Who is an author?

Once my mailbox had been emptied, I started getting emails from writers who want me to:

1. guarantee they’ll be put on a panel

2. guarantee they’ll be considered an author to be put on a panel.

So let me address this issue right now. I know this won’t be the only time I need to do it, but  . . .

Here’s the truth: We are obliged as an LCC convention to honor our bylaws.

The way I interpret the author qualifications gives us discretion. People who’ve been qualified at other recent LCCs (since the bylaws took effect) would qualify for ours. That only makes sense.

There’s one word we’ll pay close attention to. I’ve highlighted it in the text below:
“Only authors who have contributed financially to the publication of ***all*** of their books either through self-publishing or through a vanity or subsidy press are not eligible unless they have been shortlisted for a major mystery award (the Edgar, the Anthony, the Agatha, the Dilys, the Barry, the Hammett, the Macavity, the Lefty, the Nero Wolfe, the CWA Dagger, the Shamus, the Arthur Ellis, and the Bruce Alexander Awards).”

If you’ve  contributed to some but not others, that’s not ALL.

AND

Our 2010 basic attitude isn’t exclusionary. For our committee, the program is the important thing — providing interesting panels and solo talks — we’re not looking to make enemies here. We’re also not going to throw out the bylaws –  to include every person who claims to be a writer but doesn’t have any kind of track record (NEW authors, don’t get in a tizzy, please. ). Let’s use our logic here; would you go to a brain surgeon without knowing that her claim could be checked in some way?

The guidelines DO count . . . but there’s a lot of squiggle room. We can make discretionary decisions. And we will. Someone might be considered “an expert” and not, necessarily an “author.”

I don’t know. I’m just saying . . .

Here’s the baseline:

We CAN’T guarantee panels to anyone except our Guests of Honor.

However

1. The writers who register sooner than later have a better chance of getting on a panel than those who wait until the last minute.

2. The writers who tell us their strengths and why their experience, expertise would add to panels — that make their cases — will have a better chance than those who automatically assume we know about them.

3. We’ll do  EVERYTHING we can to accommodate as many — writers/authors/whatever we want to call ourselves nowadays  — that do make sense within the context of the program.

I hope I’ve answered your questions.

If discussion ensues, please let’s be civil. I’m trying to be honest with all of you and would hope you’d show me the same respect. Remember, everyone working on this convention is doing it for free.

thank you,
Pari