Honestly?? Who will stand up (with ME) and say they read them? Read them all the time or have even read ONE in the last 5 years???
I love them. They promise emotion and deliver. My mother and grandmother have read and traded them since before I was born.
And I'm here to defend them.
The name "Harlequin" seems to be tossed around (in this Romance Contest in several comments I've seen posted, and in conversations I've had recently with friends) as the "last resort" publishing house.
If a story seems trite and cliche and no agent wants to touch it, "Oh, well, I guess I can just send it to Harlequin."
If people have nothing nice to say, "Oh, this should make a good Harlequin."
Harlequin is a NY publishing house that publishes thousands of books a year and launched the careers of some of the biggest author names in the industry. Many best-selling authors still write for Harlequin because they like keeping their name out there and publishing more than one book in a year (which you typically see at other houses). Oh, and their international distribution is better than anyone in the business.
They are a shorter read. GREAT -- I'm too busy having a LIFE to sit down with a 400+ page snoozeville novel (and honestly, I could do without the extra setting, descriptions, and subplots).
Harlequin has published "guidelines" that everyone mistakenly confuses with "formulas," also GREAT -- I KNOW that if I pick up a red cover, I'll get a deep, steamy read. If I pick up a Superromance, there will be family, community and usually kids.
I want to know that I'm getting the HEA for my time investment (that's happily ever after).
You can't shove any drivel at Harlequin and get it published -- if you could, I wouldn't have 3 rejections from them in my drawer (on fairly good writing, if I do say so myself). Yes, I've been targetting them as my first-choice, rose-colored-glasses, pie-in-the-sky publisher, go figure.
If you're going to say something should be a Harlequin... make sure you've read one in recent history. I can recommend some good ones.
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I read a lot of the Blaze line (red books;) ). One great author is JO LEIGH, who wrote several books in a series with ex-Delta-Force heroes, the first one was called "Closer" and then "Release" was good in that same series.
A GREAT author (who also writes single titles for Brava) is JILL SHALVIS. "Room Service" if you can find it online since they have limited shelf-life in the stores, and "Shadow Hawk" is her newest, out now.
Anything by JULIE COHEN is good. She writes for the Mills&Boon Modern Extra line which can be a little harder to get a hold of since they come out in the UK (probably used ones on Amazon). She wrote "Featured Attraction" and "Being a Bad Girl" that I can remember off the top of my head. :)
That should get you started! :)
I read almost everything - from single title to Harlequin, etc. I've found bad books are not exclusive to Harlequin. Some of the best I've read fall into the "category" length books.... just as some of the worst I've read (and never could finish) were single titles from the likes of St. Martin, Pocket, Berkley, Avon, etc. But let's break down what entails "bad".... I think one person's view of a "bad" book isn't necessarily the same as another. Reading is subjective. We're all individuals and what makes me turn the pages quickly, laugh out loud, sigh, or get involved may not effect another the same way.....
So I'm hesitant to call any books bad - in fact, I like to use the phrase, "it wasn't my style" or even, "not my cup of tea".
Not being pc here - just being honest.
Another suggestion, if you can find a "Bombshell" line book from Sandra K. Moore, she'll make you a believer!! "The Orchid Hunter" and "Dead Reckoning."
I mostly read the Silhouette Desires, because they're about my length (around 50K words), and I'm not ashamed to say I submitted a manuscript there and got rejected. However, my book didn't fit their guidelines. I didn't know at the time that in order for the book to be considered for the Desire, the hero had to be filthy rich. And that's my fault, not a fault of the house, for not checking out their full guidelines on the series.
But I really do enjoy them, probably moreso than any of their other lines. I really dig their western ones, probably in part because westerns are one of my favorite genres, historical or contemporary.
But I must confess, even so, there are a few books in that line that make me think to myself how these people got purchased... :P
And even though I was ultimately rejected, they invited me to submit something else if I wanted, so that was nice. Never did though. That was about the time my career took off in other areas. I might try them again, however, I have found that writing straight contemporary romance isn't what I'm passionate about. I'm happy where I am right now. If I move on, I'm not so sure the Desire line will be for me, but I'll keep reading them anyhow. :P
~~Becka
if a reality check slaps me in the face!
Thanks for the recommendations, Sarah, on the contemporaries. I'll definitely pick some up and give them a try!
Some of the imprints contract strong, original works while others seem to tell the same tale over and over. But there's definitely markets for both types of writing (and reading)
I too have been going after Harliquin, trying to find where my story might fit with their publishing then adjust a bit. They seem to have a large range of sub-genres, and I don't seem to stay in any of them with my writings. At my actual last count 9 ideas to full ms fall under six different sub-genres.
Starbuck's once. From across the cafe this old man asked me if I was reading one of those sex novels. The blush on my face must have given me away, and he badgered me until I showed him the cover which displayed an amazing looking guy half-dressed. He teased me mercilessly. I'm telling you if you could die from embarrassment I would not be writing this now.
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