A response from EPIC

[erastes]

EPIC haven't responded to my concerns, no surprise there, but they did reply to a fellow m/m writer Pat Brown. She graciously gave me permission to publish their answer on this blog, so here goes.  If you have high blood pressure you might want to take a pill now. The whole letter seems to me to be a metaphor for a woman with a shovel digging a deeper and deeper hole. Aside from one removed section, email is reproduced as is, typos and all.


"We fully embrace the difference in romantic liaisons. We have a category, GLBT, for same sex romance and other books within those genres. We are looking into adding a GLBT Romance category next year because we realize that we need a split between general GLBT books and their romantic counterparts.

"We have a large membership that DOES write exclusively in the GBLT category. They have not complained about the definition because they know we don't exclude them at all. It wasn't until after the contest started that we all realized we could have included a GLBT category which encompassed romance.

"Every contest has rules. Not everyone will agree with those rules. HOWEVER, we do our very best to include everyone. Not everyone is so open minded in regards to same sex romance. Every category MUST have a definition that defines that category. Contemporary Romance IS a category of heterosexual couples where as Contemporary GBLT Romance would not be. We don't have those new categories yet and we are not adverse to adding them should it be necessary.

"The GLBT category is judged only by people who LOVE the genre. Isn't that the way it should be?

"On a personal note, some of my best author friends are gay. Some of my female author friends write gay books. I personally have embraced that people are different all my life no matter what their sexual orientation might be. [section removed as it refers directly to personal feelings and politics]

"On a professional level, EPIC tries to be extremely fair to ALL it's members. We have gone from a contest with no GBLT category to one who
embraces the genre with open arms. We started with approximately 20 categories to a contest with 30 categories. We change as the market
changes and we try to say on top of the market.

"We take every complaint seriously and yours will be filed away to be looked at next year when we are once again doing the category definitions for the EPPIEs.

"I am hoping that this will put to rest your fears regarding this subject.

"Thank you.

"Carol MacLeod
"EPIC President"

ETA: My two cents:

1. We fully embrace the difference in romantic liaisons 

What differences?  Why is gay love different from heterosexual love.

2.We have a category, GLBT, for same sex romance and other books within those genres.  

How kind at least there's somewhere for those "other books" to go other than in the normal categories. It also means that Age of Sail, Vikings, Thrillers, Detective, Scifi, Fantasy, contemp romance all have to compete against each other.

3. We are looking into adding a GLBT Romance category next year because we realize that we need a split between general GLBT books and their romantic counterparts.

Again. WHY do you need a split between gay books and their "romantic counterparts"?

4. They have not complained

Because as far as I can tell, most of them hadn't seen the category definitions before they entered?  Also people don't like to complain. And they have complained. I've complained. Pat Brown has complained and Lee Rowan has complained.

5. Contemporary Romance IS a category of heterosexual couples

WHY?  Could you explain to me why contemporary=heterosexual?

6. On a personal note, some of my best author friends are gay.

Oh Dear. Foot - meet bullets.

7. I personally have embraced that people are different all my life no matter what their sexual orientation might be

I think that's the crux of the matter, madam Chairperson. - you consider gay people to be DIFFERENT and while you think you are being accepting, for forgiving them for being different, you are actually being - perhaps unintentionally - homophobic.

8. We change as the market changes and we try to say on top of the market.

As ebooks sprung mainly from the GLBT and erotic end of the market, I challenge that assertion.