Kimani Romance
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Imprint: Kimani Romance
Genre/Category: Series Romance
Manuscript Word Length: 50,000–60,000
Publication Schedule: Four per month
Executive Editor: Glenda Howard
Senior Editor: Kelli Martin
Editorial Assistant: Alex Colon
Kimani Romance offers sexy, dramatic, sophisticated and entertaining love stories. It is the first and only series category romance line that features African-American characters exclusively. Our memorable characters work through compelling emotional conflicts on their way to committed and satisfying relationships, loving unions that last a lifetime.
Plot
Kimani Romance features hip, stylish, ripped-from-the-headlines plotlines as well as classic, tried-and-true ones. All of our books are contemporary romance. Kimani Romances are realistic and emotional with a mainstream tone. They are rich and sophisticated and always have innovative, creative and fresh plot developments with big, satisfying, resolved endings. The plots cover an extremely wide breadth including (but not limited to):
• Rags-to-riches, aspirational love stories that feature appealing characters who have “made it.”
• Sensual first-love, reunion and second-chance romances.
• Fast-paced, supersexy stories that are hip and hot.
• Emotional romances that revolve around a particular family or miniseries theme.
• Romances with elements of the following: urban flair, romantic suspense, romantic thriller and romantic comedies.
• Fantasy, escapist, über-wealthy romances.
Kimani Romances can be written in first or third person from the heroine’s point of view, or from both hero and heroine’s points of view, or omniscient narrator. All story settings will be considered, though the more exciting and original the better.
Characters
Kimani Romance heroines are realistic, capable and as committed to love as they are to their careers. They can be strong and independent, or vulnerable and searching. They must be easy for female readers to relate to and identify with. Our heroes are ambitious, strong, driven and positive contributors to their communities. They can be aggressive, serious, playful or intense; they can be players, reformed players, bad boys or innocents. Our characters’ personalities run the gamut—but they are always unforgettable. The heroine must be as well-developed as the mesmerizing, memorable hero.
Content
Each Kimani Romance is tightly focused on the primary romance between the hero and heroine. The developing romantic relationship is the core focus of each book. The narrative seldom strays from the arc of that romantic story line. Secondary characters and subplots are kept to a minimum, and only support the main romantic relationship.
Level of Sensuality
Sexy and supersexy
Guidelines
Kimani Romance series romances should adhere to the following guidelines:
• The hero and heroine should be single—not in a relationship at all, recently engaged, recently divorced (not just separated), widowed or exiting a relationship.
• The hero and heroine should not be shown as sexually or emotionally involved with anyone else at the start of the romance.
• The hero should exhibit good character and not be abusive or violent toward the heroine, misogynistic, dishonest, amoral or engage in criminal behavior.
• The hero and heroine should be sympathetic characters to the reader. They should be educated and successful or on their way to success.
• Explicit and excessive profanity in the text and dialogue is not permitted.
• Condoms and safe sex should be used in intimate scenes where the hero and heroine are not married or not yet in an exclusive relationship.
• Drug use or alcohol abuse by the hero or heroine is not permitted. Use by secondary characters should be limited as well. Descriptions of violence should be kept to a minimum.
• Unless the story line has been approved by your editor, the heroine should not be pregnant before engagement or marriage. All children of the heroine and the hero—past and present—must be conceived within the confines of a long-term relationship, during an engagement or marriage.
• Unless the story line has been approved by your editor, the heroine or hero should: be between their early 20s and late 30s; not have children when the story opens; not be married to each other at the beginning of the novel; and not live together before having an exclusive commitment, engagement or marriage.
• While Kimani Romance does publish second-chance and reunion novels, the remaining books’ story lines feature heroes and heroines who do not know one another and have not had a relationship prior to the novel’s beginning. Outside of second-chance, reunion or love-from-afar-turned-love-up-close stories, the reader needs to see hero and heroine meet for the first time.
How to Submit
If you're ready to share your vision of contemporary African-American romance, send a cover letter that briefly explains the nature of the story and any previously published work, a detailed synopsis covering the plot points and three sample chapters (published authors) or a detailed synopsis and a complete manuscript (unpublished authors) to:
Kelli Martin
c/o Kimani Romance
Harlequin Books
233 Broadway, Suite 1001
New York, NY 10279
Please note:
• Manuscripts should be typed in a legible font and double-spaced with one-inch margins.
• Do not send computer disks or handwritten materials.
• Please allow a response time of six to eight weeks.
• Please do not phone to see if your manuscript was received or returned.
Kimani Romances keep it real with sizzling passion and emotional intensity. We’d love to consider your best work!
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