I really, really hope EC and Samhain’s owners are laughing behind the scenes: “You mean I can’t come to RWA and solicit manuscripts? However am I going to find any?” asks the house who is still closed to submissions until September because they are innundated.

Dream of Shadows will be a single title in September. Vegas Bites is already out, and its sequel Vegas Bites Back will be out in December. /plug.

BTW, I’m going to gank the word count meter. Maybe that will help me focus on my writing and not on the latest debacle from RWA.

And when does the paranormal book you have excerpted at your website come out? Is that the novella in the vegas bites antho?

I’ve looked everywhere to see if other organizations define subsidy/vanity the way RWA has, with that sales codicil. No one does, not even SFWA which is more strict than RWA regarding who’s published (they have a $2K minimum.)

Hopefully clarification will come sooner rather than later.

I will write a letter about it. I wanted to see how it shook out at the conference. I’m starting to hear back from my publishers who are there and trying to get answers but I don’t want to go off half cocked and write some letter until I have all the facts.

Lynne - yes, that whole thing about the sales on the website is so odd to me. The other stuff makes sense, but the sales part was just weird and it seemed very pointed to me.

Sasha - I ended up keeping my RWA membership last month, I wish I’d known then what they were up to but I love to ability to advertise in Romance Sells and I’ve got a Spice book coming out in May so I made the excuse for that. I also joined my local chapter, who is sadly, being very quiet on this and I hope it’s just because everyone is at Nationals. After this craziness, after the craziness of the years before I suppose I was hoping saner people were at the helm who listened to the membership, I guess I was wrong. No matter, my money will be better spent next year.

Ember - I think what I found so frustrating was how out of the blue this one came. I knew they were workin on PAN stuff and when I read it all over, I can’t say I find it that bad a change. The RITA change WRT copyright date is really good. But this vanity publisher/epublisher thing, well that was like a sneak attack and I’m very displeased no input was sought on it.

December - yes

Tess - I don’t know how it works but usually yes, they’re supposed to have time for open member comment.

There are other author organizations out there that I’m going to try, when I get the urge. But honestly I think things like Access Romance, and Romance Diva’s are the best. They offer workshops and blogs, and message boards for authors of all levels, and what better way to learn than from each other?

At first, I thought the changes were good, the best that they could come up with considering the circumstances. Then I started breaking down each point, and here are the conclusions I came to:

Basically, no ePub would be allowed to take editor appointments at National, because of the advance requirement.

The three ePubs who are currently recognized will be delisted or called Vanity Presses because their PRIMARY means of selling books is through their own websites.

One or two of the small presses currently recognized may also be considered a Vanity Publisher because of the 50% rule of owners publishing books to non-owners publishing books.

I hope that RWA will clarify their definition. We will have to wait until the new Market Update is released to see who is on and who is off. If you’re a member, please write your Board liasion. As it stands now, this effectively denies any ePublisher from joining the reindeer games.

To Christine: The Board decision is all but set. Only next year’s AGM at next year’s National Conference can undo this. (Did anyone notice how they extend the requirement of posting the Hot Sheet from 48 to 72 hours, just so it wouldn’t be posted in time for this year’s AGM? I know, call me a conspiracy theorist. ) Or voting in new board members who will have enough of a majority vote to rescind this decision.

I agree with the other criteria — authors paying a fee for publication and having to do all the promo/sales themselves — but this one doesn’t belong with the others.

I think it’s their way of getting rid of the e-pubs, even the big gals, because of that one word — primary.