Romance Includes Everyone FAQs
How do I enter the competition?
Romance Includes Everyone will take place on Friday 21st May 2021 between 8am to 8pm BST. To enter you simply have to log on to either Twitter or Facebook on Friday 21st May and pitch your idea to us, using the hashtag #LGBTQLoveStories. It's important to make sure you include the hashtag so we can find your pitch!
What is a book pitch?
A pitch is a short, enticing description of your work that focuses on its USP (unique selling point) or the key thing that makes your book so special – this is what publishers will often refer to as the ‘hook’. Only include the thing you deem most interesting about your book – the primary characters, themes or conflict.
How long should my pitch be?
Each pitch should be 500 characters max (one Facebook post or two tweets), this includes the hashtag #LGBTQLoveStories .
How will I know if my pitch has been successful?
If we like your pitch we will do just that - 'like' your facebook post or one of your tweets. If we click 'like' on your pitch that means we want you to send us the first chapter (no more than 5,000 words) a synopsis and a short paragraph on why you feel passionately about LGBTQI+ romance in commercial fiction, to submissions@millsandboon.co.uk before 7th June 2021.
What is a synopsis?
Your synopsis should cover the book’s story from start to finish, including any twists. We want to get a quick overview of your book and understand how everything will play out. Let us know the key turning points of your story and you don't need to include every character, only those we need to know about.
A brilliant synopsis will help the editor see the potential in a book, even if it needs editorial work before it will be ready to publish. Your writing and ideas are the most important things when we make a decision, and we don’t expect a synopsis to be perfect. If you need some inspiration then we suggest reading blurbs on the back of published romance books to see what kind of information editors use to hook a reader in.
What happens if I'm chosen to send in my first chapter and synopsis?
If you have been chosen to send your first chapter, please make sure you send it over to us before 7th June 2021. A shortlist of up to 10 submissions will be chosen and contacted no later than 30th July 2021 and we will ask for the full manuscript (80,000 words) to be submitted by 30th of August 2021.
When will the winner be notified?
The winner will be notified no later than the 24th September 2021.
What type of submissions are you looking for?
We are accepting romantic novels which cover any type of romantic relationship outside of a heterosexual relationship. This includes, but is not limited to: gay, lesbian, transgender, bi-sexual and pan-sexual.
The romance needs to be the central point of the story, as we want to focus on the relationships between the characters.
Anyone who writes romances focusing on LGBTQI+ characters will be eligible to enter the competition, including published and unpublished authors who are both agented and un-agented. Entrants will be asked to include a short statement on why they’re passionate about championing LGBTQI+ characters in commercial romantic fiction.