Are Pay-to-Play Published Book Contests Unethical?

To celebrate that THE TALON OF THE HAWK won Best Fantasy Romance of 2015 from RT Book Reviews, I got this amazing tattoo of Ursula's sword. I'm thrilled with how it turned out. (Freshly finished and a little red here - it looks even better now!)

If you haven't yet signed up for my newsletter, one went out today with an exclusive, never-seen-elsewhere, juicy deleted scene from TALON. If you sign up today, you can still see it. Yes, I'm totally luring you. Is it working?

You'll see this in the newsletter (hint, hint) - Kensington is sponsoring a Goodreads Giveaway of 25 copies of THE PAGES OF THE MIND. Hie thee hence to enter!

This week's topic in the Bordello poses the question of whether book contests you pay to enter are immoral or unethical. I confess that this was a topic I suggested, so it works out well for me to kick off the topic this week. I'm posing the question to the rest of the Word Whores and I'm really interested to hear their answers.

Allow me to explain a bit.

I entered the fiction-writing world via Romance Writers of America (RWA), and the highest award there is the RITA. It's essentially the Oscar of the romance-writing community. There's even a golden statuette! The RITA is open for anyone with a published novel or novella to enter. The author (or publisher) pays $50 and provides five paper copies of their book. Judges are sent packets of usually six to nine books to read and score, and the top scoring books are the finalists in their categories.

In contrast, the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), which I joined later because their membership requirements are stiffer, have the Nebula Awards. To have a book nominated, it must be first put on a recommended reading list by SFWA members, then nominated by a certain number of those members, with the top contenders becoming the final nominees. (The nominees don't HAVE to be on the reading list first, but it helps.) The salient point here is that authors cannot enter their books - they can only provide copies for the reading list. The Hugo Awards for science fiction, fantasy and horror work much the same way, with "members" of the WorldCon convention that year nominating and voting.

What came as a surprise to me was that it came out in conversation with other members of SFWA that they look down on the RITAs for being "pay to play" awards. They see the Nebulas and Hugos as having greater integrity because the authors cannot enter the books - someone else must nominate them. However, to me this feels like a perpetuation of cliques and old-boy networks, with certain authors always nominated while others are overlooked for various reasons. Also, as we've seen with various scandals like Sad Puppies, these awards are subject to slate-stacking for various political purposes.

The RITA system, however, is far from perfect also, with bias against authors who cannot afford to enter and judges reading subgenres that are not ones they necessarily love. However, I do like that I can at least enter my books in the RITAs, even though they have yet to final. I suggested that SFWA entertain the notion of a new award where authors could pay to enter, which would be an excellent fundraiser - RWA made upwards of $100,000 on this year's contest - and was met with withering scorn. I'm not kidding. The phrase "withering scorn" was used in comment responding to my suggestion.

This is how strongly some members of SFWA feel.

So, I'm curious - what do you all think of this issue? I frankly don't get the withering scorn, but is that just me? Feel free to comment! And I'll be following with interest this week to see how my Bordello-mates weigh in. 

Tour, Topic, and a Tournament

TOUR:

SHATTERED CIRCLE was released yesterday. So was my sister-word-whore’s book, Kerry Schafer’s BETWEEN  ( HERE ). 

Her cover is awesome, yes?

C’mon, everyone! Muppet-flail with me! Yippee!!!!!!!

I was kind of all over the place yesterday, including a guest post at GIZMO'S REVIEWS  where I interviewed my main character, Persephone Isis Alcmedi. Check it out. Go on...I'll wait.

Today, I’m being hosted by Books & Other Spells, over at BOOKS AND OTHER SPELLS  There is an interview of me up there where I share my thoughts on bad reviews, and reveal a few things people would be surprised to know about me. Check it out too.  

If you read my series and would like to see an interview with my character Johnny, or Menessos…you better watch my facebook and/or twitter feeds. They are really cool interviews. After you read this post here at Word-Whores and comment to be in on the contest, of course…

TOPIC:

Why yes I occasionally stay on topic.

Writing: By Plot or Event 

I puzzled over this topic title, thinking, what’s the difference? When the answer hit me, I was surprised I hadn’t thought about this before. What was that not-so-clear-to-me difference?

Events happen, period. Chaotically. Uncontrollably. Like the inexorable flow of time.

But a plot…a plot is /human/. Plot is rooted in all things emotional—be they sweet or devious. An event happens--it can be an act-of-nature tornado or someone taking an action, but some event occurs, and then your character has thoughts and reactions to that which has happened. As those thoughts and reactions propel the character, the plot develops. They make a plan, or they don’t. They set out to do something because of this, or their inaction makes other folks take action. Whatever it is—and as the author you get to choose—everything can go according to plan…or it can completely backfire. A plot is a human’s attempt to control events. 

Story, therefore, is how the other humans’ attempts to control events interact with the main character’s attempt and the emotional ride each of them takes because of it all.

A story is the heart-wrenching desperation to save the life of a loved one…from being sacrificed to a dragon, from their addiction, from the bounty-hunter, from cancer. It’s the deliciously evil motive the smooth bad guy has for wooing the young princess. It possesses both a plot and events.

But remember, a story can evolve from either perspective. Which one gives you the best edge? Which one helps you write the most intriguing, dramatic, and evocative story?

If you have read my books, you know they are character-driven. Sure, I have an over-arching plan, one that spans what I intend to be nine books and has a very specific time-frame. That plan is very event-oriented. But that’s the big-picture, based on the necessary steps being taken—relentlessly—toward that big, final climactic scene in my head, the one just waiting for its turn to blossom on the page. I use these events as guidelines, like landmarks. Pass this one here. That one there. Events are my map to follow, so I don’t get lost. But I work and write best through the conveyance of the emotions of the plot… of that journey I am on, taking the readers and the characters with me. It is taking my characters through those winding streets, down those dark alleys, that is my pleasure.

TOURNAMENT:

Okay, it’s not so much a jousting competition as the word ‘tournament’ implies…but you better sharpen your pencils, boys and girls.

**I will award a signed copy of SHATTERED CIRCLE to the winner, to be chosen at my own discretion. 

Write A First Line.  A valid entry must 1.) include the name of at least one of my characters and 2.) convey something that would compel a reader to continue. 3.) Be written in the comments here from the time this post goes live, until Tuesday Feb 5, noon, EST. I'll announce the winner here and on my fb next Wednesday, Feb 6. Think of it as a first line of a book. What would make you want to know more. You get points for being: intriguing, dramatic, and/or evocative.

Have fun with this! 

CONTEST!

Hey everyone! I'm so excited about the upcoming release of SHATTERED CIRCLE (Jan. 29) that I want to give a signed copy away!!!

I've tried this on facebook--a little difficult--so I'm going to re-do the contest here, where folks can follow a link and leave comment/entries waaaaay more easily.

Here are the rules:

1.) Tell me which of my characters is your favorite.
2.)  Tell me what you think their theme song is...or a song that makes you think of them.
**Add a link to a youtube video if you can--so I can go listen--but the link is not necessary.
**If you want to enter for a couple of characters, that's ok by me.

I'll pick a winner based on originality and all around coolness. Honestly, how much coffee I've had will likely play a factor too, so I will endeavor to stay courageously caffeinated this week. (hee hee) My decision is final, no whining. Carmen, who won this contest on fb, sadly, I will say you are not eligible to win in this round because that just makes sense.

This contest will run until NOON EST Tuesday January 22, 2013 so you have plenty of time to think about it and I have plenty of time to advertise the heck outta this contest. I want to see what music you find remniscent of my characters, it's really very interesting to me and I get to hear about a lot of cool music I might not otherwise get exposed to!!!

Leave your entry in the comments here--ROCK ON!!!

GOOD LUCK!

Now, ahem, on to the topic of the week: reading as an author.

I do not get to read as much as I would like to these days. When I do, I find it is mostly research non-fiction type books. However, there are a few authors that I can't help squeezing in. I can't say that I study the technique as I read, BUT if I find a particularly moving/cool passage, I will re-read and study that particular part. If I find an annoying part that throws me out of the story, I look at that scene and try to figure out why--but this doesn't happen often.