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Canadian book publisher of series romance and women's fiction

Harlequin was founded in 1949 by Richard Bonnycastle in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as a paperback reprinting company. He founded the business while working at Winnipeg's Advocate Printers, a branch of Toronto's Bryant Press, as a way to keep the presses busy. Harlequin released its first book, Nancy Bruff's The Manatee, in May 1949. Although the new company had strong sales in its nascent years, profit margins were limited, and the operation struggled to stay solvent. Following the death of Palmer in the mid 1950s, Bonnycastle acquired his 25% interest in Harlequin. With the company still struggling to survive, soon Weld departed and Bonnycastle, now in full control, transferred Weld's shares to secretary Ruth Palmour. The first Mills & Boon novel to be reprinted by Harlequin was Anne Vinton's The Hospital in Buwambo (Mills & Boon No 407).

The contract with Mills & Boon was based solely on a handshake, given each year when Richard Bonnycastle visited London. He would lunch at the Ritz Hotel with Editorial Director Alan Boon, the son of Gerald Mills, co founder of Mills & Boon. The two would informally agree to extend their business agreement for an additional year. Mary Bonnycastle and her daughter Judy Burgess exercised editorial control over which Mills & Boon novels were reprinted by Harlequin. They had a "decency code" and rejected more sexually explicit material that Mills & Boon submitted for reprinting. Upon realizing the genre was popular, Richard finally decided to read a romance novel. He chose one of the more explicit novels and enjoyed it. On his orders, the company conducted a market test with the novel he had read and discovered that it outsold a similar, tamer novel. Overall, intimacy in the novels never extended beyond a chaste kiss between the protagonists. Although Harlequin had the rights to distribute the Mills & Boon books throughout North America, in 1967 over 78% of their sales took place in Canada, where the sell through rate was approximately 85%. Richard Bonnycastle died in 1968 and his son, Richard Bonnycastle, Jr., took over the company. He immediately organized the 1969 relocation of operations to Toronto, Ontario, where he built the company into a major force in the publishing industry. This move was made primarily to secure the talents of Alan Boon and his editorial team. John Boon, another of the co founder's sons, remained with the company as Managing Director overseeing British operations and English language exports to markets around the world, including Australia, India and South Africa. distributing them in supermarkets, drug stores and other retail outlets.

By 1975, 70% of Harlequin's sales came from the United States. Dailey's novels provided the romance genre's "first look at heroines, heroes and courtships that take place in America, with American sensibilities, assumptions, history, and most of all, settings." Harlequin was unsure how the market would react to this new type of romance, and was unwilling to fully embrace it. In the late 1970s, a Harlequin editor rejected a manuscript by Nora Roberts, who has since become the top selling romance author, because "they already had their American writer." Harlequin terminated its distribution contract with Simon & Schuster and Pocket Books in 1976. This left Simon & Schuster with a large sales force and no product. Silhouette published several lines of category romance, and encouraged their writers to experiment within the genre, creating new kinds of heroes and heroines and addressing contemporary social issues. Realizing their mistake, Harlequin launched their own line of America focused romances in 1980. The Harlequin Superromance line was the first of its lines to originate in North America instead of in Britain. The novels were similar to the Harlequin Presents books, but were longer and featured American settings and American characters. Harlequin had also failed to adapt quickly to the signs that readers appreciated novels with more explicit sex scenes, and in 1980 several publishers entered the category romance market to fill that gap. That year Dell launched Candlelight Ecstasy, the first line to waive the requirement that heroines be virginal. By the end of 1983, sales for the Candlelight Ecstasy line totaled $30 million. Silhouette also launched similar lines, Desire and Special Edition, each of which had a 90–100% sellout rate each month. The sudden increase in category romance lines meant an equally sudden increase in demand for writers of the new style of romance novel. By 1984, the market was saturated with category lines and readers had begun to complain of redundancy in plots. The following year, the "dampening effect of the high level of redundancy associated with series romances was evident in the decreased number of titles being read per month." Harlequin's return rate, which had been less than 25% in 1978 when it was the primary provider of category romance, swelled to 60%. In 1984, Harlequin purchased Silhouette from Simon & Schuster. Despite the acquisition, Silhouette continued to retain editorial control and to publish various lines under their own imprint.

In 2002, Harlequin published 1,113 romance novels, more than half of all romances released in North America. The next most prolific publisher was Kensington Books, which released only 219 romance titles. In 2006, Harlequin published books in 26 languages in 109 international markets. They sold a total of 131 million books, similar to the company's sales in 2005. The company is considered one of the most profitable publishers. Over $585 million worth of books sold in 2003 for gross profits of $124 million and a profit margin of 21%. Its large profit margin can be tied in part to the amount of advance that its authors receive. These advances are often smaller than the industry average and can total to only a few thousand dollars for a series romance. the firm's royalty program for authors is controversial. In 2011, the Romance Writers Association sent a letter to all members to "exercise due diligence in reviewing contracts" with Harlequin because "several members of RWA have expressed concern regarding" Harlequin's digital royalty rate changes and non compete clauses. This is not the first time Harlequin had been called out by the Romance Writers Association regarding Harlequin's treatment of their authors. In 2009, Harlequin was called out by the Mystery Writer's Association, Romance Writers of America, and Science Fiction Writers Association for schemes of making their authors pay for publishing.

In 2012, a class action lawsuit was filed against Harlequin Enterprises, Ltd. from authors alleging the publisher had fraudulently licensed e book publishing rights at low rates to one of its subsidiaries in order to pay royalties only on the licensing fees instead of on the full sales receipts; the publisher responded that its authors "have been recompensed fairly and properly". The lawsuit alleges that Harlequin deprives plaintiffs and the other authors in the class of e book royalties due them under publishing agreements entered into between 1990 and 2004.

NameDescriptionHarlequin American RomanceAmerican protagonists and settings. Four titles released per month. Re released as Harlequin Treasury Harlequin American Romance 90s. Harlequin BlazeErotica. Imprint was ended in 2017 and superseded by Harlequin Dare. As of March 2022 Harlequin Dare has been ended and Harlequin Blaze is releasing four titles per month. Launched in 2017. Harlequin DesireWealthy and successful American protagonist focused. Six titles released per monthHarlequin DuetsDefunct. Re released as Harlequin Treasury Harlequin Duets 90s collection. Harlequin EHarlequin Everlasting LoveDefunctHarlequin FlipsideDefunct as of 2004Harlequin Ginger BlossomDefunct romance manga reprints. Formerly Harlequin VioletHarlequin HeartwarmingWholesome family and community focused plots. Four titles released per monthHarlequin HistoricalHistorical romance. Six titles released per month. Included Harlequin Historical Undone. Harlequin IntrigueRomantic suspense. Six titles released per monthHarlequin KISSFlirty first encounter contemporary romances. Four titles released per month. Harlequin Love And LaughterDefunct. Re released as the Harlequin Treasury Harlequin Love & Laughter 90s collection. Harlequin Medical RomanceMedical focused protagonists and plots. Six titles released per month. Harlequin Mystique1977 1982Harlequin NEXT Includes Harlequin Nocturne Cravings series. Harlequin NonfictionHarlequin PresentsGlamorous and wealth based plots that often feature "alpha male" protagonists. Eight titles released per month. Includes Harlequin Presents Extra erotica series. Harlequin RomanceUplifting, feel good plots. Four titles released per monthHarlequin Romantic SuspenseRomantic suspense. Four titles released per monthHarlequin Signature SelectDefunct. Harlequin/Silhouette imprint. Harlequin Special EditionRelatable protagonists. Six titles released per monthHarlequin Special ReleasesHarlequin SuperromanceEmotional plots with happy endings. Four titles released per monthHarlequin TemptationOnly distributed outside of the United States as of 2004.

Kimani Press, which focuses on African American protagonists, was formed by Harlequin in December 2005, with the purchase of the Arabesque, Sepia, and New Spirit Imprints from BET Books. NameDescriptionKimani Arabesque"The soul of romance, passion, adventure and intrigue. "Kimani New SpiritThese stories "feature sophisticated, soulful and sensual African American and multicultural heroes and heroines who develop fulfilling relationships as they lead lives full of drama, glamour and passion. "Kimani SepiaYoung adultKimani Press

NameDescriptionSilhouette BombshellLaunched 2004. Silhouette RomanceDefunct. Re released as Harlequin Treasury Silhouette Romance 90s. Silhouette Special EditionDefunct. Re released as Harlequin Treasury Silhouette Special Edition 90s. Silhouette Special ReleasesDefunct

NameDescriptionCarina PressCarina AdoresLGBTQ+ romanceCanary Street PressDellArte Press2009 2015Gold EagleDefunct as of 2014Graydon HouseHanover Square Presscrime, thrillers, high concept fiction, narrative history, journalism. memoirHeartsong PresentsFormerly HQN, launched 2004LUNA2004–2017Park Row BooksRed Dress Ink2004–2014 Included Spice Briefs (defunct). Worldwide LibraryWorldwide MysteryWorldwide Suspense

Harlequin Enterprises operates Harlequin More Than Words, a community investment program to reward women's work in communities across North America. The company solicits nominations of women who are making notable contributions to their communities. Five women are chosen as Harlequin More Than Words award recipients each year, and a donation of $50,000 is divided equally among their charitable causes. A collection of romance fiction short stories inspired by their lives is then written by five of Harlequin's leading authors. Authors contributing to the More Than Words anthology include Diana Palmer, Debbie Macomber, Susan Wiggs, and Linda Lael Miller. The first anthology was published in 2004, with a new volume published annually. Proceeds from the sale of the book are reinvested in the Harlequin More Than Words program.