You Too Can Be A Romance Novelist (For $599)

Harlequin announced it will open a new imprint called Harlequin Horizons for self-publishing projects. The 60-year-old publisher is teaming with Author Solutions to give both general self-publishing clients and rejectees from Harlequin imprints the chance to carry the romance publisher's name -- por dinero. Packages start at $599 and go up to $1,599, which will get you 25 free copies, a close edit of the first chapter "or 1700 words" and a "book signing kit" containing bookmarks and posters.

I have read some self-published books, and as you would expect some are good enough to blend in seamlessly at your local literature purveyor and some are error-ridden meandering nightmares. (Hint to self-publishers out there: At least make sure your protagonist has the same name throughout the book. Yes, that happened.) I know of at least one self-published author among those whose next book went to a major publisher, and hey, good for him.

But if I were a Harlequin author I'd be pretty depressed about the cheapening of the brand at its lower end. Regardless of what you think of their normal output -- of which I have read nothing -- the gap between being paid to publish and paying is still important in terms of what readers and other authors expect from you. Harlequin top brass may have thought it wasn't quite so important as making money, but as covered before, romance isn't feeling the recession like the rest of publishing.

Not to get all Snooty McHighbrowpants here, but the most I know about these books comes from the protagonist of LADY ORACLE who writes historical romances in secret -- a very funny subplot, if likely unrealistic.