Romance Publisher Launches Writing Mentorship For Black Writers
Harlequin (HQN) is being proactive in addressing a huge deficit in publishing.
HQN, one of the leading publishers of commercial romance fiction, is also leading the way in tackling the lack of diversity in publishing in a very hands on way.
Yesterday, the publisher launched their newest initiative to increase diversity and inclusion in romance publishing and bring more stories representing diverse and own voices to romance readers. Romance Includes You offers aspiring writers from underrepresented communities the chance to work one-on-one with a Harlequin editor for a year to develop their romance novel, the offer of a publishing contract, and $5,000 to support their creative development.
“We’re committed to publishing diverse and inclusive voices so that readers see themselves reflected in the stories we publish,” said Loriana Sacilotto, Harlequin’s Executive Vice President.
For its inaugural launch, HQN will only be accepting submissions September 1 through October 15 from US unpublished and self published authors including (but not limited to) people of color, members of racial and ethnic minorities, Indigenous communities, LGBTQIA+ communities, people with disabilities, and other diverse and own voices.
You can find out more on their program here.
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