I haven’t really ever been what you call a “joiner.” Never participated in Girl Scouts. Wasn’t in a sorority in college. I’m not in the PTA.
But when I decided a couple of years ago that I wanted to really pursue writing novels as a career, I put my formidable skills in marketing and PR to work, and began the research. I’d like to write children’s literature. I’d like to write adult mainstream fiction, espionage thrillers and mysteries. And I’d like to write romance. All genres that I enjoy reading, and all genres that I hope to call my own. What I found was that the world of romance has highly educated, well-salaried, voracious readers … and that there’s a strong system of support in place for aspiring and successful authors. So I started there.
I joined the Romance Writers of America national writing guild about five years ago, but have always worked full-time … read that as: I never had time to really pursue my craft. At that same time, I joined my local chapter, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers. In December 2009, I sold my first manuscript to a new Canadian electronic publisher, XOXO Publishing. It published on May 2, 2010. My second manuscript sold on February 14 and published on September 11. Yesterday, I was vetted.
I got my RWA PRO pin, which means that RWA has checked out my contracts, checked out my manuscripts, and stands behind me as a viable author. At conferences I can move to the front of the line for appointments with agents; when I send things to publishers or agents I can list that I’m a PRO.
So in this new chapter in my life as Becky Moore, romance author, it’s so rewarding to say that I’m vetted, I’m viable, and I’m coming! Watch out world, here comes Becky Moore!
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