As most of you have probably heard, Harlequin Enterprises launched Harlequin Horizons, a self-publishing vanity publishing venture short-term money grab. Customers of the services “pay to play” at being a published author only without the traditional quality control or distribution resources (although even these services can be bought—to an extent).
This event has been the shot heard round the romance world. Below are links to sites with plentiful information about the news:
Absolute Write
Smart Bitches
Dear Author
Writer Beware Blogs!
How Publishing Really Works
RWA responds (via Ann Aguirre’s blog)
Art is sacred, and it distresses me to think that a good author would have to pay for anyone to read her book. In my opinion, by creating the story, she’s already taken a risk and made her investment. Money flows toward the author, sayeth Yog’s Law.
There are also the factors of quality control and consumer rights. Regardless of what it means to be a published author, why would we ever want those to be compromised?
To me, Harlequin’s new venture seems to represent a major (and surreal) step forward in the redefinition of the publishing hierarchy. Vanity presses have existed for a long time, but in recent publishing history, a few well-known publishers have established various kinds of financial connections with them. Obviously, these partnerships are lucrative, or we wouldn't be hearing about them.
Enter Harlequin, which has decided to monetize its slush pile by marketing Harlequin Horizons to authors whose manuscripts it has rejected.
In effect, the company has inserted a sizeable brick into the foundation of an eventual publishing pyramid structure that includes vanity and self-published books at the base, digital books in the middle, and a much smaller number of prestigious/bestselling print books at the top.
I’m not concerned that bookstores and online communities will be flooded with poorly written/edited books in the next few years. I mean, if authors are savvy enough to create distribution channels that rival those of traditional publishers, then they don’t need to pay Harlequin Horizon’s outrageous costs. (Umm, $19,999.00 for a book trailer? Really?? PARANORMAL ACTIVITY, a full length feature film, was produced for around $11,000.) They’d simply locate more cost-effective options and self-publish (the key being they’d own the ISBN and keep all profits). To readers, these books will be practically invisible.
But establishing a reputable brand is much like erecting a towering house of cards—what takes a long time to build can be toppled in only seconds with one careless wrong move.
Harlequin’s new venture has unsettling implications, not the least of which is, what is a publisher’s incentive to invest in new authors when it makes more money by luring them into a pay-to-play business model? On the other hand, the rise of vanity publishing as co-opted by publishers, along with new territories that digital publishers are conquering, may lead to alternate definitions of what it means to be a published author.
To achieve a midlist status in the new publishing pyramid (and beat out the much larger number of vanity-published authors comprising the base), one must be not only a skilled writer, but also a shrewd marketing machine. In effect, publishers seem to be communicating more and more that authors need to deliver a built-in customer base. And as the digital publishing realm matures, fewer people will define a published author solely in terms of her physical book being placed on a bookstore shelf. Or even as belonging to a publishing house.
Ultimately, it’s the story that counts, and I’m willing to read a great one regardless of source or medium (most of the time). When it comes to a niche genre like science fiction romance, beggars can’t be choosers. In addition to whatever romantic SF I could find, I was reading fanfiction SFR before the digital market was even born, as were I’m guessing many of you. But I also have high hopes that sound—and reputable—publishing innovations will help SFR authors become more successful in the future.
Joyfully yours,
Heather
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Harlequin Horizons: Redefining The Published Author or Damaging The Brand?
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11 comments:
This has been a very interesting development. The most intriguing being that they denied Carina Press, which will certailnly have quality controls, the use of the Harlequin name, but have proudly called their vanity press Harlequin Horizons.
Since they are no longer eligible for subsidy at RWA it will be interesting to see if any HQ editors attend.
Unfortunately if you ask the public at large or readers, they will just shrug their shoulders. They don't understand the impact.
Also, Harlequin will do the same thing in regards to RWA's decision. They will look at it as, "what has RWA done for me in making me money?" It all comes down to money. So why wouldn't Harlequin join forces with any venture that can make them money?
This is the difference between large conglomerate and small business. If all the large conglomerates (whose publishing arms--particularly romance--have to subsidize all the other media arms that are losing the holding companies money) pursue this similar thing, we might see the rise of small independent houses once again. Sure the Big Boys will be putting out the same old, same old, only now on a pay-to-play structure, but publishing might once again become a "gentleman's venture" with small publishers, website-based communities, and independent folks cottage-izing the industry back down from the heights of crazy.
The only question I'm not sure about are the distributors/brick and mortar stores. Will the local bookstore or the local chain then be encouraged (or forced) into carrying more small press books because those are where the quality writing is coming from (or rather, the quality control of an editing process), or will some other unexpected but enterprising brick and mortar outlet enter into the bookselling business in such a way as to not be beholden to the current returns-based system that favors the deep pocketed publisher who can eat the costs of consignment-based sales.
There are such a vast number of epublishers out there begging for decent material that a book which can't find a legitimate publisher is a very bad book, indeed, or the author knows so little about the publishing business that it's highly unlikely that she will ever be able to promote it effectively.
These days, a self-published author can put their books out through the Kindle, the Nook, and several distributors to major distributors so why pay Harlequin or anyone else to do what you can do for free?
As someone who has books with small presses and epublishers, I've found that it's hard enough to attract readers when I can get reviewed at legitimate sites and win awards. Self-pubs and vanity press authors don't even have that.
I'm shrugging my shoulders as a reader who just doesn't care.
As a writer, I don't really care much more, because if I self-publish I know there are a lot cheaper ways to do it. I already have a web presence for distribution. Couldn't care less about money, because I've accepted if I go that route I'll pretty much have to give it away if I want anyone to read it anyway.
As a reviewer, it's the story that counts and I've been doing it so long I can see one I like coming a mile away.
I really don't see the need to freak out.
It's just a growing pain for the industry. It'll all shake down.
Just remember the sacred law of evolution-
Adapt or die.
Harlequin is changing the name. Here's the news via Kristin Nelson's blog.
It's not so much that Harlequin, or rather its parent company, decided to go into the vanity publishing business, it's the way they said they'd be recruiting writers that freaked folks. Get rejected by a traditional HQN imprint and a line in the letter "makes the writer aware" of its Horizons line? Not cool. For years we've been warned about things like this. Draw a writer in with the Harlequin brand but the book itself will not say Harlequin on it? The double H logo means what then? And what's to stop a customer from shouting "I'm a Harlequin author!"?
If HQN's parent co. had made a deal with the vanity company and quietly went about its business (a la Random House and Xlibris) I don't think anyone would have cared.
It's not the reader who will care, unless they pick up the book and it stinks. Same with a reviewer. But as a writer, seeing a well respected house tread the line of ethics is disheartening.
I have no qualms with self- or vanity publishing. It's a viable route for some and ultimately it IS the story that matters. But while the industry is changing, this is not the way to go about it. It's not evolution, it's lemmings following the money over a cliff : )
ETA: Just saw the name change item. Good idea. Hopefully this will help smooth things out.
Cathy in AK said: "But as a writer, seeing a well respected house tread the line of ethics is disheartening." Absolutely agree. And your "lemmings following money over a cliff" is an excellent analogy.
This whole Ha-Ho (not my label, but that's what it's now being tagged) venture has IMHO really given Harlequin a black eye. Ultimately it could cause a big shakeup, with both publishing houses and writers organizations redefining themselves, and whether or not it affects you directly right now, it's bound to have a ripple effect that will impact everyone in the long run.
I'm not sure a name change is going to be enough to smooth over the crater from this bombshell, and it's going to be interesting to watch what sort of fall out occurs between now and RWA national conference in July.
Two more blogs of interest on the topic.
Stacy Boyd is a Harlequin editor, who is baffled by the dust up.
Journal Alfen has a delicate way with words.
http://stacyboyd.wordpress.com/2009/11/19/omg-rwa/
http://www.journalfen.net/community/fandom_wank/1226613.html
Bah!
The stench of corporate greed is in the air...
*lights a bundle of incense*
Thanks for the links, Rowena!
I think Stacy Boyd is baffled because they really think this venture is true self-publishing and it's not. It's like they're trying to brand their version of vanity publishing as self-publishing. Just saying vanity publishing is self-publishing a million times doesn't make it so.
What bothers me also is that they are trying to monetize the slushpile with *no* risk to the company, instead of exploring a more fair solution for aspiring authors that yes, might require a little financial investment on Harlequin/Torstar's part. There have got to be other ways. Too bad Harlequin couldn't have explored more ways to extend the reach of Carina Press, for example. But I suppose they were looking for more instant gratification.
It burns me to think about some poor naive writer shelling out 20k for a book trailer in the hopes a Hollywood agent will see it and option the rights. But it just doesn't work that way. Hollywood wants to option books with a proven sales record or with big-name stars attached. One can not purchase a film deal for 20k. Utter nonsense.
but publishing might once again become a "gentleman's venture" with small publishers, website-based communities, and independent folks cottage-izing the industry back down from the heights of crazy.
XandraG, maybe you should patent your insightful observations and ideas! Thanks for weighing in. I especially agree that website-based communities are going to play an increasingly important role vis a vis connecting readers with books. For genres like SFR, it's both fun & cost effective. I'm interested in seeing how we can further shape what we have here.
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