Also, please do not begin the story with the narrator apologizing for telling it. I don’t mind first person stories, but I sure do mind being told to throw the book away — I might just take the advice!

If you are still planning to market this as YA, ditch the “ass-hats”, unless you feel it absolutely necessary for the character. It might get through, but it will make a harder sell.

If it sounds like I don’t like this, I actually did. I’m a bit burnt out on paranormals, but I like the hn’s voice and am always open to something fresh and new.

if Harlequin had a separate website where members could join free and then were solicited through email to go to Horizons, would that be objectionable?

YES.

If, however, Harlequin had a free service like Authonomy, where writers could upload their stories and allow readers to pick and choose which ones they would most like to see published by Harlequin’s traditional imprints, and recommended that service, I would be OK with it.

(I hope they urge RandomHouse to sell its 49% interest in Xlibris and HarperCollins to shed Authonomy)

You’re comparing apples to oranges. Why? Why such the hard sell defense for Harlequin?

From the Authonomy website:

How much does it cost?

Nothing. It costs nothing to create a profile, to upload your book, or to read and recommend the books on offer.

I don’t know much about Authonomy, but I took five minutes to do a little research. It’s reader-approved slush, and any of the books chosen from it are fully backed by Harper and its imprints, not swept under the proverbial rug like some shameful secret.

Harlequin Horizons–or whatever the hell it is–is not reader-approved slush. It’s author-printed slush at a very high cost, a cost that is not just monetary. Owning a minority interest in a similar company does not compare. Owning a free reader-based services does not compare. Thomas Nelson owning West Bow Press does compare, but on a slightly lesser scale. (WBP may be pay-to-play, but at least I have seen a few of their titles in specialty stores. I’m not on board with WBP as a legitimate press at all, but those authors do have some distribution to brick-and-mortar stores.)

How do you feel about the Authonomy situation? I.e, if Harlequin had a separate website where members could join free and then were solicited through email to go to Horizons, would that be objectionable?

I may be splitting hairs but what if it is not Random House but the parent company that owns Xlibris? Does this alter the view and connectivity between Xlibris and RH?

From what I can tell, Random House itself is not actively engaging in vanity publishing or promoting such business practices.

I have been trying to find sources about Random House and Xlibris and am obviously suffering from search fail as I am not finding anything more recent than 2004.

As I stated in my previous comment, it’s not clear from any of the statements of the writers’ organizations except the SFWA which wants Harlequin to cease business with vanity presses, what the reason is for being unrecognized. As I read the RWA bylaws, Harlequin shouldn’t be deemed a Vanity Press. It’s one arm/imprint could be deemed it but not as a Publisher as a whole.

Author House bought/is in control of the majority portion of Xlibris in January of 2009.

Random House is not suggesting that people use Xlibris–Harlequin is actively promoting ASI.

The relationship between HQE and ASI is far more troublesome and problematic (guiding rejected authors to the services of ASI) because their relationship is not very clear cut and reminds me of the clerks at Sears who are forced to ask their customers why they do not have the store charge card.

I do not see why this is relevant as you are comparing apples to oranges:

“I hope they urge RandomHouse to sell its 49% interest in Xlibris and HarperCollins to shed Authonomy.”