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Vivian Simone strode into Writers' Alley Coffee House as though she owned it plus the bar next door. Heads turned. Neither the men nor the women could stop themselves from watching her. Their eyes traveled from her dark chestnut waves to the soft lines of her collar bone down to her shapely legs and beautiful feet. She wore black stilettos well, and her firm breasts, narrow waist and ample hips made the emerald green draped jersey top with belted waist and matching knee-length, snug skirt speak exactly the language their designer wanted them to speak, but Vivian spoke a less friendly word to writers in the room.
"Hello, you starving scribes. I've got one message for you today. See how you like it!" She placed her hands on her hips and surveyed the room of experienced novelists and wide-eyed wannabes. Smiling, she said, "Harlequin Enterprises, the titan of romance novels, now offers self-publishing."
Rebecca Smith, who sat alone with her HP Mini Notepad in the far corner of the coffee house was the first to scream, and she fainted, knocking her white mocha cappuccino to the floor as she fell from her chair. The rest of the room followed with similar fits of panic. Men cursed, slamming copies of Writers Market or Poets and Writers on tables. Women stuttered, looking from their computers, where they'd only moments before edited a masterwork of love, out at the world beyond the windows. Suddenly it looked cruel.
"What will we do? What's to become of us?" The writers exclaimed at once.
"You'll suck it up, you crybabies, just like I did when I heard the news," said Vivian, walking to the counter to place her order.
She didn't notice the tall, dark gentleman in the sleek, charcoal gray Armani suit at the other end of the counter, sipping his Kenyan blend, black, but he saw her, strolled over, and nodded to the barista. "Put whatever she's having on my check," he said, and then he gazed at her, his deep-set hazel eyes taking in every detail of her gorgeous face. "I love people who can roll with the punches. My name is Derick Vaughn. Will you join me for dinner this evening?"
She liked what she saw, but would not fall quickly. "Sorry," she cooed to him. "Tonight, I dine alone."
O.K., so it's been a long time since I read a romance novel. They probably don't sound like that anymore, but I cut my teenage writer's teeth on Harlequin books, and at one point I wanted to be a romance novelist. Furthermore, for the last 34 years I've dreamed of being a published novelist with a standard contract from a traditional publishing house. I never dreamed that dream hard enough, however, to finish a book, and from what I'm hearing of today's publishing world, my life may be the pefect example of "you snooze you lose."
Old publishing models are passing away, toppling newspapers and magazines as well as the fiction industry. So, unfortunately for me and for other aspiring novelists, the opening of this post is not complete fiction. Harlequin has stepped over to the darkside or to fresh light, depending on how you look at it. The giant romance novel publisher has entered the world of self publishing, and its move is getting mixed reviews.
On November 17, Harlequin Enterprises Limited released the announcement of its partnership with Author Solutions Inc, which considers itself a "leader in self-publishing."
Harlequin, Book Business magazine's 2009 Publishing Innovator of the Year, regards the self-publishing venture as an accessible opportunity for emerging authors to bring themselves to the attention of the reading public.
"Harlequin Horizons expands upon Harlequin's tradition of providing wonderful opportunities for fresh voices in women's fiction," said Donna Hayes, publisher and CEO of Harlequin Enterprises. "Partnering with Author Solutions, Inc., the recognized world leader in self-publishing, is an innovative and original approach to discovering new authors to add to our traditional publishing programs."
Through this strategic alliance, all sales, marketing, publishing, distribution, and book-selling services will be fulfilled by ASI, but Harlequin Horizons will exist as a division of Harlequin Enterprises Limited. Harlequin will monitor sales of books published through the self-publisher for possible pickup by its traditional imprints. (Press Release)
But that news didn't fly so well. See "Industry associations speak out against publisher's imprint; Harlequin says it will change imprint's name."
Romance Writers of America and other writer associations yesterday spoke out against the announcement earlier this week that Author
