I felt cheated. I was a part of the original discussion group for the CFBA, and have been a member since the second tour, yet I only get a 15-minute heads up about this major change? Who discussed this? Who decided it? Where does the money go? Do I still want to remain a member? Yet how can I leave when there are still books I'm committed to touring?
I can understand that the director and others would want some return for their significant time investment. I work fulltime and would cry foul if my paycheck was optional. And I know there are costs to running the website and email newsletter - I've research costs for both myself - yet with tours at $500 each, one tour would pay for many months of these services.
Eight tours a month brings the gross income to $4000 monthly, $48,000 annually. With tax day not far behind us - how are the taxes paid for this income? Will the CFBA be set up as a small business, or will the cost of tours go directly to the owner? What accountability is there? Who chose the price? Why was it kept secret until the press release?
Why am I uneasy about this whole thing? Is it simply having all these questions, or is there something more?
The Christian Fiction Online Magazine sounds like a great idea, though. I'm looking forward to seeing the first issue.
FIRST (which I've been a member of from the start) has broken its affiliation with CFBA and promises to remain free for everyone. I recently joined its TeenFIRST monthly tour (since I love teen fiction and have 3 teenage sisters). And now FIRST has started a whole new type of tour - Wild Card Tours. I can't wait to see what happens with that. Click the card to find out more!
