It was officially announced yesterday that as of the end of 2011, the Heartsong Presents book club will no longer be in existance. The book club is being cancelled and I was so stunned to hear this. HP has been around since 1992 – that’s almost twenty years of books and they’ve released over 1,000 titles! A lot of big-name Christian fiction authors got their start by writing for Heartsong Presents.
Well, with the world of publishing making drastic changes lately, I can’t say that I’m surprised. I did notice that when I received reader mail about my Heartsongs, the correspondence was always from an elderly person. I’m led to believe that the Heartsong demographic was older people and perhaps many of the members joined in the beginning and as time went on, it was hard to get more people to join the book club in recent years? It’s hard to say.
I was a member of this book club for several years. I’m still wrapping my mind around this stunning news! 🙁
Any comments about this? Why do you think this happened?
I’m sad, too, on several levels. The readers will likely miss getting that monthly shipment of books they enjoy and pass to friends and family members. HP authors will miss writing these wonderful little books, knowing some of our readers will let us know how they feel about our characters and stories. The industry has just lost quite a few opportunities for new authors to become published.
I pray that new opportunities for readers and writers will open.
I am sad to hear this news. I am not a old but I enjoyed reading them very much.
I’m one of those authors who grew up through the ranks of Heartsong. I started out writing novellas and then Heartsong and later my Texas Boardinghouse Brides series was released through Barbour’s trade fiction line. One thing that’s really sad about Heartsong closing is it will make things harder for first time authors to get published. Heartsong was a great place for new writers to get a start. I also enjoyed reading all the wonderful stories over the years. Heartsong will be missed.
@Debby, I agree with you. I’m wondering if Barbour will start another book club. Not like Heartsong, of course, but kind of like what Love Inspired does? I’m thinking they’d allow the HP book club members who are still around to have the novella collections automatically sent to their home each month? Not the same as Heartsong, but, they’ll be getting clean, wholesome romances delivered right to their door – romances that are authored by HP authors, for the most part? I’m guessing the marketing department has given this serious thought, and I know they wouldn’t want to lose the remaining members.
@Anonymous – I’m sad, too.
@Vickie – I agree. By HP closing, it’s the same as shutting the door on future publishing opportunities for new authors. The only place that I can think of that welcomes some new authors is Love Inspired.
I subscribe to the bookclub, too. Those were always good solid reads. I hate this. I had four books come from Heartsong Presents and I loved being part of it.
My first sale was to HP and it remains one of the sweetest moments of my life.
I wonder if they keep doing the novella collections–maybe they’ll do MORE of them. Maybe that will be a home for HP authors
@Mary – I believe the novella collections would be a great home for HP authors. Hopefully, Barbour will see fit to publish even more of those collections – therefore giving the displaced HP authors a new home?
I wonder if it’s in direct competition with Love Inspired? It’s sad to see this go.
@Sheri, not sure if it’s in direct competition with Love Inspired, per se. Maybe? I just know that, from my experience, the book club members seemed to be older people, like, over 65 years of age. I was corresponding with one of those ladies a few times a year and she even gave me a Christmas gift – a one year subscription to JET magazine. (JET is an AA news magazine.) It was a welcome surprise to correspond with a reader so often.
I know Love Inspired has a book club, too, but, I have no idea about the demographics for Love Inspireds. I know the Love Inspireds are in the bookstores around the same time, if not a few weeks later, than when the book club members receive the books.
HP books were re-released as 3-in-1s about a year after the book club read the last title. So, it’s hard to pinpoint where the problem is?
I am sorry to see the line go, though.
~Cecelia Dowdy~