…which is good because we’re going camping Columbus Day weekend and we always need paper for starting the campfire. But anyway…
All the RITA and Golden Heart info is in there. That’ll be the first section to be set on fire. *g* Even disregarding the entire hostility-toward-erotic-romance thing, Twice Upon A Roadtrip is ineligible for either contest.
Ineligibility for the GH is pretty obvious. But it’s not eligible for the RITAs because of the dates. Five copies of a print book provided by the publisher (no arcs or Kinko’s-bound copies) have to be sent in. So next summer, or whenever it comes out in print, the book will retain the Oct, 2005 copyright because that’s when it was published. So it’s not eligible this year because I don’t have publisher-printed copies, and the print copies won’t be eligible next year because it was published this year. Many EC authors have lost out on the chance to enter because of this.
No, I don’t know how to fix it. Just bitchin’. *g*
I did get a final word count, though, and I’ll be sending in my PAN paperwork. It makes the cut-off now regardless of whether it calls for computer word count or Magic Formula word count.
So I’m an RWA-recognized author with an RWA-recognized book, but I still can’t enter the damn contest.
But I’m still so madly in love with my cover that it’s all good. :woot:
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Actually stacey, our print pubbed books come with a different date than our epubbed books.
Hunters Ben and Shadoe was epubbed in 1/05. But the print pub date is listed 9/05. Don’t burn it YET if you are that interested… check it out with EC first as to when you can get it pubbed print wise.
:doh: might be eligible still. :shrug: i dunno.
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and oops… lol… calling you the wrong name! sorry!:doh: i’m an airhead by birth, i swear!
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I’ve learned, in the last 12 years, to answer to both. Quite frankly, I didn’t even notice until your second comment. :rofl:
I didn’t realize they had different dates, but I think for the RITA you go by the first date. I think. Here’s the part on dates from RWR:
I’m still looking into it, but I’m pretty sure this is a loophole EC authors published late in the year fall into. But I could be wrong. :shrug:
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Surely EC could find a way to comply? But :woot: on the RWA recognised author. And another WHEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! for the cover.
:coffee:
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Hi Shannon! Awesome cover. I’m sure you’re thrilled. The whole dates thing is really screwy, isn’t it?
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You know? It’s really not EC’s–or any other publisher’s–job to find a way to comply with RWA’s arbitrary rules, is it?
Because doesn’t RWA exist to support authors and publishers? Or did that get turned around when we weren’t looking?
Don’t mind me. I’m just stirring up trouble as I pass through…. :woot:
Congrats on that cover, Shannon. It’s KILLER.
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Don’t mind me. I’m just stirring up trouble as I pass through…
Instigator! :neener:
I absolutely don’t think this is EC’s responsibility to fix. And I’m not sure it can be fixed, quite frankly. It would on some level be nice if RWA took into account the publishing practices of a company they recognize, but,then again, having a more flexible copyright rule may only lead to more chaos. both entities are bound by what works for them.
The only way I could see it being solved would be for them to accept professionally-made arcs (Staples/Kinkos/etc) for books published electronically in the last quarter of the year. BUT. From what I understand, the problem with that is twofold — One, ensuring that the arc received for judging is not altered in any way from the electronically-published version. Wouldn’t we all like to gather up our reviews and tinker with that book just a little bit more? And two, would the judge have a subconscious bias against a book that came to them as a published book, but without a “real” cover?
For now I guess the key thing is to have releases earlier in the year! :nod:
And thanks for the cover kudos! I still give a little happy sigh when I see it. :love:
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Awesome cover, Shannon! You gotta be stoked!
As for the Rita guidelines, I’m thinking in the future the judges should be given the opportunity to opt-in to read electronic books. If they agree to read them, couldn’t the author provide a password or something to access the book online? Maybe EC could work on some sort of access code for the author’s book? There’s gotta be a way to do this.
Last year, everyone who judged Rita was sent a panel of random books from all sorts of categories, with the exception of any they entered. Lots of people didn’t like that and felt they weren’t qualified to read certain categories – mostly because they don’t read those categories and therefore didn’t feel they could be a good judge of what’s good or bad. So this year, we’re supposed to opt-in for at least three categories – more if we want – and say how many books we are willing to judge, up to 7, I think it is. Seems to me, adding an opt-in to read electronic format would work. Some would say no, but I have to think a lot would say yes. I would.
I wonder if EC would go for it? I understand they don’t want to give the books away, but doesn’t the author get a certain number of free books to give out for contests, reviews and such?
I don’t blame you for being frustrated. There’s got to be a way to get electronic books in the judging panels. It’s just a matter of thinking outside the box.
Congrats again on the cover! And enjoy your RWR fueled fire – have a s’more for me…
Stef