As I was scanning through my daily blogs, I came upon an interesting blog post over at BookEnds about social networking. At the end of the post, Jessica asked her readers what was it about author websites that people either liked or disliked. And that got me to thinking about my own website.
As long time readers might recall, I had a website professionally designed and maintained. And it was a pain in the tuckus (how do you spell that???) It literally took weeks to get updates done. Now, I grant you, the web guy had other clients, so I tried to be patient, but when it took weeks and many, many emails (most of which went unanswered) to get the simplest changes done, I'd had enough. It was enough to wait for non-time sensitive things (book releases, sales to publishers, that kind of stuff), but having to chase him down for time-sensitive things - like contests - got to be too much. I later found out that my computer guy (who is a wonderful, wonderful person and still my go-to guy for computer issues) actually fired the web guy. Apparently I wasn't the only one who got tired of hunting him down and hounding him to get things done. Mind you, he was paid to do this kind of stuff, and he didn't come cheaply. I got tired of throwing my money away, so off web guy went into the sunset.
And there was much rejoicing.
But, I needed to get a new website, soooo... long story short ("Too late!" the audience roared.) I have my website through GoDaddy, and I do the updates and everything myself. It isn't fancy, but I don't think it's horrible, either.
After reading that BookEnds post, though, I wonder - does a writer really need a website and a blog. Is one better than the other, and if so, which do readers prefer?
My blog gets updated more often than my website. I try to keep it entertaining (jeez, I hope it's entertaining, really), I try not to simply push my books on everyone (buy, buy, buy!) I try to keep it a mix of life, writing, and that all-elusive perfect cup of coffee (which, sadly, remains just out of reach.) In short, I enjoy my blog. I enjoy posting, I enjoy getting comments (you like me! you really like me!), I like commenting back. In all, I just like it.
Maybe I shouldn't admit it, but I prefer it over the website. Updates are easier, so they are more frequent here. I don't have to fight to get this picture to fit, or this font to look right. It's. Just. Easier.
But, it isn't for me. It's for you. (No, really. It is. Honest.)
So, I'm curious. Which do you, as a reader, prefer? Website or blog? Or is it necessary for a writer to keep both?
Showing posts with label Romance Writers of America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Romance Writers of America. Show all posts
Friday, June 18, 2010
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Yet Another RWA Kerfuffle...
When I sat down to write this post, it was originally going to be a rehash of what is going on over at ESPAN, which is the Electronic and Small Press Authors' Network - a special interest chapter of RWA. Basically, Deidre Knight laid out how and why RWA's seeming stance regarding epublishers and epublished authors is shortsighted and frustrating. To be fair, ESPAN then invited RWA president Diane Pershing to rebut Ms Knight's post.
And of course, comments flew. At last count, there were 267 comments on Ms Pershing's post.
So I was going to write about that. But then I thought, What's the point? Why rehash the same old nonsense?
I've been a member of RWA for 9 years, and there are times when I wonder if my dues money wouldn't be best spent elsewhere, since I fall in that no-man's land of being epubbed, and therefore not nearly as worthy as RWA's print-pubbed members.
I've considered not renewing for the last two years, when the major portion of this whole mess originated. I've written about that, and why RWA ticks me off sometimes, and why I do renew year after year (my local chapter. I love my local chapter.)
If there's one question I would really like RWA to answer (and not the way Ms Pershing did it, which was to fall back on the old party line and resort to a bit of snark as well) is how the heck can one be "sort-of" published? Isn't that kind of like being "sort-of" pregnant?
If my publishers appear on their non-vanity/non-subsidy publishers list (which both do), doesn't that mean that, by RWA's own definition, theses are okay publishers?
So then, why does RWA refuse to accept that epublished authors are just as published as NY print published authors?
Because, if they do see it that way, you could have fooled me.
Take this year's Rita contest. Remember the whole snafu over that sneaky little phrase "mass-produced", that they snuck into the rules? And yes, it was snuck in. No one I talked to about it could recall or produce any sort of evidence that RWA had made any kind of announcement regarding this change to the rules. And when they were called on it, not only did they begin the rapid backpedal, but they couldn't even define their own wordage. As far as I know, to this day, they've yet to define their own wording. Last I heard, they were forming a committee to figure out what the hell they meant. Fills me with confidence, really.
And then there's the whole PAN eligibility nonsense. Up until 2 years ago, the requirement? Signing a contract with an RWA "approved" publisher. Now, in order to become an RWA-approved publisher, there were guidelines that had to be followed about number of years a publisher had to be in business, and a certain number of titles sold (or perhaps it was a certain number of one single title that had to be sold. I can't remember and I don't even know if I'd be able to find an old copy of the rules.)
Well, then certain epublishers met those standards. Then the Triskelion fiasco happened, and (in my opinion) RWA saw that as their out, saw that as their reason to change those standards that had been perfectly fine up until those nasty little epublishers started reaching them.
Now, before someone jumps all over me, I am not for one moment suggesting there shouldn't be standards. There most definitely should be. But, I don't understand how Samhain was acceptable prior to Trisk's demise, and all of the sudden unacceptable after. I'll have to call BS on that one, Bob. It was an excuse by RWA to keep out what they consider the "riff-raff" and I'd like to see anyone justify it any other way. Yes, what happened to Triskelion was terrible, and what happened to Trisk authors was terrible, but to use that as justification to yank away eligibility to other publishers (epubs, only, mind you. Epubs only), well that just sucks.
So all I really want RWA to explain is how can I be too published for their Golden Heart, but not quite published enough for their Rita? And why the hell can't they explain what "mass-produced" means? And really, how can you be "kind of" published?
RWA is supposed to be the advocates for writers pursuing a career in writing romance. Well, how can they sit back and decide I'm not career-oriented because Samhain is my publisher? Especially when I'm in the midst of writing three books now? Is that not career focused? And for Ms Pershing to suggest (as she's done just about every time she's penned a column in the about it) that I'm a fool for going with Samhain, well, that's hardly what I'd call advocacy. What RWA should be doing is finally pulling their heads out of their collective asses, and realize that, since epublishing isn't going away any time soon (hell, even the NY big boys are doing digital books now), they'd be doing their members a great service to educate the membership about epublishing. That way, they'd be acting as advocates to their membership. And who knows, maybe Ms Pershing would then realize just how insulting she's been to the epublished members of RWA. Maybe she is just ignorant of how she sounds, but I think it's a case of being ignorant in other areas and, instead of educating herself, just sticks her fingers in her ears and says, "LALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!"
Which is pretty sad, actually, because this could be RWA's chance to prove it isn't a dinosaur and that it is embracing a technology that isn't going away any time soon. RWA could become completely relevant to anyone pursuing a career in writing romance, regardless of which path that author chooses.
And of course, comments flew. At last count, there were 267 comments on Ms Pershing's post.
So I was going to write about that. But then I thought, What's the point? Why rehash the same old nonsense?
I've been a member of RWA for 9 years, and there are times when I wonder if my dues money wouldn't be best spent elsewhere, since I fall in that no-man's land of being epubbed, and therefore not nearly as worthy as RWA's print-pubbed members.
I've considered not renewing for the last two years, when the major portion of this whole mess originated. I've written about that, and why RWA ticks me off sometimes, and why I do renew year after year (my local chapter. I love my local chapter.)
If there's one question I would really like RWA to answer (and not the way Ms Pershing did it, which was to fall back on the old party line and resort to a bit of snark as well) is how the heck can one be "sort-of" published? Isn't that kind of like being "sort-of" pregnant?
If my publishers appear on their non-vanity/non-subsidy publishers list (which both do), doesn't that mean that, by RWA's own definition, theses are okay publishers?
So then, why does RWA refuse to accept that epublished authors are just as published as NY print published authors?
Because, if they do see it that way, you could have fooled me.
Take this year's Rita contest. Remember the whole snafu over that sneaky little phrase "mass-produced", that they snuck into the rules? And yes, it was snuck in. No one I talked to about it could recall or produce any sort of evidence that RWA had made any kind of announcement regarding this change to the rules. And when they were called on it, not only did they begin the rapid backpedal, but they couldn't even define their own wordage. As far as I know, to this day, they've yet to define their own wording. Last I heard, they were forming a committee to figure out what the hell they meant. Fills me with confidence, really.
And then there's the whole PAN eligibility nonsense. Up until 2 years ago, the requirement? Signing a contract with an RWA "approved" publisher. Now, in order to become an RWA-approved publisher, there were guidelines that had to be followed about number of years a publisher had to be in business, and a certain number of titles sold (or perhaps it was a certain number of one single title that had to be sold. I can't remember and I don't even know if I'd be able to find an old copy of the rules.)
Well, then certain epublishers met those standards. Then the Triskelion fiasco happened, and (in my opinion) RWA saw that as their out, saw that as their reason to change those standards that had been perfectly fine up until those nasty little epublishers started reaching them.
Now, before someone jumps all over me, I am not for one moment suggesting there shouldn't be standards. There most definitely should be. But, I don't understand how Samhain was acceptable prior to Trisk's demise, and all of the sudden unacceptable after. I'll have to call BS on that one, Bob. It was an excuse by RWA to keep out what they consider the "riff-raff" and I'd like to see anyone justify it any other way. Yes, what happened to Triskelion was terrible, and what happened to Trisk authors was terrible, but to use that as justification to yank away eligibility to other publishers (epubs, only, mind you. Epubs only), well that just sucks.
So all I really want RWA to explain is how can I be too published for their Golden Heart, but not quite published enough for their Rita? And why the hell can't they explain what "mass-produced" means? And really, how can you be "kind of" published?
RWA is supposed to be the advocates for writers pursuing a career in writing romance. Well, how can they sit back and decide I'm not career-oriented because Samhain is my publisher? Especially when I'm in the midst of writing three books now? Is that not career focused? And for Ms Pershing to suggest (as she's done just about every time she's penned a column in the about it) that I'm a fool for going with Samhain, well, that's hardly what I'd call advocacy. What RWA should be doing is finally pulling their heads out of their collective asses, and realize that, since epublishing isn't going away any time soon (hell, even the NY big boys are doing digital books now), they'd be doing their members a great service to educate the membership about epublishing. That way, they'd be acting as advocates to their membership. And who knows, maybe Ms Pershing would then realize just how insulting she's been to the epublished members of RWA. Maybe she is just ignorant of how she sounds, but I think it's a case of being ignorant in other areas and, instead of educating herself, just sticks her fingers in her ears and says, "LALALA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!"
Which is pretty sad, actually, because this could be RWA's chance to prove it isn't a dinosaur and that it is embracing a technology that isn't going away any time soon. RWA could become completely relevant to anyone pursuing a career in writing romance, regardless of which path that author chooses.
Thursday, March 26, 2009
RITA and Golden Heart Finalists
When I posted yesterday about RWA, I hadn't realized that the list of finalists for both the RITA and the Golden Heart were released. So, since my problems with RWA are with the organizations and NOT with my fellow romance writers (who are, for the most part, an incredibly supportive group of people)m here they are.
RITA
Best First Book
* Her One Desire ~ Kimberly Killion
* No Good Girls ~ Jean Marie Pierson
* Oh. My. Gods. ~ Tera Lynn Childs
* Passionate ~ Anthea Lawson
* Private Arrangements ~ Sherry Thomas
* Strangers in the Night ~ Kerry Connor
* The Secret Soldier ~ Jennifer Morey
* Your Roots are Showing ~ Elise Chidley
Contemporary Series Romance
* A Mother's Wish ~ Karen Templeton
* Adopted: Outback Baby ~ Barbara Hannay
* Antonides' Forbidden Wife ~ Anne McAllister
* Falling for the Lone Wolf ~ Crystal Green
* Last-Minute Proposal ~ Jessica Hart
* Texas Heir ~ Linda Warren
* The Children's Doctor and the Single Mum ~ Lillian Darcy
* The Cowboy's Chrismas Miracle ~ RaeAnne Thayne
* The Right Mr. Wrong ~ Cindi Myers
Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure
* A Sexy Time of It ~ Cara Summers
* Cold Case Connection ~ Kathleen Long
* Danger Signals ~ Kathleen Creighton
* Lethal Attraction ~ Diana Duncan
* Strangers in the Night ~ Kerry Connor
* Tall, Dark and Lethal ~ Dana Marton
* The Man Behind the Cop ~ Janice Kay Johnson
* The Secret Soldier ~ Jennifer Morey
* Twin Targets ~ Jessica Anderson
Contemporary Single Title
* No Good Girls ~ Jean Marie Pierson
* Not Another Bad Date ~ Rachel Gibson
* Out of Time ~ Samantha Graves
* Snowfall at Willow Lake ~ Susan Wiggs
* Sweet Talk ~ Susan Mallery
* Tall Tales and Wedding Veils ~ Jane Graves
* Twenty Wishes ~ Debbie Macomber
* Your Roots are Showing ~ Elise Chidley
Best Historical Romance
* Duchess by Night ~ Eloisa James
* In Bed with the Devil ~ Lorraine Heath
* Private Arrangements ~ Sherry Thomas
* Seduce Me at Sunrise ~ Lisa Kleypas
* The Edge of Impropriety ~ Pam Rosenthal
* The Spymaster's Lady ~ Joanna Bourne
* To Seduce a Sinner ~ Elizabeth Hoyt
* Where the Heart Leads ~ Stephanie Laurens
Inspirational Romance
* Deep in the Heart of Trouble ~ Deeanne Gist
* Faking Grace ~ Tamara Leigh
* Finding Stefanie ~ Susan May Warren
* Love Starts with Elle ~ Rachel Hauck
* Mulberry Park ~ Judy Duarte
* The Convenient Groom ~ Denise Hunter
* The Perfect Life ~ Robin Lee Hatcher
* Where Love Abides ~ Irene Hannon
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
* Last Dance at Jitterbug Lounge ~ Pamela Morsi
* The House on Tradd Street ~ Karen White
* The Paper Marriage ~ Susan Kay Law
* The Shape of Mercy ~ Susan Meissner
* The Winter Sea ~ Susanna Kearsley
* Tribute ~ Nora Roberts
* Where Serpents Sleep ~ C.. Harris
Paranormal Romance
* Dragon Wytch ~ Yasmine Galenorn
* Mine to Possess ~ Nalini Singh
* Moonstruck ~ Susan Grant
* Seducing Mr. Darcy ~ Gwen Cready
* The Darkest Night ~ Gena Showalter
* The Healer ~ Sharon Sala
* The Undead Next Door ~ Kerrelyn Sparks
* Thunder Moon ~ Lori Handeland
Regency Historical Romance
* Duke Most Wanted ~ Celeste Bradley
* Mr. Cavendish, I Presume ~ Julia Quinn
* My Lord and Spymaster ~ Joanna Bourne
* The Dangerous Duke ~ Christine Wells
* The Edge of Desire ~ Stephanie Laurens
* Three Nights of Sin ~ Anne Mallory
Romance Novella
* All He Wants for Christmas ~ Jill Shalvis (Heating up the Holidays)
* Blame it on the Mistletoe ~ Terri Brisbin (One Candlelit Christmas)
* Only You ~ Jacquie D'Allesandro (It Happened One Night)
* Our Day ~ Jean Brashear (The Valentine Gift)
* Penance ~ Sharon Sala (Aftershock)
* Snowy Night with a Highlander ~ Julia London (Snowy Night with a Highlander)
* The Fall of Rogue Gerard ~ Stephanie Laurens (It Happened One Night)
* Thicker Than Blood ~ Meljean Brook (First Blood)
Romantic Suspense
* Killing Fear ~ Allison Brennan
* Night Secrets ~ Cherry Adair
* Now You Die ~ Roxanne St. Clair
* Scream For Me ~ Karen Rose
* Stop Me ~ Brenda Novak
* Take No Prisoners ~ Cindy Gerard
* The Angel ~ Carla Neggers
* Triple Exposure ~ Colleen Thompson
Young Adult Romance
* Hell Week ~ Rosemary Clement-Moore
* How to Hook a Hottie ~ Tina Ferraro
* Oh. My. Gods. ~ Tera Lynn Childs
GOLDEN HEART FINALISTS
Contemporary Series Romance
* Angel in Training ~ Lindsey Brookes
* Beneath the Surface ~ Katherine Danniele Worsham
* For Love or Ravioli ~ Laurie D. DeSalvo
* Into the Night ~ Melissa Jackson Brister
* Meet Your Mate ~ Jacqueline M. Floyd
* Second Chance for a Family ~ Kim Law
* The Great Bedroom War ~ Laurie Kellogg
* The Greek’s Mistress Revenge ~ Anastasia Huff
Contemporary Series Romance Suspense/Adventure
* Breathless ~ Kimberley Ann Howe
* His Witness ~ Dianne M. Gerber
* Romance or Retribution ~ Jamie T. Holland
Contemporary Single Title
* Easy Money ~ Vivi Andrews
* For Love or Money ~ Robin W. Lanier
* Island Healing ~ Virginia E. McCullough
* Lights...Camera...Marriage! ~ Elizabeth Bemis
* Love & Oreos ~ Elizabeth Bemis
* Operation: Date Escape ~ Lindsey Brookes
* Summer in Austin ~ Kathryn Anne Graykowski
* Texas Hold’er ~ June L. Love
Historical Romance
* Butterfly Swords ~ Jeannie Lin
* Forfeit’s Lady ~ Patricia Jean Detweiler
* Highland Honor ~ Jenna Stuart
* Lily’s Outlaw ~ Tatia Talbot
* My Lady Knight ~ Carol Lisa Hayes
* The Art of a Lady ~ Kate Parker
* The Devil's Virtue ~ Xenia Navarre
* The Other Brother ~ Cynthia J. Eernisse Chase
* Upon a Moonlit Sea ~ Jennifer Whitney Bray-Weber
Inspirational Romance
* Kasey’s Secret ~ Kayla Lynn Westra
* Kitty's Fire ~ Kelly Ann Riley
* Love On A Dime ~y Cara Slaughter
* Montana Rainbow ~ Yvonne L. Harris
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
* Call Sign Scarlett ~ Julia Whitby
* Color My Horse ~Bev A. Patterson
* Dark Secrets ~ Sherri Buerkle
* Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure ~ Diane O’Brien Kelly
* Home Waters ~ Elizabeth Devlin
* One Shot, Two Kills ~ Kimberly Ann Howe
* Pleasant Lake P.D. ~ Kelly Fitzpatrick
* Until Midnight ~ L.A. Mitchell
Paranormal Romance
* First Grave on the Right ~ Darynda Jones
* Ghost Planet ~ Sharon Lynn Fisher
* Heart of the Dragon ~ Morgan R. Karpiel
* Just in Time ~ Nancy J. Litzau
* Kismet’s Kiss ~ Katey Coffing
* Magic Man ~ Jacqui Jacoby
* Magick ~ Heather Dawn McCollum
* Underbelly ~ Tammy L Hoganson
Regency Romance
* An Inconvenient Marriage ~Sara Wampler
* Defiant ~ Elizabeth Robinson Baldwin
* The Raven’s Heart ~ Pamela Lynn Bolton-Holifield
* Midnight Promises ~ Anne Barton
* Shameless ~ Elisa Griffith Beatty
* No Shrinking Violet ~ Amy Talley
Romantic Suspense
*Guardian Angel ~ Rita O. Henuber
* Intrusion ~ Cynthia Noel Mealer
* Only Fear ~ Anne Marie Becker
* Safe in Enemy Arms ~ Joan M. Swan
* The Broken ~ Shelley S. Coriell
* The Surrogate ~ Tina Joyce Butts
* Trust Fall ~ Sally Randel Eggert
* Trust No One ~ Diane Elaine Della Maggiora
Young Adult
* Call Me Crazy ~ Vanessa Barneveld
* Codename: Dancer ~ Amanda Brice
* I Wished ~ Elizabeth C. Langston
* My Big Fat Rockin' Reality ~ Addison Fox
* Stage Fright ~ by Shoshana Dawn Brown
And there you have it - the finalists for the 2009 RITA and Golden Heart Awards.
Congratulations to all the finalists!!!
RITA
Best First Book
* Her One Desire ~ Kimberly Killion
* No Good Girls ~ Jean Marie Pierson
* Oh. My. Gods. ~ Tera Lynn Childs
* Passionate ~ Anthea Lawson
* Private Arrangements ~ Sherry Thomas
* Strangers in the Night ~ Kerry Connor
* The Secret Soldier ~ Jennifer Morey
* Your Roots are Showing ~ Elise Chidley
Contemporary Series Romance
* A Mother's Wish ~ Karen Templeton
* Adopted: Outback Baby ~ Barbara Hannay
* Antonides' Forbidden Wife ~ Anne McAllister
* Falling for the Lone Wolf ~ Crystal Green
* Last-Minute Proposal ~ Jessica Hart
* Texas Heir ~ Linda Warren
* The Children's Doctor and the Single Mum ~ Lillian Darcy
* The Cowboy's Chrismas Miracle ~ RaeAnne Thayne
* The Right Mr. Wrong ~ Cindi Myers
Contemporary Series Romance: Suspense/Adventure
* A Sexy Time of It ~ Cara Summers
* Cold Case Connection ~ Kathleen Long
* Danger Signals ~ Kathleen Creighton
* Lethal Attraction ~ Diana Duncan
* Strangers in the Night ~ Kerry Connor
* Tall, Dark and Lethal ~ Dana Marton
* The Man Behind the Cop ~ Janice Kay Johnson
* The Secret Soldier ~ Jennifer Morey
* Twin Targets ~ Jessica Anderson
Contemporary Single Title
* No Good Girls ~ Jean Marie Pierson
* Not Another Bad Date ~ Rachel Gibson
* Out of Time ~ Samantha Graves
* Snowfall at Willow Lake ~ Susan Wiggs
* Sweet Talk ~ Susan Mallery
* Tall Tales and Wedding Veils ~ Jane Graves
* Twenty Wishes ~ Debbie Macomber
* Your Roots are Showing ~ Elise Chidley
Best Historical Romance
* Duchess by Night ~ Eloisa James
* In Bed with the Devil ~ Lorraine Heath
* Private Arrangements ~ Sherry Thomas
* Seduce Me at Sunrise ~ Lisa Kleypas
* The Edge of Impropriety ~ Pam Rosenthal
* The Spymaster's Lady ~ Joanna Bourne
* To Seduce a Sinner ~ Elizabeth Hoyt
* Where the Heart Leads ~ Stephanie Laurens
Inspirational Romance
* Deep in the Heart of Trouble ~ Deeanne Gist
* Faking Grace ~ Tamara Leigh
* Finding Stefanie ~ Susan May Warren
* Love Starts with Elle ~ Rachel Hauck
* Mulberry Park ~ Judy Duarte
* The Convenient Groom ~ Denise Hunter
* The Perfect Life ~ Robin Lee Hatcher
* Where Love Abides ~ Irene Hannon
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
* Last Dance at Jitterbug Lounge ~ Pamela Morsi
* The House on Tradd Street ~ Karen White
* The Paper Marriage ~ Susan Kay Law
* The Shape of Mercy ~ Susan Meissner
* The Winter Sea ~ Susanna Kearsley
* Tribute ~ Nora Roberts
* Where Serpents Sleep ~ C.. Harris
Paranormal Romance
* Dragon Wytch ~ Yasmine Galenorn
* Mine to Possess ~ Nalini Singh
* Moonstruck ~ Susan Grant
* Seducing Mr. Darcy ~ Gwen Cready
* The Darkest Night ~ Gena Showalter
* The Healer ~ Sharon Sala
* The Undead Next Door ~ Kerrelyn Sparks
* Thunder Moon ~ Lori Handeland
Regency Historical Romance
* Duke Most Wanted ~ Celeste Bradley
* Mr. Cavendish, I Presume ~ Julia Quinn
* My Lord and Spymaster ~ Joanna Bourne
* The Dangerous Duke ~ Christine Wells
* The Edge of Desire ~ Stephanie Laurens
* Three Nights of Sin ~ Anne Mallory
Romance Novella
* All He Wants for Christmas ~ Jill Shalvis (Heating up the Holidays)
* Blame it on the Mistletoe ~ Terri Brisbin (One Candlelit Christmas)
* Only You ~ Jacquie D'Allesandro (It Happened One Night)
* Our Day ~ Jean Brashear (The Valentine Gift)
* Penance ~ Sharon Sala (Aftershock)
* Snowy Night with a Highlander ~ Julia London (Snowy Night with a Highlander)
* The Fall of Rogue Gerard ~ Stephanie Laurens (It Happened One Night)
* Thicker Than Blood ~ Meljean Brook (First Blood)
Romantic Suspense
* Killing Fear ~ Allison Brennan
* Night Secrets ~ Cherry Adair
* Now You Die ~ Roxanne St. Clair
* Scream For Me ~ Karen Rose
* Stop Me ~ Brenda Novak
* Take No Prisoners ~ Cindy Gerard
* The Angel ~ Carla Neggers
* Triple Exposure ~ Colleen Thompson
Young Adult Romance
* Hell Week ~ Rosemary Clement-Moore
* How to Hook a Hottie ~ Tina Ferraro
* Oh. My. Gods. ~ Tera Lynn Childs
GOLDEN HEART FINALISTS
Contemporary Series Romance
* Angel in Training ~ Lindsey Brookes
* Beneath the Surface ~ Katherine Danniele Worsham
* For Love or Ravioli ~ Laurie D. DeSalvo
* Into the Night ~ Melissa Jackson Brister
* Meet Your Mate ~ Jacqueline M. Floyd
* Second Chance for a Family ~ Kim Law
* The Great Bedroom War ~ Laurie Kellogg
* The Greek’s Mistress Revenge ~ Anastasia Huff
Contemporary Series Romance Suspense/Adventure
* Breathless ~ Kimberley Ann Howe
* His Witness ~ Dianne M. Gerber
* Romance or Retribution ~ Jamie T. Holland
Contemporary Single Title
* Easy Money ~ Vivi Andrews
* For Love or Money ~ Robin W. Lanier
* Island Healing ~ Virginia E. McCullough
* Lights...Camera...Marriage! ~ Elizabeth Bemis
* Love & Oreos ~ Elizabeth Bemis
* Operation: Date Escape ~ Lindsey Brookes
* Summer in Austin ~ Kathryn Anne Graykowski
* Texas Hold’er ~ June L. Love
Historical Romance
* Butterfly Swords ~ Jeannie Lin
* Forfeit’s Lady ~ Patricia Jean Detweiler
* Highland Honor ~ Jenna Stuart
* Lily’s Outlaw ~ Tatia Talbot
* My Lady Knight ~ Carol Lisa Hayes
* The Art of a Lady ~ Kate Parker
* The Devil's Virtue ~ Xenia Navarre
* The Other Brother ~ Cynthia J. Eernisse Chase
* Upon a Moonlit Sea ~ Jennifer Whitney Bray-Weber
Inspirational Romance
* Kasey’s Secret ~ Kayla Lynn Westra
* Kitty's Fire ~ Kelly Ann Riley
* Love On A Dime ~y Cara Slaughter
* Montana Rainbow ~ Yvonne L. Harris
Novel with Strong Romantic Elements
* Call Sign Scarlett ~ Julia Whitby
* Color My Horse ~Bev A. Patterson
* Dark Secrets ~ Sherri Buerkle
* Death, Taxes, and a French Manicure ~ Diane O’Brien Kelly
* Home Waters ~ Elizabeth Devlin
* One Shot, Two Kills ~ Kimberly Ann Howe
* Pleasant Lake P.D. ~ Kelly Fitzpatrick
* Until Midnight ~ L.A. Mitchell
Paranormal Romance
* First Grave on the Right ~ Darynda Jones
* Ghost Planet ~ Sharon Lynn Fisher
* Heart of the Dragon ~ Morgan R. Karpiel
* Just in Time ~ Nancy J. Litzau
* Kismet’s Kiss ~ Katey Coffing
* Magic Man ~ Jacqui Jacoby
* Magick ~ Heather Dawn McCollum
* Underbelly ~ Tammy L Hoganson
Regency Romance
* An Inconvenient Marriage ~Sara Wampler
* Defiant ~ Elizabeth Robinson Baldwin
* The Raven’s Heart ~ Pamela Lynn Bolton-Holifield
* Midnight Promises ~ Anne Barton
* Shameless ~ Elisa Griffith Beatty
* No Shrinking Violet ~ Amy Talley
Romantic Suspense
*Guardian Angel ~ Rita O. Henuber
* Intrusion ~ Cynthia Noel Mealer
* Only Fear ~ Anne Marie Becker
* Safe in Enemy Arms ~ Joan M. Swan
* The Broken ~ Shelley S. Coriell
* The Surrogate ~ Tina Joyce Butts
* Trust Fall ~ Sally Randel Eggert
* Trust No One ~ Diane Elaine Della Maggiora
Young Adult
* Call Me Crazy ~ Vanessa Barneveld
* Codename: Dancer ~ Amanda Brice
* I Wished ~ Elizabeth C. Langston
* My Big Fat Rockin' Reality ~ Addison Fox
* Stage Fright ~ by Shoshana Dawn Brown
And there you have it - the finalists for the 2009 RITA and Golden Heart Awards.
Congratulations to all the finalists!!!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Professional
I had originally planned to write this post for yesterday, but then we had a little water heater emergency. And by emergency, I mean, our water heater died, so I spent yesterday buying a new water heater and having it installed. It ended up being an all day project and so, the blog post never quite got written.
It's just as well, as the topic was something I wanted to think over carefully, before I just sat down and dashed off a post. It's something that really bugs me, and I wanted a few days' space to let my irritation cool off a bit.
Over the weekend, I received my copy of the Romance Writers Report - which is Romance Writers of America's trade mag (basically I pay $100 a year for this magazine, as it's really all I get from RWA, but that's another post right there.) And in it, there one of the articles was basically about how, just because the Board might make a decision that you (singular) might not like, it doesn't mean that they aren't listening to you (the membership as a whole) but that they chose the good of the organization over the good of an individual.
To a certain point, I agree. Yes, an organization needs to act in the best interest of the membership as a whole and not kowtow to the needs of a small minority (which is kind of redundant, isn't it? If it was a big minority, it would be a majority, right? But I digress.)
But what got me, was that the article then veered off into the new (well, relatively new) PAN eligibility criteria. And that's when smoke sort of began puffing out of my ears.
A quick recap - prior to July, 2007, RWA's PAN eligibility criteria was based on what publisher an author signed with. They had a list of "RWA-Approved Publishers." If you signed a contract with one of those publishers, you were eligible for PAN.
Fast forward to July, 2007, when quite a few epublishers made the list (Loose-Id, Ellora's Cave, Triskelion, and my publisher - Samhain Publishing to name a few), the rules were then changed. No longer would it be based on publisher, but on money earned by the individual writers.
Now, I'll grant you, the Triskelion collapse and ensuing mess helped perpetuate the need for change, but I am still convinced that RWA does not see its epublished authors as being equals to their print published authors. And since July, 2007, they have done almost nothing to show the opposite is true.
Here is their mission statement:
That sounds wonderful, and they should be dedicated to this.
But....
It seems to me that they have redefined what the words "professional" and "career-focused" mean.
Before 2007, if you signed with one of the publishers on the List - you were apparently profession and career-focused. After 2007, though, that was not enough. Now, in order for RWA (a group dedicated to advancing the careers of romance writers, mind you) to consider you a "professional" and "career-focused", you must earn a minimum of $1,000 through an advance on the sale of one book, or a combination of advance/royalties on a single title.
Now, it's a standard that epublishers generally don't offer advances - Samhain is one of the exceptions to the rule. But on the other hand, the royalties earned are higher than that of print publishers - 30-40% for epubs vs 8% for print. And epublished books can and do earn over a thousand dollars in royalties.
I firmly believe that there should be standards and they should be high - especially with the glut of epublishers springing up all over the place. Any fool can throw up a website and call themselves an epress. So there do need to be guidelines and standards and I will never suggest otherwise.
However...
Certain epublishers had already reached the RWA's standards. And then RWA changed them. And to rationalize their change, they basically came out and said that anyone who does not meet the PAN criteria is not seriously persuing a career in writing romance fiction.
What?
Well, okay, I can see their point - and the RWA cheerleaders I've come across who basically tell me that RWA just lurves their epublished authors as much as they lurve their print publishers and that I'm just not seeing that because... well... because....
And that's it. They can't tell me why I'm wrong, just that I am wrong.
If I am wrong, then why the mess with the RITA awards this year?
A quick recap - used to be, if you were published through an RWA-approved publisher, you were eligible for the RITA (which is the romance fiction industry's Oscar Award.) If you were published by a publisher NOT on their list, or uncontracted, you could enter the Golden Heart (the unpublished romance writer's Oscar, if you will.)
Not this year.
Oh, RWA never made a formal announcement (at least, I don't think they did - I never saw it and no one else could ever show me where the announcement was made, either) regarding the changes in their RITA rules. But the change was there. In two words -
mass-produced
In order to be eligible for the RITA, an author's book had to be
1) published by a Non-Vanity/Non-Subsidy publisher (and yes, RWA does have a list.)
2) Be in print format
3) be mass-produced
And there it was - no definition was offered for what constituted "mass-produced" and even today, as far as I know, there is no definition. But, it meant that books published by companies such as Samhain, were no longer RITA-eligible because, even though there was no definition of mass-produced, RWA decided that Samhain (among other publishers) did not meet the definition (you know, the one that didn't - and still doesn't - exist.)
And the kicker - because Samhain is on their list of Non-Vanity/Non-Subsidy publishers, a Samhain author (among other publishers) was not eligible for the Golden Heart either. Want to know why?
Because that author is published.
**headsmack**
So, let's get back to the RWR article - which basically says that if an author does not earn at least $1000 in advance and/or royalties (on a single title, mind you), she (or he) is obviously not a professional writer. Or pursuing a career.
Now, on one hand, I can understand this. Yes, writers should make money. But to basically say that unless you make that grand on a single title, you are no more than a hobbyist is insulting.
Look at this way -
Author A sells a manuscript to Avon. She gets an advance of $5,000 and a print run of 10,000 books. She is eligible for PAN and the RITA. And never sells another book - whether by choice or not.
Author B writes in a genre that isn't quite so mainstream (think erotic romance 15 years ago), NY houses aren't brave enough to take the chance, so she sells to Samhain. And goes on to release two books a year, but no single title necessarily reaches the $1000 mark. But she's producing book after book after book. Advancing her career if you will.
Which is the professional and which isn't? Which author is pursuing a career in writing romance fiction?
Ahh... and there's the rub. RWA never addresses that. And I frankly find it insulting to those who have chosen epublishing that their own advocacy group does not consider them professional.
I'm tired of the whole mess, to be honest. It's ridiculous and so far, even RWA can't figure out what their words mean, which doesn't fill me with a whole lot of confidence, to be honest. When a group of writers can't define their own words, it kind of makes me wonder if I really want them advocating for me.
And as far as I know, they still haven't decided what they mean by "mass-produced." It would be funny, really, if it weren't so pathetic.
It's just as well, as the topic was something I wanted to think over carefully, before I just sat down and dashed off a post. It's something that really bugs me, and I wanted a few days' space to let my irritation cool off a bit.
Over the weekend, I received my copy of the Romance Writers Report - which is Romance Writers of America's trade mag (basically I pay $100 a year for this magazine, as it's really all I get from RWA, but that's another post right there.) And in it, there one of the articles was basically about how, just because the Board might make a decision that you (singular) might not like, it doesn't mean that they aren't listening to you (the membership as a whole) but that they chose the good of the organization over the good of an individual.
To a certain point, I agree. Yes, an organization needs to act in the best interest of the membership as a whole and not kowtow to the needs of a small minority (which is kind of redundant, isn't it? If it was a big minority, it would be a majority, right? But I digress.)
But what got me, was that the article then veered off into the new (well, relatively new) PAN eligibility criteria. And that's when smoke sort of began puffing out of my ears.
A quick recap - prior to July, 2007, RWA's PAN eligibility criteria was based on what publisher an author signed with. They had a list of "RWA-Approved Publishers." If you signed a contract with one of those publishers, you were eligible for PAN.
Fast forward to July, 2007, when quite a few epublishers made the list (Loose-Id, Ellora's Cave, Triskelion, and my publisher - Samhain Publishing to name a few), the rules were then changed. No longer would it be based on publisher, but on money earned by the individual writers.
Now, I'll grant you, the Triskelion collapse and ensuing mess helped perpetuate the need for change, but I am still convinced that RWA does not see its epublished authors as being equals to their print published authors. And since July, 2007, they have done almost nothing to show the opposite is true.
Here is their mission statement:
Romance Writers of America is dedicated to advancing the professional interests of career-focused romance writers through networking and advocacy.
That sounds wonderful, and they should be dedicated to this.
But....
It seems to me that they have redefined what the words "professional" and "career-focused" mean.
Before 2007, if you signed with one of the publishers on the List - you were apparently profession and career-focused. After 2007, though, that was not enough. Now, in order for RWA (a group dedicated to advancing the careers of romance writers, mind you) to consider you a "professional" and "career-focused", you must earn a minimum of $1,000 through an advance on the sale of one book, or a combination of advance/royalties on a single title.
Now, it's a standard that epublishers generally don't offer advances - Samhain is one of the exceptions to the rule. But on the other hand, the royalties earned are higher than that of print publishers - 30-40% for epubs vs 8% for print. And epublished books can and do earn over a thousand dollars in royalties.
I firmly believe that there should be standards and they should be high - especially with the glut of epublishers springing up all over the place. Any fool can throw up a website and call themselves an epress. So there do need to be guidelines and standards and I will never suggest otherwise.
However...
Certain epublishers had already reached the RWA's standards. And then RWA changed them. And to rationalize their change, they basically came out and said that anyone who does not meet the PAN criteria is not seriously persuing a career in writing romance fiction.
What?
Well, okay, I can see their point - and the RWA cheerleaders I've come across who basically tell me that RWA just lurves their epublished authors as much as they lurve their print publishers and that I'm just not seeing that because... well... because....
And that's it. They can't tell me why I'm wrong, just that I am wrong.
If I am wrong, then why the mess with the RITA awards this year?
A quick recap - used to be, if you were published through an RWA-approved publisher, you were eligible for the RITA (which is the romance fiction industry's Oscar Award.) If you were published by a publisher NOT on their list, or uncontracted, you could enter the Golden Heart (the unpublished romance writer's Oscar, if you will.)
Not this year.
Oh, RWA never made a formal announcement (at least, I don't think they did - I never saw it and no one else could ever show me where the announcement was made, either) regarding the changes in their RITA rules. But the change was there. In two words -
mass-produced
In order to be eligible for the RITA, an author's book had to be
1) published by a Non-Vanity/Non-Subsidy publisher (and yes, RWA does have a list.)
2) Be in print format
3) be mass-produced
And there it was - no definition was offered for what constituted "mass-produced" and even today, as far as I know, there is no definition. But, it meant that books published by companies such as Samhain, were no longer RITA-eligible because, even though there was no definition of mass-produced, RWA decided that Samhain (among other publishers) did not meet the definition (you know, the one that didn't - and still doesn't - exist.)
And the kicker - because Samhain is on their list of Non-Vanity/Non-Subsidy publishers, a Samhain author (among other publishers) was not eligible for the Golden Heart either. Want to know why?
Because that author is published.
**headsmack**
So, let's get back to the RWR article - which basically says that if an author does not earn at least $1000 in advance and/or royalties (on a single title, mind you), she (or he) is obviously not a professional writer. Or pursuing a career.
Now, on one hand, I can understand this. Yes, writers should make money. But to basically say that unless you make that grand on a single title, you are no more than a hobbyist is insulting.
Look at this way -
Author A sells a manuscript to Avon. She gets an advance of $5,000 and a print run of 10,000 books. She is eligible for PAN and the RITA. And never sells another book - whether by choice or not.
Author B writes in a genre that isn't quite so mainstream (think erotic romance 15 years ago), NY houses aren't brave enough to take the chance, so she sells to Samhain. And goes on to release two books a year, but no single title necessarily reaches the $1000 mark. But she's producing book after book after book. Advancing her career if you will.
Which is the professional and which isn't? Which author is pursuing a career in writing romance fiction?
Ahh... and there's the rub. RWA never addresses that. And I frankly find it insulting to those who have chosen epublishing that their own advocacy group does not consider them professional.
I'm tired of the whole mess, to be honest. It's ridiculous and so far, even RWA can't figure out what their words mean, which doesn't fill me with a whole lot of confidence, to be honest. When a group of writers can't define their own words, it kind of makes me wonder if I really want them advocating for me.
And as far as I know, they still haven't decided what they mean by "mass-produced." It would be funny, really, if it weren't so pathetic.
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