If RWA wants to be an organization of professionals, we have to define and adhere to standards that ensure the professional treatment of authors.

So when a local chapter breaks away from RWA National’s standard of “published author,” it’s undermining the good work RWA is supposed to be doing on our behalf.

It’s not intentional; it’s an unfortunate by-product of the “let’s be supportive of everyone” mentality.

If folks want to publish at small presses and e-Publishers, or even to self-publish, more power to’em!

Just don’t expect RWA to change its policies.

Every member of RWA has a common goal of getting published. We all love to see our name on a book, and we get a thrill knowing others actually pay money to read our books. Even with nine (RWA-recognized) of my books in print, I’m still inordinately pleased when someone tells me they’ve read and enjoyed one of my books.

But I did not join RWA for glory. I’ve seen my byline on hundreds of articles since I was in college. Publishing for publishing sake no longer holds appeal. I joined RWA to learn how to get published in book-length romantic fiction. I had a clear goal of publishing in New York and making an income as a professional novelist. Four years after joining RWA I “sold” a book to New York and received a $5,000 advance. That was when I considered myself a professional novelist.

This whole business of “selling” brings to mind a journalism professor I had at the University of Texas. He told us the only way we could get an “A” in the feature writing class was to “sell” an article. He said there are always publications that will print your work for free, but if you really want to be a professional writer you have to write something that’s so professionally written with an eye to marketability that someone will “pay” you to publish it. (BTW, I did make an “A” in the class!) How right he was!

There are still many book publishers who will publish you no matter how poor the writing. When they don’t pay up front, their standards (in many cases) are not as stringent as the New York houses.

I applaud RWA for establishing standards of publisher recognition, though I think these are minimal. How can anyone who seeks to be a professional object to an organization’s policy which was put in place for her protection? Remember RWA’s mission statement: to advance the professional interests of career-focused romance writers. Why wouldn’t everyone wish to receive an advance of $5,000 or more?

Which brings up the next subject which I know will really aleniate some of you. I do not favor RWA recognizing a house which does not pay advances. It’s that same ol’ thing Dr. King (my feature writing teacher) was preaching 30 years ago. If a publisher won’t invest in you up front, you aren’t a professional writer. Go write Letters to the Editor if you just want to see your name in print. I know authors who claim to have “sold” books to small presses that don’t pay. Sorry, they didn’t “sell.” They contracted. No money was exchanged.

In the same vein, I know authors who write for PAN-recognized small presses who post to PAN links I’m on, and while most of them I’m sure are talented authors, many of their posts are filled with grammatical errors that I feel would disqualify them from publishing in New York. So, to me, unlike to Sandra, it IS about quality. I like the idea of being associated with an organization that’s comprised of true professionals.

It’s all about career.