Escape Publishing Submissions
Submission Guidelines
Escape Publishing is a small, specialist romance publisher working within Harlequin Enterprises, a larger, long established company with a rich tradition as a leader in the industry. We are innovative and quick to respond to changes in the industry, plus we have the backing of the global organisation.
You can expect us to be responsive, professional, knowledgeable, supportive, and forward thinking. We’ll also be honest and tell you how we see things.
All submissions must include a central romance or romantic elements focused on lead characters and an uplifting ending. We are currently taking submissions in the following sub-categories.
Contemporary: The characters in our contemporary romances have today’s issues and speak today’s language. This includes anything from rural romance set in small Australian towns to billionaire romances with bright city lights.
Historical: Penniless or powerful, breeches or corset, we’d like to be formally introduced to your dukes and duchesses, scullery maids and pirates, convicts and bushrangers, the ladies and gentlemen of yesteryear.
Paranormal: If it’s got bite, we’re interested. Anything with fangs, fur or fae.
Fantasy: If it’s magical or features an alternative reality: high fantasy, magical realism, urban fantasy dystopian, or new spins on fairy tales, put a spell on us.
Thriller: Think intrepid investigators, unusual circumstances, and romance on the run. Romances with more than just love on the line.
Sci-Fi: Interplanetary life and space pirates from other worlds or our own in a distant age.
Erotic Romance: It’s so hot, it scorches. It comes in all genders, shapes, sizes and combinations including M/F, M/M, F/F, and ménage.
LGBTQIA+: Featuring the best in LGBT and queer romance, we take submissions from sweet to scorching.
Length
We accept short, mid-length and long novels.
- 40,000 – 80,000 (short novel)
- 81,000 – 100,000 (novel)
- 100,000+ (long novel)
Please ensure you:
- Have written a full manuscript.
- Own the rights to your manuscript, whether it is unpublished or self-published.
- Format your manuscript to our specifications.
- Extract the first three chapters of the manuscript for submission. Do not submit the entire manuscript.
- Have written a compelling synopsis of the story.
Formatting specifications
- 12pt Times New Roman font (or similar)
- Chapter headings centred
- double-spaced
- .doc and .pdf files are accepted
We are currently not accepting manuscripts through the Escape Publishing inbox.