Well, it’s official, I entered the 2009 RITA contest with my December 2008 novella. Okay, okay, for the particular among you, Penny entered. Cindy (that’s me) doesn’t have a 2008-published book or novella to enter. Cindy is working hard to change that, but in the meantime Penny has to take up the slack.
Wish me luck. Not that I expect Penny to final. I do believe a Secrets novella has finaled in the RITA previously—like once—however, generally erotic romances have a tougher time finaling than do non-erotic romances. But! The point is, I had a novella to enter, and so I did. Yeah, me. Because, you see, the thing is, you have no chance in Hades of finaling if you don’t enter.
I’m not planning to attend the National conference in D.C. next summer. Financially, it’s just not in the cards. But I will say that I might have to attend if the novella finals. Two years ago, I said that finaling in the Golden Heart would be the only way I’d attend RWA Dallas in 2007, and then, wouldn’t you know it, I finaled. For the first time ever. You could have knocked me over with an empty cereal bowl! (Thank you to the pal who so graciously offered to share her hotel room with me at the last minute).
You know, after so many years entering the Golden Heart it still surprises me that the RITA costs less to enter. I wonder why? Anybody know? It’s ten bucks cheaper. Yes, published authors have to supply 5 copies of the book for the preliminary round and then another 5 copies for the final round, if one is so lucky as to make it there, so I guess the postage costs are higher. I know they’re scary from Canada—sending ONE Secrets volume to a friend in San Francisco this summer cost $11.00, and the book was $12.00 to buy. So the shipping for one volume was pretty much the same as buying the friggin’ book. That Canada Post, I tell ya. Grrrrr. But, other than postage costs and book-buying costs (Penny’s publisher doesn’t offer its authors crates of free author copies, so I bear the cost for books as well as postage for contests), I couldn’t tell you why the RITA is cheaper. Can you? (Not that I’m complaining, just interested…)