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Carina Press

Sonya Heaney

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Just feeling unreasonably antsy today so figured it wouldn't hurt to ask this! I participated in the CarinaPitch event in Feb and had a few requests. I sent in the full 3/4 and received feedback 4/15 that the editor I ended up sending to liked it a lot and was going to continue reading the full, which is exciting! However, do you know if the 12 week turnaround is from the initial submission (almost 12 weeks, ha!) or from the second letter with the feedback (not nearly 12 weeks, sigh)? Like everyone else, I don't want to be too annoying with a nudge!

I don't know, but I would guess that the twelve weeks is after the second submission. (edit: Mind you, I could be completely wrong about that!)

I always assume the timeframes given are just guidelines, because things always take longer than you expect in publishing - except when they don't, and then it happens crazy-fast. :D The only time I nudged a publisher around the three-month mark was when I had another offer, but wanted to go with the publisher who was taking longer to get back to me (and they were perfectly fine with me doing that).

I'm sure nobody would mind if you asked a polite question in a couple of weeks.
 
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astarte73

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Unfortunately for my nerves, I believe you're right. (I didn't submit anything twice though--I was just told that they would be reading the entire original submission rather than the first few chapters alone.) I actually chatted with the editor on DMs about something else entirely and they brought up that they thought I'd hear back by the end of May re: if it would go to acquisitions. I didn't want to intrude on a private DM to ask for any further response because that is weird and creepy.

I queried three different books over two years before landing my agent and am not a nudger by nature. She sent this project out to a number of houses from her end, but this one I handled on my own because it was from a pitch event and the way the link worked, it was easier for me to do. It was clear in my sub package that I have an agent, but the correspondence so far has been through me, so I am unsure if asking her to be the nudger is the right protocol?

I think part of my anxiety stems from being at a loss for which project to spend my time writing next. I have the opening four or five chapters for two books--a sequel to this which I am DYING to write, but hesitant to waste me time if no one bites on this one, and another which isn't quite as fun. Don't get me wrong, I love the second project but my heart would rather write the sequel first. I know in most instances it is foolish to write a sequel for an unsold first book, but I also know from watching my CPs race to deliver romance sequels that romance is a different beast and sequels are more of an expectation.

Sorry--I am totally babbling and just so damned anxious, and looking for some no-nonsense direction, haha.
 

Sonya Heaney

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Courtney Milan posted this on Twitter today:

Honestly, I probably should have seen this coming. Harlequin Australia just had a major shakeup, and moved their Carina-like digital-first line fully under the Harlequin umbrella. It looks like Harlequin US is doing exactly the same thing.

It's shocking to see Angela James (who MADE Carina) go, but it looks like the same thing that happened here over the past year.
 

Earthling

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Poor Angela. :(

What has the shakeup looked like in Harlequin Oz? I'm out of the loop and trying to picture what might happen to Carina.
 

Sonya Heaney

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What has the shakeup looked like in Harlequin Oz? I'm out of the loop and trying to picture what might happen to Carina.

The director of Harlequin Australia's digital-first imprint left last year, and when no replacement was appointed - and then the imprint's website disappeared - people were pretty sure it would fold. However, now Harlequin Australia has taken over the line fully, and the same editors and publishers for HQ and Mira are dealing with the digital-first authors.
 

amergina

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I don't want to paste the whole thing in, but the relevant bits for Carina from the reorg letter authors and agents got are this:

The series editorial team will be led by Dianne Moggy, VP Editorial. Dianne will be responsible for all Global Series and Carina Press Editorial programs, as well as the Author Engagement and Communications team. Dianne’s senior editorial team will be Glenda Howard, Sr. Executive Editor NY; Bryony Green, Executive Editor UK; Kathleen Scheibling, Executive Editor Toronto; Kerri Buckley, Sr. Editor Carina Press; and Malle Vallik, Editorial Director Author Engagement.

The Harlequin Brand Group will aggressively build the Harlequin and Carina Press brands and grow sales through new programs like Harlequin Studios, the Feel Good Project and other New Business Development opportunities.

As a result of this organizational realignment, Joanne Grant, Editorial Director Series and Angela James, Editorial Director Carina Press will be leaving Harlequin on July 19. We thank Jo and Angela for their many contributions and wish them all the best their future endeavors.


Kerri Buckley worked closely with Angela, so at least there is someone there who knows the direction she'd planned. Kerri (and Stephanie, the other full-time editor there) have always been excellent to work with. That said, I'm a Carina author and yes, very apprehensive about this reorg because I have no idea what the people above Carina mean by "aggressively build" the Carina brand.
 

Sonya Heaney

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The Harlequin Brand Group will aggressively build the Harlequin and Carina Press brands and grow sales through new programs like Harlequin Studios, the Feel Good Project and other New Business Development opportunities.

I thought about you when the announcement was made.

There's zero mention of all of this in the HQ groups on Facebook, but they're pushing the "Feel Good" project and all of that. Honestly, I have NO clue what any of it's about. Seems to have very little to do with books and a lot to do with.... some event with an actress from The Young and the Restless…? I have no idea. None of it sounds very Carina-ish.
 

Sheryl Nantus

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This is awful. That Angela James was let go without a hint of warning, literally HOURS before going to RWA and having to represent Carina at the HQN events...

To say it's disrespectful would be an understatement. After all the hard work she's done to build Carina...

*shakes head*

I am not impressed with HQN/Carina right now. Not that they care, but I'm not happy at all.
 

cool pop

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In FB groups, some are speculating that maybe this has something to do with that big controversy concerning the authors who write under the name "Alexa Riley" who got kicked off Amazon for breaking the TOS and maybe this is Harlequin saving face. For those who don't know Alexa Riley is a self-published pen name and was the biggest romance author on Amazon, making number ONE many times on Amazon charts. Supposedly Angela was an editor for the pen name. I don't know what's going on and not saying this is what happened but folks who are paying way more attention to the Alexa Riley scandal than I care to are saying this in the writing groups.
 
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Angela James

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In FB groups, some are speculating that maybe this has something to do with that big controversy concerning the authors who write under the name "Alexa Riley" who got kicked off Amazon for breaking the TOS and maybe this is Harlequin saving face. For those who don't know Alexa Riley is a self-published pen name and was the biggest romance author on Amazon, making number ONE many times on Amazon charts. Supposedly Angela was an editor for the pen name. I don't know what's going on and not saying this is what happened but folks who are paying way more attention to the Alexa Riley scandal than I care to are saying this in the writing groups.

Sometimes it can be a little soul sucking to watch some people dissect what's an incredibly hard, life-changing event for me and my family as if it's just a matter of curiosity, and I appreciate that so many in this thread are showing compassion and empathy. But, I have to say, this rumor is an absolute gift and it gave me what may have been my first real laugh all week, so thank you. Please, carry on!
 

NineLimes

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I don't want to get in trouble for spreading this, but my editor said that she heard on a loop that Beyonce's hairdresser's neighbor said that Harlequin let go of Angela because the Illuminati.


(I mean, we're writers, people. Let's come up with a REALLY good theory to cheer Angela up. xoxo)
 

Earthling

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I don't want to get in trouble for spreading this, but my editor said that she heard on a loop that Beyonce's hairdresser's neighbor said that Harlequin let go of Angela because the Illuminati.


(I mean, we're writers, people. Let's come up with a REALLY good theory to cheer Angela up. xoxo)

Does anyone know where Angela was when Kennedy was shot?

I'm just saying...
 

Brigid Barry

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Anything new on these folks since July of 2019? I submitted to Carina today, they're still using Submittable and asked for the full MS and synopsis up front with the query letter. Still promising a response within 12 weeks, otherwise nudge, which seems like it's been their deal the whole time.

ETA: in progress for whatever that's worth...
 
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