The Inevitable Truth of Harlequin Horizons

By Peter Nevland - Nov 24 , 2009

It was inevitable. Traditional publishing sales kept falling and falling, while the number of self-published authors continued to rise. No business (at least no good business) would sit back and watch their company, their careers, and their passion fade away into oblivion. So last week, Harlequin, champion of the quickly churned-out romance novel, unveiled Harlequin Horizons, a new publishing service in partnership with Author Solutions, Inc., that would allow unknown authors to realize their dreams of having their book published for a price ranging from $599 to $1599.

You can’t really fault a business for trying to find new sources of revenue when their profits keep shrinking like the last muddy puddle in the middle of the desert. Self-published books now make up 50% of all the books that come to print. With so many people desperate to make their ideas last forever by securing them to actual paper, why not offer them the expertise of a well-established publishing house to make them look and read like all the other quality novels that Harlequin sells? After all, religious publisher Thomas Nelson already does it with West Bow Press.

The response of authors and writers groups has not been kind. Romance novel queen, Nora Roberts, complains that such a well-established publisher shouldn’t be duping unsuspecting authors with “dream fulfillment” simply to make money on manuscripts they would normally reject. The Romance Writers of America cited the same issue and declared that Harlequin authors would no longer be eligible for their annual awards. The Mystery Writers of America proclaimed that they would “consider removing Harlequin from its list of approved publishers, declining membership applications from Harlequin authors, and barring Harlequin books from entering the Edgar Awards.” And finally, the all-powerful Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America followed suit, calling for Harlequin to “discontinue this imprint and return to doing business as an advance and royalty paying publisher.”

Don’t bet on the outcry of the masses and writers’ associations to stop Harlequin or Thomas Nelson. Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson shot back in his blog that “much of the backlash has come from agents,” who offer “access to acquisition editors who otherwise wouldn’t give a would-be author the time of day.” He argues that the new model of publishing that Thomas Nelson and Harlequin has offered “takes away the would-be author’s need for access.” “Where is the public outcry about publishers being ripped off?” he asks. “We have been investing in authors for years . . . . Most of the books we publish don’t make money.”

But why do authors need access to a publishing company, Michael? If they secure your services and produce an incredible quality book, what do they do next? Who pays to print the actual copies, and how many will they print? Will the book find its way to the front of a Barnes & Noble store? Does the best-written novel sit at the top of The New York Times Bestseller list?

All the bickering and condemning of Harlequin Horizons reveals that very few people who write books or write about books know what actually sells them. Of all 38 articles I could find contributing their opinions, none talked about the impact that Harlequin’s announcement would have on marketing books. Every article focused on writing quality or an author’s right to be paid for their work.

So is it really writing quality or author payment up front that sells books? Did Dan Brown really sell so many copies of The Lost Symbol because of its Pulitzer prizewinning writing? Or was it because he already had an established following of people? Did the new Twilight movie post the third highest opening of all time due to its high quality of moviemaking? Or was it the enormous platform of hormone-fed teenage girls who’d read the books, seen the first movie, and gotten excited about the hunks on screen and the vampire romance with all its just-under-the-surface allusions to the raging passions they experience?

An author needs a significant following for their published book to sell. If they don’t have that, it takes a large amount of money and/or time to market and promote their book in order to make it a success. That means work for someone, and if you don’t do it yourself, no one will do it for you for free.

The problem I see with Harlequin Horizon’s publishing packages is not that they charge authors to publish their books, but that they charge them for the wrong things. What’s offered is professional editing, cover design, and manuscript feedback from experienced critics. Nowhere on their site do they explain how the publishing system works or what actually causes people to buy a book. Only with the “marketing plus” ($1199) and “Booksellers” ($1599) plan does an author get any kind of marketing help. That marketing help is merely a press release written and delivered to 100 “targeted” media outlets. On its own, you can buy that service from them for $360.

If you really want to find something valuable on the Harlequin Horizons website, look in the section titled “Marketing Services”. It’s a good list of all the components that should go into the marketing of a profitable book. Notice that these services will cost you significantly more money than their basic publishing packages alone. Depending on how serious you are or how much of a gamble you’re willing to take, you can buy their publicity services at prices ranging from $2700 to $11,999, and the latter will secure you a dedicated publicist for 3 months. Or you can make a list of everything you need and pour your life into making your book a success on your own.

You can realize your dream of publishing your own book without the services of Harlequin Horizons or any of the other myriad companies that ask you to pay for their manuscript expertise. Just remember that once you’re done creating a well-written, good looking book, you can’t avoid spending your time, effort, and money to print it and then more time, effort, and money convincing people to actually buy it.