Ankara Press is devoted to publishing easy-to-read, purse-size romantic fiction titles with African settings, storylines and characters. The idea is getting young people to read by introducing them to short, snazzy, fast-paced stories about the life they live or yearn to live. The stories will be engaging, and above all, they will allow women to see the best version of themselves in print. These purse-novellas will be issued at regular monthly intervals.
Women of all ages have always enjoyed romance. They ask for it in their movies, their music, from their lovers and in their books. But in Africa, they have had to find it in the pages of Western series like Mills and Boon, Silhouette and other Harlequin titles. It is time that the continent’s rising consumer class gets romances that reflect the complexity of their modern lives.
What Ankara Press Wants?
Strong, original voices to write romance novels for the African market. Do not send stories that simply recreate traditional romances. Most of these reflect abuse and dominance which are merely tolerated in the real world. Ankara Press wouldn't want that.
Send romances in which strong, capable female characters meet handsome, charming men who are secure in their identities and respectful of a woman’s choices.
The novels should be 40,000 – 45,000 words long (they should not exceed this word limit) and should be divided into about 10-15 chapters.
The main character should be an African woman between 20-30 years old who comes from a middle or lower-middle class background, and who because of her intelligence, ambition and hard work has a bright future ahead of her. The heroine’s love interest should be an African man. He is attractive and successful in his own field.
The novels should be set in an urban environment. They can feature international locales, but a real (not fictionalised) African city should be where the primary story takes place.
The plot should be fast-paced and entertaining. It should focus on the development of a central romantic relationship while the heroine struggles to realize her ambitions.
The novels should be written in the third person, preferably from the point of view of the heroine. Other points of view may be employed to add depth and insight to the narrative, but should be used sparingly.
Authors are advised to keep sub-plots to a minimum. Interesting minor characters are welcome, but they should not dominate the story.
What Ankara Press Will Not Accept.
Profanity, explicit sex scenes, religious or ethnic intolerance are not acceptable. There can be a strong physical attraction between the heroine and her Mr. Right, but it should not be the focus of their relationship. They can sleep together during the course of the novel, but if they do, it should be done tastefully and they must practice safe sex at all times or be able to discuss it.
How to send your submission
Email a 500-word synopsis outlining the characters and the plot of the novel and attach the first 3 chapters of your story as a Word document. Be sure to pay attention to punctuation, spelling and grammar before submitting your sample.
Please include your name (aliases and pen names will only be considered once the manuscript has been accepted), the title of the book, your phone number and email address on a separate cover page.
If you have an existing work you want to adapt, please send a synopsis along with a chapter of the work as your submission. All finished manuscripts will be paid for on our acceptance of a completed manuscript.
