I am running for a Director at Large position for the Romance Writers of America. Yay! *confetti cannon*
Recently some of my fellow chapter members asked me about my platform, so I thought I would share what I shared with them.
As chapter president of GSRWA, my mission has been to provide value to all our members, and it’s a mission I intend to continue at the national level. We ask a lot from our members; their time, money, talent. What does the chapter give in return? It’s a question I’ve heard often. What DOES the organization do for its members?
A lot, actually. Through education and inclusion, RWA has helped its members obtain careers in writing romantic fiction, a genre that has kept the publishing industry a float for decades and is so successful, our writers and readers can make companies change their business model in order to keep us from earning more of the humongous publishing pie. There are few writing organizations that will welcome an unpublished author and give them the tools to become successful, and in that, RWA is second to none.
But I think we can do more. My local chapter has 180 members. That is 180 different journeys and levels of experience. The best thing I can do for my members is to provide opportunities to get them what they need. Whether it’s education, outreach, or a place to connect with other authors who have been where they have been or want to be where they are now, my job as a leader is to provide those opportunities.
It is also my job to not dictate who has access to those opportunities.
There has been a growing divide not only between published and unpublished, but among those who have taken different paths to become published. To that I have to shake my head. Why is there such an emphasis placed on that divide? We are all authors. We are all small business owners. Who am I to determine who can have access to what information, or tell another author what areas of their career they need to focus on? While I am not an author’s business partner, I can certainly be a mentor. Romance authors are successful because we work together rather than against one another. We need to utilize the strength of our solidarity and kick more ass. That is my goal by serving at the national level. To make sure RWA is providing our members those opportunities and giving value to their membership. Just like the heroes and heroines in our stories, we are strongest when we work together
Send me a line at Anna@AnnaAlexander.net if you have comments, questions, concerns about the election. If you are an RWA member, you can check out the slate of candidates on the RWA website at https://www.rwa.org/page/candidates?source=5.
Voting starts September 1st and I appreciate all of your support!