Weekly word count: 2731
Editing countdown: 39 chapters done for first pass through, 4 weeks to go
Let's start with the big news. The auditor's report on what happened with the Tisdale/Davis complaint that launched the RWA shitstorm was released this week. One of the reasons why I hung on to my RWA membership was that I wanted to see the report. I wasn't sure it would be released to the public or restricted to members. I've gone through the whole thing (The report itself is 58 pages, plus hefty appendices) but the law firm summarized their findings as follows:
- RWA members don't know what's actually in the Code of Ethics, including those serving on the Ethics Committee
- the Code of Ethics has been updated on an ad hoc basis, which has allowed for contradictory provisions
- the Ethics Committee failed to report on what interpretation and evidence they used to reach their conclusion
- the Board was not given the evidence and was told that they needed to accept the Ethics Committee's report or they were stating that they had no trust in the committee or its role. They were asked to judge based on analogies that were misrepresentative, rather than the actual evidence.
- The law firm concluded that there was not evidence of personal bias against Courtney but rather a complete failure to understand and follow policy and procedures, as well as inherent flaws within those policies and procedures.
If RWA had been following their own policies, this is what should have happened:
- When Tisdale and Davis filed their initial complaints, they should have been required to submit documentation about their claims of lost business. They also should have been advised that an ethics complaint was not the appropriate venue and told that if they wanted to pursue this, they should do so through the legal system, not RWA. (The Code of Ethics specifically puts social media as exempt from ethics complaints, but there is a category of "invidious discrimination" which is about defaming romance as a whole and this is apparently what was used to continue the complaint. The contradiction is one of the flaws in policy noted in the summary.)
- If it had gone through, the Ethics Committee should have asked for advice as to what the definition of "invidious discrimination" was. They apparently pulled a definition from the Internet which was not accurate. Invidious discrimination is a legal term with a specific definition, and if the complaint had been evaluated by that definition, it would have been clear that the complaint did not apply.
- Carol Ritter and Damon Suede were required to sign non-disclosure agreements to preserve the confidentiality of the Ethics Committee. They interpreted these NDAs to mean that they were not able to speak to the Board of Directors about the specifics of the complaint, including the evidence presented by Tisdale and Davis. The NDA should not have been drafted without the help of legal counsel, who also should have been clear as to the limitations.
- Due to their interpretation of the NDA, when it came time to present the Ethics Committee's report and recommendation to the RWA Board of Directors, the only information they were given was vague generalizations and analogies, including an analogy that what Courtney had done was the equivalent of sexual harassment and creating a hostile workplace. The Board was then told that they were not able to ask for more information without violating the confidentiality of the Ethics Committee or sending a message of distrust. Both of these requirements are false, the Board was required as part of their duty to personally examine the evidence and determine if the recommendation was appropriate. To blindly rely on the Ethics Committee is to give them a greater role than policy allows and creates the possibility of misuse and personal vendettas without any accountability.
Even if everything else had failed, when the Board saw the evidence, they would have been able to correct the Ethics Committee's error. Introducing an additional interpretation to asking for more information created a subtle level of coercion to accept. The Board could no longer judge the report strictly on its merits but were required to also consider the feelings and professional response of the Ethics Committee.
In other words, this was a full on failure of procedure due to misinterpretation, ignorance and inexperience. And yes, I do believe that racism played a part, but if the Board or the Ethics Committee had properly understood their roles and the procedures, they could have stopped it. (Not to place the blame solely on the Board, it's important to remember that this is the result of Tisdale and Davis making false claims in support of a racist acquisitions editor (Sue Grimshaw) and to defend a book with harmful, racist stereotypes.) I think (and this is just my own interpretation) that while there may not have been direct evidence of personal discrimination in how the complaint was handled, it is suspicious that the three people most responsible for pushing this complaint through (Allison Kelley, Damon Suede and Carol Ritter) all seem to have disliked Courtney and had butted heads with her on previous occasions.
This complaint and the consequences were the result of people getting offended because an individual expressed her opinion on problems with a book and another individual and did so using profanity. She was one of many people expressing concerns, including the then-President Elect of RWA, Carolyn Jewel. Couirtney was targeted unfairly and procedure was weaponized against her. That should not have been possible and frankly, RWA deserves the condemnation that has resulted from this disgraceful mess.
I am now waiting to vote in the March special election and see who is elected to the new Board of Directors and what direction they take. If they choose to make RWA a place which does not tolerate bigotry and prejudice, then I will remain a member. If the result is a wishy-washy "I'm sorry if I offended any special snowflakes" approach, then I'll be done.
I'm sure there will be more fallout. From what I can see, the auditors did a thorough job and anyone familiar with legalese will see the "OMG this was awful" subtext throughout the report. From what the report says, I believe that there was not a malicious, over-arching conspiracy. Unconscious racism and personal bias, absolutely yes, but not a conspiracy. That's good news, because you can't fight a malicious conspiracy, but you can ensure that opportunists don't have the chance to pursue personal vendettas within an organization.
So that's where things stand for now. Moving back to the personal side, I had something very strange happen. I drew the exact same cards for this week's Tarot as last week's Tarot, but in a slightly different order.
Last week, I drew the King of Swords, reversed, the Page of Cups, reversed, and the Four of Swords. Injustice, escapism, and recharging. This week I drew the King of Swords, reversed, the Four of Swords, and the Page of Cups, reversed. (And before anyone asks, I do a very thorough shuffle between draws.) I've never drawn the same cards twice in a row before.
The King of Swords, reversed, indicates injustice, unfairness, and intimidation. A situation where a decision has gone against the individual. The Page of Cups, reversed talks about concern for a child, lack of discipline causing difficulties, and wasting time and energy on pipe dreams. The Four of Swords indicates that it is time to take a break and reevaluate, getting some distance from one's regular routine, and can indicate a medical issue that requires a stay in a hospital.
Between the three of them, it's not an optimistic draw. The King of Swords staying consistently in the past indicates the injustice has already happened. The Page of Cups and Four of Swords suggests that I've been wasting time on something and need a break. Cups generally refer to emotions and swords refer to the intellect. This draw would actually work perfectly for the RWA situation, there was an injustice against Courtney, we've wasted a lot of time with denials and obfuscation and a refusal to admit what happened, and there are certainly a large number of members who are walking away to re-evaluate what to do next.
Too much for me. I'm going to continue to focus on my writing (which I refuse to consider a waste of time).
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Showing posts with label RWA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RWA. Show all posts
Monday, 24 February 2020
Monday, 10 February 2020
Weekly Update: Feb 2 to 8 (updated RWA statement)
Weekly word count: 3 314
I've been mostly working on edits for Division this week, but there's still some progress for Until Proven Guilty. My next deadline is the end of March, when I need to have Division ready for the line editing process.
I've also been reading and listening to the accounts of those who have left RWA in the last month. A lot of them are people and authors whom I greatly respect and the stories they're sharing are troubling. Attempts to raise awareness of the diverse origins of RWA and the romance genre blocked. Constantly having to cover the same points over and over again: that white privilege does not mean white people have not struggled (only that they have not faced an additional barrier based on the colour of their skin), that complaints which focus on a speaker not being nice instead of the substance of their words are tone policing, that authors of colour or disability or LGBTQIA+ should not be placed in separate but equal categories for awards and that there are many talented authors who are not getting fairly judged because they or their characters are marginalized.
It sounds exhausting and greatly underscores the fact that many of those who have left have spent a lot of time and effort trying to fix a system that has resisted them at every turn. So I can understand the choice of saying "That's it, I'm done" and I respect that. I believe that if they had believed there was any chance of improvement, these individuals would still be in the trenches.
I am choosing to stay in RWA for now, despite the fact that I am deeply troubled by what I'm hearing. The main reason that I am staying is that I want to hear the audit results. I'm no longer particularly hopeful that RWA will be able to continue as a trade organization and advocacy group.
Part of me wants to believe that the resistance is pure backlash, the last dying gasp of institutional racism and a small number of bigots who know they are on shaky ground and about to fall. However, it's hard to believe that in a world where spewers of hate get elected and are praised for their attacks on minority groups. Realizing just how deep the hatred goes is very unsettling for me and makes me feel very small and vulnerable. (And I'm not the main target, so I imagine it is much worse for those who are visible minorities.)
I do not and will not support institutions that protect and support hatred and exclusion.
Moving on to better news, we had Kerri Buckley from Carina Press speak to ORWA this weekend and I had the chance to pitch Best Face Forward to her. It wasn't what she was looking for but she asked for a synopsis and three chapters to send to Harlequin Special Edition.
I did a Tarot draw before leaving to pitch and I drew the Knight of Coins, which is a card indicating slow and steady progress and an incipient breakthrough. Fingers crossed it turns out to be prophetic.
Last week's draw was the five of cups (loss and grief), the five of coins (poverty) and the six of swords (brighter days ahead). It was an expensive week paying for my son's braces and my other son's summer camps. But not enough to shove us into the poor house.
This week's draw pulled the Lovers for the past. The Lovers indicates a significant decision was made, one with major implications. Next was the King of Cups for the present, which usually indicates someone who gives emotionally important and relevant advice. The future was the the Chariot, suggesting a difficult time dealing with opposing forces and a struggle to maintain balance.
Two major Arcana in one draw suggests it's going to be a memorable or significant week. Guess we'll find out.
I've been mostly working on edits for Division this week, but there's still some progress for Until Proven Guilty. My next deadline is the end of March, when I need to have Division ready for the line editing process.
I've also been reading and listening to the accounts of those who have left RWA in the last month. A lot of them are people and authors whom I greatly respect and the stories they're sharing are troubling. Attempts to raise awareness of the diverse origins of RWA and the romance genre blocked. Constantly having to cover the same points over and over again: that white privilege does not mean white people have not struggled (only that they have not faced an additional barrier based on the colour of their skin), that complaints which focus on a speaker not being nice instead of the substance of their words are tone policing, that authors of colour or disability or LGBTQIA+ should not be placed in separate but equal categories for awards and that there are many talented authors who are not getting fairly judged because they or their characters are marginalized.
It sounds exhausting and greatly underscores the fact that many of those who have left have spent a lot of time and effort trying to fix a system that has resisted them at every turn. So I can understand the choice of saying "That's it, I'm done" and I respect that. I believe that if they had believed there was any chance of improvement, these individuals would still be in the trenches.
I am choosing to stay in RWA for now, despite the fact that I am deeply troubled by what I'm hearing. The main reason that I am staying is that I want to hear the audit results. I'm no longer particularly hopeful that RWA will be able to continue as a trade organization and advocacy group.
Part of me wants to believe that the resistance is pure backlash, the last dying gasp of institutional racism and a small number of bigots who know they are on shaky ground and about to fall. However, it's hard to believe that in a world where spewers of hate get elected and are praised for their attacks on minority groups. Realizing just how deep the hatred goes is very unsettling for me and makes me feel very small and vulnerable. (And I'm not the main target, so I imagine it is much worse for those who are visible minorities.)
I do not and will not support institutions that protect and support hatred and exclusion.
Moving on to better news, we had Kerri Buckley from Carina Press speak to ORWA this weekend and I had the chance to pitch Best Face Forward to her. It wasn't what she was looking for but she asked for a synopsis and three chapters to send to Harlequin Special Edition.
I did a Tarot draw before leaving to pitch and I drew the Knight of Coins, which is a card indicating slow and steady progress and an incipient breakthrough. Fingers crossed it turns out to be prophetic.
Last week's draw was the five of cups (loss and grief), the five of coins (poverty) and the six of swords (brighter days ahead). It was an expensive week paying for my son's braces and my other son's summer camps. But not enough to shove us into the poor house.
This week's draw pulled the Lovers for the past. The Lovers indicates a significant decision was made, one with major implications. Next was the King of Cups for the present, which usually indicates someone who gives emotionally important and relevant advice. The future was the the Chariot, suggesting a difficult time dealing with opposing forces and a struggle to maintain balance.
Two major Arcana in one draw suggests it's going to be a memorable or significant week. Guess we'll find out.
Monday, 6 January 2020
Weekly Update: December 29 to Jan 4 (My RWA Statement)
Weekly word count: 3297
A pretty good week writing wise (despite the ongoing chaos with RWA national). I've been focusing on Best Face Forward, which I'm hoping to pitch to Carina when they visit our local chapter in February. I should have it polished and ready to go.
On Sunday, January 5, our local chapter held a town hall to discuss what has been happening at the national level with RWA. ORWA will be putting together an official statement so I won't pre-empt that here.
However, I will make the following statement about what my intentions and stance are.
I do not support the Ethics Committee's decision to censure Courtney Milan. I am deeply troubled by the language and substance of the complaint against her, as well as the apparent deviance from standard procedures. The current administration of RWA has lost my trust.
That said, I am not giving up without a fight. I am maintaining my RWA membership in order to have a voice in the restructuring and to continue to fight for diversity and inclusion. I did not have a submission in the RITA but had signed up to be a RITA judge. I will not withdraw as a judge, even though I believe the only ethical choice is to cancel the RITAs for this year.
I want RWA to be a safe space for all people, regardless of race, sexual orientation, disability, or any other marginalized identity. I want it to represent the true best of the romance genre. And I'm willing to fight to make sure that happens.
However, if RWA can't turn this around and resume moving in the right direction, they will lose me as a member. I won't be a part of a group which is hateful or which uses their policies to target and silence individuals. Up until December 23rd, I have genuinely believed that RWA was moving in the right direction. I hope it is not too late to resume that journey.
It's hard to believe that it has been less than two weeks since the news first broke on Twitter. There is a lot of speculation out there. Personally, I don't endorse conspiracy theories. I don't believe anyone manipulated events to create this result. Sadly, I believe it is far more likely that this is the result of insular groupthink and overly strong egos who cannot admit when they have made a significant error. And even worse, racism almost certainly played a strong part in how events played out, whether deliberate or unconscious.
I have nothing but respect for those who have chosen to cancel memberships or withdraw their books or judging from the RITAs. I also respect those who have chosen to resign from various positions within RWA. I'm sure t can't have been an easy decision and I'm also sure it was a choice of last resort for many. I also have respect for those who have chosen to stay and try to make the RWA into what it should be.
Maybe some of the calls online are right and this is a doomed attempt. Maybe the problems are too ingrained to fight. But I take heart from historical precedence. The worst backlashes are the final ones before social change takes permanent hold. They are a desperate attempt to regain the status quo and have historically pushed the majority into realizing just how bad things are and how much they need to change. So I hope this is the last failing gasp of those who have used their privilege to actively suppress others. And if I'm wrong, then I will take what comfort I can from having done all I could to make a difference.
That's where I stand. Against bigotry. Against racism. Against ableism. Against homophobia and transphobia. And against anyone who seeks to quash the less privileged down to make themselves feel better. In the words of Peggy Carter, I'm planting myself like a tree and they can be the ones to move.
This is my place. Not theirs.
A pretty good week writing wise (despite the ongoing chaos with RWA national). I've been focusing on Best Face Forward, which I'm hoping to pitch to Carina when they visit our local chapter in February. I should have it polished and ready to go.
On Sunday, January 5, our local chapter held a town hall to discuss what has been happening at the national level with RWA. ORWA will be putting together an official statement so I won't pre-empt that here.
However, I will make the following statement about what my intentions and stance are.
I do not support the Ethics Committee's decision to censure Courtney Milan. I am deeply troubled by the language and substance of the complaint against her, as well as the apparent deviance from standard procedures. The current administration of RWA has lost my trust.
That said, I am not giving up without a fight. I am maintaining my RWA membership in order to have a voice in the restructuring and to continue to fight for diversity and inclusion. I did not have a submission in the RITA but had signed up to be a RITA judge. I will not withdraw as a judge, even though I believe the only ethical choice is to cancel the RITAs for this year.
I want RWA to be a safe space for all people, regardless of race, sexual orientation, disability, or any other marginalized identity. I want it to represent the true best of the romance genre. And I'm willing to fight to make sure that happens.
However, if RWA can't turn this around and resume moving in the right direction, they will lose me as a member. I won't be a part of a group which is hateful or which uses their policies to target and silence individuals. Up until December 23rd, I have genuinely believed that RWA was moving in the right direction. I hope it is not too late to resume that journey.
It's hard to believe that it has been less than two weeks since the news first broke on Twitter. There is a lot of speculation out there. Personally, I don't endorse conspiracy theories. I don't believe anyone manipulated events to create this result. Sadly, I believe it is far more likely that this is the result of insular groupthink and overly strong egos who cannot admit when they have made a significant error. And even worse, racism almost certainly played a strong part in how events played out, whether deliberate or unconscious.
I have nothing but respect for those who have chosen to cancel memberships or withdraw their books or judging from the RITAs. I also respect those who have chosen to resign from various positions within RWA. I'm sure t can't have been an easy decision and I'm also sure it was a choice of last resort for many. I also have respect for those who have chosen to stay and try to make the RWA into what it should be.
Maybe some of the calls online are right and this is a doomed attempt. Maybe the problems are too ingrained to fight. But I take heart from historical precedence. The worst backlashes are the final ones before social change takes permanent hold. They are a desperate attempt to regain the status quo and have historically pushed the majority into realizing just how bad things are and how much they need to change. So I hope this is the last failing gasp of those who have used their privilege to actively suppress others. And if I'm wrong, then I will take what comfort I can from having done all I could to make a difference.
That's where I stand. Against bigotry. Against racism. Against ableism. Against homophobia and transphobia. And against anyone who seeks to quash the less privileged down to make themselves feel better. In the words of Peggy Carter, I'm planting myself like a tree and they can be the ones to move.
This is my place. Not theirs.
Monday, 30 December 2019
Weekly Update: December 22 to 28 (RWA Meltdown)
Weekly word count: about 200
It's been a week. Oh my freaking gods has it been a week.
I'm not sure if anyone isn't aware of what's been happening in romancelandia, but if anyone needs a recap, this one covers what has happened. There are more questions than answers, but even the most innocent explanations have some pretty awful implications.
I've always been proud to be a member of RWA. I was proud to be part of a professional writing organization and proud of their recent efforts to deal with a systemic issue of unconscious bias and cultural racism. (There was a lot of work that needed to be done, but I believed they were doing that work.) I really don't know what to feel any more about the organization.
I've decided to hold on to my membership for now. It expires in August, so I'll need to make a decision by then. I want to be able to use my voice and my vote to continue to support diversity and inclusion. I've also remained as a RITA judge, because I want to ensure books by diverse authors and featuring diverse characters have a fair shot at being judged.
However, it's going to take a lot of work and, frankly, resignations from those who have allowed this to occur, before I can trust this organization again.
There have been a number of people who have rightfully said that marginalized people cannot be expected to do all the work. I agree, which is why I'm sticking around to do what I can.
I'm not doing a tarot read this week. I'll try to get back to it next week, when I'm a little more clear-headed.
It's been a week. Oh my freaking gods has it been a week.
I'm not sure if anyone isn't aware of what's been happening in romancelandia, but if anyone needs a recap, this one covers what has happened. There are more questions than answers, but even the most innocent explanations have some pretty awful implications.
I've always been proud to be a member of RWA. I was proud to be part of a professional writing organization and proud of their recent efforts to deal with a systemic issue of unconscious bias and cultural racism. (There was a lot of work that needed to be done, but I believed they were doing that work.) I really don't know what to feel any more about the organization.
I've decided to hold on to my membership for now. It expires in August, so I'll need to make a decision by then. I want to be able to use my voice and my vote to continue to support diversity and inclusion. I've also remained as a RITA judge, because I want to ensure books by diverse authors and featuring diverse characters have a fair shot at being judged.
However, it's going to take a lot of work and, frankly, resignations from those who have allowed this to occur, before I can trust this organization again.
There have been a number of people who have rightfully said that marginalized people cannot be expected to do all the work. I agree, which is why I'm sticking around to do what I can.
I'm not doing a tarot read this week. I'll try to get back to it next week, when I'm a little more clear-headed.
Monday, 23 July 2018
Weekly Update: July 15 to 22
Weekly word count: still on break
This week was the RWA National Conference in Denver and I have had the most amazing time.
I met my Twitter buddy, Olivia Dade (who writes lovely books) in real life. And I met many other amazing women and authors.
On Friday morning, I did three rounds of speed pitching and managed to pitch to four of the five people that I was really hoping to pitch to. And all four have asked for me to send them the full manuscript, along with another request, which makes five in total. I also have several requests for a partial. It's a very heady feeling to know that people are interested in the story I've written. I'm doing a final read through and then I'll be sending it out to those who have asked.
On Friday afternoon, I was a part of the Indie signing. I brought five print books and a hundred ebooks to give away. I was mentally braced to come back home with them, but I only have a few cards left for the ebooks. People were very interested and I've got to give another shout out to Streetlight Graphics for their awesome cover which drew people right in. (Literally, since I watched at least a dozen people start to walk right past my table, catch sight of the cover and then beeline over.)
I picked up lots of awesome books. Enough to keep me in happy reading for at least the next few months.
And I had some great meals and conversations with new friends, old friends, and, of course, my ORWAn ladies. All in all, it has been a fantastic week. I'm ready to head home though. News from the home front is that things have been going well. My youngest is off to his grandparents' cottage for the week and the oldest's burn is healing well (next doctor visit today). The animals have missed me, particularly our cat Neelix who likes to pounce on my feet first thing in the morning and our dog, Lynyrd, who is used to having me around the house all day.
But the fun isn't over yet! Romancing the Capital comes up in a week and a half and I will have my Beyond the Furrowed Brow workshop on the Thursday and my Basics of Burlesque event on the Saturday. And I'll be at the Giant Book Signing along with a bunch of other awesome authors (Saturday, 4-6, at the Holiday Inn in Kanata Centrum). I am really looking forward to it.
This week was the RWA National Conference in Denver and I have had the most amazing time.
I met my Twitter buddy, Olivia Dade (who writes lovely books) in real life. And I met many other amazing women and authors.
On Friday morning, I did three rounds of speed pitching and managed to pitch to four of the five people that I was really hoping to pitch to. And all four have asked for me to send them the full manuscript, along with another request, which makes five in total. I also have several requests for a partial. It's a very heady feeling to know that people are interested in the story I've written. I'm doing a final read through and then I'll be sending it out to those who have asked.
On Friday afternoon, I was a part of the Indie signing. I brought five print books and a hundred ebooks to give away. I was mentally braced to come back home with them, but I only have a few cards left for the ebooks. People were very interested and I've got to give another shout out to Streetlight Graphics for their awesome cover which drew people right in. (Literally, since I watched at least a dozen people start to walk right past my table, catch sight of the cover and then beeline over.)
I picked up lots of awesome books. Enough to keep me in happy reading for at least the next few months.
And I had some great meals and conversations with new friends, old friends, and, of course, my ORWAn ladies. All in all, it has been a fantastic week. I'm ready to head home though. News from the home front is that things have been going well. My youngest is off to his grandparents' cottage for the week and the oldest's burn is healing well (next doctor visit today). The animals have missed me, particularly our cat Neelix who likes to pounce on my feet first thing in the morning and our dog, Lynyrd, who is used to having me around the house all day.
But the fun isn't over yet! Romancing the Capital comes up in a week and a half and I will have my Beyond the Furrowed Brow workshop on the Thursday and my Basics of Burlesque event on the Saturday. And I'll be at the Giant Book Signing along with a bunch of other awesome authors (Saturday, 4-6, at the Holiday Inn in Kanata Centrum). I am really looking forward to it.
Thursday, 5 April 2018
Diversity and the RITAs
The RITA awards are pretty much the Oscars for romance writers. Books are submitted and judged by fellow authors. It's by the industry, for the industry, not necessarily reflecting popularity or sales. There are 2000 entries (although authors are allowed to submit more than one book each year), with various categories. It's one of the more expensive contest to enter, although there have been efforts made lately to allow people to submit ebooks rather than having to mail physical copies.I entered my first book in the RITAs and it did very well. I didn't final, but when I looked at my score vs the average score of the finalists, I was within 0.5 of them (on a 10 point scale). It made me feel very proud and accepted.
But there are problems with the contest and how it is structured. Last week RWA sent out an announcement letting all authors know that it had been brought to their attention that authors of color were hugely underrepresented. They've committed to fixing the issue which has sparked a lot of discussion about how the contest could be revised. (And also awareness that this is not the only diversity barrier.) For a closer look at the issue, please check out Courtney Milan (@courtneymilan) or Robin Covington (@RobinCovington) or The Ripped Bodice (@TheRippedBodice) or Rebekah Weatherspoon (@RdotSpoon) who are all far more eloquent than I would be.
Right now, any author who submits a book must also sign up as a judge. People have rightfully pointed out that this means that unconscious or conscious bias could be influencing the scores that judges give. There have also been suggestions that authors of color are deliberately avoiding entering because they have not felt accepted by RWA, and many have cited personal experiences of prejudice at RWA chapters and conferences.
I'm proud that RWA has acknowledged the problem and is working on fixing it. I'm not okay with people feeling unwelcome within a professional organization that exists to support all of its members. There are some amazing authors out there who are not getting recognized, which is not good for either the organization, the writers, or the readers. I hope that RWA will take the time to figure out what the barriers have been (and I'm sure there have been more than one) and how best to effectively eliminate them. Some people have been pushing for immediate action but that could end up making the situation worse if the wrong assumptions are made.
I didn't enter the RITAs this year, but I will be there to applaud my fellow authors at the awards ceremony. To be meaningful, the RITA should represent the very best of the romance genre, not just a small corner of it. I want all of our amazing stories to be awarded and recognized and I feel that this announcement is a good first step in making that happen.
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