Mystery Writers of America joins with RWA and SFWA in complaints regarding Harlequin Horizons

November 21, 6:09 AMMystery Series ExaminerCarol Thomas

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Mystery Series Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Bloggers have been busy this week responding to the developments in the ongoing story of the criticism Harlequin Enterprises is receiving for its creation of its Harlequin Horizons division. Harlequin describes the newly established division as being in the self-publishing business. Harlequin's detractors consider it a vanity press.

MWA board member and mystery series author Lee
Goldberg was one of the first writers to blog in support
of the MWA statement on Harlequin Horizons. (Creative
Commons Attribution License photo by Mark Coggins)

Among the most influential critics of Harlequin's new venture are three professional writers associations – the Romance Writers of America, the Mystery Writers of America and the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. Each of these organizations includes Harlequin authors among its members since Harlequin, despite its traditional identification with romance imprints, publishes in many genres.

Harlequin encountered resistance on November 18, 2009 from the Romance Writers of America (RWA). The RWA issued an RWA Alert to its members in which the organization's president, Michelle Monkou, explained that with its recent creation of Harlequin Horizons, "a vanity/subsidy press," Harlequin Enterprises no longer qualified for RWA-provided conference resources.

Members of the The Mystery Writers of America (MWA) received notice one day later, on November 19, of their professional association's criticism of both the Harlequin Horizons division and the eHarlequin Manuscript Critique service. The MWA had contacted Harlequin on November 9 regarding the publisher's eHarlequin Manuscript Critique service. With Harlequins' subsequent announcement of the creation of its Harlequin Horizons division, the MWA added that division to its area of concern.

The text of the statement from the Mystery Writers of America is now available on many blogs and websites, including In Reference to Murder. The MWA was particularly troubled over the potential conflict of interest caused by Harlequin's methods of marketing of both Harlequin Horizons and the eHarlequin Manuscript Critique service to potential authors. Harlequin's advertising techniques, the MWA maintained, "may mislead writers into believing they can enhance their chances of being published by Harlequin by paying for these services." In their November 9 letter to the publisher, the MWA gave Harlequin until December 15 to respond or risk losing its MWA Approved Publisher status.

Many mystery series writers were quick to blog in support of the MWA action. Lee Goldberg (Diagnosis Murder, Monk series) was one of the earliest respondents on A Writer's Life with his article,"MWA Takes Stand Against Harlequin." Goldberg is the MWA board member who is also the association's current liaison with Writer Beware, a publishing industry watchdog program originated by the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, which the MWA began co-sponsoring on August 10, 2009.

Goldberg was soon joined by Therese Szymanski (Motor City Thriller, Chronicles of Shawn Donnelly series) in "Harlequin's Breaking & Entering (into Vanity Publishing)" on Reese. Jack Getz (Austin Carr Mystery series) followed with his "Mystery Writers of America Vs. Harlequin" which he posted on The Crimes of Austin Carr.

The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) joined with the MWA on November 19 in the questioning of Harlequin's advertising practices. The SFWA's website displays the text of the SFWA statement, issued by the organization's president, Russell Davis, and Board of Directors. Clearly defining Harlequin Horizons as a "vanity press," the SFWA proclaimed its support of "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."

The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America voiced what is probably the ultimate hope of all the critics of Harlequin Horizons in its suggested remedy for the problems it sees with Harlequin's newest enterprise. It requests that Harlequin Enterprises respond to these issues by "immediately discontinuing this imprint and returning to doing business as an advance and royalty paying publisher."