Forever Announces “All Love, All Voices” Open Submissions Contest for Diverse Reads and Own-Voices Stories

First Prize Winners Will Be Considered for Possible Publication by Forever

New York, NY – March 18, 2019

Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing (GCP), a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc., believes that everyone deserves a happily-ever-after. To reinforce their commitment to an inclusive publishing program, Forever is announcing that it is sponsoring the All Love, All Voices Contest, an open submissions contest for authors promoting diverse backgrounds and experiences through their works.

“It has been great to see the conversation about diversity in romance shine a light on how publishers can offer better representation,” said Beth de Guzman, VP Digital and Paperback Publisher at Grand Central and Forever. “We’re excited to hear from more new voices in the romance genre, read their stories, and be part of sharing them.”

As part of the All Love, All Voices Contest, authors are invited to submit an original full-length romance or women’s fiction manuscript for a novel that supports and celebrates diversity. Own Voices submissions—where the characters reflect the author’s own personal diverse experiences—are welcomed and encouraged.

Submissions will be accepted via Forever’s website between March 19 to April 15, 2019 and will be judged by Forever’s editorial team, who will award a total of 18 prizes. From the 18 winners, three first prize winners will be selected and will have their manuscripts considered for possible publication by GCP’s Forever or Forever Yours imprints. See the Official Rules for details.

“Organizations like We Need Diverse Books and the #OwnVoices movement have done so much to raise awareness of issues of representation in traditional publishing, but there is still a lot of work to be done. With this contest we are opening the doors to new and diverse authors we may not have heard from before,” said Amy Pierpont, Editor-in-Chief of Forever.  “Finding a story that speaks to the hearts and minds of readers is every editor’s goal, and I’m excited about the opportunity to discover new voices to speak to readers who might have traditionally felt left out of the genre.”

Submissions must consist of 75,000-95,000 words and be submitted along with a signed release form via an entry form on our website. For more information and to submit your work, please visit read-forever.com/all-love-all-voices.

About Forever
Forever, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, publishes a wide array of romance and commercial women’s fiction with romantic elements. Bring us your cowboys, your Regency rogues, your Highlanders, and that irresistible boy next door. Forever authors include New York Times bestsellers such as Kristen Ashley, Carolyn Brown, Grace Burrowes, Helena Hunting, Elizabeth Hoyt, Jodi Ellen Malpas, Debbie Mason, Jamie McGuire, Heidi McLaughlin, Jill Shalvis, Mia Sheridan, and Rebecca Zanetti. Forever Yours is the digital-first sister of the Forever romance imprint, which publishes ebook and print-on-demand editions for novels over 50k words. For more information about Forever, visit read-forever.com.

About Grand Central Publishing
Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, reaches a diverse audience through hardcover, trade paperback, mass market books, and ebooks that cater to every kind of reader. Our imprints are Twelve, Goop Press, Forever, Forever Yours, and Vision.  For more information, visit grandcentralpublishing.com.

About Hachette Book Group
Hachette Book Group is a leading trade publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third-largest trade and educational publisher in the world. HBG publishes under the divisions of Little, Brown and Company; Little Brown Books for Young Readers; Grand Central Publishing; Perseus Books; Orbit; Hachette Nashville; and Hachette Audio.