Romantic Times

My bosses over at Torquere Press got back from Romantic Times a week ago. I've never been to the convention, although I do have tentative plans to attend next year (in Orlando, woo!). I've heard so many mixed things about RT and the way that M/M publishers are received that I wasn't even sure I wanted to hear the con report, especially after some of the things that happened last year.

However! I was so, so, SO pleasantly surprised by the stories I was told about the authors, the readers, and the fans in general. My publisher presented topics on several panels and there was more than one successful booksigning. People were interested and polite. To quote directly from the report from the Torquere Press blog:

Does this mean we're welcome everywhere with open arms? No. But it does mean that things are getting better, and that there's an awareness out there that didn't exist even a year ago about what we do. I think that we're doing the best thing we can, which is presenting our books in a professional, accepting manner, working with people instead of against them, and every one of us who goes out and does an event can bring one more mind around to the idea that there's room for all of us. Everyone deserves a happy ending, no matter who they are, or what their sexuality is.

I think a happy ending is a right, not a privilege.