Comments on: Repent, Harlequin?

By: Maya M.

Maya M. — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 04:44:44 +0000

Thoughtful and convincing analysis. I’m linking to your post. Thanks.

By: Jackie Kessler

Jackie Kessler — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:02:46 +0000

Excellent post! Very nice call on shenanigans with the “booksellers return insurance.” And this isn’t even getting into the fact that the authors would have to warehouse, distribute and sell the books themselves.

And nowhere will you find information on how many books Horizons expects authors to sell.

And this doesn’t even get into how HQ is promoting this service **in its rejection letters.** So even though the author’s book isn’t good enough for Harlequin to pay the author for it, it’s still good enough for the author to pay HQ for it.

And if HQ has already rejected the book, isn’t its claim to keep its eye on Horizons authors as potential new talent for HQ published books also shenanigans?

And this doesn’t get into how HQ would take a majority of the author’s profit. And this is after the author has already paid for everything you mentioned in your post, in full.

There’s nothing wrong with self-publishing, if authors want to go that route. Personally, I think it is a difficult route, but it’s possible for authors to be successful at it (read: earn money), especially if they go the e-book route. But…

1. Why not first try to get published — and paid by publishers?

2. If you’re going to choose to print your book, why would anyone go with a vanity press, in which the publisher gets any profit at all? Doesn’t it make more sense to go with a true self-publishing outfit, like Lulu or Cafe Press, in which the author keeps 100% of the profit?

Thank you again for the terrific post.

By: Eirin

Eirin — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:43:13 +0000

Excellent summary! Also: For $119, your first chapter will be available for preview to libraries that decide to carry your book These books won't be eligible to participate in the CIP Program, making it exceedingly unlikely that any library, even your local ones, will bother to stock it. In fact, chances are they won't even take it as a donation.

By: ramarks

ramarks — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:29:31 +0000

Excellent summary falconesse! Instead of writing like I should be doing, I’ve been hooked on this trainwreck of an idea.

By: falconesse

falconesse — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:49:48 +0000

Thank you all for the comments!

Christine_Rose, you’re reading my mind. Comparing the Harlequin Horizons and AuthorHouse programs is definitely on the to-do list!

By: Christine_Rose

Christine_Rose — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:54:48 +0000

Hey, be sure to compare the HQHo site to the Authorhouse site. You’ll find it awfully familiar–except that Authorhouse is cheaper. Yes, cheaper! On the other hand, Westbow, the Thomas Nelson equivalent of this, is even more. At least Thomas Nelson didn’t have the ovaries to call themselves Thomas Nelson Horizons.

Oh, and all this is keeping me from concetrating on Nano also.

By: Katherine Allred

Katherine Allred — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:31:00 +0000

Marty said:

“So basically, if I pay Harlequin gobs of money, they’ll do a half assed job of printing my book?”

Not only will they do a half-assed job, Marty, if by some miracle you actually sell a copy the HQ HO will take 50% of your money. That’s part of what makes them a vanity press as opposed to a self-publisher.

By: liz m

liz m — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 00:14:45 +0000

Excellent summary.

By: Liz

Liz — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 23:38:53 +0000

Marty nailed it. “If you did a half-assed job writing it, we’ll do a half-assed job printing it. And if it’s actually pretty good, well, we’ll still do a half-assed job.”

#harlequinfail

By: falconesse

falconesse — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:32:36 +0000

Basically, yes. And it gets better — I’ll be posting a bit of a blogaround showing their even further asshattery.

The graph (well, a breakdown of the costs) is part of the plan for today’s post.