Self-publishing (and romance) takes an interesting turn

Interesting news in the world of self-publishing arrives in this NY Times blog, which reports on the partnership of Harlequin Enterprises (the romance publisher) and Author Solutions (a self-publisher). The resulting imprint, Harlequin Horizons, intrigues me for its mix of traditional and what used to be called vanity publishing.

Of note: a VP at Harlequin pointed out that editors will not vet the books (probably the main reason self-published books get such a bad rap). Also of note: authors will be charged $599 or more to publish and distribute their books, mostly in electronic format (the “and more” likely refers to editing, design, and other things that allow self-publishers to earn a profit). And one final note: authors will receive royalties equivalent to 50 percent of net proceeds on each sale, with Harlequin and Author Solutions splitting the rest.

In a time when traditional publishing is suffering greatly, this is an innovative solution: writers can self-publish in conjunction with a reputable publisher, and Harlequin editors have direct access to manuscripts and sales figures to see which books might be worth publishing under “more traditional contracts.” Harlequin VP Brent Lewis told the Times, “We’re hoping to find new authors through this new venture, which is the lifeblood of any publisher,” and also acknowledged that the new initiative provided a way for Harlequin to get involved in self-publishing, which has been a remarkably fast-growing sector in the world of books.

I’m guessing that the biggest reason writers self-publish is because they’ve been rejected by traditional publishers in an increasingly competitive market. But I’ve also spoken to many writers who have self-published, or plan to, because they have a great platform, and they want to have more control over the process and to keep more of the profits. Getting 50 percent of a book’s revenues sounds great to someone under a traditional publishing contract — but it doesn’t sound so great if you yourself have to pay to get the book published in the first place. But maybe the fine print makes it sound more attractive.

With the publishing industry in a crisis and self-published books still carrying such a strong stigma, it’s interesting to see this partnership emerge as, possibly, a sign of things to come. And romance isn’t the only genre: the blog also reports that Author Solutions has joined with religious publisher Thomas Nelson to create a new self-publishing imprint. It makes me wonder, What’s next? Whatever it is, I’ll be eager to see what happens.