Kristin Nelson just posted on her blog about Harlequin weighing in on RWA’s decision. They are changing the name to the self-publishing arm to something without Harlequin in the name. Still, not sure how that’s going to help since, you know, it’s still Harlequin behind all of it. (You can read the rest of the letter from the company on the Pub Rants blog).
Also, Mystery Writers of America has come out and said pretty much the same thing as RWA, but going one step further: declining future membership of any writer who is already legitimately published by any of the Harlequin imprints.
One word: ridiculous.
I understand the reasoning, but it seems to me everyone’s forgetting about the author in all of this.
If Harlequin and its imprints become “illegitimate” in the publishing world and agents stop submitting to them, that’s dozens of doors closing for authors currently looking for traditional publication. It will become even harder to become published (if one doesn’t count self-publishing).
Of course, the harder it becomes to be published traditionally, I see more and more writers turning to self-publishing. Perhaps this was Harlequin’s plan all along, although I sure hope not. 😦
Anyway, let’s hope for the sake of all of us writers out there aiming for publication that this all settles soon and a truce can be reached. Right now, the battle’s still raging, but perhaps it’ll come to a better end.
Tales from the Writing Front 
Comments on: "And the Waves Continue…" (7)
This is crazy, right? Harlequin is such a huge name and a cornerstone of the publishing business. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.
I see your worry for the authors, but when one business falls, I think another will rise. I really don’t want HQ to go down, but this business of theirs is really shady. Also, somone on a loop just pointed out a really good thing. HQ has stated that they’ll refer rejected writers to Horizons. By RWA allowing HQ to remain a eligible publisher who goes to conferences, etc, they’re giving HQ a free pass to refer Thousands to Horizon. To misle them and mislead them.
I really, really wish RWA didn’t have to exclude all the imprints, but from what I understand it’s in their bylaws. I’ve also heard that there are HQ authors on the RWA board.
It’s a messy situation and I hope HQ reconsiders.
Perhaps they can change their bylaws then. I’m still irritated at all of this–HQ for starting the whole thing mainly, but still irked at the others.
I wonder then–are they going to kick their board members off because of it? That would be ridiculous. 😛
Just because HQ is doing this doesn’t mean that suddenly these writers/authors who are published (or will be soon) by them should be punished.
I wish they could reconcile somehow. Bylaws can be changed–hoping they do that for some of the other imprints–of which there are dozens. I guess it’s just upsetting to see all of these authors being punished for it. I know it’s the principle of the matter but I’m still irked at it all.
Yeah, I agree. They all seem to have forgotten about the author and how this affects them.
Gotta agree with you, it does seem ridiculous. It also seems ridiculous to deny writers membership to an organization when you know they didn’t come through the self-publishing arm of the company.
By denying future memberships to authors, they’re going to be alienating a lot of people.
…Bah. >_<
Definitely waiting with baited breath here! In the meantime, life goes on and all we can do is write the next book. *sigh*