Moderator’s note: Katherine Smith, aka Emma Wildes, our newest contributor, is a star of e-bookdom—the #1 bestselling writer at Fictionwise for the past six months, as well as author of over thirty books and short stories. A member of Romance Writers of America, she is a 2006 Lories novella winner and a 2007 Eppie winner for the best erotic historical. Welcome, Katherine! – D.R.
Hundreds of e-writers must have been cheering or groaning as the news filtered into the inboxes of their PCs throughout the world. E-mails Thursday were telling them whether they were finalists in the e-bookdom’s high-stakes contest, the Eppie awards. Just who among the six-hundred contestants–anyone can enter–had survived the first cut?
As I scanned down the finalist lists, I saw a lot of heavy hitters in the e-biz (Ellora’s Cave, Samhain Publishing, Loose Id), but also smaller new houses, like Calderwood Books–which, strengthened by gifted new authors, had made strong showings. I also saw big New York houses in the ranks, such as Harlequin and Silhouette. Sylvia Day at Kensington Books made the finals last year.
What does it mean to win an Eppie (sponsored by EPIC, short for Electronically Published Internet Connection)? Well, in the great scheme of things it is hard to know if it amounts to sales of any kind (at some point, all writers must acknowledge it is a business, whether we like it or not), but it is a wonderful compliment from your peers. All judges must be involved in the publishing business.
The winners will be announced at the annual conference, which this year will be held in Portland, Oregon, in March. I’ve been to two Epicons (San Antonio, 2006, Virginia Beach, 2007), and they are very author-friendly and informative. Fans seem to enjoy the festivities, too, and I really want to mention that EPIC always promotes young writers. As an organization EPIC has done an outstanding job (just my opinion) by coming up with the concept of New Voices, to encourage middle school and high school students to write. You can check all of this out.
So–another Eppie disclosure day. I had tons of e-mails by eight. I admit I was in my coffee haze, but I also was afraid to look. Did I enter?
Yes.
Did I final?
Well, I’ll let you all know how it goes in March.
Congratulations, Katherine. Speaking of authors from small publishers competing, Kristina O’Donnelly, from BooksForABuck.com is a finalist in the Historical/Western category for her book, KORINNA. Set during the civil wars of the late Roman Republic, Korinna is the kind of book most publishers would run from based on the correct understanding that most readers wouldn’t touch woman’s fiction set during the Roman Republic with a ten foot pole. Small publishers, though, don’t need a million readers and can choose to publish books because they’re good.
Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com
Big Hugs on your finalist status, Katherine. I’m tickled pink for you. WTG!!
Monica Burns – http://monicaburns.com |
Mirage, TOP PICK – Romantic Times BOOKreviews
Enjoy the Ahh…Sensation
Thank you Monica and Rob for the congratulations. Rob, I completely agree on the freedom of small publishers and applaud what they contribute not only to e-books, but to publishing in general. I know Debi Womack (who owns Whiskey Creek Press) told me recently she has the same desire to publish good books, whether or not they are commercially viable. If it isn’t trendy, so be it. How to catch her eye…well, write a fabulous, polished book. I think this mentality is a boon to keeping fiction, and non-fiction for that matter, fresh and of the highest quality possible.
Congratulations to BooksForABuck also, by the way, for the final.
Katherine Smith/Emma Wildes
http://www.emmawildes.com
http://www.katherinesmith.net