Welcome to this stop of the Stop and Smell The Roses Blog Bouquet!
The Happy Endings blog focuses on the romance writer’s pursuit and because I think it’s important to note the bumps along the way, I thought I’d share with you — if you didn’t already know — the current issues facing Romance Writers of America and its members.
Just last week, agent and author (both print and epubbed) Deirdre Knight went on the ESPAN RWA chapter website and posted a blog called “A Call For Change.” She stated many well-explained reasons as to why RWA needed to redefine its look at epublishing as an industry, including the publishers and the authors and where they fit into the RWA organization as whole. The post was responded to by the current RWA President Diane Pershing, and needless to say the combination of both has left many people just mad enough to do something about it. (almost 500 comments on these two posts alone.)
Before I continue, I want to say that I believe in RWA. I love being a part of this organization. I believe in what it does for writers and I know it’s helped me along my career path. However, I do believe RWA needs to work a little harder to stay relevant. It owes that to its members.
The current standards may have worked for a publishing world that was print-based, but as the canvas of digital publishing changes, so must an organization that claims to advocate for and educate their members. The attitudes presented about epublishing, small press publishing and the authors who choose them is uneducated at best and insulting at worst.
The world of epublishing is here to stay. The print book industry is suffering — lay offs, cutbacks from their author lists and much more. In the month of March 2009, according to the AAP website, sales in almost every print category decreased significantly–adult hardcover sales were down 19.4 percent, adult paperback sales down by 35.8 percent. Audio book sales decreased.
But ebook sales increased by 110.4%.
RWA is charged by its bylaws to “govern with an emphasis on (1) outward vision rather than internal preoccupation, (2) encouragement of diversity in viewpoints, (3) strategic leadership more than administrative detail, (4) clear distinction of board and staff roles, (5) collective rather than individual decisions, (6) future focus rather than past or present, and (7) proactivity rather than reactivity.”
In this recent article from the RWA president, she challenged epublishers to switch their business model to meet their standards. How is this RWA’s place? And how does this work with their goals of governing with an outward, future vision? For encouraging diversity of viewpoints or being proactive?
Instead of trying to force epublishing into the format of print publishing (a format that is taking major hits right now), RWA should be working hard to educate their members on what epublishing is. All segments of the RWA membership need this information, they need the understanding and the freedom to make choices that are right for their career. There are positives and negatives for both print and epublishing. RWA should be clarifying them, making them understood, not trying to take the choice away from the author/writer or suggesting that those who choose epublishing as a path on their career are “uneducated.”
Unpublished writers need to understand what epublishers are solid, good choices and which ones to avoid. They need to understand what the true differences between print publishers and epublishers are, the good and the bad.
Epublished and small press authors need to have some validation in an organization they are as much a part of as anyone else. This includes programs, contests and all the benefits given to both large publisher/print-published and unpublished writers. It also includes creating solid standards and benchmarks for the epublishers and epubbed authors to work toward. Large publisher/print-published authors have that standard and the ability to achieve recognition for getting there. These authors deserve the same.
And the large publisher/print-published authors need to understand what the digital world means for their books, for their rights. Many large publishers pay only single digit royalties on ebook versions. While I’ve read authors state that their ebook sales are such a small percentage right now it hardly matters, that isn’t always going to be the case. And if they aren’t informed now, what happens when that percentage grows bigger and their royalties do not?
RWA has an opportunity to get ahead of the industry, to truly become an advocate for ALL their members in the area of digital publishing. It should be a fundamental part of their organization, of their business. Instead of taking that task to heart, they are trying to defend a position that has been the same for decades, which sounds oddly similar to “if we ignore you, you’ll go away.”
Ebooks won’t go away. Neither will we. It’s time to update your viewpoint, RWA. It’s time to change.
Jeannie Ruesch
Remember to comment away to enter to win an ebook or print copy (your choice) of SOMETHING ABOUT HER, my historical romance from The Wild Rose Press.
5 stars from The Romance Studio: “The poignant storyline was so engrossing that I could not put the book down. I loved the backup characters and could not believe the way the story progressed. The ending was inevitable; however, it was such a surprise that it made the agonizing worthwhile.”
“…a rich, well-presented tale.” ~ RT Book Reviews
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And for the rest of your adventure, visit these blogs of other Wild Rose Press authors:
http://AnnWhitaker.blogspot.com
http://bethcaudill.blogspot.com
http://blog.skhyemoncrief.com
http://catemasters.blogspot.com
http://christinecolumbus.blogspot.com
http://donnamichaelsauthor.blogspot.com
http://happyendingsblog.com
http://kyAnnwaters.blogspot.com
http://laurirobinson.blogspot.com
http://lindabanche.blogspot.com
http://lynnreynolds.blogspot.com
http://marywritesromance.blogspot.com
http://melanieatkins.wordpress.com
http://missmaesite.blogspot.com
http://nicolemccaffrey.blogspot.com
http://plparker.blogspot.com
http://romanticcravings.blogspot.com
http://roniadams.blogspot.com
http://sherilewiswohl.wordpress.com
http://skypuringtonwrites.blogspot.com
29 comments
I did follow the thread of both Deidre and the response by RWA. I encourage debate but inflammatory comments tend to take focus away from the issues. It’s wonderful to see you take a positive step to be heard and hopefully bring about change.
Mornin’, Jeannie! Great discussion. I think the only way things will change is if e-pubbed authors take over RWA. 😉
Sorry, screaming daughter interrupted me… I meant to say, e-pubs take over the RWA board. LOL
I thought this was a post that we all need to read about. Ebooks ARE here to stay and it is time that programs get restructured to accomodate them.
Wonderful post and very well put. I’m hopeful that a positive change will take place soon.
Have a great day!
~Donna
As a high school English teacher who has fallen in love with her Kindle, I would have to agree that technology has changed attitudes about e-publishing. I even hear of more and more examples of self-published authors whose books end up doing well. It seems that professional writers’ groups would want to support writing and reading in all forms, just as professional educators should!
Jeannie, I agree ebooks are here to stay. Did you know that in Tokyo school children have all their textbooks as ebooks? Yep, they don’t have to carry heavy books to school. I am buying or hope to win a Sony to take fifty ebooks for my next vacation. That beats the four paperbooks DH allowed me to carry in my suitcase. And of course I will also have my own new release from TWRP, BABIES IN THE BARGAIN, a sweet and spicy medical romance, sort of Grey’s Anatomy.
I’ve been following the posts but haven’t joined the new group starting up. I’m not active in the RWA but enjoy the resources. What I wouldn’t want to be without is our local RWA chapter.
When I first published I resisted submitting to e-publishers and when my first book was published I still felt like I hadn’t “made it”. Now I’m not sure I’d readily switch and for sure I wouldn’t give up the e-publisher I’m with. If we were to make a pro and con list I think there’d be a lot on the pro side of e-publishing.
Good post with a positive response to all that’s going on right now.
Thanks Jeannie
Great discussion and very well said! I’ve bee following the discussions myself and I really enjoyed reading your take on the situation.
Nic
Good post…
I am liking this blog – I will be back..
E.H>
Jeannie, have you been peeking inside my head? You’ve summed up my thoughts far more eloquently than I could have. I have joined the group though things are flying so fast and furious on the loop, I’m not keeping up. I figure things will calm down, a consensus will be reached, and we can go forward from there.
Thanks for all the work you are putting into the effort!
Well said! Thank you and thanks for participating in the blog bouquet!
YEAH!! Ebooks rock! It’s about time RWA woke up!!!
Valerie
KyAnn — I agree, it’s easy to get heated in discussions like this and take things personally. But ultimately, this change benefits every member of RWA, not just those of us who have already taken the leap into epublishing and small presses.
Whatever point you are on as a writer or author, you deserve to have all the facts, all the information, so that you can make an informed decision for your OWN career. Not have RWA tell you what’s right and wrong for it. Thanks for stopping!
Skhye, Funny you mention that. 🙂 Join the rwachange group and you’ll see exactly what’s planned on that front!
Val, Donna, thanks so much for stopping by. IA, ebooks are here to stay — this organization needs to move ahead of the curve, not behind it.
Gwen – I have fallen in LOVE with my kindle, too! In fact, I’m considering donating all my mass market print books to the local library and going all ebook. 🙂 My hubby would be thrilled. LOL
Monda — that is one of the things I LOVE about the ereader. When I go to nationals this July, I can take any book and every book I want!! Without paying extra for my luggage! 🙂
Lavada — I agree, there are a lot of pros to the list of epubs. There are good and bad in BOTH print and epublishing. It’s RWA’s responsibility to let its members know what they are. I hope this movement helps achieve that.
Nicole — thank you for coming by. I’m trying to stay focused on the big picture, that RWA members deserve to have this information. I honestly don’t care if it means anything changes for me as far as the RITA or PAN membership, I’m fine with whatever benchmarks are fair and equal. As long as the organization stops treating epublishing like a disease.
Thank you EH — I hope to see you visit again soon!
Silver — I joined the group in the first onslaught, and then disappeared for a night. When I came back, it was to over 500 emails. LOL It’s a busy, prolific group, definitely. And so excited and passionate to make some waves. I Love it! (And I created the logo, to boot. LOL)
Lauri and Valerie — thanks for stopping by!!
Hi wonderul post! And congrats on your great reviews. I am boycotting judging the RITA’s until RWA includes e-books.
Yeah, if you don’t grow with the times, you just wither and die.
~Tanya
http://www.tanyahanson.com
http://www.petticoatsandpistols.com
I just read Diane’s response:
. RWA is doing no such thing. Of 1,112 entries in this year’s RITA contest, 64 entries were published by small (non-NY) publishers. 34 of the entries were from publishers whose primary format is print. The remaining 30 entries were from publishers whose format is primarily electronic, Deidre’s publisher being one of these.
How is this done? I thought e-books were ineligible? My mistake apparently.
~Tanya Hanson
http://www.tanyahanson.com
It’s a great discussion, Jeannie! Hopefully, something good will come out of all of this.
I’ve been too busy with blogs and interviews to keep up with all the RWA/e-pub conversations. I didn’t even KNOW there was a new group! But I agree. E-books are here to stay.
This really has been an interesting discussion/debate to follow. It will be even more interesting to see where it all leads in the end.
I with you e-books are here to stay. Hopefully in time things will get better, but some people are always opposed to change.
~Afshan
Afshan522@aol.com
I agree as a reader i like the choice i love books because well they have been around i love e-book because u hcna have thousands and not take up much space so for me iam glad they r hear to stay now i have more of a choice then before I love the concepts and this discussion ty for posting
I hope you can come to so kind of compromise. Great blogs.
I agree that ebooks are here to stay. I’m a reader not an author so I don’t really get all this. Why would authors royalties be so small on ebooks when they are sold for not much less than paperbacks?
I see a number of authors that are coming out of ebooks only to be published in print as well. Maybe as more of these authors appear, attitudes will change. Less of the old guard and more authors with a variety of paths to being published.
LyndaS is the winner of a copy of SOMETHING ABOUT HER, ebook or print, your choice. Congrats! Email me at jeannie@jeannieruesch.com to settle details.
Tanya – your posts got stuck in spamland, so sorry for the late reply.
IA, I’m not sure how ANY ebook format books got into the RITA. It doesn’t make sense to me.
This is a hot issue, and RWA will eventually be forced to accept ebooks (and as a proud Kindle owner, I’ll say, “It’s about time!”).
But I especially appreciate that you’ve used an honorable, respectful tone and argued your point with the by-laws, not your own opinions.
Very well said, indeed.