- So You Think You Can Write online conference allows aspiring writers to spend a week with over 50 Harlequin and Mills & Boon editors from around the world

NEW YORK, LONDON, TORONTO and SYDNEY, June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Harlequin (Harlequin.com), a leading publisher of books for women, and Mills & Boon, their international romance imprint, today announced the inauguration of a global English-language writing contest that offers aspiring authors the chance to win a publishing contract. The free 24/7 online conference, So You Think You Can Write (soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com) will take place September 17–21, 2012 and will be the first event to combine the strength of the publisher's two iconic brands—Harlequin (North America) and Mills & Boon (Europe, Australia and Africa), taking advantage of an international presence and audience.

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So You Think You Can Write allows hopeful romance novelists to spend a week with more than 50 editors from Toronto, New York and London through social media tools including podcasts, videos, webinars, blogs, live chats, community discussions and Twitter events. Aspiring authors will attend a virtual romance-writing "boot camp" designed to teach them how to write a romance novel that will attract the attention of publishers. So You Think You Can Write has been organized in such a way as to help participants prepare completed manuscripts for submission to the So You Think You Can Write contest by the deadline, October 13, 2012.

Entrants into the contest portion of the conference will experience the path a professional writer undertakes from the genesis of a story idea all the way through to the publication of a novel. Participants will initially be asked to submit a first chapter accompanied by a maximum 100-word pitch. An online vote, open to the public, will narrow the field down to 25 contestants who, along with three "wildcard" entrants selected by Harlequin, will then be required to submit a finished manuscript. Harlequin and Mills & Boon editors will select three finalists whose manuscripts will be judged in an online vote, again open to the public, and a winner will be named and awarded a publishing contract to write a series romance novel for Harlequin/Mills & Boon.

Harlequin and Mills & Boon editors believe that by engaging aspiring writers, showcasing the tremendous appeal of the romance genre and offering expert insights into crafting the perfect story, they can help promising novelists hone their skills and achieve their dreams of writing for a leading publisher of books for women.

For more information please visit soyouthinkyoucanwrite.com.

About Harlequin

Harlequin is one of the world's leading publishers of books for women, with titles issued worldwide in 34 languages and sold in 114 international markets. The company publishes more than 110 titles monthly and more than 1,200 authors from around the world. Harlequin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation, a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.B). Harlequin's website is located at Harlequin.com. Harlequin has offices in 18 countries, including offices in Toronto, New York, London and Sydney. For more information, please visit Harlequin.com.

SOURCE Harlequin; Mills & Boon