Re: Re: recognition from genre associations

Emily,

The author whose attempt to enter her novel in RWA events was one of  
the charter members of the organization. Even if the publisher isn't  
familiar with RWA, Ms. Bull certainly is.

I also politely suggest that offering an opinion on Tsaba House being  
a subsidy publisher when you lack any real information about the  
company is a bit premature. It happens that both Marion and I are very  
familiar with the publisher, and she can in no way, shape or form be  
so described.

It also appears you've misread the article. It was RWA who advised the  
Tsaba House publisher none of her books would be eligible for the RITA  
when they turned down her application for recognition. In point of  
fact, it was two other award events Ms. Bull, the author, had tried to  
enter ON HER OWN and had been informed she couldn't because her  
publisher wasn't recognized. So, in fact, it WAS an "actual RWA  
contest" in the sense that the administrators chose to make RWA  
recognition a criterion for entry.

The issue here is that Tsaba House is not a romance publisher but a  
general publisher this author, who is multiply published and a  
bestseller, chose for this particular novel. And Tsaba House is a VERY  
"well-known small press" in the Christian publishing industry, which  
makes it seem even more likely that "we've never heard of these  
people" is a factor whenever a non-romance press seeks RWA recognition.

As for how Tsaba House is acting, you clearly have no idea what impact  
it can have on a publisher to be described as a subsidy press when  
such is not the case. Agents unfamiliar with that publisher, hearing  
them so described, will hesitate to submit manuscripts to them.  
Booksellers who hear them so described will assume they are publishing  
an inferior product.

The writers' organizations like RWA, who chose to make the definition  
of "non-subsidy publisher" as narrow as they have without taking the  
time to actually look at a standard publishing contract, are doing a  
disservice to both the authors they claim to be protecting and the  
publishers who might in time publish them. All in the interest of  
maintaining the status quo.

Liz

Elizabeth Burton, Executive Editor
Zumaya Publications LLC
Opening Doors to the Creative Mind
http://www.zumayapublications.com




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