At one point in time, RWA (Romance Writers of America) was the envy of other genre writers. With over 10,000 members, a robust conference, and courses and tools for published and unpublished writers, it nurtured the careers of many for over four decades.

It was, however, always a traditionally leaning organization. In this century, they earned a justified reputation for being determinedly disinterested in love stories that featured characters of color or queer leads. No Black author won the RITA until 2019 and finalists of color were virtually non-existent.

In 2019, the organization blew up. You can read about it all here and here. Since then, despite RWA making some effort (but not enough), the organization has continued to shrink. This week, they filed for bankruptcy.

You can read about the filing here. Unsurprisingly, the language in the brief pissed people off yet again. It says:

[its membership dropped to 3,000 members from roughly 10,000} predominantly due to disputes concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion issues between some members of a prior RWA board and others in the larger romance writing community.

This did not go over well. Why did RWA need to bring up DEI? (They do not mention Courtney Milan in the filing despite what the Bloomberg article headline would make you believe.) That definitely seems like a CYA move and one that makes them look as if they’ve not learned a thing in the past five years.

It feels like RWA is circling the drain and, given their behavior, perhaps that’s for the best.

But it is a bummer that what RWA offered to romance writers has vanished and, if the past five years are any indication, will not be replaced.

In its very flawed prime, RWA was possibly the biggest and most influential writing organization, one that helped thousands. Unlike many other organizations of its kind, it supported unpublished writers. It also offered a platform for romance writers to connect, to find agents, editors, friends, and support. Their advocacy for romance writers was unmatched and their conferences and education phenomenal. (Again, probably not if you were Black.) For many writers, it was a career changing place. (I think some of the points made in this 2023 article are valid.) And it is missed.

Because, yes, romance as a genre is booming but it is becoming harder and harder for most romance authors to make a living. In 2023, just two authors, Colleen Hoover and Emily Henry, counted for 80% of all romance novel sales. And, most are now going it alone–there simply isn’t a national network that new authors can plug into to make connections. I think writing romance is probably lonelier than it used to be.

It’s a bummer that RWA couldn’t or wouldn’t fix itself. I miss the conferences–I’ve not gone since 2019–and the ability to meet in person and talk with the authors our readers love. I learned so much about, by attending their workshops, about writing and what it takes to do it well and get published. The industry feels much more scattered and opaque now.

But there’s no place for a national organization that isn’t truly inclusive. RWA wasn’t and when pushed to be, they couldn’t manage it. So, they’re, I suspect, toast. Here’s hoping something better rises, at some point, to do the work they used to.