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Nov
22
Written by:
Lainey Bancroft
Sunday, November 22, 2009 12:00 AM
Would you pay to swim?
Yeah, if you've been online anywhere in Writerlandia or Romancelandia this week, you know where I'm going with this. I wasn't going to touch the whole Harlequin Horizons subject. Partly because others more knowledgeable and networked than I have covered all aspects, and for the most part quite well, but also because I prefer to leave the hot button topics alone.
This may make me appear cowardly or indecisive. Not so. I love a good discussion--a lively debate--as much as the next guy or gal. In person. Online? Not so much. Having lurked through a few of these situations, I find it funny--in a sad and peculiar way--how a seemingly innocent comment can be misconstrued by people who feel passionately about the subject. One faulty interpretation and before you know it the person you unintentionally irritated has restated your original comment and ten or twelve angry mob comments later you're credited with saying something that in no way resembles your original thought. Kinda like that old telephone game--only not nearly so much fun. 
After everything Harlequin has done to inform and encourage new writers--the forums, the articles and editor pod casts--their decision to open a pay-to-play press feels...dirty. Like a favorite uncle you thought was cuddling you when really he was copping a feel. BUT, I think RWA's sweeping one strike and you're o...u...t! move was every bit as hurtful to writers. No discussion. No negotiation. No consideration of the fact that Harlequin is a company who paid advances--and will continue to pay advances to Harlequin authors--and gave many their first break into the biz, just a quick 'you were naughty so we're not gonna play with you no moe!'
Think about it. What percentage of the 10 000 loyal, due-paying members of RWA write for or are targetting Harlequin? How fair is it to penalize all those members, many of whom make their living writing for various legitimate Harlequin imprints and have been long-time RWA members, just because of a poor business decision made by Harlequin's parent company? About as fair as it is to treat all epublished authors like third class citizens, as far as I'm concerned, which is why I no longer have RWA membership--but that's a whole 'nother discussion.
Harlequin Horizons IS a vanity publisher. Harlequin and the various imprints remain a legitimate, advance paying publisher. For the sake of their membership, I feel the RWA could have taken a step back and dealt with this better. For an established, single title author, it's fine for the RWA to suggest perhaps that author's career may be better served by seeking publication somewhere besides Harlequin. For an author or aspiring author who has spent years researching and targeting a particular Harlequin line, there IS no other publisher.
Will this RWA decision hurt category writers? It hurt their feelings, I'm sure, but I don't imagine exclusion from the BIG contest will hurt sales. Find me an average romance reader--and by average I mean a reader who has no aspirations to write--who gives a flying-you-know-what about the RITA or even knows what it is. For that matter, how many average romance readers even know what RWA is? I know I sure didn't six or seven years ago.
Will their new 'status' or lack-thereof at the big RWA shin-dig hurt Harlequin? C'mon people. This is freaking Harlequin we're talking about. If they opted to throw their own conference, do you honestly think Harlequin authors and aspiring authors wouldn't go?
7 comment(s) so far...
Re: If New Orleans Was Sinking...
I'd go. I wish RWA wasn't so divisive. I'm tired of all the segregating and junk. I want a writer's group as big as RWA but without all the segregating and judmentalism about who is or who is not a "real" writer. (Or, as they say, we're not judging the writers, just the publishers. Same thing...)
As far as RWA, they lept too far this time. They should have sat down and discussed with Harlequin. Harlequin certainly has earned it, by far. By way far.
The advertising is definitely misleading and slimy, but they have a right to make a profit, legally, how they see fit.
By Natasha Fondren on
Sunday, November 22, 2009 3:33 PM
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Me too, Natasha!
On all counts! I'd attend a Harlequin hosted conference, and I would love to join a writing organization where everyone who wrote--anything and everything and for whichever publisher, digital or otherwise--was just considered a MEMBER.
I have serious 'membership envy' when my online pals talk about how much they've gained from RWA meetings, conferences and friendships, but considering the RWA's stand on various issues, I just can't bring myself to give them my dues.
Yes, the 'make your publishing dreams come true' crap is spread a bit too thick for comfort on the Hh site and I certainly don't look forward to receiving a rejection from Harlequin that steers me somewhere that will only ask for my credit card. Bad business. But truthfully, I'm every bit as miffed at Harlequin distancing themselves from the e-division--Carina Press--as I am about them venturing into pay-to-play.
By Lainey Bancroft on
Sunday, November 22, 2009 3:49 PM
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Re: If New Orleans Was Sinking...
Honestly, I can't see that Harlequin will suffer ill effects from whatever RWA does. RWA is making themselves too god-like and that position will hurt them more than anyone else. Harlequin is to big to care what they think. They can do what they wish. Writers will still want to write for them - if some leave that leaves room for others - and readers will still read them.
What bothers me most is the way RWA is taking such a nasty stand against indie authors. Some of them are in it for vanity, yes. Many are not. Indies are getting stronger all the time because of the bickering and self-righteousness of the big names in the industry. A self-pubbed author was just named author of the year at Albany's library over traditional authors. Why? Her book was that good and went where restricted writers dare not go for fear of not getting a contract.
I get riled when RWA authors look down their noses at indies as though we're all publishing a bunch of garbage. I'm indie, always have been, but nothing I put out is garbage. And I'm not looking for a contract.
They're seriously THAT offended that independent authors might actually win contracts from Harlequin because they're using the new venue to be discovered? What are they so concerned about? That they might have to start proving themselves against indies?
Maybe they should. There's a heck of a lot of traditionally published garbage out there, also.
What's the big deal? It's a separate line, marked for what it is. It's not like Harlequin is just handing contracts to whoever asks for one. I'm more worried about them trying to corner the indie romance market as Amazon is trying to do with the indie market in general than anything else.
By LK Hunsaker on
Sunday, November 22, 2009 5:32 PM
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Bingo, LK!
"They're seriously THAT offended that independent authors might actually win contracts.... What are they so concerned about? That they might have to start proving themselves against indies?"
I think you've hit and driven in a good part of the nail.
Once epublished authors won a contest or two in the semi-major leagues, RWA changed contest eligibility so e/small press authors were neither 'fish nor foul' (ie; too published for the Golden Heart, unpublished category...and yet, not published enough to enter the RITA's)
You don't write crap and I have the pleasure of personally attesting to that. =) Neither do a LOT of epubbed and small press authors. I've read about 50/50 indie/e/small and NY the last little while and found I'm as likely to discover a lemon--and by lemon, I mean true boo-boos, a different family pet in chapter six than the one in chapter two, a daughter who was 'dark and swarthy' like her damn father in chapter one, and red-headed and freckled by chapter five (both NY hiccups fwiw)--in NY books as in indie/e/small press. I don't think it's so much RWA authors 'looking down noses' as it is the RWA 'establishment' which makes this extra sucky.
Let the readers decide.
By Lainey Bancroft on
Sunday, November 22, 2009 6:28 PM
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Re: If New Orleans Was Sinking...
Oops, I meant Harlequin authors looking down their noses.. a lot of big name published authors do everything they can to degrade indies. Sites everywhere broadcast you should never pay to publish your books or you're not a real author. So does that mean you should let someone pay to build your house before you can be considered a real homeowner? If someone else pays for you to live where you do, doesn't it belong more to them than it does to you? Just a thought to consider.
I'm reading a NY book now, a well-established writer I love, and have to stop and figure out where they are and what he means from time to time, something not normal for this author. I'm wondering if he changed editors and where the editor was to not realize we wouldn't catch what he was saying. Or that the jumping back and forth in time pushes the reader right out of the story. I've yet to read a recent NY book that didn't need better editing. Many have iffy writing, including bestsellers.
Sorry, you have me ranting. I'll hush now. ;-)
And thank you!
By LK Hunsaker on
Monday, November 23, 2009 1:53 PM
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LOL, LK!
You're still miles away from ranting. Go ahead and share your ideas and opinions. I love that.
Sadly, I think the 'look down noses' attitude can happen at any level on the publishing food chain. I've had NY authors say not so nice things about e-published work. I've also heard authors from the category lines at Harlequin belittled because they weren't single title...and yet other authors who have multiple releases or hard cover releases who feel that they're superior to mass market authors and so on and so on.
Basically, if a person is a meanie, they're going to find something to be mean about. Thankfully, I've encountered many more helpful and supportive authors--at every level from other newbies/epubbed to NY pubbed--than I have meanies. But the meanies still sting and get my back up now and again. :(
By Lainey Bancroft on
Monday, November 23, 2009 2:02 PM
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Re: If New Orleans Was Sinking...
Ah, of course you're right. They're everywhere and I don't get it. Isn't it easier to be supportive of each other than it is to be b***y? It feels better. ;-) I have certain genres and such I don't care for, but to each her own. No reason to be rude about it -- as long as it's marketed in the right place, LOL!
By LK Hunsaker on
Tuesday, November 24, 2009 6:12 PM
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