Harlequin’s Self Publishing Line: Shot Down by a Shortsighted Industry

There is a poll at the end of this post – vote!

Let’s be honest – self-publishing has always been the red-headed step child of the industry. And even though it has garnered some attention and its unsavory stigma has somewhat lessoned, there are still those that view self-publishing as second rate.

Okay – it is second rate. But occassionally a self-published title gets picked up. In fact, I’m working on one right now.

But it’s when traditional publishers begin to derive a revenue stream from self-publishing that the shit really hits the fan.

Harlequin has started its self-publishing line – Harlequin Horizons to help aspiring romance writers who otherwise would be less likely to…get published.

But Harlequin has pretty much been flayed for this decision. The Romance Writers of America (RWA) has decided to remove the company from its list of publishers eligible for use of RWA-provided conference resources. (In case you were wondering, conferences are a big thing in the romance world). Oh yeah – and the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) have threatened the same thing.

Nora Roberts said – “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.” (If that’s not a run on sentence, I don’t know what is).

Get off of your high white steed Ms. Roberts (and RWA and MWA and any other “blank” WA). GO Harlequin for finding a way to keep up with the times and create a new revenue stream. Because in case others haven’t noticed, the margins in the publishing industry aren’t exactly enormous. And the old publishing model certainly doesn’t work.

But hell, Nora Roberts gets her money in extremely large advances – the type that are sucking the life out of this industry. Maybe if she were to take a higher royalty percentage instead…

The Result – Harlequin is giving the self-publishing line a new name (sans Harlequin).

Do you think Harlequin is selling out by including a self-publishing line, being hypocritical? I want to know! Vote now (and maybe add a comment).

-Emily

Vladimir Nabokov – Covers Redesigned

I’m trying to get into the habit of keeping up on industry news. While it’s certainly a task that everyone in publishing should do I’m sad to say it is not one of my strengths. Too many good romance novels to read instead.

But I’m proud to say that I was reading Publishers Lunch (yes, while enjoying my lunch) and came across some of the coolest book jackets ever. Thought I’d share.

These 21 covers are designed by 21 different artists and authors, Chip Kidd being one, for Vladimir Nabokov’s backlist . Some are better than others – not everyone can be Chip Kidd.

Nabokov died in 1977, leaving behind an unfinished manuscript, The Original of Laura (Dying is Fun). The reason for the redesign of his backlist is due to the unfinished novel being published posthumously. No, an author was not brought in to finish the work. The editor and agent just published what was already written, only about 9,000 words. Keep in mind that Nabokov order the manuscript be destroyed.

But I digress. Nabokov had a fascination with butterflies so each new cover is made to look like a speciman box – complete with pins and paper cutouts. I love it!  Here is an example of the cover for Ada, or Ardor.  If you want to see more – go to the Wall Street Journal’s slide show.

-Emily

Indie Adventures- Talking Leaves Books

Talking Leaves Books

Buffalo, New York: A city known mostly for losing sports teams, and the home of the infamous chicken wing sauce. More importantly for this post, however, it’s home to a great little independent bookseller, Talking Leaves Books.

This small franchise, consisting of two shops, sits in a busy little college town masquerading as a city. Since 1971, Talking Leaves has served a quaint community that’s reminiscent of Connecticut’s Greenwich, Brooklyn’s Park Slope, and Boston’s Faneuil Hall.

After 4 freezing years in this city as an English Lit undergrad, Talking Leaves Books was my great escape to the exciting world of contemporary writing. Like most indie stores, they lack the endless supply of best selling authors, but make up for it with a selection of hidden treasures, hard-to-find masterpieces, and works that would otherwise fall off your radar. (This is were I discovered the amazing work of Howard Frank Mosher.)

With floor to ceiling shelves lining the walls, table displays, and rotating stands, this store is the embodiment of mom-and-pop shops. But rather than deter the shopper, it draw’s your attention to the store’s true success—the three rows of tabletop books presented to you when first entering the store. There’s a definite sense of trust when perusing the titles laid out, like receiving a grandmother’s favorite recipe: you know it’ll be good because the person recommending it knows just what you like.

Talking Leaves table o' books

So while they may carry a copy or two of the NYT Bestsellers, or the latest vampire craze title, it’s real specialty is leading you to the book you should be reading, not the one Oprah’s reading.

So next time you’re up to see the Falls (American side, of course), think about stopping for some wings, some sponge candy, and a browse through Talking Leaves Books.

*An interesting new addition I discovered this fall was the presence of Indie Bound, “a community-oriented movement [that] brings together booksellers, readers, indie retailers, local business alliances, and anyone else with a passionate belief that healthy local economies help communities thrive.” From the decal at the front window to the customary Bestseller labels, this store screams Indie Bound Supported.

-Lara Selavka

(Quick note… Lara has graciously volunteered to write up various indie bookstores in and around the New York area for us on a more-or-less regular schedule (to be determined based on her own personal schedule)!  Yay!  Thanks, Lara, and we look forward to hearing more about the great indie stores you visit! -Kristina)

About Young Publishers Today

Finally, read about the authors of this blog!  Go to our YPT PYTs page to find out more about us. 

Our “contact us” page will be coming soon as well.

-Emily