The new imprint will feature ebooks and POD novels and novellas by current and new Avon authors.
The company said that Avon Impulse authors will benefit from “the same platforms” that Avon authors have as well as from “a dedicated ‘five-point’ marketing and publicity platform” that includes “cross promotion, digital marketing and publicity, social media outreach, interactive assets and coaching, as well as targeted online retail placement strategies.”
The company said that Avon Impulse e-books will be sold via all online retailers. POD copies will be available from online book retailers. According to the imprint’s website, Avon is taking this step in part because “traditional channels for mass market genre fiction are shrinking. Fewer grocery stores, drug stores, mall stores and superstores are carrying a broad selection of romance titles. While there is a strong consumer market for Avon titles, the channels that we have always depended on to grow new voices and publish broadly are under pressure.”
Avon Impulse’s first title is A Lady’s Wish, an original novella by Katharine Ashe that makes its debut next Tuesday, March 15. The imprint aims to release at least a title a week.
Avon Impulse will pay no advance to authors but will offer 25% royalties, beginning with the first title. After 10,000 copies of an e-book are sold, the royalty rate rises to 50%.
Unfortunately unlike Harlequins digital imprint (Carina) or publishers like Samhain these books will be infected with DRM. On the plus side, they won’t be geo restricted which for one of the big 6 is a step in the right direction.
Avon = HarperCollins =library/Ageny boycott = No Sale…
No advance and only 25% royalties? The author would have been better off self-publishing, especially for a $1.99 novella.
That 25% is also on net, not cover price. Not all that great.