Our friend Carrie Lofty is at the RWA Nationals right now and she wrote us an email to relay some news, especially in regards to the whole RWA dissing e-pubs thing. Thanks, Carrie.

Updates, from the Boards’ mouths, as scribbled by me:

RWA publisher eligibility means the ability for a publisher to secure space at National for free. Non-eligible publishers can purchase space at National, and this means space for their authors at the Literacy Signing, editor appointments, etc. PAN status is $1000 in advances or royalties over an 18-mo period from an eligible publisher.

So what is an eligible publisher? The sticking point is the idea that at least 50% of sales must be made through a means other than a publisher’s own website or links to the authors’ websites. However, that 50% of non-pub website distribution can be from other websites such as Fictionwise. Anyone that produces more than 50% of their sales through a publisher’s website is consider vanity or subsidy publishing, which the Board repeated said is a definition based on the opinion of a literary lawyer they consulted for this. People were not pleased with this, arguing that the means of distribution has nothing to do with vanity/subsidy.

The thing about Fictionwise being taken into consideration with regard to sales made some people easier, this idea that multiple sources will be considered, not just brick and mortar.

PAN status is grandfathered in to anyone who applied before July 10, including those who are PAN-eligible but haven’t been made official by their copyright coverpage.

Board Prez said that no author should “settle” for receiving less than $1000 for her work.

RITA entries can be from any publisher as long as they fit into one of the categories and are in bound form. Publisher does not matter.

The hero/heroine language has been removed from all definitions of RITA and GH. The language now says “the love story,” thereby opening up all categories to m/m f/f and multi-partner stories, even in the inspirational category

Historicals are no broken down into two categories, Regency Historical and Historical. Regency “in which the majority of the story is set against the Regency period of the British Empire.” That’s it; no dates etc. The Historical is “set in any time period prior to 1945 and taking place in any location.” Techincally a Regency can be submitted to either, depending on the authors’ choice.

The e-book stuff:

They said they would evaluate companies on a case by case basis, so it won’t be a blanket “epubs are out” ruling. The biggest ones will probably retain status (my opinion) because of deals like Samhain/Kensington and the Fictionwise route. [Ed. Note: Nope. See the update below. And to that I say “boo!”] But it will be more difficult for smaller presses to become established because of the free/not free space issue at National. However, all First Sale and Market Update columns in RWR will now run without regard to RWA recognition. If you make a sale, you’re invited to sub that information to the First Sale column, no matter the press — but again, as long as they don’t fall into that vanity/subsidy press category. So no Wild Rose or Highland or Whiskey Creek etc. Also, the Board plans to post specific examples of which pubs qualify and which don’t –and why– on their website. Eventually.

In closing:

The other point the Board was quick to make was that RWA is not in the business of serving as an advocate for newbie writers. Kathleen Eagle went on the record as saying that RWA is an advocacy group for professional writers, that the Board should be asking “How can we best advocate for people trying to make a living as a writer?” and that the author should not be asking, “How do I get published”, but “How do I make a living as a publisher writer?”

Ask not what the RWA can do for you, rather ask what you can do for the RWA! Damn fine reporting, Carrie. Thanks again.

Samhain lost recognition. THAT IS SO NOT COOL! Hugs to all my Samhain sisters and brothers. We will prevail.

Oh, and even more updates at Carrie’s site here.

Em Veinglory is attempting to compile a list of the “dropped” e-pubbers here. If you have any info, please do share.

Take 11 sips—- Karen has jumped into the fray!