Words of Wisdom from Harelquin's Vice President of Editorial

 

Happy Belated Thankgiving! 

Recently, I had the pleasure of  interiewing Harlequin's  Vice President of Editorial, Dianne Moggy; one of the most gracious ladies I know. She's someone I consider a friend.   Here' s what she had to say about the ever changing publishing world. 

It seems the more things change, the more they remain the same (my two cents).

1/ Can you tell us how you got your start in the book publishing business? What were some of the highlights of your career?

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism, but media jobs were limited when I graduated. But I’d been an avid Harlequin Romance and Presents reader in my teens and through a friend of a friend, was able to begin doing freelance reads for Harlequin while I looked for a full-time job. At the same time I was working as a temp and was placed at reception in Harlequin for a week. I failed as a receptionist, but I was able to apply for the position of Editorial Assistant, Gold Eagle Books, Harlequin’s men’s action-adventure division. That was forty years ago and I’ve been so fortunate to have had so many roles at Harlequin over the years.

Highlights are numerous including writing the cover copy for Gold Eagle’s (and Harlequin’s) first New York Times bestseller (I was either an editorial assistant or assistant editor at the time), launching MIRA Books and several other imprints that have become the foundation of the Harlequin Trade Program, working with Harlequin colleagues in our foreign offices on their editorial strategies and coming back as VP Editorial on the Harlequin Brand business, which includes Series and Carina Press. But the common highlight throughout my career has been working with talented, passionate, interesting colleagues and authors, all of whom have inspired me. I’ve travelled extensively thanks to the Harlequin global footprint:  I’ve flown to LA to have lunch with Academy-Award nominated author Janet Leigh, accompanied New York Times bestselling author Erica Spindler to Japan to launch MIRA with her incredible novel Red and I’ve celebrated with Debbie Macomber as she achieved her first New York Times bestseller with MIRA. It’s been a dream career.

 

2/ Who were some of the authors you helped get published? Where are they now?

This is a very difficult question to answer, because although I’ve acquired many fabulous authors, I’ve been fortunate to play a supportive/behind-the-scenes role in the careers of so many authors. Many went on to become New York Times bestselling authors (with Harlequin or other publishers), but each and every one brought joy through their stories to millions of Harlequin readers around the world.

 

3/ if you weren’t in the publishing business what would you be doing?

I’ve always joked that I’d be selling shoes (I do love shoes) or working for the UN as a peace negotiator, but in reality I would probably have ended up in the newspaper or radio business. At the time I accepted the editorial assistant role at Harlequin, I’d also had job offers at a local newspaper in northern Ontario and at a property management company in Toronto where I’d also been temping. The choice was easy!

  

4/Books and readers expectations have changed over the years. What are some of the tried-and-true tropes that continue to attract readers?

The tried and true tropes are not so different today than they were 40 years ago—despite the fact some authors and readers think they’ve just now stumbled across something innovative and new. Some are simply just packaged with a different name. Friends-to-lovers, enemies-to-lovers, secret babies, grumpy sunshine, the girl/boy next door, marriages of convenience, forced proximity, second-chance love, opposites attract, and all things cowboy all continue to attract readers.

 

5/ What are some of the changes you have seen in the publishing world over the years? Any predictions of where publishing is heading next?

I would like to have that crystal ball!

During my career, the launch of e-books has had a fundamental impact on the publishing business. First, it gave readers a different way of consuming content. Second it has provided authors with a different way of sharing their stories through self-publishing vs traditional publishing. More recently social media platforms, most notably Tik Tok, have changed the way readers find the books they want to read. And I’m not sure any of us would have predicted that the industry would be selling more audio editions than e-book editions by 2024. All of these changes have impacted the way all publishers package and market authors’ stories. And, perhaps most importantly, they’ve given reads more choice.

We now live in a world where AI has become a major disruptor—both positively and negatively. It’s critical that the story be original, but I do know that some AI tools will enhance our ability to reach the right reader with our authors’ books. Change is happening very quickly, but what hasn’t changed is that good story-telling is still key.

 

 6/ What kinds of stories are your editors buying, and what storylines are selling better than others?

 We’re acquiring new authors across all 11 Harlequin lines and I recommend that anyone interested in learning what we’re looking for or submitting, visit WriteForHarlequin.com or Harlequin.submittable.com. What sells does vary from line to line, but cowboy heroes, pregnant heroines, books featuring “dogs with jobs,” storylines featuring Amish characters, are all currently resonating. And it’s important to note that themes that sell in one market, don’t always sell in another and even themes that sell in one channel (e-book vs audio etc) may not perform at the same level.

7/The words high concept  stories are what publishers say they seek. What does high concept mean to you?

In the romance genre, it means hitting the bestselling tropes in a fresh and engaging way. It’s being able to communicate your story in an elevator pitch or one sentence that immediately lets the reader know what they can expect.

 8/Are there any Harlequin lines accepting unagented submissions?

 All Harlequin series accept unagented submissions.

9/ Any predictions as to where publishing is heading next? Will eBooks still be in vogue?

 eBooks will always resonate with a particular reader and at a particular time, but we’ve certainly seen a resurgence in print in some genres and, as referenced above, the audio format has taken over eBooks this year for the first time in terms of market share. What I really think this means is that reading isn’t going away, that more readers are finding the right format for them at the right time. It’s a good news story for authors and publishers.

10/ Changing directions. What do you do for fun?

 I love to travel, bake (I make a mean chocolate-chip shortbread cookie that is a holiday staple at the office) and although I haven’t had much time to do this recently, I enjoy refinishing old furniture.

11/ Before you leave us, are there any words of wisdom for those who continue to write and would prefer to be published traditionally?

From the beginning of my career, I’ve always felt that there are five key things to becoming published: be an avid reader in the genre that you want to write; write about what you know; be receptive to feedback—you might not agree with the feedback, but it is almost always an indicator that something isn’t working and needs to be rethought; be persistent if this is something you really want; and remember that timing can, in fact, play a key role.  And I’ll add a sixth: remember that the editor is not a god nor are they the enemy. They want what you want—a fabulous story that will entertain a whole lot of readers.

 12/ What’s next for Dianne Moggy?

I’m very excited about some changes and tweaks were making across several series from both a  content and packaging standpoint. We also have numerous upcoming titles that I encourage you all to watch for in the Harlequin Brand trade program: The Shots You Take by Rachel Reid (Carina Adores, March, hockey romance); The Other Sister by Jessica R. Patch (Love Inspired Trade, April, psychological thriller); Not So Fast by Karen Booth (Afterglow Books, May, Formula One romance) and Let’s Give ‘Em Pumpkin to Talk About by Isabelle Popp (Afterglow Books, August, contemporary romance).  

And we’re working on some new editorial projects that we aren’t quite ready to share, but that have the editorial team very excited.

On a personal note, I’m looking forward to the holidays and to start baking the 40+ dozen chocolate chip cookies that are on my list.

Dianne Moggy, VP Editorial (she/her)

416 448-7107 www.Harlequin.com
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