APRIL 2011
APRIL 2011
Spokane Authors and Self-Publishers (SASP) began in 1998 when Chuck O’Conner, Elmer Freeman, Joe Meiners,
and Dan Vollmer, Spokane area authors
formed a club in order to share their knowledge and experience with those
interested in writing and alternative ways of publishing. Today, SASP is a large non-profit
organization dedicated to anyone with interests in any aspect of writing and
art. Members now include aspiring (and
successful) authors, poets, journalists, illustrators, editors, publishers,
printers, writing instructors, and many others.
Monthly luncheon meetings provide inspiration and education by way of
knowledgeable and entertaining guest speakers, and the cheerful camaraderie of
people sharing common interests and goals.
Membership is open to all who love writing, art, and interesting people.
Spokane
Authors and Self-Publishers meets
the first Thursday of each month, September through May, in the banquet (back)
room of the Old Country Buffet
(509) 484-5026
Speakers’
presentations begin at NOON. The room opens at 11:00 AM to allow members and guests to dine, converse, join, pay
dues, browse, and perhaps buy other member’s books that are on display. Generally a short business meeting is held,
either before or after the formal presentation.
New members and guests are introduced, members relate their
accomplishments, and various door prizes are awarded.
All
members and guests are requested to buy lunch upon entering the establishment,
and to leave an appropriate tip for the waiter/waitress.
Members
need to be present to win door prizes.
Current
membership benefits include a
listing on the SASP website, www.spokaneauthors.org. Many
members provide short biographies and links to external personal websites,
creating more marketing exposure.
Current members may list and describe their published works on the SASP
website and offer their work for sale at meetings.
Guest speakers at our monthly meetings
inform, inspire, and entertain members and guests with a variety of topics, all
designed to provide knowledge pertinent to writing and publishing.
SASP
members are encouraged to purchase or trade completed works of and with fellow
members. They are also encouraged to
donate examples of their work for use as door prizes. Those who win other members’ works are
expected to provide a review of that work.
Dues for SASP
membership are $15.00 per calendar year.
Dues may be paid directly to
our Treasurer at our monthly meetings.
Alternatively, you may remit your dues to:
2011 Officers
President:
Dave McChesney (509) 325-2072
Vice-President:
Bob Weldin (509) 327-2897
Secretary:
Robert Pillsbury (509) 842-6803
rvpsasp07@comcast.net
Treasurer:
Bonnie Stichart (509) 684-0424
Public-Relations:
Russ
Davis (509) 768-6206
Newsletter Editor:
Jim
Parry 509)
325-9922
Web Master:
Dave
McChesney (509) 325-2072
Advisory Board:
Jolene Feher (509) 489-0544
fehersong@yahoo.com
Gail Mangano (509) 535-1434
mamamia3224@comcast.net
Bob Manion (509) 448-2901
gunnerbob@comcast.net
NOTE:
Our editor
is having computer problems and cannot get the newsletter done and out to
us. I’m filling in and attempting to
cobble something together.
Dave
OUR
NEXT MEETING!
This month’s speaker,
Mary Cronk Farrell will talk to us about writing for children and the Society
of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
She is the author of several books for children and young adults as well
as being a free lance journalist. Mary
has been a television reporter, an on-scene radio reporter, and currently is
president of the local SCBWI chapter.
Upon invitation she will present writing workshops for students in local
schools. Visit her web-site at www.marycronkfarrell.com
The
President’s Page
March 2011
OUR LAST MEETING
At
our March 3rd meeting, local author and marketing wizard Dawn Nelson
provided us with many ideas and strategies for selling our books. She also volunteered to send a copy of her
notes via e-mail to anyone requesting them.
Contact information can be found on her web-site at www.authordawnnelson.com . SASP is certainly appreciative of Dawn taking
the time away from her frantic writing and marketing schedule to come talk with
us.
After
our break we welcomed guests and potential new members Taylor Adams and Steve
Smart. We hope you enjoyed your visit
and that you will return and become members.
Michael
Marsden offered a “well done” for James Vasquez and his biblically themed
poetry, and mentioned a reading scheduled in the near future. Bob Magart talked briefly about having his
book copy edited and getting ready to send to the publisher.
Door
prizes were numerous, thanks in large part to our speaker. Dawn donated a copy of every book she has had
published. Soul Karriem won the copy of A Cowgirl Remembers, Joan Carter took
home A Cowgirl Never Forgets, and
Betty Dauber held the winning ticket for A
Cowgirl’s Justice. The Colt went to Peggy De Hart, and Jim
Vasquez garnered Who Am I? Other prizes included a free meal pass
donated by Old Country Buffet. Steve
Smart won that, and Gail Mangano won a free meal, courtesy of SASP.
Due to a communications oversight, probably mine, Old
Country Buffet booked someone else into our slot for May. Acting on the mandate given me at our last
meeting, we are scheduled us to meet on Wednesday the 11th of
May. All other meetings, including
April’s, will be on our normal first
Thursday of the month schedule for the remainder of the year.
Dues
are due for 2011. Please send your
$15.00 to: Spokane Authors and
Self-Publishers,
If
you are a current of recent member, and are not receiving e-mails or hard copy
items regarding SASP, please make sure we have up to date contact
information. If any of it has changed,
please contact a SASP Officer to update it.
It is frustrating to send an e-mail to all members, only to have three
or four come back undelivered.
Additionally I must delete a couple of e-addresses, because if they are
included, I cannot send the e-mail at all.
It is equally frustrating to send something via surface mail, perhaps to
a member whose e-mail no longer works, only find that mail returned as
undeliverable as well. (A contact
information form will be available at future meetings to allow easier
acquisition or changes to contact information.)
As
always, we are looking for bios of our members to post on the web-site. We are also looking for reviews for members’
books and other works. Yes, we will
gladly accept reviews by non-members for writing efforts by SASP members.
If
you have ideas or suggestions regarding future programs, please contact
Vice-President Bob Weldin.
As I
close, I remind everyone to think of who you would want as President or other
SASP officer at the end of the year.
Four years is long enough. We are
also looking for volunteers to take over the editing of our newsletter.
Next month, on April 7th,
we are scheduled to have Mary Farrell, children’s book author and member of the
local SCBWI chapter as our speaker.
Please join us!
Write on,
NEWS
Listed below are acknowledgements of
members’ accomplishments, book-signing dates, locations, and other
items of note:
A New “How to” Book
THE WRITER’S PORTABLE
A guide to Art, Craft, and the Writing Life
By Priscilla Long ISBN: 978-0-9842421-0-8, $17.95,
Recent Newsletters now on Site
All issues of our recently revived SASP Newsletter are now posted
and available on the web-site. Simply go
to the Newsletter Tab on our home page and click on the month you are
interested in. All content of the
e-mailed or “snail-mailed versions is there, although the format is changed
somewhat.
Publishing Accomplishments
Jim Parry’s book, Book All
the Teachers,
is now available on most major bookstore sites
(Amazon, Barnes & Noble,
New “LINKS”
We’ve recently added several “general
interest” links on the web-site page of the same name.
Many SASP members web-sites and blogs
are linked here as well.
A Local Publisher
Andrew Corder has recently come on
board as senior editor at Gray Dog Press.
For more information, go to:
A Most Generous Offer
Writer Kirt Hickman has generously provided
SASP with several “how to” articles on various
aspects of writing. We are
reposting Kirt’s articles on the WRITER’S TOOLS
page. Each will remain for approximately
one month or until replaced by the next.
A New
Publishing Company
Hello
My name is Bob Griffin. I have just
started
a small publishing company that will be
publishing fantasy, science fiction and
horror stories. If anybody is interested
in submitting
their works of fiction, please visit us at