Harlequin's decision to create a new branch has raised quite a fuss. Because the new press allows authors to self-publish, many have severely criticized Harlequin.
Why would such a big name press endanger itself in the industry? Marketers must have looked at models such as CreateSpace and seen dollar signs. Authors so eager to see their works published, they'll pay, especially to fall under the brand of Harlequin, long a well-respected name.
Now, Harlequin's seeing harsh signs such as "Banned," first from the Romance Writers of America, who excluded Harlequin from its annual conference resources, and now from the Mystery Writers of America, who will bar Harlequin authors from entering its Edgar Award competition. Many authors have supported the ban.
Harlequin scrambled to distance itself from the new branch by immediately changing its name from Harlequin Horizons to DellArte Press. But changing the name doesn't change the fact they're still part of Harlequin.
The problem of piracy is unfortunately related to the self-publishing issue. Some self-publishing sites are known to illegally post author's ebooks for free downloads. I won't list the one I know about here, but if you're an author, feel free to email me at cate.masters AT gmail.com for the name of the site so you can check it for your own work.
