NOVEMBER 2010
NOVEMBER 2010
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:
2010 Officers
President:
Dave McChesney (509) 325-2072
Vice-President:
Bob Weldin (509) 327-2897
Secretary:
Robert Pillsbury (509) 842-6803
rvpsasp07@comcast.net
Treasurer:
TBA
Public-Relations:
Russ
Davis (509) 768-6206
Newsletter Editor:
Jim
Parry 509)
325-9922
Web Master:
TBA
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
OUR
NEXT MEETING!
Please join us on Thursday
Nov. 4 at 12 noon. We’ll be at our
usual location, Old Country Buffet,
This
month’s speaker will be our very own Dave McChesney. SASP President McChesney will present the
basics of what the professionals want to see in a submission.
Following
a twenty-two year Navy career, Dave is writing the Stone Island Sea Stories, naval adventures with fantasy
elements. Beyond the Ocean’s Edge and Sailing
Dangerous Waters are complete, while work is underway on Darnahsian Pirates. He edits the Rear Engine Review, the Inland Northwest Corvair Club’s monthly
newsletter. His essay, Tennis Balls and Broadsides won first
place in the initial Author! Author!
Periodic Awards for Expressive Excellence, and was published in Gray Dog
Press’ SpokeWrite. He recently placed second in the Author! Author! Great First Pages Contest. Dave is President of Spokane Authors and
Self-Publishers (SASP), and a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers
Association (PNWA).
He
resides in
The
President’s Page
October
2010
OUR LAST MEETING
At
our October meeting, local author C. K. (Carol) Crigger talked about putting
that all important element, excitement,
in our queries and pitches. We discussed
tag-lines, the paragraph hook, and how to write a killer query letter.
Our
guests included Judy Winfield, and new members were Anna Goodwin, Ann
Washington, and Ron Grose. Welcome!
Jim
Minard spoke briefly about attending the Authors
of the Flathead Writers Conference in Kalispell, earlier this fall. Paul Lecoq talked about the recent Idaho
Writers League Conference held recently in
Once
again, door prizes were quite plentiful.
Michael Marsden donated a copy of his newest book Sam d’Bear, which was taken home by Robert Pillsbury. Chuck Lehman provided a copy of Asher, for which Stan Parks had the
winning ticket. Lee Moore again donated
a couple packs of her handmade greeting cards.
Bonnie Stichart won one, and it appears that the winner of the second
shall remain anonymous, as that name was inadvertently not recorded.
We
had planned to hold a SASP Board/Advisory Board meeting following the
conclusion of the regular general meeting.
However, not enough members of those panels were in attendance or able
to remain, so we did not gather formally.
Those of us that were there kicked around some ideas, and one or two of
them will be presented at the November meeting.
BIOS & REVIEWS, ELECTIONS & DUES
As
always, we are looking for members’ bios to put up on the web-site. If you have read books by fellow members,
please write a review and send it along so it might be posted as well. You may send bios and reviews to Dave
McChesney at daveeva@comcast.net.
With
the end of the year fast approaching, we should all be reminded that dues are
soon due. Pay next year’s dues early and
avoid the rush! If you are unable to
attend a meeting in the near future to pay in person, please send your dues to
the organizations mailing address:
Remember:
The end of the year also means elections and a chance to participate in the
day-to-day operation of SASP for the next year.
Seriously consider what position you might be qualified for and willing
to fill. We will be accepting
nominations or volunteers at the November meeting so that we might have a
ballot in place for our December meeting.
I will continue as President if the membership desires. I would also consider being Treasurer and
Web-master, roles I already fulfill, should someone desire to take on the
President’s duties.
For
our upcoming meeting we had originally planned to have famed local writer Jess
Walter speak, but we have been unable to gain a commitment to do so from
him. In light of that, and having seen
some evidence that it may be needed, I’ve volunteered to speak on standard
format for manuscripts. I hope you will
all join me on Thursday the 4th of November. You just might learn something.
Right
now we are planning to have an open “Mic” session for published members, as
well as elections, a general meeting, and a Holiday Celebration at our December
meeting.
Write
on,
For What
It’s Worth
Similar
advice has been offered at previous SASP meetings, but I would like to get in
my two-cents’ worth: Have a
brainstorming session with trusted friends regarding every possible avenue and
venue by which to promote your book.
For instance, since my book involves teaching/education I’ve sent copies
with cover letters to the chairs of the Education Departments at Eastern
Washington, Whitworth, and
To be honest, I haven’t had the greatest of luck yet (although EWU’s magazine, EASTERN, included a nice, full-color blurb about the book in its current issue). But I’ll keep on trying, keep on racking my brain, keep on with the brainstorms (in my case, it’s more like brainsqualls).
So, gentle reader, continue finding ways to promote your book. Pursue every avenue. Leave no stone (or page) unturned.
Jim
P.S. – If you’ve written a dark, tearjerker, send it to Oprah.
News
Listed below are acknowledgments of our member's accomplishments,
book signing dates, locations, and other items of note:
Signings
Several Gray Doggers will be signing copies of their books at the
Spokane Falls Community College Campus Store on Wednesday, November 10, from
11A.M. to 2P.M. (Paul LeCoq, John
Heffernan, Jim Parry, Dawn Nelson, and Penny Rundle)
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,
www.priscillalong.com
Web-site Improvements
Those web pages that had been saved in mht format have been
converted to htm. This should make it
easier for all to link to and open up these pages.
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 featured in the fall issue of E.W.U.’s magazine, Eastern.
New “LINKS”
We’ve recently added several “general
interest” links on the web-site page of the same name. (It seems that we are adding new links every
month!)
Price Reduction
SASP Member and former President Barbara Cagle has announced that
the price of her book 16 x MOM: A MASTERY OF MOTHERHOOD is now $17.95
A Local Publisher
Ditto’s Print and
SASP 201O Speaking
Schedule
(as of October 21)
Nov. 4---Dave McChesney presents “The Basics of What the
Professionals Wants to See in a Submission.”
We also need to begin thinking about new SASP officers for 2011.
Dec. 2---How about a Holiday Celebration in which we honor our
members who have published a book or completed a manuscript during 2010?
They might each read a short excerpt.
Also, we need to elect officers for 2011.