Last year the romance writers trade organization Romance Writers of America essentially blew up due to a series of events that stemmed from long-standing issues of racism and inequities suffered by LGBTQ authors and authors of color—particularly Black authors. When the dust settled, the entire Board of Directors was gone, and a Special Election was held in March of 2020 where an a new slate was elected.
Fast forward three months. Many former members—like myself—would like to see the organization succeed. We’re also feeling a bit gun shy and many of us are standing on the sidelines taking a wait and see approach.
The idea for this chat was born out of my personal interest in getting an update on what’s been going on behind the scenes since the installation of the new board. The purpose of this discussion is to get a snapshot of where the organization is right now and where the board sees it heading. It will be a positive, constructive conversation to discuss recent board decisions and to learn about the board’s future plans for the organization.
