You hear a lot of complaints from authors about their publishers and you know? That’s understandable. My husband works for an amazing company, but there are days he wants to sit upper management down for “a talk”. 🙂 The entities with so much control over our livelihoods are bound to inspire both positive and negative feelings at times. Right now? I’m just truly loving Harlequin.
For such a behemoth company, they are incredibly innovative. They’re always trying new things, looking for ways to reach more readers and opening doors for their authors. I’m sure you know they were the first major publisher to put their books out in digital format en masse. And I’m betting you’ve heard of their new electronic-only publishing venture, Carina Press. But I wonder if you know about all the print alternatives they continue to provide beyond their regular lines and imprints. The Manga versions of popular books and most recently their new venture—the Harlequin Showcase. Showcase is a single title venture (shelved with all the romance books, not the Harlequin series) that brings back previously released series books in a 2-in-1 format for readers who missed the books the first time around.
As an author, I’m thrilled by this new venture. Why? Because I get tons of letters weekly asking where readers can find my now out-of-print and often unavailable even in used venues Presents. So, when I was told one such story, “The Sicilian’s Marriage Arrangement” would be in the May launch, I was over the moon! I have a lot of readers who have asked about this story and where to get it and now, it’s available again in a 2-in-1 with Julia James’ “The Greek’s Virgin Bride.” How cool is that?
It’s your turn: If you could sit the publishers down and talk to them, what would you ask for as a reader?
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The Sicilian’s Marriage Arrangement
Harlequin Showcase: Reissue
ISBN-10: 0373688024
ISBN-13: 978-0373688029
Hope Bishop is stunned when darkly sexy Sicilian tycoon Luciana di Valerio proposes marriage. Brought up by her wealthy but distant grandfather, she is used to fading into the background. But Luciano’s sensual lovemaking makes her feel vibrantly alive. Hope falls in love with her husband and is blissfully happy—until she discovers that Luciano married her to fulfill his own ruthless agenda…!
The book also includes the fabulous “The Greek’s Virgin Bride” by Julia James.
Look for Showcases in the single title romance section of your favorite bookstores!
Buy: Borders ~ B&N ~ Chapters ~ Books-a-Million ~ Amazon
Book Trailer:
Award winning author Lucy Monroe published her first book in September of 2003. Since then she has sold more than 50 books to four publishers and hit national bestsellers lists in the US and England. Whether it’s a passionate Harlequin Presents, a sexy action adventure, or a steamy paranormal historical, Lucy’s books transport her readers to a special place where the heart rules and love conquers all.
You can find Lucy on the web at:
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Hi, Lucy!! Great to see you here! As for what I’d want from a publisher, I’d love the choice of print/ebook for just about all their titles, and to be able to get books new for longer than just the first couple months after release. Sometimes I find a new-to-me author and would love to support her writing by buying her backlist but it isn’t available 🙁
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Less generic titles! Or everything available in print and ebook for choice 😀
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Fedora…I’m so with you, but then most authors are going to be. 🙂
Ilona…I’d love to hear some titles that have really struck your fancy. I’m not the best at titles, so I turn my books in with titles like “Brava #7”. LOL
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LOL! I love it, Lucy! At least then you’re happily surprised by what titles your books actually end up with 😉
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There you go…it keeps an element of surprise in my life. 🙂
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I’m in agreement with Fedora. Sometimes I don’t have the money right away & have to wait & the book is gone. And have to find it at a used book store or a garage sale. Our local Walmart doesn’t get some of the authors I want either so then I have to find it online or something.
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Sue…it would be so, so lovely if bookstores just kept our titles out indefinitely. You are both absolutely dreaming of a world I want to live in. 😉
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I think publishers should take a clue from Disney’s blu-ray plan. They sell the Blu-Ray disc with a digital download. So they charge a little more for the item, but you get both so it feels like a deal. 😆
I think that would be a really great selling point for collectors. That way the print book can be kept pristine and the reader just uses the digital version.
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Why do some books in a series come out in hard back and others in paperback who decides? What makes you choose to release a book in print and others ebooks only?
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LOL – Valerie! I love the idea. 🙂
Oooh…Sherry, that’s a great question and I’d give money to know the answer. 😉
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😀 Hi Lucy and Delilah,
I think I ‘d have to say to have all books in Print or e-book format.
Carol L.
Lucky4750@aol.com
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Seems like a lot of readers want to know they can get all their favorite authors and/or titles in both formats. Thanks for chiming in Carol L. 🙂