through association with a wide variety of experience in writing and publishing."

Jolene Feher took over the job of Secretary last summer, and she's agreed to continue.
During her 43 years of teaching school, she "somehow managed to save my poetry in little notebooks all around and about. Finally got them all together and sorted out and stored on the computer… Self-published a collection this summer, It's My Life, mostly for family and friends. Edited the collection Before I Forget, which we published for the Hillyard Writer's group in September. I keep mailing out and carrying around bits and pieces to possible takers. Currently working on two short books - one of poetry and the other of memoir, attached to beloved family recipes. Nothing spectacular, just have a life long love for the written word!

Phyllis Heinel was raised and educated in Spokane, and most of her family is here.  She and her husband moved back here from South Carolina and, sadly, he died last January 15. Since joining SASP, Phyllis has really enjoyed the camaraderie of the writers in attendance. "We all have something in common, and we seem to have a delicious sense of humor. That always makes me feel comfortable… My writing fills my life with happy hours and I've made many new friends."

A Word from the New President

It is an honor to take over the helm from Chuck O'Connor as president of SASP. It's difficult for me to believe that SASP in only two years old, for it seems a more mature organization. Nevertheless, I think it is important when accepting a position of leadership to have a vision. Consider the vision of our founders, Chuck O'Connor, Dan Vollmer, Elmer Freeman, and Joe Meiners, and look where it has taken us already.

I would like to continue in that tradition by sharing my vision with you. My primary goal concerns making SASP as useful as possible to its members in a variety of ways. I would like to see SASP produce a publication on Self-Publishing based on the experiences and advice of our members so that others can benefit. I would like to have members become more interactive with one another and to share skills and talents to help one another in such tasks as editing, grammar, computers, graphics, data conversion, website authoring, advertising, marketing, and sharing contacts.

One way to start this process would be to have a short biography of each member's talents, interests, and skills posted on our website. Another way we could help one another would be to write reviews of each other's work, which could be published on the website and used by authors in their portfolios. I think SASP should increase its visibility to attract more members because there are no doubt many more people who would like to join us, if they knew we existed. To this end, we could offer our services as a speakers bureau to other organizations. We could conduct an annual conference. We could sponsor writing contests through the schools or libraries and offer prizes. I think we should create a new board position for someone to be in charge of promotion and publicity.

I'm sure you all know my enthusiasm for electronic publishing. Accordingly, I would like to have SASP become an electronic publishing house to make our members' work available for sale, download, and distribution in various formats through the Internet. Of course we could handle all of our SASP business through cyberspace, and there would be no need for physical meetings at all--just kidding. Ultimately, I can envision a national organization in which we would clone ourselves to help others organize local chapters throughout the country, or world, for that matter. I think SASP is worthy of imitation. Don't you? If you have any ideas on how to make our organization more useful to its members, please contact me. I'm looking forward to a great year with SASP.

Tim Hillebrand


Dues are due!!

You'll find a convenient dues form and a self-addressed, stamped envelope in this newsletter mailing. Please fill out ALL the information on the form (yes, we know we have it, but it's nice to have a fresh reference point with up-to-the-minute e-mail addresses, etc.) and return it with your $5.00  - made out to SASP - to our new treasurer Phyllis Heinel. Or, bring your form and money to the January meeting. We don't want your money without your form! Thanks, and here's to another great year….

Lee Dominey, Past Treasurer




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