eReading is clearly taking hold, as evidenced by the soaring demand for Barnes & Noble Nook. Publisher’s are taking notice, and today, Harlequin announced the launch of Carina Press, a digital-only publishing house. This stand alone entity will be selling eBooks direct to consumers through their website and through other third party vendors.
As Harlequin is the world leader in romance novels, with their distinctive, bodice ripping identity, you can expect women’s fiction at Carina Press. They are actively seeking submissions in the genres of romance, erotica, science fiction, mystery, family sagas, and more.
Donna Hayes, CEO and Publisher of Harlequin hopes the new arm of the business will allow the discovery of new authors and unique voices that may not be able to find homes in traditional publishing houses. Hayes notes that "It definitely gives us greater flexibility in the type of editorial we can accept from authors and offer to readers. As well, we hope to reach a new group of readers with niche editorial."
Carina Press plans to launch in summer 2010 and will release new titles on a weekly basis.
Those submitting to Carina Press should be aware that no advances are being offered and more troubling, there will be no DRM protection.
One website reports that due to the lack of advances, it is not clear whether Harlequin will remain on the RWA (Romance Writers of America) Approved Publisher’s List or whether this will move into the vanity press category.
What is clear is that publisher’s are taking note of the eBook revolution and looking for new ways to reach readers.
Comments
I understand why DRM might superficially seem a writer's friend, ultimately it is a writer's - and democracy's - enemy. By putting up barriers to sharing, DRM severely restricts your ability to build your audience via word of mouth and other means. DRM is the friend of corporations who wish to eventually rent books, and restrict people's access to them for profit (cf. Amazon - 1984) or political reasons. Many artists, including myself and more famously sf author Cory Doctorow and the bank Radiohead, are building sales by giving away free stuff.
Online/hardcover/paperback SF & Fantasy publisher Baen Books have been selling it's online product with no DRM, and even giving some stories away (literally) and has had no issues with making a serious profit. Authors include Lois McMaster Bujold, Mercedes Lackey, and Phillip Jose Farmer. Better yet, unlike Amazon's Kindle once you buy a story, it stays bought. They have multiple formats for many handheld devices, or simple downloading to your PC. Bottom line-buy a book, be reading in 5 minutes, and never have to reach for my trousers, nice. Still no robots or flying cars, but the future isn't that bad so far. Glad Harlequin is following the working road.
The lack of DRM isn't troubling. It has been shown time and time again that those taking the initiative to give away a portion of there work to gain recognition have been hugely rewarded.
"... and more troubling, there will be no DRM protection ..."
What is troubling is that you think that no DRM is troubling.
DRM = Digital RENTAL Media regardless what others say. all DRM does is restrict people whom actually pay for said media, It has no effect on piracy whatsoever!!!
In the history of DRM, the tendency is always to remove it (iTunes being the most publicized case). DRM doesn't stop piracy at all, and it does make the real legal product inferior to the pirate product. Kindle will suffer, these startups will thrive.
Your "troubling" characterization is what's really troubling in your piece -- for two reasons. First, you offer no explanation of why you'd characterize the lack of DRM as troubling. Are you assuming that all people think like you do? If so, that's not a particularly effective approach for a journalist.
Second, DRM and the like are, IMHO, protectionist devices for the old-order corporate middlemen who are terrified that they may now actually have to add some value to the work of creative artists in order to earn their piece of the pie. DRM is, like a chastity belt, a bad and ultimately doomed-to-fail approach.
Good for Harlequin/Carina and good for the authors who publish through them. Maybe we're finally starting to see some partnership between business and artists instead of the exploitation that's gone on for far too long.
What could possibly be "troubling" about not using DRM? Is there some reason you don't want them to succeed in the marketplace? In study after study it's been proven that nothing drives piracy and/or apathy more quickly than DRM on a product. Why do you suppose Apple and many others are removing it from the products in their online music stores? Amazon still has it on their e-books, but I don't expect that will last much longer. It's costing them too many sales. I don't pirate anything, but I also don't buy anything that has DRM on it, and I know a lot of people who are the same way.
i find your lack of judgement.....troubling
I appreciate all the feedback on the DRM point. Personally, I have mixed feelings about DRM. I do feel strongly that any author who submits to Carina Press should be aware that there is no DRM offered and be able to make a decision for themselves.
I Find it troubling that you have a real disconnect on what you want how you understand this to work in your review of the Astak reader pro from Oct 7th you state,
"With the SD/SDHC feature, it allows you to expand easily and trade music and books with others on the memory cards."
Now I hope you realize that the fact that you find the lack of DRM troubling Is in Direct contrast to one of the features you find most attractive in your e-reader, the ability to share books and music with others. With DRM you lose that ability, thereby defeating the whole purpose.
Please think about what you want Before you condemn a company from giving you EXACTLY what you want.
The Writer of this article is totally wrong. DRM will eventually be obsolete its smart of Harlequin to do this first. Good for them hope others follow suit.
DRM translates to "You don't OWN the things you've bought." Period.
My favorite publisher, Baen Books, started selling DRM-free books from their website(webscriptions.net) back in late 1999. Their prices have always been reasonable, and the loyalty of their customers is unshakable.
If Carina and Harlequin go down that road, they'll find the same results for the same reasons. Forcing people to jailbreak what they've bought just so that they can choose HOW, WHEN, and WHERE to read what they've paid for is very poor marketing practice.
DRM. An analogy, for a better understanding...
Imagine, if Examiner.com were behind a "paywall". And after subscribers payed money and signed on to read your article, they were ONLY allowed to view the article from the computer which they originally used for the Examiner subscription registration.
And if their computer or eBook reader failed for any reason, their subscription AND all the articles they had ever bookmarked or saved would be gone forever. They would have to start a new subscription and start over.
Stories, fiction or not, were meant to be shared with others. As thousands of years of human history has already shown.
;)
Lack of DRM is troubling! Haha, that is too funny. The lack of DRM is a SELLING feature to most people. Humm, lets see... should I buy the book with or without DRM? Who honestly chooses the DRM? It is troubling that you don't seem to have any grasp of why consumers don't like DRM and why DRM is not good for consumers.
The next step after no advance is charging for the "privilege", while DRM is ineffective at preventing piracy and reduces legitimate purchases. Maybe they'll add the DRM when they start charging the author.
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