tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692547621086235345.post6085426504891243488..comments2023-10-30T03:16:11.490-07:00Comments on The Populist Publisher: Sisters, Stand With MeLynn Osterkamphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14710614789241804674noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692547621086235345.post-21291357533350732012008-01-21T05:47:04.000-08:002008-01-21T05:47:04.000-08:00Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a fitting ti...Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a fitting time to reflect on the human costs of prejudice. In that spirit, I vow to challenge bigotry in whatever form it takes. Thus, I have decided NOT to renew my membership to Sisters in Crime and have resigned from Mystery Writers of America.Mystery Writers of America's Board started this mess by adopting highly discriminatory standards--this done without notice, an opportunity for comment or a vote of its membership. Their actions were totally irresponsible since they, by their own admission, are the premiere Mystery organization. They showed no concern for the hundreds of small publishers--many woman-/minority-owned-- that their standards would drive into bankruptcy. They even went so far as issuing an approved publisher list, which by default created a Black List. The Black List part makes my skin crawl with thoughts of witch hunts and McCarthyism.Sadly, SinC has a high percentage of MWA members (a majority of the Board) who are so afraid of being black-balled by the "big guys" they will not speak out. It's sad that an organization formed to advance women's rights has caved-in to the very organization they were formed to combat. SinC has become an MWA Jr. League or little sister group. Not something I can support!I usually wish people well, whatever their beliefs. I do not wish the MWA bunch well--they are proponents of prejudice and elistism. I hope it comes back to haunt them.Linda Tuck-Jenkinshttp://www.thedaffodils.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692547621086235345.post-61699236972492529182008-03-13T03:12:20.000-07:002008-03-13T03:12:20.000-07:00I was also horrified when I heard about the new Si...I was also horrified when I heard about the new SinC policy. I'm a conventionally published author, owner of a small publishing company, a self-published mystery novelist, and have been an author for over 29 years now--so, I've seen all aspects of publishing. POD is a GOOD thing. I agree that with this new policy, SinC is going backward in equality for its members, not forward. Not to mention how NOT earth-friendly this is. Funny, huh? SinC was formed in the beginning as a step against the "elitism" of the MWA.I just got lambasted on a discussion list for voicing my opinion about this. It seems that some members (who might not otherwise think it fair that books are being eliminated from the SinC catalog) are refusing to stand up and speak out because they are afraid that they'll jeapordize their own book reviews. Sad.bobbi c.http://www.bobbichukran.comBobbi A. Chukranhttp://www.bobbichukran.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3692547621086235345.post-85802515772689018992008-03-21T10:03:10.000-07:002008-03-21T10:03:10.000-07:00[...] The SinC board made this decision without as...[...] The SinC board made this decision without asking for input from its members, many of whom have books published by small independent publishers who may use POD printing or by subsidy publishers who definitely use POD printing. (See my Jan 17 post for more about SinC authors.) [...]The Populist Publisher » Rejection of Digitally Printed (POD) Books: A Step Backward for the Publishing Industry and the Environmenthttp://pmibooks.com/blog1/2008/03/13/rejection-of-digitally-printed-pod-books-a-step-backward-for-the-publishing-industry-and-the-environment/noreply@blogger.com