What has Sex got to do with Love Anyway? (ADULT LANGUAGE)

veinglory

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The views below are highly subjective and only my own--and I'm not a RWA member so it may be none of my beezwax. Still, here you go. Also on my blog.

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That seems to the the attitude of that grand old dame of writers' organisations 'the Romance Writers of America'. Already famous for have a fairly limited conception of what romance is, or should be, the RWA has now circled the wagons a little tighter.

"With respect to all RWA programs and services, the following shall not be depicted or represented: exposed male and female genitalia, exposed female nipples, cunnilingus and fellatio, hands or mouth covering naked female breasts, naked or g-string-clad buttocks, and beastiality. The following words: cock, cocksucker, ****, ****, mother****er, ****, and tit, will not be displayed."

"...if we wish to retain our charter with RWA, we will no longer be able to show jacket covers that don't meet the standard and we can't even link to the websites of those authors who might show their own covers, have excerpts that include certain language, or lead to the publisher's website."

That includes not only humble authors like me, but publishers like Ellora's Cave--which sells over 30,000 ebooks a day, but has a tendency to display shapely buttocks and the occasional 'hand covering naked female breast' on their cover art.

Now nobody can argue that erotic romance is for kiddies, but of the three available options RWA seems to have chosen the one that will cause maximum resentment and chaos. See there is 1) include erotic romance writers and their material with appropriate warnings and net nanny ratings, and 2) be totally family friendly and do not accept erotic writers as members and do not pocket their $100--and the winner is 3) accept them as members but with second class rights and benefits and a palpable aura of disdain.

It took less than 24 hours for a great number of erotic romance writers to realise they might just prefer to be outside the glorious old RWA pavilion and pissing in. Watch for new groups to spring up and embrace the exodus of spicy writers. For a start try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ERWA

And with the sales of erotic romance spirally upwards whilst sweet romance steadily slides, could this be the beginning of the end for the venerable RWA?
 

pepperlandgirl

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I thought somebody said not to post a link to the ERWA right now? Maybe I'm misremembering.

Personally, I wish I could go to Reno. It looks like there's going to be a great grudge-match over this, and I'm sad that I won't be able to witness it first hand.

I agree with the authors that suggest they're doing this to target the e-publishers. Like the publishers in New York are going to give two shits about what the RWA thinks. But the RWA can really throw their weight around when it comes to e-publishing, for whatever nefarious reason...