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DellArte Press (formerly Harlequin Horizons)

para

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I'm not at all surprised by that. They are just the kind of people that Harlequin/Author Solutions is looking for.
 

Eirin

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The most surprising thing to me is that HQ is willing to let its name be associated with this. When Thomas Nelson Publishing did the same thing, they at least used the semi-defunct WestBow Press name and, apart from dangling the carrot of "If you sell enough, maybe we'll pick you up", kept the regular publishing brand, Thomas Nelson, separate.

Is it possible that the people at HQ's HQ don't understand that books, too, are known by the company they keep?
 

para

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Torstar need money. This will get them money and a lot of it as well. They don't care about anything else. I'd like to think that the people working in Harlequin wouldn't set up a deal like this and this has been forced on them by the ailing Torstar. I firmly believe this will ruin Harlequin's reputation which has taken over sixty years to build up.
 

Eirin

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You're probably right, Para. It's the kind of shortsighted thinking that believe all books are created equal and can be sold as interchangeable items. If it is a corporate level decision, you'd have to wonder if the people who came up with it reads. Like, at all.
 

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I'm visualizing thousands of pissed off women looking at a crappy vanity book that they bought because of an e-mail with Harlequin's name on it.

Me too. Harlequin's biggest asset is its brand. Apparently, they think their brand is as disposable as their books.

ETA: This latest move also shows a stunning disrespect for its readers in so many ways. It shows that HQ thinks its readers wouldn't know the difference between a crappy vanity book and a legitimate HQ book. And, since many of HQ's readers want to write, it shows that HQ thinks its reader-writers are too stupid to know that vanity =/= legitimate credit.

The mind, it boggles.
 
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Cyia

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I'm not a romance writer, and I can't say I've ever read a HQ novel, but they're probably the only romance line I'd know on name alone. They're mainstream, so this really bugs me.

What bugs me more is the idea that this kind of scheme might branch out through other big publishers (clearing slush through vanity pubs.) Sure, there are people who will never get a book published through regular channels - and for good reason - most of them are either unwilling or unable to bring their novels up to par. I see something like this as more damaging than a place like PA.

If vanity divisions become the norm, an author who subs to say 5 houses could get vanity "offers" from all 5 if that becomes the standard practice for slush rejections. 5 offers of almost identical nature, and all telling the author that they might have a future in the big leagues if they start with a vanity line it creates an illusion of quality that doesn't exist. (One offer is a fluke, but for all to offer means talent!!!)

And things like this could rob someone who has an "almost there" MS of a real shot a commercial publication. Instead of getting a solid rejection and going back to re-examine the MS for problems, or reworking it to fit a few suggestions, there's an "easy" route.

Blech.
 

Charlee

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How many inprints does HQ have?
 

Old Hack

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I've blogged about this, briefly, and am looking forward to reading Writer Beware's view on the subject soon (because I'm sure they'll have one!).

I have no doubt that we'll see more and more schemes like this in the future, but I really don't like it. There are ways to monetize the slush-pile without misleading authors: it's a shame that those ways weren't tried first.
 

Bubastes

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Here's a link to some answers from someone on the Harlequin Horizons team (pretty much the same info as on the SBTB post):

http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/200...ctor-answers-questions-on-harlequin-horizons/

Does this clarify things or muddy the waters for you?

So, the Harlequin name will not appear on the Horizons books and the books won't be distributed through Harlequin's channels. That still doesn't address the huge conflict of interest issue when it comes to the rejected writers. I was also wondering whether this extra stream of money will mean more money for Harlequin's authors. For some reason, I doubt it.

I found this interesting:

Readers will not confuse Horizons books with traditional Harlequin books.

Fine, the readers (theoretically) won't. But the writers might.
 
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Donna Pudick

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In my experience as a big house editor, I came across a number of both big and small house publishers who did subsidy publishing. As a matter of fact, they admitted it in old editions of the Writers Market (with a little asterisk and a footnote on the page). Most of the authors were college and university professors who needed to publish or perish.

I once interviewed with a medium sized house who informed me that the job opening wasn't for their traditional imprint. It was to copyedit manuscripts from publish or perish authors. They mentioned the names of some of their competitors. They were big names, and all of them were vying for authors.

My take on this whole thing is that the economy has affected the publishing houses deeply, and they are looking to improve their bottom line. Perhaps the vanity money will help them publish many more traditional books. Hah! maybe not. What a mess!
 

M.R.J. Le Blanc

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This isn't going to end well for Harlequin. The name association is what's going to do it. Readers will get all excited about what they think is a new line, be astounded by the crap put out by it, and move on to the next romance publisher. This could have worked if they could have kept it reasonable. Seriously, I hope many of their authors walk. No publisher is worth putting up with this.
 

James D. Macdonald

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I can see the appeal of opening up a vanity press from the Corporate Bean Counters' point of view. Someone is going to make money off all of those rejected manuscripts. Why shouldn't it be them? Since the concepts of sleazy, abusive, and disastrous in the long term doesn't appear to have occurred to them, why not indeed?

and move on to the next romance publisher.

What next romance publisher?

All of the majors (of the ones that aren't purely non-fiction, that is) have romance lines, but I can't think of another major romance publisher.
 
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Terie

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I can see the appeal of opening up a vanity press from the Corporate Bean Counters' point of view. Someone is going to make money off all of those rejected manuscripts. Why shouldn't it be them? Since the concepts of sleazy, abusive, and disastrous in the long term doesn't appear to have occurred to them, why not indeed?

(bolding mine)

Corporate Bean Counters across the gamut are operating this way. I guess we shouldn't be surprised the ones at publishing houses aren't any different.
 

Eirin

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I wonder what the contract will look like. Surely HQ can't get away with its customary blanket rights grab in a vanity contract?
 

DreamWeaver

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I wonder what the contract will look like. Surely HQ can't get away with its customary blanket rights grab in a vanity contract?
Why not? The vast majority of authors they will be dealing with will very likely never have seen another publishing contract.
 

BenPanced

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What next romance publisher?

All of the majors (of the ones that aren't purely non-fiction, that is) have romance lines, but I can't think of another major romance publisher.
Considering Silhouette was assimilated by Harlequin a few years back, there really isn't another major player.
 

Cyia

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From the above link to HQ's digital director's statement (bolding mine):

Many authors are choosing to self-publish. There are a number of reasons to select self-publishing including as a way to see their work in print – to give copies as gifts, to have a bound copy to help in finding an agent, or simply as a keepsake. Harlequin is providing a service to those choosing to self-publish with a leading organization in this field, Author Solutions.

Anyone else see a problem with that "logic"?
 

mscelina

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*headdesk*

"A bound copy to help in finding an agent."

Are they really being serious right now? Imagine the #queryfail days, when agency assistants' desks are covered with *bound* *published* books...just think of what the agents' commentary will be then!

Yep. I need to follow on those days.