We delighted to announce two exciting new projects in partnership with Simon & Schuster’s Books and the City project.

Firstly the RNA and Books and The City will be hosting a second #DigitalOriginals open submission day. In a twist on the #RNANWSOneDay held on 15th September 2020, which was open exclusively for members of the New Writers’ Scheme, the #RNAOneDay will be open to ALL members of the RNA – enabling authors again to submit directly to Simon & Schuster.

Books and the City are inviting members of the RNA to submit the first three chapters of their unpublished contemporary, historical, comedy, thriller or nostalgia commercial romantic manuscript between 8pm on Friday 12th and 8am on Monday 15th February 2021, directly to Sara-Jade Virtue, Brand Development Director (Fiction) for #DigitalOriginals, the Simon & Schuster eBook first publishing programme.

Alison May, Chair of the RNA says “We’re delighted to be working with Simon & Schuster #DigitalOriginals again. The RNA exists to foster and support romantic authorship, so it’s hugely exciting to be able to provide this exclusive opportunity to our members. The thought that amongst the submissions the next huge voice in romantic fiction might be discovered is utterly thrilling.”

Secondly, Books and The City will be funding three full memberships of the RNA for authors from underrepresented groups.

Imogen Howson, Vice-Chair, of the RNA says “Working with Simon & Schuster is always such a pleasure, so I’m very excited that this opportunity to become an S&S author is being extended to all our members. I’m also extremely grateful to S&S for their generosity in funding three membership grants.”

Simon & Schuster Brand Development Director (Fiction) Sara-Jade Virtue says: “I’m immensely proud of our industry first #DigitalOriginals publishing programme and #OneDay open submission initiative. We know that sometimes the route to publishing can be a daunting, confusing and at times terrifying road, but with our #OneDay initiative, all of the usual rules and regulations are cast aside. I’m very much looking forward to working closely with the RNA again – an organisation we all admire and respect greatly – by hosting an open submission day in 2021 exclusively for their members to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Books and the City. Championing the varied and diverse work of romantic fiction authors is at the heart and soul of everything we do here at Books and the City, and I’m excited to receive submissions from their members. I’m also delighted to announce that Books and the City will be sponsoring the grant of three full Romantic Novelists’ Association memberships for underrepresented authors, reinforcing our pledge to offer a story for everyone.”

Full details of the #RNAOneDay submission process can be found here, and RNA members will be given the exclusive submission code next year.