Celebrate Romance

So, I went to Celebrate Romance in South Carolina over the past weekend.

What did Julia Talbot learn about being primarily a glbt writer among hardcore romance readers and writers?

Well, I learned that most folks don't get what I do. They're willing to listen, though, even if the idea sort of horrifies them.

There were a few ladies who really complimented both me and BA on our part of the panel discussions, and it was very nice to hear. The readers were great fun, and it was a hoot to meet some of the writers I've read over the years like Jade Lee and Stephanie Bond, and interact with them as peers, not just star struck fans.

I also learned that I have the best fans ever. Y'all rock so hard. No, really.

On the deep and philosophical end, I learned that there's still a huge prejudice against ebooks and e-publishers out there. Despite the fact that authors who put books out with major NY publishers have never seen a royalty check, FIFTEEN MONTHS after their book's release, despite the fact that a major author admits to making less than I make on one publisher alone in a year of being published with a house that sells her books in Wal-Mart...

I'm kind of glad I don't have an agent, if I have to give up that much of my hard earned sales...

Does this mean you should stop buying books in bookstores? Absolutely not. The only way to get NY to listen is to buy books. But I also want to thank all the people who support e-publishing. It's made me not just a writer, which I always was, but an author with books out there to sell, and I will forever be grateful.

At any rate, a huge thanks to Cybil and her team for CR. I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I learned a lot.

Look for me next at Romantic Times, in Pittsburg (ack) where I will be with Chris Owen, Jodi Payne, and BA Tortuga