Okay but how do YOU know?

Kharisma · Sep 21, 2006

I am very interested in sumbitting to Herlequin and even though I have been picking up a varity of their books for the past few months and I have read their guidelines, how do you really know which line to submit too? (of course I realize that some don't work right away but a few do fit my glove)

My real concern is that the two that I think will work, one wants 50,000 to 55,000 and the other is 60,000 to 65,000. So do I pick now and gear my lenght or do I write it and figure it out later.

What have you done???
-sherry

Susan Gable · Sep 22, 2006

Kharisma said:
I am very interested in sumbitting to Herlequin and even though I have been picking up a varity of their books for the past few months and I have read their guidelines, how do you really know which line to submit too? (of course I realize that some don't work right away but a few do fit my glove)

My real concern is that the two that I think will work, one wants 50,000 to 55,000 and the other is 60,000 to 65,000. So do I pick now and gear my lenght or do I write it and figure it out later.

What have you done???
-sherry

Well, it's not just length that determines what line a book is appropriate for. Someone just mentioned this in another thread.

There are subtle differences between the lines. And you have to have read enough of each to know what those subtle differences are. Sometimes it's hard to articulate. It might help if you could tell us which two lines you're considering.

Were it me in your place, I would choose which line I wanted to target FIRST, and write the story with that line's tone in mind. I just think that makes it easier. It also makes it easier to plan for the length, so you know what to unfold where, etc.

Susan G.

Susan Gable · Sep 22, 2006

Here's something that may help -- when I first started writing, and I completed my second ms (the first...ewwww. <G>) I sent it to SSE. But, before I even got the rejection from SSE, I knew I'd done the wrong thing. I should have done more homework FIRST, before that initial submission.

My heroine was too unconventional for SSE. She was a lady mechanic with a criminal record. I was too far outside the box for SSE.

Also, SSE has a "softer, closer" focus -- meaning, it's more a close-up of the hero and heroine and their story, where Super has a more wide-agnel focus, letting you do more with secondary characters that relate to the main pair. Super also has a sharper focus -- more realistic.

At first glance, the two lines are very similiar. At a deeper investigation, however, you begin to see the subtle nuances that make each different from the other.

Hope that helps some.

Susan G.

Kharisma · Sep 23, 2006

Thanks Susan that did help quite a bit. I am going to continue with my ms and see where it takes me. Since I have secondary characters that are very important to the story I can see how it may not be suitable for this line or that one etc. I am continuing to read read read while I write hoping that the I will be able to notice the differences too.

Someone has suggested to me that for the first ms to use an agent to help you in the 'big scary world' of publishing. Any comments on that idea?

-sherry

Sonarbabe · Sep 23, 2006

Although you don't need an agent to submit to Harlequin, if you can acquire one, it's all the better for you to have one. I've written a ms that I have targeted for Blaze and I specified so while querying to the agents. Some agents are fine with that and have asked to see partials. Others*, don't want to because I've locked myself into a category romance and with the word count so short, it would be tough for them to sell my story to another publisher should Harlequin pass.

*I had one agent reply in her rejection that she didn't want to risk a category romance, but offered to take a look at some of my single title work if I had any.

scarletpeaches · Sep 23, 2006

Size isn't important. It's what you do with it that counts.

So they say...

Susan Gable · Sep 23, 2006

scarletpeaches said:
Size isn't important. It's what you do with it that counts.

So they say...

They lie. Size does so matter. <VBG>

Susan G.

Sonarbabe · Sep 23, 2006

Susan Gable said:
They lie. Size does so matter. <VBG>

Susan G.

SUSAN!!!!

Susan Gable · Sep 23, 2006

Sonarbabe said:
SUSAN!!!!

What??? We're talking about manuscripts, right?? :2angel:

LOL.

Susan G.

Sonarbabe · Sep 23, 2006

Uh... yeah, manuscripts. That's it. Of course. Sure we are. Uh huh.

*Think anyone will believe that?*

Robin Bayne · Sep 23, 2006

Susan Gable said:
They lie. Size does so matter. <VBG>

Susan G.

ByGracePublishing · Sep 23, 2006

Kharisma said:
I am very interested in sumbitting to Herlequin...

Hi,
Are you a member of the message boards at Harlequin? There are line specific threads there just for writers targeting them. If you aren't a member, the url is http://community.eharlequin.com There are some very wonderful people there.

Sheila

Heather Lewis · Sep 23, 2006

ByGracePublishing said:
Hi,
Are you a member of the message boards at Harlequin? There are line specific threads there just for writers targeting them. If you aren't a member, the url is http://community.eharlequin.com There are some very wonderful people there.
Sheila

Is it just me, or is the eharlequin board format really confusing?

MR

ByGracePublishing · Sep 23, 2006

MelRandall said:
Is it just me, or is the eharlequin board format really confusing?

MR

MR,
It's not just you. I've seen that forum go through several changes, and right now it's rather sketchy to navigate. However the important thing is getting information, and there are a lot of people who can give solid answers about Harlequin specific questions as well as writing over there.

Sheila

Susan Gable · Sep 24, 2006

MelRandall said:
Is it just me, or is the eharlequin board format really confusing?

MR

Yes. I used to hang over there a lot, but when they changed it, I got lost too many times and pretty much stopped hanging there.

But it IS a great resource if you're trying to get pubbed with them. Worth the effort to figure it out, I think.

Susan G.

Heather Lewis · Sep 24, 2006

Thanks Sheila and Susan! I thought maybe I was missing something...or my browser wasn't displaying things properly.

romancewriter · Sep 24, 2006

I hope y'all don't mind my dropping in, but if you want to unravel the mystery of the eharlequin boards I might be able to help.

The Talk button at the bottom of the page takes you to the message boards. One you get into the Talk forum The Write Stuff board is for writers, unpublished and published. And there's seperate boards for Harlequin and Silhouette lines and they're each marked clearly with the other message boards.

There are also places for newbies to ask questions. The boards are a bit confusing until you get the hang of them.

Hope that helps.

Sandy

Kharisma · Sep 24, 2006

oh I will have to check them out. Thank you for the info.

Cathy C · Sep 25, 2006

Thanks for dropping by and explaining it, Sandy! Hopefully that will help out some people. :Hug2:

JackieA · Sep 25, 2006

I was looking at the Silhouette forum recently and couldn't make head nor tail of them. The SSE one seems to have been dead since Jan 2002, that's a bit disconcerting!!!! And I couldn't find any way of signing in to join in the forum!!!! It's a times like these I wish I could find my brain cell

Cathy C · Sep 25, 2006

I'll wander over there and see if I can work through it. I'll follow up here once I have instructions.

ETA: Okay, I wandered through the forums over there, JackieA--which are actually a bulletin board setup, rather than forums like this one. Here's what you need to do:

Go to the Eharlequin Community site. Save this main page as a bookmark once you're there. It'll speed things up later.

On the right hand side, you'll find a bunch of links to individual rooms, like Harlequin Series, LUNA, Steeple Hill, etc. Those are the equivalent to our rooms like Freelance, Novels, etc. Different topics for different discussions.

Now, in the upper right hand corner (WAAAY up in the corner) there's a tiny little blue link that says "Sign In." Click on it and you'll go to a new screen that gives you the option to either sign in or register. You'll want to register. Once you have a user name and password, you can go back to the main http://community.eharlequin.com and wander around, introduce yourself in the Social Chat section and generally interact.

Have fun!

JackieA · Sep 25, 2006

Thanks for your help Cathy, I've managed to get signed up and in and am off to have a look round.

romancewriter · Sep 25, 2006

Jackie

I've been trying to hypher link to the SSE discussion but this thing won't let me. <sigh>
Anyway here's the link in all it's glory if you need help finding it.

http://community.eharlequin.com/[email protected]@.4a83c8f5/0

Sandy

Josie · Sep 25, 2006

Hi:

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack too.

Welcome back, Cathy.

I've been here but so busy with "life happenings", from which I have a few days off this week.

I think eharlequin.com is a good site to keep a watch on a few times a week. I find after its second change of the style it is definitely more quiet. Especially if you don't have an agent, which isn't a necessity with H/S really. I keep looking through it waiting for something to POP
soon. Like I don't know what...but I have a feeling...well maybe because a lot has been happening with H/S.

A long story short, newbies interested in Harlequin/Silhouette should definitely keep an eye on eharlequin.

And that's IMHO

After reading all the messages before me, I must say Susan has been a little :Jaw:

..!!!!!!!

hee hee from
Josie munching a trail cookie with chocolate chips in it (I know--report to the proper thread for chocolate talk) sorry

Okay but how do YOU know?

Kharisma

Susan Gable

Dreamer of dreams, teller of tales

Susan Gable

Dreamer of dreams, teller of tales

Kharisma

Sonarbabe

Working In A Coal Mine...

scarletpeaches

Susan Gable

Dreamer of dreams, teller of tales

Sonarbabe

Working In A Coal Mine...

Susan Gable

Dreamer of dreams, teller of tales

Sonarbabe

Working In A Coal Mine...

Robin Bayne

~writes for Him~

ByGracePublishing

Heather Lewis

ByGracePublishing

Susan Gable

Dreamer of dreams, teller of tales

Heather Lewis

romancewriter

Kharisma

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

JackieA

Cathy C

Ooo! Shiny new cover!

JackieA

romancewriter

Josie