Ok –authordom isn’t a real word, but bear with me. I think it should be.
According to the Oxford dictionary, dom is a suffix which denotes a state or condition (freedom); rank or status (earldom); a domain (kingdom) or a class of people (officialdom).
That’s us – isn’t it?
As for the international bit… Give me a moment to peer through the fog of jet lag in my brain, and explain…
I’ve just returned from the Romance Writers of Australia conference in Adelaide. It was a great weekend and I had a fabulous time. Once of the best bits was having readers come up to me and say they had read my books and loved them. I write in the UK (although the books are set in Australia). My publisher is in the UK, but the books are sent all over the world, and I seem to have found an Australian readership. Which is just lovely – and thank you all for your kind comments.
Not only that, I noted that many of the speakers, agents and editors at the Adelaide conference were from the US – over there looking to get in touch with Australian reader and writers too. They were looking for Australian writers and books that would appeal to their US audience.
Then I flew home (27 hours of hell in airports and on planes) … to find the my book The Wild One is a finalist in not one, but TWO US RWA chapter awards – the Book Buyers Best sponsored by the Orange Country RWA Chapter and the Aspen Gold run by the Heart of Denver RWA chapter. (The second one is really special, as Flight to Coorah Creek won that award last year.)
The award shortlists feature not just US writers… but in my case, an Australian writer living in England writing books about Australia for a UK publisher.
Can you get any more international?
Assuming all this is not just a jet lag induced hallucination, my point is this… books unite people around the world. Authors write for readers wherever they might be. And the technology of today’s world makes our books available everywhere – to everyone.
I am therefore officially adding the word authordom to my vocabulary. And I might even send an email to the Oxford Dictionary asking them to do it too.
STOP PRESS: I just found out I have also been shortlisted by the Ancient City Romance Authors (Florida RWA chapter) for their Heart of Excellence Award. I have to say I am totally blown away by this reception for The Wild One… Of course, I think its probably all about the hero Dan, who I remain just a little bit in love with despite the fact that I have moved on to a new book with a new hero.