Any RWA General or Honorary member in good standing who has either: (1) earned at least $1,000 in the form of an advance on a single romance novel or novella published by a non-subsidy, non-vanity publisher (“Option One”); or (2) who has earned at least $1,000 in the form of royalties or a combination of advance plus royalties on a single published romance novel or novella published by a non-subsidy, non-vanity publisher (“Option Two”) shall be eligible for membership in PAN.
Option One: Any RWA General or Honorary member who has earned at least $1,000 in the form of an advance from a single romance novel or novella published by a non-subsidy, non-vanity publisher may join PAN either as a full member (once the title is published) or as a provisional member for an 18-month period while awaiting publication of the title. In order to prove publication under Option One, the member must submit a copy of the novel’s or novella’s copyright page to the RWA office, along with either of the following: (1) copy of the contract page showing an advance of at least $1,000; or (2) letter from acquiring editor stating that the author has earned at least $1,000 in the form of an advance.
Option Two: Any General or Honorary member who has earned at least $1,000 in the form of royalties or a combination of advance plus royalties on a single published romance novel or novella published by a non-subsidy, non-vanity publisher may join PAN as a full member following the publication of the title. In order to prove publication under Option Two, the member must submit a copy of the novel’s or novella’s copyright page to the RWA office, together with proof of earnings of at least $1,000 on the qualifying novel or novella. Proof of earnings may be shown in either of the following ways: (1) royalty statement(s) from the publisher showing earnings of at least $1,000; or (2) a letter from the acquiring editor stating that the author has earned at least $1,000 in the form of royalties or an advance plus royalties. Documentation must reflect earnings on a single novel or novella. In the case of a multiple-book contract, or in the event royalty statement(s) show earnings on multiple books, the earnings on the qualifying novel or novella must be shown separately. Any percentage of earnings deducted by an agent shall still be considered earnings to the author; however, the pre-deduction figure must be reflected in the documentation.
As in the past, members may wear a First Sale ribbon at the National Conference after they become PAN-eligible.
Addendum: The Board of Directors wishes to note that $1,000 in earnings reflects an extremely low number of sales (for example, at a cover price of $5.99 and with a 6% royalty rate, an author would earn $1,000 after selling only 2,782 copies). Therefore, the Board of Directors does not wish to suggest that $1,000 is a reasonable advance or, in fact, adequate for any purpose other than establishing a minimum standard of membership in PAN. Members must consider each offer they receive for their work and determine for themselves whether the offer and contract terms meet their career goals.
