As writers, one of the most difficult challenges is pairing up with the right editor for our work. Once we find the right editor, then we have to figure out a way to actually get that editor to read our work. And when they agree to, it often takes months to get a response. That can be a challenging process.

But right now, for writers of historical romance suitable for Love Inspired Historical, there is an opportunity for authors to crunch the time table substantially.  I don’t typically recommend specific contests, but this one is an exception.  It’s a potential fast-track–but authors will have to move it to make the March 2nd deadline.

If you’ve been trying to break into the market, this publisher routinely purchases new authors. I’ve worked with this publisher for years and with Love Inspired on the contemporary side. I recommend this contest and consider it a great opportunity.  Here are the details from guest, Love Inspired Historical’s Elizabeth Mazar:

If you’ve got an inspirational historical romance—or even just a great idea for one—then this might be your chance to get signed as an author for Love Inspired Historical! We’ve launched our latest pitch contest, which we’re calling Manuscript Matchmakers—an opportunity to find the perfect editor match for your story. Details on how to enter are available at http://community.harlequin.com/showthread.php/9096-Manuscript-Matchmakers and here are some reasons why this contest might be perfect for you:

1. Opportunity: We’re always eager to find new voices, and our pitch contests in the past hold an impressive record for the number of new authors we’ve acquired. (Check out our success stories here: http://community.harlequin.com/showthread.php/9100-Success-Stories.) Read through what our authors have to say, and you’ll see the same message repeated again and again: when we say we’re looking to buy new authors, we really mean it! We want to work with you to get your book ready for a place in our line-up.
2. Information: If you visit our forum at http://community.harlequin.com/forumdisplay.php/110-Manuscript-Matchmakers, you’ll see that we’ve set up several different forum “threads” with lots of useful info—obviously we’ve got details about the contest itself, but we’ve also included insight into what we like to see in Love Inspired Historical, and how to polish your writing overall. We’re monitoring the threads carefully, and we’re happy to answer questions. If nothing else, this is a terrific chance to learn more about our program, and get some editorial tips.
3. Community: One of the fun parts of every pitch contest is seeing the way everyone comes together. The different entrants get to know each other, current authors with the Love Inspired franchise drop by to give encouragement and advice, and the editors are always happy to chime in. If you find yourself needing a critique partner to bounce ideas off, an expert to give you some perspective, or just a cheerleader to boost your spirits as you work toward a deadline, you’ll find whatever you need on the forum.
4. Deadlines: This doesn’t sound like a benefit, does it? Nobody likes deadlines. But the truth is, there’s nothing like a deadline to push you to really sit down and write, with no excuses. Lots of authors we’ve acquired from past contests have said that they’d tried writing before, but could never get a manuscript finished—until the deadlines from our contests gave them that extra push to power through to THE END.

That first deadline is coming up. If you’re interested in participating, we need your entry by no later than March 2. So check out the information today, see if this contest is right for you, and then join in the fun!