On Saturday, the Horror Writers Association (HWA) stepped into the fray and joined RWA, SFWA and MWA by releasing a public statement expressing their disappointment in Harlequin over the ridiculous Harlequin Horizons pay-to-be-published vanity program they plan to start including information about in their rejection letters (or maybe it's just called Horizons now, since Harlequin already backtracked approximately a millimeter by offering to remove their name from the program--but not stop the program itself).

I don't know if the following is HWA's statement in its entirety, it's just what was left in the comments of my previous post on the matter:

HWA asks that Harlequin acknowledge that the imprint does not represent a genuine opportunity for aspiring authors to hone their skills, because no editors will be vying for or editing the manuscripts. HWA supports the basic principal that writers should be paid for their work, not pay because they aspire to write.

The HWA does not believe that changing the name of the imprint in an attempt to disguise the relationship with Harlequin, changes the intent. We call on Harlequin to discontinue this imprint immediately. If this matter does not find a positive resolution, the HWA will take appropriate action, which may include removing Harlequin from the list of HWA approved publishers, declining future membership applications from authors published by Harlequin and declaring that books published by Harlequin will not be eligible for the Stoker Award.

Deborah LeBlanc
President
The Horror Writers Association

I'm glad to see HWA taking a stance, even if it's several days after everyone else. While HWA's relationship with Harlequin is nowhere near as strong as RWA's, or even SFWA's or MWA's, I reckon, the cumulative stance of these four major writers organizations against Harlequin's questionable business decision have a collective weight that makes it all the harder to ignore. Here's hoping the Horizons program gets dropped entirely in the next few weeks, or sooner.

On a side note, I didn't know HWA had a list of approved publishers! I'm told it's something they're currently working on, and I think it's a great idea. I also didn't know HWA is going to start disqualifying vanity press publications from Bram Stoker Award eligibility, but I think that's kind of a great idea too.

The saga of Harlequin Horizons continues to unfold like the world's most compelling soap opera!

After the Romance Writers of America (RWA) applied an almost instantaneous smackdown yesterday, the Mystery Writers of America (MWA) came down hard and fast too, sending Harlequin a strongly worded letter and detailing in a public statement the consequences that might befall Harlequin if they continue down this road:

If MWA and Harlequin are unable to reach an agreement, MWA will take appropriate action which may include removing Harlequin from the list of MWA approved publishers, declining future membership applications from authors published by Harlequin and declaring that books published by Harlequin will not be eligible for the Edgar Awards.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) also released a strongly worded statement, saying in part:

SFWA calls on Harlequin to openly acknowledge that Harlequin Horizon titles will not be distributed to brick-and-mortar bookstores, thus ensuring that the titles will not be breaking into the real fiction market. SFWA also asks that Harlequin acknowledge that the imprint does not represent a genuine opportunity for aspiring authors to hone their skills, as no editor will be vetting or working on the manuscripts. Further, SFWA believes that work published with Harlequin Horizons may injure writing careers by associating authors’ names with small sales levels reflected by the imprint’s lack of distribution, as well as its emphasis upon income received from writers and not readers. SFWA supports the fundamental principle that writers should be paid for their work, and even those who aspire to professional status and payment ought not to be charged for the privilege of having those aspirations.

Until such time as Harlequin changes course, and returns to a model of legitimately working with authors instead of charging authors for publishing services, SFWA has no choice but to be absolutely clear that NO titles from ANY Harlequin imprint will be counted as qualifying for membership in SFWA. Further, Harlequin should be on notice that while the rules of our annual Nebula Award do not expressly prohibit self-published titles from winning, it is highly unlikely that our membership would ever nominate or vote for a work that was published in this manner.

I didn't see a statement from the Horror Writers Association (HWA) on the matter, but I'm no longer a member and might have missed any internal memos sent to the membership. (Through a technical oversight, I still have access to HWA's message board, but I didn't see anything there about it.)

Yesterday, just two days after Harlequin Horizons was announced, Donna Hayes, the CEO of Harlequin, released a statement basically giving in to the pressure, mostly RWA's, though the cumulative effect of MWA's and SFWA's public stances shouldn't be discounted. But when I say they gave in, I mean they only sort of did. Here is the statement Hayes released, with some commentary on my part:

Harlequin was very surprised and dismayed to receive notice late yesterday that the RWA has decided that Harlequin is no longer eligible for RWA-provided conference resources. We were even more surprised to discover that the RWA sent a notice to its membership announcing this decision, before allowing Harlequin to respond or engage in a discussion about it with the RWA board.

And what would those private discussions have accomplished? Very little, I suspect, other than Harlequin asking RWA to reconsider and RWA either standing its ground or caving to the biggest and arguably most powerful publisher of their genre. It's sad but true that public shaming often results in swifter and more appropriate action than internal dialogue does in these kinds of situations.

Harlequin has been a significant supporter of the RWA for many years in several ways, including:

• financial sponsorships at the annual conference
• sending editors to the national and regional chapter conferences throughout the year to meet with and advise aspiring authors and participate in panel discussions on writing
• celebrating our authors, most of whom are RWA members, annually with the largest publisher party at the conference.

It is disappointing that the RWA has not recognized that publishing models have and will continue to change.

This is bullshit. Vanity publishing is not an emerging business paradigm within the industry. Instead, it's an age-old scam that preys on the hopes and dreams of aspiring writers, and does nothing for them in return but cause heartbreak, grief and the arrested development of their careers. When a writer pays a company to publish his or her book, it's not publishing, it's printing, and that's only a sliver of what real publishers provide. Also important are things like distribution, promotion and advertising, things vanity publishers will only do if you pay them extra. It's not a publishing model, it's a get-rich-quick scheme on behalf of everyone involved--except the author. For the author, it's a lose-money-fast scheme.

As a leading publisher of women's fiction in a rapidly changing environment, Harlequin's intention is to provide authors access to all publishing opportunities, traditional or otherwise.

Again I call bullshit--vanity presses are not publishing opportunities, they're money-draining traps--but this is clearly Harlequin just trying to save face after making a boneheaded decision.

Most importantly, however, we have heard the concerns that you, our authors, have expressed regarding the potential confusion between this venture and our traditional business. As such, we are changing the name of the self-publishing company from Harlequin Horizons to a designation that will not refer to Harlequin in any way. We will initiate this process immediately. We hope this allays the fears many of you have communicated to us.

It's a start, but I don't know how happy RWA or others will be with this development. SFWA has already said they won't accept a simple name change in lieu of ending the program altogether. And I think they're right to do so. Changing the name doesn't change the practice. If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, the personal decision to call it a pig doesn't change the fact that it's a duck. Harlequin will still be in the vanity press business, only it won't use the Harlequin name for that particular arm of its enterprise. Luckily, without the Harlequin name attached I suspect a lot fewer aspiring authors will be tempted to partake, which means the program won't be as fruitful as they'd hoped, which in turn means it might get shut down rather quickly. And, if I may posit a conspiracy theory, that might be exactly what Harlequin is hoping for. Citing a lack of business in shutting the program down, rather than citing the displeasure of writers' organizations, might be just the face-saving excuse they're looking for to put this mess behind them.

We are committed to connecting with our authors and aspiring authors in a significant way and encourage you to continue to share your thoughts with us.

Sincerely

Donna Hayes
Publisher and Chief Executive Officer
Harlequin Enterprises Limited

Here, Hayes and I agree. I encourage people to continue sharing their thoughts about this stupid vanity publishing program with Harlequin too!

It seems like every morning there's newer and more fabulous information to share about Harlequin's bone-headed vanity-publishing plan, Harlequin Horizons. For some background on this story if you're new to this blog, check here and here.

But today's news is actually good news. Or rather, awesome news! And it comes from the Romance Writers of America (RWA), whom I now love with a passion (no pun intended). In response to the Harlequin Horizons program, the RWA released this statement:

Dear Members:

Romance Writers of America was informed of the new venture between Harlequin Enterprises and ASI Solutions to form Harlequin Horizons, a vanity/subsidy press. Many of you have asked the organization to state its position regarding this new development. As a matter of policy, we do not endorse any publisher’s business model. Our mission is the advancement of the professional interests of career-focused romance writers.

One of your member benefits is the annual National Conference. RWA allocates select conference resources to non-subsidy/non-vanity presses that meet the eligibility requirements to obtain those resources. Eligible publishers are provided free meeting space for book signings, are given the opportunity to hold editor appointments, and are allowed to offer spotlights on their programs.

With the launch of Harlequin Horizons, Harlequin Enterprises no longer meets the requirements to be eligible for RWA-provided conference resources. This does not mean that Harlequin Enterprises cannot attend the conference. Like all non-eligible publishers, they are welcome to attend. However, as a non-eligible publisher, they would fund their own conference fees and they would not be provided with conference resources by RWA to publicize or promote the company or its imprints....

Aside from her very clear, principled stand, you kind of have to read between the lines of RWA President Michelle Monkou's letter to truly understand the awesome here. Essentially, RWA is doing to Harlequin exactly what Harlequin is doing to its submitting authors--namely, RWA is telling Harlequin that they are no longer invited to its annual conference, but they can still come if they pay RWA to do so. Now not only does Harlequin have to pay what I hope are exorbitant fees in order to have a presence at the biggest and most important romance writers conference in the country, if not the world, but also their booth will now probably be relegated to the RWA conference's version of the BEA's "vanity press row."

Way to turn the tables on Harlequin, RWA! I applaud you!

So I visited the Harlequin Horizons website to see what services they offer for your money. Most of it is the usual: editorial services, internet marketing, advertising. And then I found this.

Harlequin Horizons charges $20,000 for a "Hollywood" style book trailer!

$20,000!

Seriously, this is just looking worse and worse. Always remember, folks, money flows to the writer. Anything else is just a scam designed to separate you from your hard-earned cash.

By the very funny--and astute--cartoonist Jeffrey Koterba.

Over at Fresh Fiction, Sabrina Marino has these kind words to say about my novel, Hunt at World's End:

"This third story in the Gabriel Hunt series, written by Nicholas Kaufmann, moves along at a clipped pace. One exciting twist after another will put a smile on the reader's face."

Here's hoping!

Wow! Through the ego-stoking magic that is the Google Alert, I just discovered that David McDonnell, the Editor of Starlog, is reading my Gabriel Hunt novel, Hunt at World's End!

Starlog was actually one of the very first magazines I ever asked my parents to buy for me as a child, along with Famous Monsters of Filmland. I think that makes this even cooler.

My second column for the Internet Review of Science Fiction, "The Genre on the Doorstep," is now live at the site. It's the second installment in a two-part discussion with preeminent horror literary critic mssrcrankypants, and this time we focus on trends in the genre and the issues we feel might be keeping horror in a rut. Check it out when you have a moment.

Looks like "Kill Brian Keene In Your Blog Day" was a rousing success! At last count, our poor victim met with a whopping 46 untimely demises. If you know of any more that aren't on the list I linked to, please let me know and I'll forward the information to Brian.

While there are no immediate plans to collect these vignettes into a fundraising anthology the way we did for Jack Haringa Must Die! last year, stay tuned for further developments should they arise.

In other news, I see my nemesis, the abominable Maurice Broaddus, has turned his evil attentions in my direction once more. Among his many nefarious accomplishments this past year, Maurice has diabolically sold an urban fantasy trilogy called "King Maker" to Angry Robot Books, a new imprint of HarperCollins dedicated to modern adult science fiction and fantasy. The first volume is due out in the spring of 2010. I know I'll be watching closely, and reading even closer. I have to keep a sharp eye on my nemesis at all times!

An interview with me conducted by Fear Zone editor Greg Lamberson is now live at the site.

Read it if you dare, and discover for yourself:

The astounding time my grade school teacher caught me writing a story instead of paying attention, snatched it away and read it out loud in front of the WHOLE CLASS!

The secret too madness-inducing to ever tell before about what it was like to work with Charles Ardai on Hunt at World's End!

The mind-blowing role the band Trivium played in the genesis of Chasing the Dragon!

The startling reason I can't write high fantasy!

The shocking truth about why I don't go to online horror message boards!

The terrifying explanation as to why, after thirteen years, I'm not a member of the Horror Writers Association anymore!

Do you dare click the link and behold the author interview that witnesses madness?

Spotted at the Union Square Barnes & Noble in NYC.

Hunt at World's End officially hits bookstore shelves today! Keep an eye out for it, and if you happen to run across any at your local bookstore, are in possession of a camera and have a moment, why not snap a quick photo and send it to me at nkaufmann AT nyc DOT rr DOT com? I'll post it on my blog.

(Also, here's a funny story. I went into my local B&N yesterday to see if by chance World's End was out on the shelves yet even though it was one day early. As it turns out, it wasn't out because they were sticking with the proper release date. So, pretending to be just another Joe Customer, I asked how many copies they had waiting in receiving. The clerk replied, "Two." Sigh. Like the Sam Kinison joke says, it never ends!)

Just a reminder: today (Tuesday) at 5:30 P.M. (or 5 P.M. if you want to network with coffee first--and who DOESN'T?!) I'll be a panelist at the Foundation Center's "Getting Published: A Forum for Writers." Joining me will be playwright Arlene Hutton (The Nibroc Trilogy) and author Deborah Ludwig (Rebirth: A Leukemia Survivor's Journal of Healing during Chemotherapy, Bone Marrow Transplant, and Recovery), with the inimitable Joey Guastella moderating.

Joey tells me that as of Friday afternoon more than 90 people have signed up for this free event. There might still be some room left, though, so if it sounds like your cup of tea, you can use the registration form on the page I linked to above.

Once again, here's the info:

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
5:30-7:30 P.M.
5:00 P.M.: Check-in, networking, and coffee

The Foundation Center
New York Library/Learning Center
79 Fifth Ave., 2nd floor
New York, NY 10003

Here's looking forward to dozens of questions about how to write a query letter. Luckily, I know exactly what to tell them not to do!

On Tuesday, October 20, at 5:30 P.M. I will be taking part in the Foundation Center's "Getting Published: A Forum for Writers." Joining me on the panel will be playwright Arlene Hutton and author Deborah Ludwig, with Joey Guastella moderating. I have to admit I'm not familiar with Arlene or Deborah's work, but I'm sure the forum will be a fun and enlightening event.

Joey tells me that rather than having us panelists pontificate endlessly, there will instead be lots of audience Q&A. The focus will be on the nuts and bolts of the business of publishing as opposed to more esoteric topics like inspiration and genre choice, but when you open it up to the audience you never know what you're going to get. The last time I did this for the Foundation Center a few years ago, the other panelists and I got some great, insightful questions that none of us had anticipated, and I'm hoping this time we get some more of that.

Here's the info:

Tuesday, October 20, 2009
5:30-7:30 P.M.
5:00 P.M.: Check-in, networking, and coffee

The Foundation Center
New York Library/Learning Center
79 Fifth Ave., 2nd floor
New York, NY 10003

The program is free of charge, but they do ask that you register in advance because seating is limited. Last I heard, there were already 40+ people registered. You'll find a handy registration form on the page linked to above.

I've seen the book business from just about every angle--I've worked in publishing, book-related PR, have owned and operated my own bookstore, been a department manager for Barnes & Noble, have worked in a literary and film agent's office, and of course I've seen it from the other side of the table too as a published author. So if you're in New York, feel free to swing by and lob some questions at me. I promise to at least try to be entertaining!

Last month, when Fear Zone stopped being able to pay their contributors, I worried that my column, "The State of the Genre," would be orphaned. Behind the scenes, Stacey Janssen, the Editor-in-Chief of the Internet Review of Science Fiction, contacted me about giving the column a new home there, and today the very first installment of my new column, "Dead Air," is live at the site.

I knew if the column was to succeed at a venue like IROSF, where the audience wouldn't be as well versed in the genre as the readers of Fear Zone, I would need to up my game. I think I did a good job of it.

If you're so inclined, take a peek at the inaugural column, "At the Mountains of Misperception." (IROSF is a free site but requires logging in, so you might need to create a password and such. I'm told they don't require logging in anymore; it's available to everyone!) I hope you like it!

This lovely new blurb for Chasing the Dragon just landed in my Inbox this afternoon, from another of my favorite writers:

"Nicholas Kaufmann is one of my favorites. His books never disappoint, and Chasing the Dragon is no exception. Relentless and unflinching, Chasing the Dragon offers mayhem, meat puppets and one hell of a monster. Highly recommended!" -- Brian Keene, author of Darkness On the Edge of Town and Dead Sea

Get set for the trade paperback release in March, 2010, from ChiZine Publications!