Talking a little about who I am and my thoughts on being a candidate for the 2009/2010 RWA Board of Directors. Come over and visit – you could win a book!

I am running for Regional Director (Region 4) in the 2009/2010 BOD elections. Recently all candidates were asked a series of questions and you will find my questions and answers below. Please go HERE if you’d like to see the Q & A for all candidates/all positions.

I encourage all of you to get out and vote for your favourite candidate, whoever they may be. Show your support by tweeting them, or even just letting them know. Also note that, no matter what region you are in, you vote for ALL Regional Directors, so make sure you know not only who is in your region, but who is up for the others as well.

Member of RWA since 2007

PRO Member? _XX____

Published in novel-length romantic fiction? _No____

Published in any other genre or form? _Yes___

Please list recent publications and publishers.
Snowbound (Category Length) – Blade Publishing
Vampire Oracle: Harmony (Novella) – Cobblestone Press
Love’s Blessings (Short Story) – Coming Soon from Red Rose Publishing

Please list your previous service at the national or chapter level.
Murder One Coordinator – Kiss of Death Chapter
Vice President – ESPAN Chapter
Volunteer for two years at Nationals, as well as for the Emerald City Writers’ Conference.
Judge for the Golden Heart for past two years, judge of numerous other RWA Chapter contests, including my third year for the Stiletto (Chick Lit chapter).

List your chapter affiliations and/or memberships in other writers’ organizations.
Greater Seattle Chapter
ESPAN Chapter
Chick Lit Chapter
Kiss of Death Chapter

Romance Divas (not affiliated with the RWA)

Do you have any relevant experience outside of RWA or what chapter service (volunteer or paid) do you have that would be a benefit to the organization and your board service?
Yes, I owned my own business, which had both a store and an online presence, and I have fifteen plus years of business management and human resources experience in the corporate world. I also volunteer for other organizations in administrative areas, as well as in leadership with youth and other areas.

Do you feel RWA is meeting the needs of its members? Why or why not?
For the most part, I do feel that RWA meets the needs of its members. However, I feel that there are areas where both the board and the members need to become more educated. Communication needs to be our strong point, with terms clearly defined. Unclear terms, definitions and rules can cause division in a group of writers that should be standing together for their genre—a genre that already struggles under the weight of misconceptions.

What do you feel is your best accomplishment within RWA to date?
I think this would be helping, along with the other board members, to revitalize the ESPAN chapter and its website (which I redid to make it look cleaner and more accessible). Basically, working to bring a positive face to epublished and small press authors.

Why did you join RWA? Why do you continue to be a member?
I joined the RWA to be amongst my peers, to learn and grow and network. Much the same as I joined my local business owners association when I had my own business. And that’s the reason I continue to be a part of the RWA. I think it is an organization that has much to offer its members, as long as we all work together.

If you could improve one thing about RWA, what would it be?
The communication between the board and the general membership—whether via the website, hot sheets, print or spoken—and the tone in which information is conveyed. I’d like to think that sometimes what we say isn’t meant in the way in which it is implied, and that we need to learn how to communicate what we do mean effectively. We are writers, used to being solitary in our profession, but when we come together as RWA members we are part of an organization that is more than just our own personal agenda. That is something we need to remember every time we provide information to the group and its members.

Why have you chosen to run for office?
I have chosen to run for office because I feel my background makes me suited to offer assistance in a number of areas. I like to give back to organizations that I belong to and the best way is to become involved.

What issues would you feel compelled to bring to the board during your tenure? What plans or projects do you feel it would benefit RWA to address?
I would like to look at the meaning of “career focused” and how it is used within the RWA to define how writers/authors fit into certain areas. I think that there is a misconception about what the word “career” actually means, which is only that it is one’s chosen pursuit or occupation. There is no dollar amount attached to the definition, nor is there a type of distribution. As defined in our bylaws (Sec 4.1.1), general members of the RWA must be career focused, therefore I think we need to presume that they are without tying it to their salaries or publishing status—for you can have an unpublished writer that has been working for years, writing and submitting, how is she any more or less career focused than the epublished writer who is being published quarterly or the NY published writer that is published annually? They all appear to be career focused to me. (Please note that I do feel that this is a completely separate issue from PAN, which I believe has great goals to strive for to become part of that specialized group within the RWA.)

I think we need to continue to address the education of members, the awards program, and I think we need to not be vetting publishers of any kind, but rather focus on making writers aware and letting them make their own choices (which goes back to education.) However, I also feel that we have many great projects and plans already started and I’d be more than happy to jump in to any number of them to help out.

I’m over at Romancing the Blog today talking about what I witnessed at some Publisher book signings recently. Come on over and tell us what you think!