Change of Plans
Erica Here:
In the 10+ years I have been a part of the Christian Publishing world, I've learned one basic truth:
Nothing moves as slowly or changes as quickly as as the publishing industry.
On Monday, the Christian publishing industry saw this in action when Harlequin, a division of HarperCollins Publishing, sent out an email to their authors announcing the closing of FIVE separate lines of Harlequin books.
Included in the closures was Harlequin Love Inspired Historical which will end in June of 2018.
The line for which Gabrielle Meyer and I write.
So many authors instantly and without warning effectively lost their jobs.
Shock, dismay, uncertainty, frustration, anger, denial....all the emotions. Something we thought was a steady certainty with a very loyal reader base, something we thought would always be there...suddenly wasn't. Isn't.
I wish I could say this was the first time something like this had happened to me. Several years ago, I experienced the same shock when Barbour announced it was closing the Heartsong line. Heartsong was where I got my start in traditional publishing, and one day it wasn't there.
I wondered if my career was over.
Turns out, it wasn't. But it wasn't what I thought it would be either. I thought I would publish lots of books with Heartsong, but the number was nine. I thought I would publish lots of books with Love Inspired Historical, and the number was three. (The third comes out this November.)
Monday's news was an unpleasant surprise, and my heart goes out to the LIH authors, the editorial staff, and especially to the readers who enjoy these stories each month. Right now, there are a lot of authors wondering if their careers are over, where should they turn now, and what does the future hold.
All I can say is, God is faithful. He is neither surprised nor dismayed by this news. I know from my own experience that publishing lines close, editors leave, agents change careers, contracts fall through, bookstores close, companies declare bankruptcy...and much more...and through it all, God is faithful.
We need to be faithful, too. If we are called to write and share stories, God will open the doors.
I ask for your prayers, for the authors who are grieving, for the editors who will have to be making changes, and for our readers. Pray for peace, for direction, and that no matter what, we will seek to glorify God with our words and our attitudes.
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In the 10+ years I have been a part of the Christian Publishing world, I've learned one basic truth:
Nothing moves as slowly or changes as quickly as as the publishing industry.
On Monday, the Christian publishing industry saw this in action when Harlequin, a division of HarperCollins Publishing, sent out an email to their authors announcing the closing of FIVE separate lines of Harlequin books.
Included in the closures was Harlequin Love Inspired Historical which will end in June of 2018.
The line for which Gabrielle Meyer and I write.
So many authors instantly and without warning effectively lost their jobs.
Shock, dismay, uncertainty, frustration, anger, denial....all the emotions. Something we thought was a steady certainty with a very loyal reader base, something we thought would always be there...suddenly wasn't. Isn't.
I wish I could say this was the first time something like this had happened to me. Several years ago, I experienced the same shock when Barbour announced it was closing the Heartsong line. Heartsong was where I got my start in traditional publishing, and one day it wasn't there.
I wondered if my career was over.
Turns out, it wasn't. But it wasn't what I thought it would be either. I thought I would publish lots of books with Heartsong, but the number was nine. I thought I would publish lots of books with Love Inspired Historical, and the number was three. (The third comes out this November.)
Monday's news was an unpleasant surprise, and my heart goes out to the LIH authors, the editorial staff, and especially to the readers who enjoy these stories each month. Right now, there are a lot of authors wondering if their careers are over, where should they turn now, and what does the future hold.
All I can say is, God is faithful. He is neither surprised nor dismayed by this news. I know from my own experience that publishing lines close, editors leave, agents change careers, contracts fall through, bookstores close, companies declare bankruptcy...and much more...and through it all, God is faithful.
We need to be faithful, too. If we are called to write and share stories, God will open the doors.
I ask for your prayers, for the authors who are grieving, for the editors who will have to be making changes, and for our readers. Pray for peace, for direction, and that no matter what, we will seek to glorify God with our words and our attitudes.
SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER
Find me on AMAZON.COM
Find me on FACEBOOK
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