Trenae Evans’s Blog

RWA change summed up is an initiative supporting change in RWA and its policies regarding digital publishing.

Some Romance Writers of America (RWA) member’s are calling for change for e-pubbed authors.  This debate has been going on for some time now and as of yet a solution has not been agreed on.  Many e-pubbed authors are upset for good reason.  RWA has some guidelines that don’t allow for e-publishers to be recognized. 

These members are not asking for anything other then for the guidelines to be looked at and updated to be current with the industry and the direction publishing is taking.  We’ve seen over and over the news on layoffs and freezes and lets face it New York publishers are not at the top of their game.  Is this to say that they are in danger?  Well maybe some as we’ve seen lines close but NY publishing will continue to be around for some time.  But along with NY publishing are electronic/digital publishers.  E-pubbing is gaining more and more recognition with new authors, authors already published with NY and with readers.  We’ve come into the age where some people don’t want to wait a year for their favorite author to release their next book, or don’t want to buy a book because they’d rather download onto a mobile reading device or onto their computer (which also saves trees).  For various reasons we are seeing more and more people buying e-books.  The demand for e-pubbed authors is higher right now then NY publishing houses.  For one NY publishers don’t take risk with many unknown and unpublished authors.  Some multi published NY authors are finding it harder to get their stories published and in some cases having to wait longer in between book releases.  This does not pay the bills for these authors and we’ve seen more NY published authors submit and have their stories published electronically then ever before. 

In a case like this where the market isn’t at it’s best and more people are having to pinch pennies because money is just tighter because everything else is so expensive or because maybe they are not working.  An e-book is an inexpensive way to be able to get a book.  Sales in e-books has done fairly well, while most NY publishers may not be seeing the same kind of sales.  What once was the only way to read a book it was very profitable but now with improvments in technology and people needing to spend less the electronic publishing is becoming more popular.

These members of RWA fighting for change within the organization who are either e-published already to members who are not published but are looking at publishing are looking for fair and equal membership benefits – the ability to submit to contests and to have RWA recognize some of the e-publishers that have proven they are in it for the long haul.

I am a member of RWA and I’m a member that wants to see change.  I’m a member who’d like to see others not just complain about something that they’d like to see changed but to band together and make the change.  I believe we are at the beginning stages of this debate and that it may go on for a period of time.  This past week a lot of authors with like opinions on this very topic have come together and created profiles and groups for people to voice their opinions and to get involved.  If you want to see change you have to be willing to step up to the plate and fight for it.  This doesn’t mean voicing a complaint but actually getting involved to do what needs to be done to insure change happens.

I believe that these pages/groups/searches will be what’s needed to happen.  If you’d like to see change within the industry check out these pages.

Twitter:  search link https://twitter.com/search?q=%23rwachange#search?q=%23rwachange

Facebook:  RWA Change

Yahoo Group: http://groups. yahoo.com/ group/RWAchange/

Maddie James did a fantastic article summing up what’s going on right now. 
http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=93075523476&h=ANQPa&u=abz5Y

Get involved, speak up and fight for change!!!

If you’d like to email me feel free to contact me at tammi@tammiflora.com