Comments on: 2008 RITA Finalists Open Thread

By: Karen Templeton

Karen Templeton — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 14:25:38 +0000

Ardeatine — Samantha earned a RITES award, not a RITA. :)

Confusing is right. :)

By: Ardeatine

Ardeatine — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:34:01 +0000

Oh, thanks Jane and Karen for the clarification. Maybe there’s another award out there calling itself RITA? The author’s post confused me a bit.

By: Karen Templeton

Karen Templeton — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:08:38 +0000

No, there’s no Erotic romance category in the RITAs, although several chapter contests do have an ER category.

I was on the RITA overhaul committee last year; we did recommend a separate ER category, but as it was felt ER books would fit within already existing categories, our suggestion was overruled.

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 15:40:41 +0000

No, I don’t think so.

By: Ardeatine

Ardeatine — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:21:04 +0000

Was googling around the Rita’s and found this link – http://www.samanthasommersby.com/
The Rita’s now have categories for Erotic romance?

By: Janine

Janine — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:37:02 +0000

Janine, I don’t think I can talk about the books I read this year (Can I? Does anyone know?) but I will tell you that I discovered Suzanne Brockmann years ago through the RITAs. Also, Elizabeth Thornton. I know there are others, but those two stick in my mind as authors I “met” through judging, who both made the finals and might, I believe, have won…and I’ve been a fan of both of them ever since.
Thanks! The reason I asked the question was because I remember discovering a book I really loved years ago, Merely Married by Patricia Coughlin, when it was a finalist in the RITAs. IIRC, the book did not get reviewed that well at AAR, so I would probably never have read it if the list of RITA finalists hadn't brought it to my attention. I was grateful to discover it, which goes to show that reviews aren't the only way to find a good book.

By: Paranormal Romance novels nominated for RITAs! « Harlequin’s Paranormal Romance Blog

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:29:12 +0000

[...] Author has an interesting open thread on the RITAs, with some discussion of the world-building required in paranormal [...]

By: Sarah McCarty

Sarah McCarty — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:57:26 +0000

Despite being a long term member of RWA, I don’t follow the Rita’s. Is RWA now marketing the awards the best of the genre? I think it used to be “some of the best” of the genre.

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:05:34 +0000

Yes, I agree that the contest is worthwhile to those who enter and participate, but I think its measurement as the best of the genre is questionable as it relates to the measurement of readers.

By: Allison Brennan

Allison Brennan — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 17:38:40 +0000

Sarah, I agree with your comments 100%. I wish the Ritas had the same cache as the Edgars (for example, Mystery bookstores will often feature Edgar nominees for the few months between the announcement and the Edgar ceremonies) but we don’t have as many romance indies as there are mystery indies, and while some individual stores within the chains will do something, they are few and far between.

That said, it’s never been a consideration for me whether the Rita final or win would garner more sales. I doubt it does, beyond a few people who may buy all the finalists in one category (for example, last year I bought all the RS finalists that I hadn’t already read; I’ll do the same this year but there’s only one or two books I haven’t read.) Finaling is fun. It makes the conference more exciting. It’s a perk. But it’s not the goal.