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For anyone who may be targetting Silhoutte Desire, they've just changed their guidelines and the tone/direction of the line. This ties in the with the discussion I was having about conflict in one of the other threads. New info posted below:
***PERMISSION GRANTED TO FORWARD***
As you know, we've been striving to give the Silhouette Desire reader the
type of story that keeps her coming back time after time and have therefore
implemented changes to the Desire guidelines.
After much consideration about what the Desire readership wants in a novel,
we have decided to move the series in a more conflict-driven direction where
the ultimate appeal is the search for love. The novels should be fast-paced
reads and present the hero and heroine's conflicts immediately. By the end
of chapter one the reader should know what obstacles will impact the
characters for the rest of the book.
The Desire hero should be powerful, wealthy-an alpha male with a sense of
arrogance and entitlement. While he may be harsh and direct he is never
physically cruel. He is capable of being saved and it's up the heroine to
get him there. The Texan hero should own the ranch not work on it, and the
urban hero should be the office CEO not a handyman.
The Desire heroine is complex and flawed. She is strong-willed and smart
but also capable of making terrible mistakes when it comes to matters of the
heart. This is primarily her story so much of the book should be from her
point-of-view. There is room for the hero's perspective as long as his
thoughts are centered on the heroine and their conflict. Instead of
dividing the novel evenly between both protagonists' points-of-view, Desires
should be more 60% heroine and 40% hero.
The conflict should be dramatic and lend itself easily to enticing back
cover copy. Classic plot lines such as revenge, secret pregnancies,
marriages of convenience and reunion romances are very welcome. Plots which focus on suspense, paranormal or character-driven concerns are best directed to other lines. The story can be set anywhere in the world but the tone should be true to the author's voice.
Desire novels are still sensual and a love scene or scenes are still needed.
But there is not a set number of pages that need to be fulfilled. Rather,
consider what will work best for the conflict you've developed. Above all,
each and every Silhouette Desire should fulfill the promise of a powerful,
passionate and provocative read.
We are implementing these changes immediately. Projects that have already
received approval will not be affected, but future submissions and some
proposals currently under consideration will need to be revised in order to
meet these new guidelines. All editorial published as of January 2007 will
adhere to this new editorial direction. Also, 2006 copy and cover art will
be emphasizing Desire's evolution and you will be receiving a follow up
letter regarding how you can help improve the art fact sheet process.
***PERMISSION GRANTED TO FORWARD***
As you know, we've been striving to give the Silhouette Desire reader the
type of story that keeps her coming back time after time and have therefore
implemented changes to the Desire guidelines.
After much consideration about what the Desire readership wants in a novel,
we have decided to move the series in a more conflict-driven direction where
the ultimate appeal is the search for love. The novels should be fast-paced
reads and present the hero and heroine's conflicts immediately. By the end
of chapter one the reader should know what obstacles will impact the
characters for the rest of the book.
The Desire hero should be powerful, wealthy-an alpha male with a sense of
arrogance and entitlement. While he may be harsh and direct he is never
physically cruel. He is capable of being saved and it's up the heroine to
get him there. The Texan hero should own the ranch not work on it, and the
urban hero should be the office CEO not a handyman.
The Desire heroine is complex and flawed. She is strong-willed and smart
but also capable of making terrible mistakes when it comes to matters of the
heart. This is primarily her story so much of the book should be from her
point-of-view. There is room for the hero's perspective as long as his
thoughts are centered on the heroine and their conflict. Instead of
dividing the novel evenly between both protagonists' points-of-view, Desires
should be more 60% heroine and 40% hero.
The conflict should be dramatic and lend itself easily to enticing back
cover copy. Classic plot lines such as revenge, secret pregnancies,
marriages of convenience and reunion romances are very welcome. Plots which focus on suspense, paranormal or character-driven concerns are best directed to other lines. The story can be set anywhere in the world but the tone should be true to the author's voice.
Desire novels are still sensual and a love scene or scenes are still needed.
But there is not a set number of pages that need to be fulfilled. Rather,
consider what will work best for the conflict you've developed. Above all,
each and every Silhouette Desire should fulfill the promise of a powerful,
passionate and provocative read.
We are implementing these changes immediately. Projects that have already
received approval will not be affected, but future submissions and some
proposals currently under consideration will need to be revised in order to
meet these new guidelines. All editorial published as of January 2007 will
adhere to this new editorial direction. Also, 2006 copy and cover art will
be emphasizing Desire's evolution and you will be receiving a follow up
letter regarding how you can help improve the art fact sheet process.