Afterglow Books is a new imprint of Harlequin. You can read our review of Harlequin, and their digital imprint Carina, if you want to learn more about the company as a whole.

Their tagline for Afterglow books is “From showing up to glowing up, these characters are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way.” This is how the editors describe what the new imprint is seeking: “Depth, relatability and sizzling spice, too: these characters are determined to live their best lives — and find the romance that makes them feel seen, unapologetically. In the pages of Afterglow Books, characters from all walks of life, all types of diverse identities, will pursue their dreams and discover love isn’t far behind. Because everyone deserves a happily ever after that’s true to who they are.”

The work they are seeking is between 65,00 and 70,000 words.

They are specifically seeking writers from underrepresented backgrounds, but they don’t have any details or rules listed in the context of that.

They are planning to publish two books a month. You can get a good feel for what they’ve published so far by going to their website here. They started out by publishing some already established authors which is a good sign that they are investing in this imprint.

If you want to learn more about their specific submission guidelines for this line, go here. All submissions must be made through Submittable.

Emily Harstone is the author of many popular books, including The Authors Publish Guide to Manuscript Submissions, Submit, Publish, Repeat, and The 2023 Guide to Manuscript Publishers. She regularly teaches three acclaimed courses on writing and publishing at The Writer’s Workshop at Authors Publish. You can follow her on Facebook here.