Congratulations Lee!

[erastes]

lee_rowan wins the the EPPIE award for "Best GBLT" e-book in the EPIC (Electronically Publishing Internet Connection) awards with her lovely homoerotic historical (nautical) book "Ransom"

Well done, Lee. I'm very pleased about this, because of course historical homosexual writing is close to my heart.

However, and this is aimed purely at the EPIC organisers and has been a gripe of mine more and more recently, why on earth isn't there a gay romance category?  Or failing that for a lack of entries to be able to set up seperate categories why isn't this in the romance category? And actually - why should there be seperate categories? Aren't we in the 21st century? Isn't there gay marriage? Why the segregation? If we insist on segregation then lets have all the other romance labelled "heterosexual" please.

There's

Erotic Romance
Contemporary Romance
Erotica
Erotic Romance Historic Fiction
Erotic Romance Paranormal
Erotic Romance Sci-Fi
Fantasy Paranomal Romance
Historical Romance
Romantic Suspense
Sci-Fi Futuristic Romance.....

and

GLBT

The nominees for this category were:
Ransom by Lee Rowan—Publisher Linden Bay Romance
A Year and a Day by Willa Okati—Publisher Samhain (Paranormal gay romance)
Details of the Hunt by Laura Baumbach—Publisher Loose-ID (erotica gay sci-fi)
The Broken Road by Sean Michael—Publisher Torquere Press (contemporary gay romance)

Because what? GBLT can't be involved in anything that vaguely involves romance? Or as it's you know. QUEER, then it can only be porn, and not erotica? Why are all GBLT books, no matter what their genre, all lumped together in some quarantine pen??

Really. Please. I'd REALLY like to know. This isn't the first time that I've seen this marginalisation and it's starting to get right up my nose.

Also - where are the lesbian ebooks?

Comments

[beauty-seeker.livejournal.com]

seems like gay fiction is subject to a lot of rules, some by publishers. i was reading an interesting interview with ruth sims, author of the phoenix, a gay victorian novel. she also has a story in best gay romance (cleis press, 2007, ed by tom graham). when asked, she admits she encounters some prejudice from gay book clubs who don't want to consider novels where the writer is female. i wish people would stop considering who wrote something and would pay attention more to what is actually written.there should definitely be a gay romance category for the eppies.egads.

[elisa-rolle.livejournal.com]

you are right. also because I have read all the books in the lgbt category and they are so different and so interesting all together, but they are "different": how can I say that "Ransom", historical, hearthbreaking, with two wonderful complex characters is better thyan "Details of the Hunt", funny, lightly, with two alpha and beta characters? ok, ok there is a pirate in Ransom and there is a pirate in Details... but it is not the smae thing. And "A Year and a Day" by Willa Okati? I have cried reading this book, it's a wonderful books. And "The Broken Road"? realistic and intense, another prove that Sean Michael can handle different genre and different tension. I'm very happy for Lee, but at the same time sad for the others three. ciao, elisa

[julesjones]

I didn't check the rules this year because I didn't have anything I wanted to enter -- but if you check the list of finalists from last year you will see a familiar name in the erotic romance category. Or at least a misspelt (both author and book title) familiar name.

There wasn't even a GLBT category last year. I wonder if the recent influx of GLBT titles made them consider it as a separate fiction genre, thinking that they were doing the right thing and not realising what sort of message it actually sends.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

*g*

That's a very good point actually, and I was thinking about very point while I was immersing myself in the bath. As you say, they probably thought they were doing the right thing. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt (like they care!) and hope they include it all together next year. I might send them a polite email pointing my concerns out, not that they'll take any notice, but it'll make me feel better.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

The Phoenix arrived this very morning! It's the very next thing I'm going to be reading. Don't know what I'm going to do when I run out of gay historicals...

It was one of the reasons why I chose the penname when I started out, thinking that gay men wouldn't care to read anything by a woman, but I needn't have worried, I find out now.

I haven't had those problems - yet - because I haven't got the hang of learning about marketing, but I'm sure I will have them at some point. However, it's very stupid, all the major US publishers are perfectly happy with it (except, obviously with 'real life memoires') so why do people have to be so snotty. If the publisher is ok - then ... oh... words fail. *fumes*

[erastes.livejournal.com]

As far as I'm concerned, it's like judging "Best in Show" at Crufts.

http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/activities/crufts.html/

how do you judge a spaniel against a yorkshire terrier?

Similarly, if you've got categories for het fiction, then either have categories for gay fiction - and if you end up with too many categorires (which you will) then have them all equal.

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

We just got home a short while ago so I'm a bit fried around the edges. The GLBT category is extremely limited, but it's a start... it is recognition, which we certainly don't have from the Romance Writers of America or Romance Times.

I've been told that what happened in the Eppies last year was that GLBT book authors were told, reasonably enough, to enter their books in the appropriate categories (historical, erotic romance, etc.) To the surprise of the EPIC officers, some homophobic judges went into vapors and spasms worty of a Heyer hussy at the thought of their delicate peepers being exposed to such Horrid Ideas. EPIC didn't want to ban us as these folks would have wished, so they added a GLBT category to see what happened. (I think other categories were added, deleted, and reorganized as well, with the predictable results that some people were pleased with the changes and others were upset.)

GLBT writers are trying to demonstrate that there's as much variation in GLBT e-books as there is in GLBT people. (I only entered Ransom because my editors and many of the ManLove folks urged me to. The results were a complete shock.)

This year, I know at least one lesbian book was disqualified because it didn't meet revised eligibility rules, but there are some that should be eligible for the 2008 award. If I understand what's going on, the rules are changing because EPIC is breaking new ground and trying to adjust categories to fit what's really out there. Inclusive is tough. They're tackling a huge job and doing their best, but it's awfully unlikely they'll get it right the first time.

If I may suggest--write a letter to EPIC thanking them for having a GLBT category at all and encouraging them to expand the GLBT categories (I would hope at least to gay, lesbian, and non-fiction). If you write or publish e-books, join EPIC so there's a measurable membership that is gay-friendly or at least neutral.

I don't know why there are so many more m/m books, but it may have to do with the fact that, like it or not, men are more often the active agents in our society and it's very hard to write a good, strong female character. Writing two would be even more challenging. And I suspect that f/f is as uncomfortable for many het women as m/m is for het men. If you want to see f/f, write it. Jolie DuPre has the yahoo group glbtpromo@ yahoogroups.com that is just what the name says.

If you do write EPIC, though, please bear in mind that they are trying to juggle fairness with a membership that includes right-wing religious folks who cannot accept or comprehend that we're just human beings. I'm not trying to explain or excuse homophobia--but EPIC is trying to give a voice to everyone in e-publishing and it can't be easy to keep the various sides of the issue balanced.

I have had nothing but courtesy and consideration from everyone at EPICon--they addressed my wife by name at registration and even made a point of checking to be sure m/m would be treated the same at the Barnes & Noble booksigning. These are good people trying to juggle eels. Please don't thump them because one occasionally gets out of hand..

Thanks again, Erastes!

[beauty-seeker.livejournal.com]

there's so much that divides us in this world. i don't like that. i want to find ways to unite. i can see why people have gender free pen names. as a writer i want to get out of the way, not inflict myself on readers.

[julesjones]

I entered Spindrift in the paranormal erotic romance category last year, and as I recall there was provision on the form for noting any content that might be objectionable to some judges, where I duly noted that it was an m/m romance. I presume they managed to handle it, because Spindrift was one of the finalists in its category.

[willa-writes.livejournal.com]

Definitely have to agree with you there... given all the romance and erotica categories, it really isn't right to lump all GLBT material under a single heading.

I'm hoping this will change in the future. What can I say? I'm an optimist. A cynical optimist, but... :-p

[liebesdammerung.livejournal.com]

I've come across this attitude in my dealings with right-wingers over the years, and they all have this attitude that gay people are nothing but sex-crazed lunatics who aren't capable of human feelings. Obviously the people at EPIC aren't right-wing (I hope), but the attitude seems to have trickled down. It's unfortunate.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for this, it's very easy for me to snipe over here in England and where 1. We are generally more liberal and find this "right wing backlash" incomprehensible2. I'm 1000's of miles away and 3. Are losing our GLBT publishers hand over fist. It's just very frustrating, I suppose I find it so, at least.

I'll hold off writing to EPIC, as I have no right to, having not got into the e-publishing market yet. Perhaps I'll write to the other organisations you mention and point out how much more "liberal" EPIC is being.....

*G*

But it does shake me to my boots to hear you say "checking to be sure that m/m would be treated the same" I think someone needs to check your constitution!

*takes my red-coated opinions off, grumbling*

But still - YAY for you!

xxx

[erastes.livejournal.com]

It's like.. It's hard for me to describe, but due to the lack of labels such as "heterosexual sci-fi romance" and "heterosexual fantasy romance" that it's implied (whether they meant it or not) that Romance is not something that the GBLT community is capable of.

I'm a cynical optimist too. If I lived in the States however, I'd probably be a flipping activist. Which wouldn't be good.

*G*

[erastes.livejournal.com]

If you see Lee's comment above, you'll see that there are still a lot of Right Wing vapour makers in EPIC, but attitudes are changing.

What I can't understand, I suppose, is how the right wingers are allowed to control matters so much in America, flouting laws of discrimination. Perhaps it's because there AREN'T blanket laws regarding sex discrimination in the USA? I don't know.

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Well, technically (I have a friend who breeds Shelties so have learned more about this than I want to know) each dog is judged against the standard for its breed--if it's a 97% perfect spaniel that beats a 94% perfect terrier. Unfortunately, folks who are homophobic don't realize that gay love vs het love is the same as spaniel v. terrier.

I was tickled that there were several ties, and I don't think you can have too many categories. Recognizing 40 excellent books is better for everybody than recognizing 20, and if that means an extra $5 for membership to pay for a few more trophies...why not? There are 6+ billion people on the planet! Who's hurt by sharing the recognition with more good writers?

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Equal treatment under the law...? It'd be a blue-coated opinion at the moment... given that our current emperor-wannabe "leader" is trying to demolish the Bill of Rights and re-institute a divinely ordained ruling class. Why any sane deity would pick a brain-dead ex-druggie moron for such a position has probably escaped him.

I had asked about the m/m book issue because Virginia, where the con was held, was the first state to bar a woman from her partner's deathbed because the family objected to their "ungodly" partnership. But when I thanked my wife for her support, the applause was deafening. And a young woman came up afterwards to thank me because her own sister was always encountering such BS for having a same-sex partner, and she had something happy to pass on. None of us can see the whole picture--we can only do what's in front of us.

It is slow in changing here. America's a big country with a wide range of people and beliefs, and a lot of people get rich encouraging fear and ignorance. Interestingly, the one state that has legal same-sex marriage (Massachusetts) also has the lowest divorce rate for m/f marriages, and the "red" bible-thumping states have the highest divorce rates and the highest unwed pregnancy rates. You might almost think that when people have the right to choose who they love, it makes for stable relationships. What a notion.

[rwday.livejournal.com]

There are federal laws regarding sex discrimination, meaning discrimination on the basis of gender, but not sexual orientation. Several states and localities have laws protecting GLBT people from discrimination in employment and housing and such, but I think as a private organization, EPIC is legally free to create whatever award categories they want. Not saying that it's morally right for them to exclude or segregate GLBT books, just that it's not illegal.

But even if it were illegal to discriminate on the basis of orientation, I'm not sure that would help here because those laws protect individuals, and what's being discriminated against here is the content of books. A gay man or lesbian can win an EPIC award in any category in which he or she qualifies. For example, a lesbian writing about a het couple's romance could win, while a straight woman writing about gay men's love couldn't.

I think the way to win this battle isn't through laws and the courts so much as through public opinion - I look at my children's generation and I see FAR less bigotry and fear in them. Even their friends who are conservative Christian tend to know gay people, have gay friends. It's a lot harder (for sane people) to hate when the object of your hatred has a face and a name.

[erastes.livejournal.com]

A gay man or lesbian can win an EPIC award in any category in which he or she qualifies. For example, a lesbian writing about a het couple's romance could win, while a straight woman writing about gay men's love couldn't

WHAT??????????????????????

*gobsmacked*

How the frell to do expect to police that, pray??

[rwday.livejournal.com]

Well, they can't, obviously. That's why discrimination laws aren't the answer here.

What we need is to get legal status for fictional characters. Rafe & Ambrose, David & Callan are as real to me as some living humans. More real, actually.

[liebesdammerung.livejournal.com]

David + Callan = ♥