Harlequin ventures into YA market

Harlequin ventures into YA market
by: Suzanne Gardner

In the hopes of capitalizing on the popularity of the Harry Potter books and the Twilight series, Harlequin Books is launching a new imprint this fall targeted at the young adult market. The imprint, called Harlequin Teen, will publish novels in several genres, including science fiction, fantasy, and mystery.

The imprint has been in the planning stages for several years now, according to Harlequin staffers, but it didn’t receive the green light until 2008. In the early days of development, editors from various Harlequin imprints were all asked to acquire titles for the new line. Within a few months, however, senior editor Natashya Wilson, who is based in the New York office, was given sole responsibility for Harlequin Teen.

“I’ve always been a YA reader, I never stopped reading it since I was young,” explains Wilson. “I’m familiar with a lot of the authors […] and I’m also probably one of the three biggest Twilight fans in the whole company.” Wilson is currently the only dedicated staffer assigned to Harlequin Teen, with support coming from employees at both the Canadian and U.S. offices. According to Wilson, more full-time employees may be brought in to work on the line, but no decisions will be made until after sales figures begin to roll in.

The program will kick off with three urban fantasy novels: Rachel Vincent’s My Soul to Take, which launches in August; Gena Showalter’s Intertwined in September; and a reprint of a 2004 Harlequin Luna novel by P.C. Cast called Elphame’s Choice in October. Print runs have not yet been determined. Going forward, Wilson says she is currently planning 17 books for 2010, and 18 to 20 books for 2011.

In order to set the teen line apart from the company’s many adult lines, titles will not be stocked in Harlequin racks or in romance sections – they will be shelved in YA sections as standalone titles. Although each book will be identified as a Harlequin Teen novel by a logo on the spine, they will not have a distinct series look.

In addition to marketing through Facebook and MySpace, the company has created an online focus group of almost 300 youths, who will be asked to voice their opinions on potential covers and story lines. A digital prequel to the imprint’s first book, My Soul to Take, will also be available in July as a free e-book and audio book.

From: Quill & Quire