#MSWL Time

OK, so my New Year's Resolution was to get more of these blog posts out, and like so many of us, that kind of got lost. Well, there is still time, and there is always the ability to wrap up the year doing what I wanted to do in January.

I do want to put out to all of you my big #MSWL list to get the year going. It is going to involve a lot of different things so be ready to go. With that said, I want to stress that if you really do not have a story in that area now, there is nothing wrong with starting it, but I will say, by the time you get it finished and ready to submit, the odds are my list will have changed.

Let me first remind you that Greyhaus Literary Agency only represents traditional romance and women's fiction. Please make sure that you read the material to know what I am talking about. All of the details are on my website.

Now, on with the list.

HARLEQUIN:

I love this company, so I am looking for people in ALL of their lines. You an already be with Harlequin or someone who is not there yet. Understand that you will be expected to write. 3 books a year should be no issue. Make sure to know the lines well. Harlequin Submission Manager (submittable.com)

Here are some specifics:

• Harlequin Historicals - Definitely looking for Regency, Victorian and feel free to move into WWI and WWII. If you don't know the era, this might not be the place for you. 
• Love Inspired Lines - I personally am not a big fan of "preachy" stories but those that give us that motivation without the sermon.
• Diverse voices - I am certainly looking for stories that are looking at diversity issues. With that said, if you are writing something that is multi-cultural, the culture needs to be an integral part of the story and not just names of people, or throwing in cultural words. 
• Some of the lines are really full right now so understand that you have to bring your A Game.
• If you are someone writing for Harlequin now, let me know what your future plans are. I want to work with you.

WOMEN'S FICTION

As you know from my prior blogs, I am a big fan of this writing. The stories need to be focused so please do not write a story where the main character is all over the place with a ton of issues. Pick one and run with it. Too many issues will lose the focus.

Remember that women's fiction is looking at the world through a female lens. In other words, we should learn something about the world and our own issues by reading your book. 

I would recommend you avoid the common tropes I see thrown at me such as: she found her husband cheating on her and is now divorced, she wants a change so it is road trip time... make sense?

Stories do not have to be rom-con voices and can be serious. 

Romance can be part of it, but it does not have to be there. The key is to see that world

SINGLE TITLE CONTEMPORARY

I am really looking for these stories. Stories need to be in the range of 75K - 100K when it comes to word count. The story must be about a building relationship. There has to be a Happily Ever After by the end of the book.

Heat levels can range from sweet to steamy. NOTE: Stories can be hot but I am not looking for Erotica levels and I am not interested in stories with gratuitous sex and gratuitous language just because you feel it makes the story. 

Finally, NO ADULTERY. 

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

I want to see Single Title romantic suspense. The key for me is the stories need to be a romance first with the suspense being the guiding plot. Stories need to be realistic. In other words, since we are dealing with the criminal justice system, the characters need to be acting in a way that would not ruin the case in the end. 

PARANORMAL

This is a tough one for me. I am not interested in in shape shifters. I am not interested in stories with psychics. Stories need to be set in the real world so alternate realities are not something I want to see. Bring the paranormal into the modern world so we can relate to it. No time travels now.

HISTORICAL SINGLE TITLES

These again need to be romance first. All of the time periods I noted in the Harlequin section are what I would love to see. I am not looking for historical information dumps. It does need to be accessible and truly a part of the story. 

MULTICULTURAL VOICES

I would love to see both single title romances and women's fiction projects written by multicultural authors with multicultural settings. I want stories that give us an insight that those on the outside might not understand.

Hope that helps. Please share with others.