FAQs

How do I enter?

First of all you'll need to create a User account here. Once you've done that, you can enter any time you like up until 5pm GMT on 10th October by going to Enter.

There you’ll see a big pink box where’ll you’ll need to agree to the terms and conditions, select the category you’re submitting under, and put your title in.

You will then see three boxes: The first one is for you to write a (brief!) summary of the entry overall. The second box is for you to write a brief summary of what happens in chapter one. The final box is for your chapter one submission. You can either type directly into the box, or copy and paste your chapter in there.

Once you have finalized your entry, click on the ‘Save Draft’ button. Once that button has been pressed, a pink box will appear at the bottom of the page which allows you to submit your entry to the New Voices competition. Once you’ve clicked on that, there’s no going back and no changes are allowed!

If you decide you want to keep working on your entry, click on the ‘Save Draft’ button and you can then navigate to the rest of the site, or leave the site if you want to. To come back to your draft entry, you’ll need to log back into the site. Once you have done that, a link to ‘My profile’ will appear in the top left-hand corner of the site. Click on that, and it will take you through to your profile. In your profile, you’ll see your entry – just click on that and it will take you back in to your entry where you can continue to edit until you’re happy!

One little tip is not too spend long editing online, but to do it beforehand. If you leave the entry for too long, the system will throw you out!

Good luck!

Help! I’ve submitted my entry, but it’s not up there yet!

All of the entries have to be approved by the editors before they are loaded on to the site. Although we’re not judging them at all at this stage, it can still take a while for this to happen if we have a backlog, or if you’re not based in the UK, our editors could still be asleep! We also won’t be putting entries up over the weekends.

If your entry still isn’t up after a full working day, please get in touch.

I haven’t had my email to confirm my sign up

Take a look in your junk inbox – it may have had ended up in there!

Remind me of what all the deadlines are!

10th October:

Deadline for your first chapters to be uploaded to the New Voices site.

13th October:

It’s the final countdown. Our Top Twenty is announced. Woo!

21st October:

Second chapters ahoy! The top twenty submit more fab writing, and it's time to vote for your favourite.

26th October:

We announce our Top Four.

1st November:

Our Top Four upload a pivotal scene to help our judges - and you - pick a winner.

4th November:

Our winner is announced! Yay! *Romance HQ does a celebratory dance *

I've been published before - can I still enter?

For the last word on this, please take a look at the Mills & Boon New Voices Terms and Conditions but there are basically three categories of writers who are excluded:

1. If you've been published in any way by Harlequin, Mills & Boon or any of Harlequin's other imprints;
2. If you have a contract with another publisher or if you have an agent; and
3. If you've had a full-length book published by any publisher

We're sorry if you wanted to enter but fall into one of these categories! You can still submit to us in the usual way though and we look forward to reading it! For more on how to do this please take a look at: www.millsandboon.co.uk

I don't want to enter the competition; can I still get involved?

Of course you can! We would love to hear what you think about the entries to the competition. Afterall, you are the expert about the kind of writing and romance that you want to read so we hope you'll join in the debate and tell us what you like - and what you don't like - from the New Voices Entries. Later on in the competition you'll have the chance to vote on which of the Top Ten you think should go through to the Final Four and finally the Winner!

We're also running some fabulous prize draws and our authors and editors will be blogging and YouTube-ing about all things romance, so there will be plenty to read and comment on.

We're looking forward to hearing from you!

I'd love to enter - but I don't know where to start!

Never fear - the Mills & Boon editors are here! This fabulous bunch of ladies have been hard at work putting together their Top Tips to help you with your entry, whether you're a complete beginner or have more experience. So go and take a look and start writing - give it a go!