Harlequin Adds

Self-Publishing Line

Following the same model as Thomas Nelson's recently-announced WestBow Press, Harlequin has started a self-publishing line. Like Nelson, they are outsourcing most of the work to Author Solutions as their partner. Unlike Nelson, they aren't afraid to use their own name for the line, which is called Harlequin Horizons.

As they say on the site: "The intent behind creating Harlequin Horizons is to give more aspiring romance writers and women's fiction writers the opportunity to publish their books and achieve their dreams without going through the submission process with a traditional publishing house.

"However, we understand you may aspire to be published with a traditional house - a noble aspiration. While there is no guarantee that if you publish with Harlequin Horizons you will picked up for traditional publishing, Harlequin will monitor sales of books published through Harlequin Horizons for possible pick-up by its traditional imprints."

Harlequin Horizons

UPDATE: Harlequin Drops

Self-Publishing Line…Sort Of

Harlequin has continued to suffer criticism from multiple fronts for their new self-publishing program, and while they have not altered the offering itself, they are removing the name Harlequin from the line.

CEO Donna Hayes said in a statement replying to the Romance Writers of America's declaration that the publisher would no longer be eligible for certain resources at the organizations conference: "We are changing the name of the self-publishing company from Harlequin Horizons to a designation that will not refer to Harlequin in any way. We will initiate this process immediately. We hope this allays the fears many of you have communicated to us."

Hayes expressed surprise and dismay at the RWA's notice, particularly "before allowing Harlequin to respond or engage in a discussion about it with the RWA board." And she added, "It is disappointing that the RWA has not recognized that publishing models have and will continue to change. As a leading publisher of women's fiction in a rapidly changing environment, Harlequin's intention is to provide authors access to all publishing opportunities, traditional or otherwise."

But bestselling author Nora Roberts was among those who continued to oppose the spirit and practice of the program itself, in a variety of comments at Smart Bitches: "Vanity press is called vanity for a reason. You're paying for your ego. That's fine, dealer's choice. But it's a different matter when a big brand publisher uses its name and its resources to sell this as dream fulfillment, advertises it as such while trying to claim it's not really their brand being used to make money on mss they've rejected as not worthy of that brand in the first place."

Roberts added in another comment: "it's deceptive vanity.... Taking the Harlequin name off is important, but it doesn't address what Horizons is, or all those links on their website, or directing rejected authors to Horizons as another channel to publication, and so on."

Both the Science Fiction Writers of America and the Mystery Writers of America also issued statements criticizing the new venture. The SFWA is concerned that the new venture's "sole purpose appears to be the enrichment of the corporate coffers at the expense of aspiring writers." They have declared that "NO titles from ANY Harlequin imprint will be counted as qualifying for membership in SFWA."

The MWA has even broader concerns, saying that they wrote to Harlequin on November 9 to express dismay over a separate paid offer, the "eHarlequin Manuscript Critique Service," suggesting the "removing mention of this for-pay service entirely from its manuscript submission guidelines, clearly identifying any mention of this program as paid advertisement, and, adding prominent disclaimers that this venture was totally unaffiliated with the editorial side of Harlequin, and that paying for this service is not a factor in the consideration of manuscripts."

Palin Book Zooms toward

$20 M Mark

Did you hear that Sarah Palin has a book out? Of course you did. Her memoir, Going Rogue, has been the talk of the nation this week. Love her or hate her, the ex-governor of Alaska has once again sucked all the air out of the room of our national conversation. We’ve spent another week transfixed by her idiosyncratic brand of political psychobabble, her petty grievances, and the challenges faced by an “average American” like herself.

While her followers may buy the whole “average” shtick she’s selling, there’s one thing about the lady that is decidedly elite: her earning power. In July, we estimated that in resigning, Palin had lined herself up for a payday between $17 million and $20.75 million over the next 12 months. With Going Rogue crushing the bestseller lists, she’s well on her way.

“Sales are phenomenal, and we are convinced that the book will continue to sell phenomenally for some time to come,” says a HarperCollins insider.

And what of the media that can’t seem to look away? While left-of-center commentators will mock her as ardently as right-of-center supporters gush over her, they’re both making money right alongside her by covering the spectacle that is Sarah. How much? We set out to put a value on a single week of Palinmania—not only to Palin herself, but to everyone else riding on her gravy train.

The Daily Beast

But Not Everyone

Is Happy

Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was met by a cheering crowd of more than 1,000 people when she arrived in Noblesville one night recently , but not everyone left happy.  Palin stepped off her tour bus, holding her youngest son, Trig, just after 5:30 p.m. at the Borders store at Hamilton Town Center, 6News' Rick Hightower reported.

Palin waved to members of the crowd, who were shouting her name, before taking to a stage to welcome her Hoosier supporters.

"We had a great time a year ago in Indiana but I think I'm having even more fun now, though," Palin said. "You guys, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart for being out here and for just being great residents of this wonderful state, and, even more importantly, great Americans who care about our country and care about those people who want to fight for what is right."

The store handed out 1,000 wristbands for the Thursday night book signing, which wrapped up just before 9 p.m. Those who got to meet a woman they consider an idol walked away happy.

"I said, 'Sarah, thanks for hearing our voices,'" said Nancy Rourke of Greenwood.

"She's just selling what she is: good policy, good values for our country," said Margie Kimes.

Before getting back on her bus just after 9 p.m., Palin thanked the crowd one more time.

"Noblesville, this was so great. You guys are hardcore patriots. Thank you so much for being here," she said.

But not everyone went away happy. Several dozen people who had wristbands were turned away.

"They didn't have this organized well enough," said Sue Hendricks. "It was just not done right."

"I'm very disappointed. I think it was very rude. She could have at least apologized, and she didn't even do that," said Teresa Hedrick.

Many of the unhappy people stood in the rain all day, bought the book from Borders and clutched their wristbands for their opportunity to meet Palin.

"We bought two books from Borders to have our receipt and our wristband to get it signed tonight," said one woman. "My books are going back to Borders tomorrow."

"We gave up our entire workday, stayed in the cold. My kids were crying," said one man. "They went home with my wife. She was out here in the freezing cold all day. I feel like I don't want to support Sarah."

For those who did get to meet Palin, no personal signatures or pictures were allowed. Those who didn't get their books signed went home only with a piece of paper with Palin's signature.

Palin's book, "Going Rogue," went on sale last month, but it has topped best-seller lists for weeks.  Palin also signed books in Fort Wayne earlier in the day.

Update: Palin Book

Goes Platinum

"Going Rogue" has gone platinum.  HarperCollins spokeswoman Tina Andreadis said in early December that, only two weeks after publication, Sarah Palin's memoir has sold 1 million copies. The print run for "Going Rogue" has been increased again, to 2.8 million copies. The original printing was 1.5 million, then moved up to 2.5 million.

"Going Rogue" joins a select club of million-selling political memoirs that includes Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope," Hillary Rodham Clinton's "Living History" and Bill Clinton's "My Life."

Bookstore Baksheesh: The Real Estate Deals

That Sell Books

By Adam Penenberg

Step into any Barnes & Noble and the first thing you see are tables covered in books. 'Tis the season, so there's the "Happy Holidays" table, with its quirky array of titles--Cornell West's new memoir, Ken Auletta's Googled, Alexandra Horowitz's Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, a biography of Thelonious Monk--authors and subjects with seemingly little if anything in common. The "Gift Books" table (20% off) is stacked with painstakingly crafted art books--one with gorgeous photos of the Vatican flanked by the Marvel Comics Encyclopedia and a history of Lego, the snappable children's toy. There's "Children's Books," "History," "Biographies," "New Arrivals," and "New in Paperback." Off to the right, Dean Koontz warrants his own narrow shelf. So does Michael Crichton. Beat a path to the cash register and you may stop to chuckle at the "Humor" table.

Have you ever wondered who decides which of the 55,000 books published each year end up on which tables and why? It's not serendipity, not by chance, not because some Barnes & Noble tastemaker is trying to lure us with the most scintillating reads of the year. It's marketing, pure and simple, all of it bought and paid for by publishers. One editor I spoke with, who, like almost everyone else I interviewed for this column insisted on anonymity for fear of alienating powerful booksellers, calls it "bookstore baksheesh."

The practice is known as Co-op, and each book on each table costs publishers anywhere from $3,000 to $30,000, and even up to $50,000 depending on placement. The closer a table is to the front of the store, the more expensive the real estate. But quantity, duration, and even the season affect what publishers must pay. Holiday placement--Christmas, New Years (when a flood of self-improvement "new you" books comes out), Fathers Day, and Mothers Day are big seasonal tables and demand higher prices. If you see books with their covers facing you, odds are publishers paid for the privilege. (These are called "end cap" displays.) While I'd like to believe that my new book, Viral Loop, is one of the best business titles of the fall (SmartMoney did), my publisher had to pay Barnes & Noble to include it in the "Best of Business" bay for a month and the "New Arrivals Hardcover" table for two weeks.

Barnes & Noble is not alone in charging publishers for placement. Borders names its price for front-of-the-store placement. Large independent booksellers sometimes glean money for tables and get $50 for mentioning a book in their newsletters. On Amazon, my publisher paid for a month of "Buy Viral Loop Get Predictably Irrational" and at 19 airports there were displays at Paradies stores pairing Viral Loop with Fast Company magazine.

Booksellers and publishers have draped a veil of secrecy over the entire practice. A spokesperson for one publisher told me this "information is considered proprietary" and "it would be against company policy" to talk about it "even anonymously." But really, there's nothing nefarious about it. It's all part of the retail game. When you control the distribution channels, you get to make the rules. Department store, supermarket and drug store chains all demand pay-to-play placement on their shelves.

"If you took everything out of a supermarket that was bought and paid for promotions, it would look like Soviet Russia," says Lorraine Shanley, a principal of Market Partners International, a consulting firm. "Books have a kind of halo effect because they are advertisement-free, but they are not promotions-free."

Penenberg Blog

Jeffrey Archer Lands

Huge Deal for Forsyte Saga

Richard Brooks, Arts Editor

Jeffrey Archer is being paid a record £18m advance to write a Forsyte Saga-style epic spanning a century in the lives of a fictional family from Bristol.

The deal is believed to be the biggest signed by a British author so far and requires the peer to produce five novels over five years. The first book is due to be published in 2011.

Archer said that he will begin work on The Clifton Chronicles shortly. The novels will set out the trials and tribulations of a character called Harry Clifton who rises from humble beginnings to become a wealthy tycoon.

Born to impoverished parents in 1920, Clifton wins a place at grammar school where he becomes involved with an affluent shipping family called the Davenports.

Their lifestyle is based on that of Bristol’s famous merchant families, such as the Harveys (sherry) and the Wills family (tobacco).

Each of the five books will cover two decades in Harry’s life, ending with his death in 2020.

Chronicling Clifton’s ups and downs should come easy to Archer, who has himself survived a rollercoaster life — both financially and personally. His latest collection of short stories will be published early next year and he will start writing the first book in the Clifton series before the end of this month.

“I’ve got to finish by September [2010] so it can be published in May 2011,” he said.

The deal with Macmillan will see one book published every May until 2015, by which time Archer will be 75.

Times Online

Interview with Author

Janet Kay

Author Janet Kay had something to say. And she said it. Choosing to go the alternative-to-conventional-publishing route, she is, by and large, pleased with the results. And she said it.

AmSAW caught up with her near a sprawling lake in the sprawling mountains of scenic sunny (in summer) Montana, where she spends her winters.

Don't ask us why.

Q: Although you have been writing for much of your life, Waters of the Dancing Sky is your first published novel. How did you feel when you received your first bound copy from the publisher?

It was like a dream come true - one of my lifelong ambitions finally fulfilled. After basking in the glow of this accomplishment for a few minutes, the reality set in. So... now that I'm a published author, now what? What's next?

Q: In what ways did the entire publishing experience surprise you?

I was surprised at the complexity of the process - all the steps involved in creating and marketing a quality product. However, I was fortunate to have a publisher who guided me through the process, involving me in every step along the way. I was able to maintain control, something that was important to me.

Q: A lot of first-time authors in particular don’t realize how much successful marketing depends upon the little things they can do to help the publisher sell books. What are some of the self-marketing tips you’ve learned over the past several months?

I've learned that in today's changing world of publishing, ALL authors are expected to play a significant role in marketing their books. Some of the self-marketing tips that have worked for me include establishing a web site for my book (check it out at Waters of the Dancing Sky), setting up a contest in which my readers can win prizes, using the Internet including Facebook and other sites to promote my book, mailing out promotional postcards and press kits, doing interviews for the news media, hiring a consultant to create a video book trailer promoting my novel, etc.

I've learned that book signings and book fairs aren't nearly as effective if I don't also do a book reading. And I've learned how important it is to solicit and utilize book reviews in my marketing efforts.

One of the keys to success, I believe, is networking - working with and learning from the pros, people who have connections that most authors do not have when they begin their careers. There is a wealth of resources out there to help you promote your work. One great example is the American Society of Authors and Writers promotional services.

Q: Were you disappointed about anything in the publishing process that you might have felt didn't go quite right or didn't meet your expectations?

Overall, I was quite pleased with the process. However, it took longer than I had anticipated. I was continually pestering my publisher, trying to rush the process. Since I'd already done a fair amount of pre-publication publicity, I had people anxiously waiting for my novel to come out. They were trying to schedule book readings and launching parties...but I was still waiting for the product.

Q: Which was easier, the writing or the publishing/marketing of your book?

Good question! I LOVE writing....when I'm caught up in the flow, it's relatively easy. The words and scenes seem to bubble up from some place deep down. Other times, especially by the time you're buried in revisions and on your third draft or so, it's not as easy. Marketing can also be fun - it's a rush to do a reading and have people lined up to buy autographed copies of your book. But marketing, done right, can be very time-consuming. I'd rather be writing!

Q: What’s your next book going to be?

I have at least two or more "next" books, struggling for first place on my agenda! One will be a sequel to Waters of the Dancing Sky as requested by many of my readers. It will take place, again, on the wilderness islands of Rainy Lake along the Minnesota/Ontario international border but will venture farthar into Canada. I'm also currently researching and developing characters for another novel that will be set primarily in the old western ghost town of Virginia City, Montana. Tentatively titled "Amelia's Revenge," it will flow back and forth in time between the 1860's gold rush days and the world of 2012.

Q: And how about one final piece of advice to share with authors still in search of their first book-publishing contract?

Realize that the world of publishing is rapidly changing. You could wait a long time for a traditional publisher to take you on - and lose a significant amount of control over your work. Do not hesitate to check out some of the reputable non-traditional publishers. Examples include Llumina Press (my publisher), Author House, iUniverse, etc. They also offer an impressive array of editorial and marketing services. If you are determined to go 'traditional', your best bet is to obtain an agent first since many traditional publishers do not accept un-agented manuscripts.

Keep on writing - and best of luck to you all!

Hearst Announces Plans for

New "E-Store"

Dubbed Skiff, Hearst Corp.'s planned digital periodical distribution portal is poised to rival Amazon's Kindle store at providing virtual newspapers and magazines to a variety of electronic devices. Hearst wants to create a full service system with a digital storefront along with a distribution back-end to allow publishers to deliver content simply and easily, a move Hearst founder William Randolph would most likely have endorsed.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Skiff has been in development for more than two years. Several other companies have signed on to have their publications belong to the service, along with Hearst's eclectic collection of newspapers and magazines, but have not yet been named.

"The platforms and devices that other people are building are not really appropriate for newspapers and magazines," according to Kenneth A. Bronfin, president of Hearst Interactive Media.  "We are going to create an entity by publishers for publishers."

Skiff is also reportedly developing its own digital media device using Sprint Nextel Corp's wireless network to deliver content. Hearst said that it will offer subscriptions on some other e-readers as well as netbooks and smartphones, including Apple's iPhone.

Hearst competitor Time Inc. recently showed an example of its e-magazine format that may end up competing with Skiff as a platform in what is seen as a burgeoning new market.

Torstar Loves

Harlequin a Lot!

Like most romance writers, Debbie Macomber drags her characters through hell before finally rewarding them for their perseverance with either love or lust -- or both.  The Seattle writer has employed the same basic plot line in many of the hundreds of novels she has written over a 27-year career at Harlequin Enterprises Ltd. Her finely crafted stories in series like Cedar Cove have won her the loyalty of tens of thousands of readers and made her the top-selling author at the Toronto-based publisher.

“My goal is for the reader to put down the book and have an uplifted feeling -- to come away inspired and encouraged,” she says.

Over the past several years, Harlequin has come to know that classic storyline well. The romance-novel powerhouse, led by long-time book executive Donna Hayes, has faced its share of challenges over its 60 years, but always emerges as a rock-solid business. And its parent, Torstar Corp., has come to rely on that.

“We’ve had a very good year,” Ms. Hayes said modestly of her unit’s performance through the first three quarters of fiscal 2009, a time when Torstar’s other businesses have taken sharp hits on revenue.

Yet, as late as 2007, some were suggesting the flame was going out at Harlequin. Profitability at the subsidiary, which does most of its business outside of Canada, was plagued by the high Canadian dollar, while the North American market for paperbacks had slowed.

Vancouver Sun

SF's Moorcock To Pen

New Doctor Who Book

Acclaimed science fiction writer Michael Moorcock has moved to calm the concerns of Doctor Who fans after he revealed he would be writing a new novel about the adventures of the Time Lord.

Moorcock, author of nearly 100 books, ranging from science fiction to fantasy and literary fiction, announced on his website Multiverse that he had been approached by BBC Books to write a new Doctor Who novel for publication by next Christmas. "Still have to have talks etc with producers and publishers but we should be signing shortly. Should be fun," said the author, perhaps best known for his creation of anti-hero Elric of Melniboné, the doomed albino sorcerer-prince.

He said he sensed "a suspicion of the 'outsider'" at the news from some Doctor Who fans, which he compared to the response "you used to get when someone with a reputation as a non-SF writer would decide to write an SF novel".

"All I can answer to this is 'wait and see'. I'm certainly not a non-watcher," he said. "Neither am I someone who ascribes a kind of religiosity to an enthusiasm. This phenomenon crops up a lot, these days associated with SF/fantasy, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Twilight and so on. I hate these presumptions of exclusivity either in my own corner of the literary world or elsewhere. Mike Kustow, once director of the Royal Shakespeare Co, described this as 'the anxious ownership syndrome', when faced with his first confrontation with SF fandom in Brighton 1968. He'd found the same sort of expression with Shakespeare fans when someone from 'outside' showed an interest."

Guardian

Bits & Bytes

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