We hope you’ve all been getting excited for the opening of the submission window for Mills & Boon’s Romance Includes You Mentorship – because the time has finally come! Our submission inbox is officially open for business.
We’re excited to begin accepting story submissions by debut romance writers in underrepresented communities for the mentorship. Submissions will be accepted from 12:01am British Summer Time (“BST”) on 1st July to 31st July 2026, at 11:59pm BST through Harlequin.Submittable.com
To find out what’s required before you enter, be sure to read our contest rules and submission guidelines, as well as the FAQs and Terms and Conditions.
Key details:
- We’re looking for romance novels by debut writers in underrepresented communities that could be published in the Modern, Love Always or Medical romance series. (If you’d like to learn more about these series, please see our writing guidelines for each at Harlequin.Submittable.com, or visit our one-stop shop for all the info on every eligible series here and find your perfect match!)
- There’s no need to have the full story written! Your submission must include a synopsis (max. 1000 words), the first chapter or first 5000 words (whichever is longer) of your series novel, and a cover letter outlining why you applied and what diversity in the romance genre means to you (max. 300 words).
- The writer of the top submission will be offered a one-book publishing contract with a £2000 advance, a one-year mentorship with a Mills & Boon editor to complete their debut story for publication, and a £1500 writing grant to support their early writing career.
- This mentorship is for new writers who haven’t been traditionally published before (authors who have self-published only are eligible)—we’re looking for storytelling potential over craft knowledge!
- We are looking for stories that have not been published before. Authors may have self-published other stories, but we are looking for new content to publish.
- To enter, go to Harlequin.Submittable.com and upload your submission to the “2026 Romance Includes You Mentorship” inbox.
Ultimately, the Romance Includes You Mentorship is all about finding new voices in romantic fiction that bring more diversity and representation to the genre. If you’ve been dreaming of finding your writing happily ever after, then what are you waiting for? This could be your chance to shine!
We can’t wait to read your stories!