Anyone know how much you get paid to write a Mills & Boon?

Question

Am considering doing so and was just wondering if anyone knows how much you can expect to be paid for your manuscript?

Answer 1

Your pay depends on your popularity, so a first time writer isn't going to get much. Also, writing is an craft as well as an art, you need to learn it. Get some books about writing, join a critique group (there are on-line ones in Yahoo groups)

I know a lot of talented writers who'd love to be published by the Harlequin/Silhouette/Mills and Boon empire. And go to their website www.eharlequin.com (There's probably a UK version). One thing you will note is the vast majority of their writers did not get their first book published.

The next thing you need to know is that they have very tightly controlled lines. This one needs an alpha hero and a city setting. That one has more explicit scenes. They want to publish books that fit their lines, you write a great romance and it doesn't hit one of their targets, they will reject you. They want their authors to be professional (meaning know the publisher they target). All this info can be found on their website, along with community and advice for aspiring authors.

You aren't going to make much money on book one. Do it for fun.  

Answer 2

best to find out from the publishers themselves or write to mills and boon. Make sure you copyright your manuscript before sending it off to any agents or publishers though...i have first hand experience of sending off something(not to mills and boon though :-)  ) out of complete trust and have someone else's name feature next to my stories.

Answer 3

M&B can be trusted not to steal your work. Copyrighting something you send to a reputable publisher is not recommended.

Getting in with M&B, which is part of the Harlequin/Silhouette world wide conglomerate is the aspiration of many, the reality of few. If you sell to them, you can expect a decent advance and very good royalties. However, unless you have regular, consistent releases with them, don't quit your day job. That's true of most writing, really.

Answer 4

they are written to a strict recipe, so your question should be, 'could i write for mills&boon?' apparently it's not as easy as it looks - nothing ever is. x