Will the Harlequin Controversy Affect Your Self-Publishing Route?
More and more, self-publishing for authors has become acceptable, in non-fiction and fiction.
Some of these self-publishers evolve into small publishing houses. However, some of the traditional publishers frown on this practice, while others look for good self-published books to pick up for themselves.
Recently there has been a controversy because Harlequin, the well-known romantic novel publishing house, announced they are creating a self-publishing imprint along with their traditional publishing. This has caused intense objections from various writers’ societies, who maintain they’ll reject Harlequin authors, whether traditionally or self published.
However, I know of numerous writers, of romance and mystery, of mainstream and children’s fiction, as well as non-fiction books, who are doing well with their self-published or small publisher produced books.
Authors (who also are a type of home business person) simply must be aware that with self-publishing, practically the entire promotion process lies with them. They also won’t receive a royalty and generally must pay “up-front money” for the printing, unless it’s a print-on-demand publisher.
Traditional publishers, however, expect authors (especially new and lesser known ones) to put a great deal of effort, and sometimes expense, into marketing their books and making themselves known.
Follow self-published and small publisher authors such as Janet Elaine Smith, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Nina Osier, Kristie Leigh Maguire, Kathleen (Katy) Walls, and others to see that you don’t have to be a traditionally published author to succeed. You become well known in your field, region, and worldwide when you write well and work at promotion…each in their own way.
Are you a self-published author?
(Romance image: sxc.hu)
5 Comments
Thanks so much for the mention, Mary Emma.
Now perhaps the Harlequin authors (as well as other traditionally published authors because of the controversy surrounding Harlequin’s decision to offer a self-publishing imprint) will realize the discrimination we self-published authors have known for years.
I am glad that this discrimination against self-published (or published by means not traditonal)authors has come out of the closet and is getting press. No matter what the type, discrimination is just plain wrong!
Just because some of us chose to go a different route in our writing and publishing careers does not mean we are not published and have not paid our dues. We have. Perhaps more so than the traditionally published authors because of the unfair discrimination we face every day just because we chose to travel a different route than others do.
I have thought many times about joining RWA because romance writing is my game and RWA is a well-known player in the game. However, why should I pay to join an organization who will not even recognize me as a published author because I chose to go my own route and self-publish instead of seeking traditional publishing through one of their “approved publishers”?
I am very much a published author and am very well known among my peers in the self-publishing field. I have won numerous awards including being voted the Best Up and Coming Romance Author of the Year and my novel Desert Heat being voted Romance of the Year by the reader/writer poll at the Affaire de Coeur Magazine. My books have placed in the Top Ten in the Preditor & Editor Poll.
I even began a publishing house (Star Publish LLC) for other authors and built it into a very successful and well-known business that is respected among the non-traditional publishing houses. Star Publish LLC was successful beyond my wildest dreams. I ran it for over 4 years before I sold it in order to have time to pursue my own writing again. Star Publish LLC is still going strong under the leadership of its new owner, T.C. McMullen.
I would like to suggest that it is past time for the traditional publishing industry (and RWA) to realize that times are changing and for them to change with the times. I seriously doubt that they will do so though. Change is a dangerous word for some.
I only wish that Harlequin had not folded under pressure and changed the name of its self-publish arm from Harlequin Horizons to a name that does not have the Harlequin name in it at all.
Kristie Leigh Maguire – successful self-published author and proud of it
Thanks, Kristie, for visiting Home Biz Notes and sharing your thoughts and information about self-publishing. As you say, times are changing. Self-publisning is a very viable field and many very good authors are self-published.
Very good article Mary Emma!!
Epi, thanks for visiting Home Biz Notes. You’re a successful self-published author, too, so know there is more than one way to go with publishing books.
[...] wrote the post, Will the Harlequin Controversy Affect Your Self-Publishing Route? award winning, self-published author, Kristie Leigh Maguire, provided this informative guest [...]