Update to Harlequin blog last week...

Harlequin has gone along and entered the self publishing world. They did do what they said and changed the name. They are now Dell Arte Press.

I did chat with a friend of mine who knows several H authors. Apparently not all are happy with the self publishing route H has taken.

Not being an H author, I guess I can view the issue from both sides of the road.

1. H wants to expand their business, that's what it is, A Business Decision. I mean come on, the economy isn't the greatest, everyone out there is looking for a way to keep bringing the bucks in.

2. Published authors with them can feel a bit put off. It takes a lot of hard work getting picked up by H and now you can - self publish...Hmmmm.

Here's the article for you all to read.

Harlequin responds to criticism of its self-publishing arm with a new name

By Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 11/25/2009 8:09:00 AM

In the wake of widespread criticism over its self-publishing imprint, Harlequin has changed the imprint’s name from Harlequin Horizons to DellArte Press. As Harlequin publisher and CEO Donna Hayes said it would, the company renamed the imprint to a designation “that [does] not refer to Harlequin in any way.” There is no mention of Harlequin on DellArte’s Web site.

Late last week, Romance Writers of America and other writers' associations spoke out against the November 17 announcement that Author Solutions had teamed with Harlequin to form Harlequin Horizons, an imprint for self-published romance authors. RWA deemed Harlequin no longer eligible for RWA-provided conference resources—meaning the publisher would not be entitled to enter any award competitions. Harlequin publisher and CEO Donna Hayes said the company was “surprised and dismayed” at RWA’s actions and said it would change the imprint’s name.

Harlequin did not respond to a request for comment this morning on the name change or if it was back in the good graces of the RWA. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers have called for Harlequin to completely cut ties to the self-pub program.

So tell me, what are you thinking? Several major writing organizations are now blackballing H for this decision.

Personally, I don't think it's fair at all to the wonderful authors published with H.

BUT, if it's listed in the organizations guidelines, then maybe H should have thought about that while making their decisions. And if they are in the guidelines out there for all to read, then can H really be OMG, I'm soooo surprised to hear this....Ah, that would be a big resounding, NO.

And now, will this decision keep authors from submitting to H??? Only time will tell.