It took me 2 days to get pissed, but I am there now. I'm ticked off by the PTB at RWA and at myself. You see, I remember several months back seeing information about what they were considering and how to share my thoughts with them. It just so happened that at the time I was tied down with other responsibilities. I didn't send my opinion on the subject.
I am about to do my best on remedying that mistake.
The accepted changes stink. They are an insult to every writer trying to make it in the writing industry. Is that blunt enough for you, PTB? Changing the wording identifying vanity publishers so that it includes e-publishers is exclusionary and harmful to their honest businesses. I have no idea how you justify such a move.
I did hear one person attempt to defend the changes by saying that the new wording will help to protect newbie writers who don't know any better. Damn if that didn't make me see red. Essentially that person, one I like and respect, just called me (ME and every other e-published author!) a moron. Which is exactly what RWA is doing. That was the moment I got pissed.
Up until that moment I really thought there wouldn't be much of a change. After all, many NY publishers and published authors already look down on anything electronic, even though many are now also jumping on that same bandwagon. I figured that the wording was just a little nastiness and it wouldn't affect the real world in any touchable way. That was before this *friend* spoke up and spouted the nonsense out loud. The truth is that writers do look to their national organization for guidance and definitions of what is what in romance writing. And they should. This new wording, which at first might seem harmless and protecting, will tear the nation's romance writers into deeper factions, harming us all.
There is no US and THEM. We are all writers with the same primary goal in mind. We want to tell a story. Some of us want to make money off that story, some hope and dream of make lots of money off that story and some just want the story read and enjoyed. No matter which route an author chooses to take, we are all writers and not one of us is better than any other, no matter where we want to publish or where we succeed in publishing.
So I ask the powers that be at RWA to consider their next decision carefully. Consider how it will affect the greatest majority of your members. That's right, the greatest majority of your members will never see the NY times list. Most will be in the middle. Most will consider e-publishing. Most may already have considered e-publishing. Most may have e-published already. Most of your members, the very people you are supposed to support and encourage may have just taken a blow to the heart.
If you would like to add your voice to mine and others who have an opinion check out this poll - http://www.lshannon.net/RWA-poll.html And pass the word. Let's show RWA the numbers that matter. Let's show them that the writers are willing to speak up. Better yet, let's show them who they are supposed to speak for!
Shannon
www.lshannon.net
Author of dark paranormal romance
PUBLISHED through Cobblestone Press
President of RWA chapter #140
member of RWA (but not proud of that fact at the moment)
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