The RITA for Contemporary Single Title goes to:
- At Hidden Falls by Barbara Freethy (Pocket Books; Micki Nuding, editor)
- Black Ties and Lullabies by Jane Graves (Grand Central Publishing Forever; Michele Bidelspach, editor)
- Heartstrings and Diamond Rings by Jane Graves (Grand Central Publishing Forever; Michele Bidelspach, editor)
- Silver Sparks by Starr Ambrose (Pocket Books; Abby Zidle, editor)
- Slow Dancing on Price's Pier by Lisa Dale (Berkley Publishing Group; Cindy Hwang, editor)
- The Welcome Home Garden Club by Lori Wilde (Avon Books; Lucia Macro, editor)
- Boomerang Bride by Fiona Lowe (Carina Press; Charlotte Herscher, editor)
- Summer at Seaside Cove by Jacquie D’Alessandro (Berkley Publishing Group; Cindy Hwang, editor)
I haven’t read the others, but Boomerang Bride was an excellent read. I’m glad it won the RITA!
I have mixed feelings about this win. I worry that the ebook publishing model of paying no advances will catch on. Carina Press is doing this while it’s parent company Harlequin is thriving. I don’t think it’s about experimentation as much as not investing much in writers and seeing how it goes. Publishers win, some writers win, but most writers lose.
Thank you, Sarah (and thank you Lia for your lovely words about the book)! We’re totally thrilled by Fiona’s win and so proud of her and the work everyone did on this title.
@Haven’tReadThisBook We might not pay advances, but we pay a higher royalty and we do invest heavily in our authors. We’re not throwing it at the wall to see what sticks or see how it goes. We’re putting a lot of thought, hard work and dedication into the books we choose to publish (only about 5% of what comes our way). We offer marketing and promotion, author training, much behind the scenes support, quality editorial support from experienced editors, first class covers, dialogue with retailers, and more. No advance doesn’t equal “not investing much”. (as my budget can attest!) It just means a different business model.
Angela James
Executive Editor, Carina Press