The Behemoth Blinks

As has been noted pretty much everywhere on the publishing blogosphere, Harlequin has caved in the face of general censure and sanctions from the RWA, SFWA and MWA.

Author and all-around nifty guy John Scalzi has one of the best takes on the issues at hand, including a fantastically snarky read on Harlequin’s “poor, poor pitiful me” letter implying the RWA is not only MEAN and NOT NICE for sticking up for its members, but also behind the times for not recognizing the amazing potential of vanity publishing to make tons of money (for Harlequin/Torstar/ASI and virtually no one else).

Also, my crit partner — the ever-stylish and fabulously talented Barb Caridad Ferrer — answers Harlequin editor Stacy Boyd’s personal — and not associated with Harlequin in any way (see comment below) — blog on the topic of RWA/Harlequin relations in the wake of the HQN Horizons debacle here.

Questions remain. Will Harlequin further distance itself from this vanity press hot mess by removing all references to it from the eHarlequin site? Will they forbear from including solicitations for the vanity operation in rejection letters? Will they scrub the Horizons site clean of all “be a Harlequin author!” propaganda? Will any of this be enough to restore their standing with the various professional organizations they’ve managed to antagonize, not to mention the scores of authors — the legendary Nora Roberts among them — whom they’ve disappointed and disgusted?

And will the RWA — specifically those members who are also Harl authors — pay a price for their tough stance on this issue?

Tune in next week/month/year to find out, I guess. Same batshit crazy time, same batshit crazy channel.