Oh, I'm definitely not satisfied as it stands now, but since I'm far from alone in my dissatisfaction, I'm standing back to see how the dust settles. I'm very frustrated with the national organization, but I'm getting enough help, support, and all-around writerly fellowship from the Seattle and Regency chapters that it's worth it to me to stick with it for now. (You have to be a member of National to belong to local and special interest chapters.)

I'd thought about joining RWA, since the new book - hopefully to be a series, if my soul can take the weight - is absolutely a love story.

The thing is, you don't have to be a member of RWA to submit the book to Romantic Times for review. Or any of the romance review sites out there. There's plenty of overlap between romance and mystery already (my book certainly was), and mystery sites took it for review. So I don't see why romance sites wouldn't take the rock mystery. And a lot of those sites generate really decent traffic. Getting it into Romantic Times could really increase readership, too.

I haven't come across anyone satisfied with it as it stands now. The general impression I'm coming away with is that RWA, with its tiers and layers and pro memberships and whatnots, is trying to be too many things to too many people, and it's time they crystallised down.

But, not my problem. Not a member and now? Not going to be.

If I sound cranky, I am, and in pain too. Severe bacterial infection in both eyes. I look like the fucking Blair Witch.

OTOH? I am now at 180 words or so shy of 50,000. Tomorrow is R&RNF's third-week birthday.

And if the antibiotic ointment they gave me kick in, I can actually write tomorrow, too.

For tonight? Ouch.

Amy, I wasn't crossing Romantic Times off my list. For one thing, Marlene would nag me into my grave and beyond if I dared...

No, just the RWA membership. My professional memberships are the Authors Guild (lifesavers, they are, with the health insurance), MWA (with Sisters in Crime, NorCal chapter, as my beloved local), and Persephone, the "renegade " (read: fed up with the "Why GURL write horror?!?!?!" testocrap from the boys in the genre) womens' horror collective.

Romantic Times, you betcha. RWA, I don't think so.

RWA, I don't think so.

Most of the time, I feel like I joined only because I had to. I used to be an editor, it's the girls' club, people (read: other romance authors) look scantways at you if you don't, blah blah. But they don't do much for me professionally.

Except...with this move up to Syracuse, I looked up the Central New York chapter. And it's small, and the members look great, and it will probably be a lifesaver just in terms of meeting people and getting out of the house to talk writing from time to time. So there's that.

You've got no need to join, I agree. But pulling in those romance readers will be great with this book, where and when you can.

We're assuming it sells - but Jenn informs me that "books about rock and roll stars are a tricky sell", according to the few editors she pinged dueing BEA.

Publishing? Weirdo business, it is.

Oh, and I need to hook you and Jenn up about the existing series, because she wants to talk to the nice lady at St. Martins and formulate a plan of action, and then she thinks a phone call from you would be a splendid thing, and so do I...

Oh, man, it has to sell. It *has* to. I completely disagree, but I think we're also not talking about *young* rock star wannabes, which has been done in YA and not been successful. For the readership you're going for, and the fucking dead on writing, I think it would be huge. But I am totally biased, of course.

I'll talk to Jenn whenever she wants! She can email me, or me her, whatever. Or we can do the phone thing. The next few weeks are crazy, with the move -- we have to be out of here sometime the week of the 27th (of June, mind you) and I have to finish this goddamn book first and I have no packing done yet -- but just let her know how to reach me, and we'll talk. Because I'll call whoever you want me to, and do my very best persuasive nudging.

Except...with this move up to Syracuse, I looked up the Central New York chapter. And it's small, and the members look great, and it will probably be a lifesaver just in terms of meeting people and getting out of the house to talk writing from time to time. So there's that.

Yup, I think it's all about the individual chapters. Some of my closest friends in this city are from the Seattle one, and the Beau Monde Regency hivemind is worthy of awe.

Since you're here, AmyLiz, how long has it been since you were last an editor? I ask only because you're still listed in the 2005 Jeff Herman guide, and I'm trying to guage how up-to-date and useful his stuff really is.

how long has it been since you were last an editor?

August of 2002. And his stuff isn't terribly accurate -- I filled out a questionnaire for them once, and they got everything wrong. And I mean, everything. How, I have no idea, but it pissed me off.

Good to know, and makes me glad I didn't spend my own money on it--I got the library to buy the 2005 to evaluate whether I wanted the 2006. I caught one other bit of outdated info, but it was an agent who'd left over the summer of 2004, so I could excuse him not getting that on time.