by Sheila Hodgson, Mills & Boon editor
Are you an aspiring romance writer who also:
♥ Loves medical heroes – can’t get enough of Hugh Laurie’s brilliant but guarded hearted doctor, Gregory House; the irresistible charm of Grey’s Anatomy McDreamy (also known as Dr Derek Shepherd), or George Clooney’s warm-hearted but maverick paediatrician Dr Doug Ross in ER?
♥ Has longed for an opportunity to write contemporary romances set amidst the excitement, warmth and passion of today’s medical world?
♥ Is a fan of the Medical Romance series and would love to be published in this unique, globally distributed series?
If your answer to any of the above is YES, then here is a great opportunity to get your fabulous work in front of a Medical Romance editor – fast!
Harlequin®/Mills & Boon® Medical Romance™ is looking for new authors – and if you send us a first chapter, three chapters, or even a full manuscript of a romance in a medical setting, then we will give it a fast-track read…and get you a fast-tracked response this summer!
Here’s what to do to get fast-tracked:
• Send us a covering letter with a synopsis of your story and characters (no more than two pages) along with anything from the first chapter of the story to the complete manuscript.
• In order to be eligible for fast-tracking, submissions must be received between 1st and 24th August (12.00 Midnight BST, British Summer Time) 2010. Don’t miss out!
• You must email your submission (as a Word document attachment) to medicalfasttrack@hmb.co.uk and make sure you include your current email address in you covering letter as you will receive your response by email.
• Otherwise our normal submissions and format criteria apply (visit ‘Submit manuscript’ section at www.millsandboon.co.uk
Of course, we are open to unsolicited submissions at any time, but if you send us your Medical Romance submission in August then we’ll send you a response in August from one of our London-based editors.
Want to learn more about this unique series? Then see our writing guidelines or buy Medical Romance titles in print or ebook format – available at www.eHarlequin.com (where you’ll also find a Medical Romance podcast with Harlequin/Mills & Boon editors) and www.millsandboon.co.uk
Happy writing! And remember, this is your chance to get your Medical heroes in front of a Harlequin/Mills & Boon editor’s eyes – so make them so gorgeous we can’t possibly resist!!
Hi, Sheila
If the first sub is rejected, would it be all right to send another one to Fast-Track?
Thanks
Pat
Hi Eve
We’d like to know where the story is set, in terms of the medical setting, and to know what your character’s roles are. We don’t need descriptions of the medical drama in the synopsis, we can see how that works in the writing itself. In the synopsis we mainly want to see what is motivating your characters, their emotional conflict, and how they as characters and their relationship is going to develop.
Hope that answers your question.
Looking forward to seeing your submission.
Best wishes.
Sheila
Hi Pat in the UK
Sure, you are free to send another. Do be sure that you’ve taken on board any feedback offered on the previous submission that you would help you move on your writing aimed at the series.
Best wishes.
Sheila
When submitting the cover letter and synopsis, do you mean that the two together cannot be longer than two pages, or a one page cover letter and two page synopsis?
Hi Elise
Great to hear from you.
We mean a one page cover letter and a synopsis of up to 2 pages.
Best wishes.
Sheila
Just wanted to announce that last weekend two of the Romance Writers of Australia coveted R*by Awards went to Medical Romance writers. We’d like to congratulate Amy Andrews who won the Short Sexy category with A Doctor, A Nurse, A Christmas Baby and Sharon Archer who won the Short Sweet Romance category with Marriage Reunited: Baby on the Way
This is a fantastic achievement, and a great accolade to the writers of the Medical series. Great encouragement to all hopeful writers who are currently submitting to our fast track, that Medical Romance is an internationally acclaimed series, and a great place to be published.
If you haven’t sent in your submission yet, there is still one week left to our fast-track deadline for you to polish your sumission.
Best wishes and good luck to you all.
Sheila
Hi Sheila,
I am ready to send a fast track submission, but have searched high and low for what you require in the email subject line. Can you tell me the preference of whether you just want author name and ms title, or is there more you need in it?
Thank you.
Hey, Sheila! Hello from DownUnder!
A friend let me know about this blog so I wanted to drop by to say thank you for your congratulations! Winning the Romance Writers of Australia’s R*BY in the ‘short and sweet’ category is an incredible thrill.
And I have to thank my lovely editor, Lucy Gilmour – it’s brilliant working with her.
Anyway, while I’m here… to everyone thinking of submitting, polish your work until it shines and GOOD LUCK with this terrific opportunity!
Very best wishes
Sharon
Coming in to thank Sheila also and join Sharon’s sentiments – 2 medicals winning the RBY has been the best best buzz! Not to mention that 4 out of the 8 category finalists were medicals!!
Winning in the short sexy category was a huge thrill. Rememeber medicals aren’t always sweet. In fact that’s one of the best things about writing for them – you can find a level of sensuality you the author feel comfortable with.
Good luck to everyone and big waves to the familiar faces here.
Love Amy
Ps – I also have Lucy and agree – she’s amazing!!
Hi Calista
Manuscript title and author name on email subject line, will be just fine.
Looking forward to seeing your submission.
Best wishes
Sheila