Splat

[rolanni]

...also?

Oww.

So! Kirkus Reviews sees Harlequin's vanity publishing plan and realizes, ohmighod, those books will never get reviewed in a traditional venue, like, say Kirkus, and! there's money in them thar hills.

Announcing Kirkus Discoveries, where "independently published authors" can, for a mere $400 purchase a review*.

I think we're moving toward a business model here where only the wealthy can afford to publish. Maybe I'd better start a bookstore for "independently published authors" and sell shelf-space by the per-foot.

going to go bang my head against my desk now

Edited to add: OK; Kirkus was more forward-looking than Harlequin; here's a 2004 opinion piece on the Discoveries program, from the Christian Science Monitor. Thanks to slrose and janni for the heads-up.


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*Just in case someone doesn't know -- No, here in Genre Fiction Land we don't pay for reviews, either.

Comments

[shana.livejournal.com]

As I recall, Kirkus Discoveries has been around for a couple of years. Not that I actually ever look at those reviews. I do read the dead tree edition (the fiction half) for my job, though.

[janni.livejournal.com]

This is my recollection, too.