eBooks and ePublishing | EPIC

Registrations close Feb 5th, and this is a year not to be missed. Look at the line-up for this year so far. For more information, visit http://www.epic-conference.com/index.html

For what? To register for EPICon. Honestly, this year is not to be missed. Not only will we be in beautiful NOLA, but we’ve got a star-studded group of presenters this year. We’ve had one or two stars other years, but if you look at the line-up this year, it’s downright amazing.

Brenna

EPIC Open Letter

The Writers’ Associations vs. Harlequin

The Internet is abuzz with news of the backlash in the wake of Harlequin’s new “Harlequin Horizons” (soon to be renamed) vanity line. Everyone has their two cents to add; EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection) is no different, though EPIC is in a unique position in this discussion.

Why is EPIC unique?  Because we don’t have a requirement that would preclude self/subsidy/vanity-published (s/s/v) authors or publishers from joining EPIC as full members. To be a member of EPIC, you must be a published author or industry professional…period. We don’t require books or covers entered in our contests to be from conglomerates or even from royalty-paying press. Also, we are not a writers’ association “of America” group. EPIC is a global organization that includes members from around the world from the US and Canada to the UK, Germany, Australia, India, and farther.

EPIC started in 1997 as a proposed chapter that split from RWA and formed its own organization. We acknowledged then that RWA was not in a position to accept the indie/e model and support its e-published members. In the twelve years since, EPIC and RWA have grown in different directions.

EPIC embraces all genres of fiction and non-fiction and welcomes industry members as full members, to include: publishers, cover artists, editors, agents, and others who work together toward common goals in the digital publishing age. WAs (Writers of America Associations) are largely author organizations for the traditionally published (or in RWA’s case, pre-published authors, as well) and include a limited range of genres under their umbrellas.

What is EPIC’s “official position” on this matter? The official position is that Harlequin authors (and Harlequin as a publisher) were welcomed in EPIC before and continue to be welcomed, including those of the new Horizons line.

The bylaws of EPIC do not specify that a publisher must be a traditional, royalty-paying press, and in fact, they specify that s/s/v-published authors are welcome in EPIC. Our contest guidelines specify that a book must be released for sale in the English language, not that it must be from a traditional, royalty-paying press. Further, the Publisher Code of Ethics instituted by the EPIC’s Publishers’ Coalition in April of this year does not preclude s/s/v publishers from signing the code. This Code represents what EPIC feels is right and appropriate when dealing with authors.

If anything in the code would limit the Horizons venture, it would come down to a couple of key bullets, including:

* Complete disclosure of all terms prior to author signing a contract. The Horizons site makes claims about s/s/v that imply unrealistic expectations and ignore the pitfalls of s/s/v. As a large number of aspiring authors considering s/s/v will not know the pros and cons of this career choice, full and complete disclosure would include realistic information about what will likely happen when authors choose to use s/s/v.

* The publisher will aid authors in marketing their books. No mention is made of Horizons marketing for the authors, unless the authors pay for a marketing package.

Further, the Code would limit the new Carina line, based on a single code item, as far as we are able to discern thus far: “contracting for only such rights to the works of our authors that the publisher reasonably expects to utilize during the term of the contract.” According to the Carina team, they will be signing all rights with no immediate intentions of doing print.

Not adhering to the Code would not preclude Harlequin from joining EPIC or even from competing their books and covers in the EPIC contests, even those from Horizons and Carina, but it would preclude them from being listed as a Code of Ethics publisher.

EPIC does find it troubling that Harlequin chose to lend its name to “Harlequin Horizons,” their new vanity publishing arm, but not to Carina, its indie/e-style, traditional royalty-paying press. By doing so, Harlequin suggests that vanity publishing is more acceptable with the Harlequin name attached than a traditional e-publisher associated with the same parent company. This is troubling to anyone with an interest in e-publishing, which would include EPIC members. At the very least, one would think both publishing arms would be equals in Harlequin’s eyes. Harlequin further muddies the subject with its own statement, indicating their acceptance of the “changing environment” in publishing.

From a marketing standpoint, one would think Harlequin would, initially at least, want to distance itself from both lines, as departures from the norm they excel at, but in light of the existing Luna and Spice Briefs lines, one would think (of the two new ventures proposed by Harlequin this month), they would want to associate themselves with Carina as a traditional e-publisher.

But what about the problem the industry faces, in general? To appreciate this situation requires looking at it from two points of view; that of the WAs and that of Harlequin.

The Harlequin Perspective - A new way forward?

Does Harlequin have the “right” to start up a vanity line? Of course, they do. Harlequin is a business independent of any and all WAs. No industry organization should have the power to dictate how Harlequin should run their multi-billion dollar company. They do not need permission or blessing from anybody on how they conduct business, EPIC or otherwise.

In its rebuttal to RWA, Harlequin stated: “It is disappointing that the RWA has not recognized that publishing models have and will continue to change. As a leading publisher of women’s fiction in a rapidly changing environment, Harlequin’s intention is to provide authors access to all publishing opportunities, traditional or otherwise.”

On this point, EPIC concedes that Harlequin is correct. RWA has not kept up with the changing face of publishing. Their own members have begged RWA’s Board of Directors to form committees and research the digital age of publishing—and they have been denied until this moment when they have been forced to do so. RWA has frequently changed its guidelines to avoid accepting the changing face of royalty-paying press, in all its forms.

This is one of the core problems with RWA, SFWA, and MWA. A professional organization must set standards, but changing those standards repeatedly shows a certain amount of duplicity, and ignoring the changing industry is worse. As industry organizations, staying abreast of new trends is vital, even if your guidelines remain somewhat stagnant after your debate on those changes.

The WA Perspective - The status quo?

Does RWA have the “right” to yank Harlequin’s status for lending their name to a vanity publishing line? YES! RWA’s current guidelines say that they must revoke Harlequin’s status; therefore, doing so is the only correct course they can take.

RWA has won the respect of many for following its own guidelines despite the size, history, and market presence of the publisher, and EPIC applauds them for it. If Harlequin’s true intent is to funnel aspiring authors that they reject over to “Harlequin Horizons,” EPIC understands why RWA would deny Harlequin editors appointments at National.

EPIC sympathizes with authors affected by this. With Harlequin’s status revoked, any Harlequin author who has not already submitted for PAN and authors who might sign contracts with Harlequin are not eligible for PAN. In future years, under the current guidelines, Harlequin books would not be eligible to compete in the RITA, no matter which line they come from.

Worse, RWA has historically removed current paid members, who’ve formerly qualified as published authors with a later-revoked publisher, from membership perks they’d qualified for, in previous industry dust-ups. Some of those authors never regained the status they were stripped of.

Nevertheless, Harlequin had to realize that putting the Harlequin name on a vanity line, and then sending aspiring authors rejected by Harlequin not to Carina–which is still traditional though e–but to the Harlequin’s new vanity line and posting RWA links on the vanity arm’s webpage would antagonize RWA, whose views on vanity publishing are well known. In fact, the views of SFWA and MWA are well known. These moves were not well considered. They made for an immediate and decisive move by the WAs necessary.

Self- and Vanity Publishing…An Apologia

There’s nothing inherently wrong with self/subsidy/vanity. Certain niche markets and projects lend to it. As long as the presentation (editing, cover, formatting, etc.) is sound, and the authors know going in what the pros and cons are, everything is good.

There are good, bad, and ugly examples of publishing everywhere, from the NY conglomerate’s main lines to indie/e to s/s/v. If an author chooses to go the final route, it is on him/her to make sure the presentation and marketing plan are sound. EPIC encourages authors to make those decisions for themselves, without artificial interference from the organization about it. We’re here to support our members, not to make their choices for them in an effort to “protect” them.

On the other hand, EPIC stands with several editors and authors who have tossed their rocks at Harlequin over the wording on the Horizons site. According to Dee Powers’ yearly questionnaire of NY editors and agents, indie/e is considered a viable resume point for a writer; s/s/v, at this time, is not, unless you hit the sales jackpot, which is highly unlikely but admittedly possible. The Horizons site gives the impression that publication there will not only be respected but also that it will open the door to not only Harlequin but also other NY conglomerate publishers and even Hollywood…if you pay enough and work hard enough. It goes against the grain of full disclosure in the pitfalls and problems with s/s/v. On that point, EPIC agrees with SFWA’s response to Horizons.

Harlequin’s newest tack is to remove their name from the Horizons vanity line. If that also includes not funneling rejections from Harlequin to that line and removing the ads for Horizons from the main HQ site, it may actually fly with the WAs. Or it may not. SFWA, at least, has made it clear that they want full disclosure of the pitfalls and problems of s/s/v included to reinstate Harlequin.

A Final Word from EPIC -

One of EPIC’s missions is to educate authors on all the options available in publishing and to promote good practice and good business relations between author and publisher. It’s a brave new world in publishing circles, and the growing pains are coming to the fore.

NOTICE: EPIC’s cover art contest has been extended to the 30th! You have two more weeks to enter.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/33785094

Harlequin with an all-e line that is supposedly patterned after indie e…and with Angela James as Executive Editor. Worth watching, I think.

As we’re all concerned with copyright, consider joining the grassroots organization working on DC to protect our copyrights, as new legislation is created. There is no fee to join as a One Voice member.

Now, apparently this is making waves. From what they said on the show, they have elected officials telling them they’ve heard about the movement, without being contacted by CA with information about it.

11^th Annual Art Awards Open for Entries

EPIC’s e-book cover art awards are open for business, and business is booming!

The longest-standing and most-inclusive e-book cover art awards, EPIC’s (Electronically Published Internet Connection) contest is open for entries for the 2010 awards from now through Nov 16^th, 2009. The contest is open to both EPIC members and non-members, at the same low price. Covers entered should have appeared on e-books which released for sale between Oct 1^st, 2008 and Sept 30^th, 2009. Reissues of art work on a new edition may be entered, if the art has not competed in the contest before.

In order for an entry to be considered, the following must occur: the artist must read and understand the Competition Guide (found at http://www.epicauthors.com), complete the entry form (found at http://bit.ly/W2iLs), pay the entry fee of $10.00 (via mail or PayPal to EPIC’s treasurer, and e-mail the correctly sized cover art to the contest e-mail (quasar@epicauthors.com). The subject line of the e-mail entry must read: DAQ-[Category #]-[Book Title]-[Artist Name].

A separate entry form and e-mail attachment must be submitted for each entry. A payment may cover several entries as long as the payment memo field contains complete information for each paid entry.

Artists may submit as many entries per category as desired, keeping in mind that each entry may only be entered into one category. Please bear in mind that entries are voted on by EPIC’s members and that submission of more than one cover in any single category may adversely affect the resulting votes. Votes take into account the appropriateness of the cover to the category, the style, and how easy it is to view the individual elements of the cover (title, author name, any icons that might be included to identify publisher or awards, and so forth).

EPIC President, Brenna Lyons, shows her pride in the contest’s history: “In 2000, EPIC offered the first Spectrum award (later renamed the Quasar) for e-book cover art, in conjunction with our popular e-book awards. By 2003, we added category cover art awards (the Ariana Overton Award), the winners of which compete for the Quasar. And in 2006, we started recognizing the runners’ up in the categories with the Dirk A Wolf Honorable Mention in e-Book Artwork Excellence. Every year, the contest becomes more streamlined. And we welcome all comers. The more, the merrier.”

“EPIC’s Competitions are unique in that they reflect the ever-changing changing mores of the e-publishing world. Each of EPIC’s competitions have garnered a reputation for excellence with global entrants, a reputation that will continue to shine as we move into the future. I am extremely proud to know that I have had an integral part in phenomenal changes to these competitions and am excited to see who will be our winners at the 2010 EPICon in New Orleans.” (Debi Sullivan - EPIC’s Compeititon Chair)

EPIC’s 5^th annual New Voices contest opens, and plans are unveiled for this year’s youth writing track at the annual convention

It’s August, and that means big changes for your average middle or high school student: new teachers, new class schedules, sometimes new schools… It also means the opening of the 5th annual New Voices contest, e-publishing’s premiere youth writing contest.

What makes the New Voices contest different than other writing contests? Several things.

New Voices is a worldwide contest, just for middle school and high school students (or the country of origin’s variation thereof). The contest is intended for students aged 11-18 years old, writing in the English language. In previous years, students from as many as sixteen US states, four Canadian provinces, and several foreign countries have won places in the contest.

The contest is split into middle school and high school divisions, then further split into poetry, essay/non-fiction, and fiction short story categories in each division. Contestants may enter one piece of work in each of their division categories.

There’s no entry fee for the contest. At the same time, sponsors and EPIC (The Electronically Published Internet Connection) underwrite the contest to provide prizes for entrants. Prizes range from gift certificates and cash to PDAs and/or e-book readers. And all winners are included in the yearly New Voices anthology.

Entrants never need to pay a dime. Unlimited copies of the e-book anthology are provided to winners. A CD copy and a print copy are provided to each of the winners and their schools. Additional print copies may be purchased at cost, but no one is required to purchase anything.

This contest is ideal for students with an interest in writing. All entrants, win or lose, receive feedback from published authors, editors, publishers, and other industry professionals.

For those with a serious interest in publishing, EPIC provides a youth writer’s track at the yearly convention, EPICon. This year’s convention will be held at the Sheraton (New Orleans, LA) from March 4-7, 2010. The youth track is scheduled for Saturday, March 6^th. The youth track costs $40 and includes lunch, where contest winners in attendance will receive their awards. Non-attendee winners will receive their awards by mail. For an additional $27, youth track attendees can have breakfast while several established independent press publishers answer questions about their businesses and submissions.

But time stands still for no young writer. Anyone with an interest in entering the contest has until midnight October 20, 2009 to get an entry in. Anyone with an interest in attending the youth writing track at EPICon has until February 5, 2010 to register.

Any questions about the contest can be addressed to the New Voices chairs at newvoices.competition(at)gmail(dot)com. Any questions about the convention can be addressed to the EPICon chair at cjparker1(at)att(dot)net For more information on them, please visit http://www.newvoicesyoungwriters.com/index.html or http://www.epic-conference.com