Cosmopolitan and Harlequin Announce eBook Partnership

NEW YORK and TORONTO, Dec. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Harlequin, one of the world's leading publishers of books for women, and Cosmopolitan, the world's largest women's magazine, today announced a book publishing partnership to bring Cosmopolitan's fun, fearless female sensibility to fiction readers everywhere.  Cosmo Red Hot Reads from Harlequin will present independent, adventurous women in contemporary settings and feature fast-paced plots, great dialogue and compelling romance. The shorter length of Cosmo Red Hot Reads from Harlequin titles (approximately 30,000 words per title) should appeal to readers on a variety of platforms, including mobile devices.

Under the agreement, Harlequin, a leader in digital publishing, intends to publish two original ebook titles per month, beginning in May 2013. The novels, by some of Harlequin's bestselling authors, will have strong narratives centering on modern young women living the free-spirited and outgoing lifestyle espoused by the international magazine. The ebooks will bear both the Cosmopolitan and Harlequin logos on their covers.

"We are very excited to be Cosmopolitan's partner in publishing and believe these stories will prove popular with women everywhere, especially new adult fiction readers," said Donna Hayes, Publisher and CEO of Harlequin Enterprises. "Women look to Harlequin for the same qualities that Cosmopolitan provides them—entertainment, enjoyment and inspiration—so it's a natural fit."

"Cosmo readers love fabulous fiction and if you picked up Fifty Shades of Grey then this is the book series for you," said Cosmopolitan's editor in chief Joanna Coles. "This is fiction for the modern girl negotiating modern love – with all its unpredictability and complications!" 

Cosmopolitan is the world's largest women's magazine, the biggest-selling monthly magazine on U.S. newsstands and a leader in the digital, social media and tablet space. Considered the bible for fun, fearless females, Cosmopolitan reaches more than 18 million readers each month, or one out of every eight adult women in the U.S. Cosmo is the number one magazine on college campuses. In addition to the U.S. flagship, Cosmopolitan publishes 64 print editions around the world.

Harlequin has built upon its strength as a publisher of great reading entertainment for women by progressively expanding the range of its content to include romance as well as commercial literary fiction, young adult fiction, nonfiction and is available to readers wherever, whenever and however women want to shop.

About Harlequin
Harlequin (www.Harlequin.com) is one of the world's leading publishers of books for women, with titles issued worldwide in 34 languages and sold in 114 international markets. The company publishes more than 110 titles monthly and more than 1,200 authors from around the world. Harlequin is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation (www.torstar.com), a broadly based media company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TS.B). Harlequin's website is located at Harlequin.com. Harlequin has offices in 19 countries, including offices in Toronto, New York and London. For more information, please visit Harlequin.com and Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks. Follow Harlequin on Twitter @HarlequinBooks.

About Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (www.cosmopolitan.com) is the best-selling young women's magazine in the U.S., a bible for fun, fearless females that reaches more than 18 million readers a month. Cosmopolitan delivers the latest news on men and love, fashion and beauty, women's health and self-improvement, and entertainment. Readers can also interact with the brand on the digital front, with Cosmopolitan.com, reaching 8.5 million unique users a month. Cosmopolitan is also available on apps for the iPhone and iPad, and via  Cosmo Radio, the only magazine-branded radio channel of its kind, available on Sirius XM Channel 109. In addition to the U.S. flagship, Cosmopolitan publishes 64 print magazine editions around the world. Cosmopolitan is published by Hearst Magazines, a unit of Hearst Corporation (www.hearst.com), one of the nation's largest diversified communications companies. With its acquisition of Lagardere SCA's 100 titles in 14 countries outside of France, Hearst Magazines now publishes more than 300 editions around the world, including 20 U.S. titles. Hearst Magazines is the largest publisher of monthly magazines in the U.S. (ABC 2011) and reaches 82 million adults (Spring 2012 MRI). Follow Cosmopolitan on Twitter at @CosmoOnline.

Media Contacts:
Lisa Wray
Harlequin, Public Relations
(416) 445-5350
[email protected]

Holly Whidden / Michele Zatzkis
Hearst Magazines, Public Relations
(212) 649-2591 / (212) 649-2165
[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE Harlequin