for changes after reading the first chapter and synopsis.
Is it true that even if you don’t win the editors still may contact youlater and ask to see some of your work?
Sounds like lots of chances!
Here’s hoping!
Catch
Definitely!
One of my writing friends had an email from Joanne requesting the full story after the last competition. And I think from last years comps there are now two published authors who didn’t win the competition but had full requests as a result.
And the truly lovely thing about Harlequin is that they are so open to new writers. We have the chance to win an editor’s attention any time by submitting a partial. Which is really what we’ve done with the contest, it’s just a shorter partial, one chapter instead of the usual three.
Even if we get “Thanks, but no thanks” emails from the competition, we don’t need to wait for the next contest. We can “enter” our next story whenever we want!
Thanks so much for the update. I look forward to congratulating the winners on Dec 11th.
Wishing everyone the best of luck.
Gail
Hello all –
Well I have word that the winners have been chosen but haven’t yet been contacted. But whoever the lucky people are, they will definitely be contacted before the 11th!
@ Catch – “Is it true that even if you don’t win the editors still may contact youlater and ask to see some of your work?”
It has happened. I just don’t want to get too many’s people’s expectations up too high that like 10 people will sell from this contest. Remember, it’s not guaranteed that even the winner will sell their manuscript at the end. Still, it is a fantastic opportunity to hone your writing skills.
~Amy
Many thanks for all the helpful information, Mulberry and Amy!
By the way, Amy, how many winners are there?
@Meridien I’m just using “winners” since there are runners up as well.
And I forgot to add that all the other entrants will be contacted but because of the huge number of entries, the majority of other responses will most likely go out AFTER the 11th. Sorry for any confusion the dates on the announcement post has caused.
~Amy
Hi, So someone has won…right??? It’s all gone a bit quiet. No fanfare, balloons, or drumroll announcements. Where’s the romance in that?
Susan…waiting for the big climax 