OUR PREVIOUS/MOST RECENT MEETING
Information about our most recent
meetings is available via a link on the “Welcome” page. (To the left)
Visit the “Programs” page (to the left)
to learn about our next meeting and other writer related events.
We now post current and most recent
columns from our President, our Editor/Web-master, and any member or guest who
wishes to contribute to ensure everyone sees them.
(Newest is at the top)
FROM OUR ACTING
PRESIDENT
Sometimes I come across a marketing idea that excites me.
We all
struggle with marketing our books (isn’t it enough just to write them?) and if
you don’t struggle with this particular aspect of writing, please share your
ideas with us. Most of the time, the old (rephrased) adage of “if you write it,
they will buy it” doesn’t apply.
Most
of you have your books available for sale on Amazon. Some of you have set up an
Amazon author page and linked all your books to that page. I have set up my
blog to post to my Amazon author page automatically, which saves time and puts
me in front of even more potential readers and buyers.
Another resource is a Facebook author page (separate from
your personal Facebook account), which will also receive a copy of your blog
post. You can also solicit followers to your Facebook page to visit and sign up
from your web blog.
I use WordPress for my website/blog. I have not been
diligent about updating it lately, which I need to do to take advantage of the
features listed above, as well as the many other advantages of having a
website.
Dave McChesney has done a wonderful job of keeping up with
our SASP website. He has created another avenue for promoting your book(s). If
you are a member and current with your dues, SASP’s website will host an author
page for you, and will list all your published works, including thumbnails of
the front cover and a link to your book on Amazon.
Finally, and this is
the one which really got me excited, I subscribe to ame (author marketing
experts) by Penny Sansevieri. A link to her newest blog is: Unique Author Branding and Content Ideas Using October
Observances. I found it full of ideas and I can’t wait to employ
some of them.
Sue
FROM YOUR EDITOR, WEB-MASTER, TREASURER
While we sent out
a request for volunteers nominations to fill our ballot and enable us to have
elections this fall, it seems that we do not have candidates for all positions.
Nor do we have any position with more than one individual vying for it. Currently we have individuals who have agreed
to run for and serve as president, vice-president, treasurer and one of the
advisory board positions. We need
someone to run for and serve as 
secretary and fill the
other two advisory board spots. If you
currently hold any of these positions and want to continue, let us know so we
can add you to the ballot.
The positions of
Public Relations, Web-Master, and Editor are not elected but are filled by
volunteers. Those individuals have
indicated they will continue.
Please let it be known
if you wish to stand for a particular office or position no later than Thursday
21 October. That will allow time to get
a ballot assembled and sent out no later than Thursday the 28th. It can then be filled out and returned or
brought to our meeting on Thursday 4 November.
(We’ll also have blank ballots there for those who forget or don’t get
them.)
Because of the
Pandemic we haven’t been screaming for dues, but as we get back to meeting on a
regular basis, we need to have everyone up to date. We want people who are running for office to
be current, and we want people who vote to be current. Please check the current and accompanying
roster to see if you need to pay. You
can bring cash, check, or a money order to a meeting or mail a check or money
order for $15.00 to:
Spokane
Authors and Self-Publishers
P. O. Box
18573
Spokane, WA
99228-0573
I check the mail weekly,
and if we receive any dues payments, I take those payments directly to our
financial institution for deposit.
If you are ever
looking for our mailing address, it’s on the front cover of each and every
issue of SASP NEWS, as well as at this spot in each newsletter. It’s also on the Welcome Page and the
Membership Forms page of our web-site. I
hope that helps.
FROM OUR PRESIDENT
(Previous)
Hello again fellow SASPers and SASPerillas,
My wife just
found the following in Country Living magazine. I assume that most
authors’ homes look something like this.
(Actually, I substituted photos from my own house in place of the
similar photos that originally accompanied this article. Also, I like the writer’s writing
style/phrasing, and thought you might identify with the subject matter.)
“A room
without books is like a body without a soul.”
While the sentiment behind this phrase (commonly attributed to Roman
philosopher Cicero) is some 2,000 years old, the words feel more relevant than
ever. In this era of the ephemeral,
transitory tidbits of information and decluttering at all costs have fallen
into favor at the expense of a happily hoarded home library. But building a personal collection of books
is character-building in the richest, truest sense. As is the case with any well-designed room, the
personalities in the pages (Jane Eyre, Mr. Darcy…) invite you to sit and stay
awhile. But here’s the plot twist: Perfection has no place here. Like the most memorable and relatable
literary characters, the most interesting bookshelves are beautifully messy and
a tad unpredictable. Symmetrical
stacks? No, thanks. We’ll take a few titles that tilt. Color-coded spines? We prefer a happily mismatched
miscellany. Add a quirky or sentimental
object to punctuate a pile, and you’re well on your way to a home that better
tells your own story. And isn’t that,
dear reader, the whole point?
Two satellite dishes got married. The wedding wasn’t much, but the reception
was excellent.
“So you’re selling that wig for a dollar?” “Yes, it’s a small price toupee.”
A FAREWELL ADDRESS
For most of my
life I had this naïve belief that approximately ten percent of the population
were selfish jerks and the rest of us were decent human beings, but in November
of 2016 it was proven to me that the percentage of egotistical, mean, racist
idiots was much higher, more like 50 percent.
I have been somewhat disappointed, demoralized, and dejected ever
since.
And now, as the
Covid pandemic continues, I must add angry
and scared to this list. These morons are now endangering my life, my friends’
lives, and my family’s lives. The
pandemic would be over with by now had it not been for millions of selfish
sub-humans running around yelling, “You’re infringing on my rights by making me
wear a mask and/or making me get vaccinated.
I have the right to infect [and possibly kill] other people.” No, you don’t!
And now we’re
sending millions of children, under the age of twelve, back into the classroom
– totally unvaccinated!
The number of
cases is rapidly rising with this new wave of the Delta variant. You may take it lightly – until it happens to
you or someone close to you. But
me: I’m a big chicken, so I’m just going
to hide in my fraidy-hole until all of the anti-vaxxers die off, which may be
next year or the year after or seven years from now. I’m fond of all of you (except that one guy,)
but I like myself and my family even more.
So I’m going to have to resign as your president, because I ain’t goin’
into the Golden Corral where half of the throng are unvaccinated* and all are
eating without masks. Perhaps Sue can
take over and/or those of you still alive and well on Sept 2 may want to hold
an election. I shall miss you.
If you believe in
God, may she/he/it/Ed/they be with you.
See you on the other side.
*It’s understood that a very few people cannot be vaccinated.
Jim, born on the wrong planet
FROM YOUR EDITOR, WEB-MASTER, TREASURER(Previous)
Last night I sat
down to begin putting this issue of SASP NEWS together. After I received and inputted Jim’s
presidential message, I found that my mind was too conflicted to keep
going. Thus I’ve set it all aside and am
now back at it on Thursday afternoon, a week before our scheduled meeting.
Can’t say I blame
Jim for not wanting to go to meetings these days, and I understand his need to
resign as president. It’s frustrating to
say the least. We have a vaccine,
actually three that are very effective.
We can wear masks to help curb the spread of this dangerous and often
deadly viral infection. Yet there are
those who refuse a jab in the arm or the presence of a mask over nose and
mouth, simply because they insist it interferes with their so-called
freedom. However, their irresponsible
action interferes with our right to be at less risk for falling prey to this
deadly pandemic. I firmly believe that
if everyone eligible for the vaccine would have gotten it as soon as possible,
and that if everyone would wear a mask when asked or required, we’d be over or
nearly over it all. We’d be much closer
to normal and we could expect more of our members to show up at our recently
resumed meetings.
As far as I know,
we are still on track for our September meeting on Thursday the 2nd
at the Golden Corral on North Division.
As I prepare this issue of SASP NEWS, I understand we do not have a
speaker scheduled, so it looks like it will be another informal gathering as
was our August meeting. That does give
those of us willing to brave the risk of the Corona Virus a chance to get
together and catch up on our writing endeavors.
If you consider the risk to be minimal and have time, please stop by and
renew your acquaintance with fellow SASP members. At the same time, if you feel it is too much
a risk, no one in the group will think less of you. We’ll see you when things are more settled.
I have to apologize. As I begin work on this issue I realize there
were a number of things I could have worked on and posted on the web-site,
since our last meeting and prior to now.
I guess I’m just out of practice.
Because of the
Pandemic we haven’t been screaming for dues, but if you want to pay, the
easiest way is to mail a check or money order for $15.00 to:
Spokane
Authors and Self-Publishers
P. O. Box
18573
Spokane, WA
99228-0573
I check the mail
weekly, and if we receive any dues payments, I take those payments directly to
our financial institution for deposit.
Once we are meeting again, you may also bring you payment to a meeting.
If you are ever
looking for our mailing address, it’s on the front cover of each and every
issue of SASP NEWS. It’s also on the
Welcome Page and the Membership Forms page of our web-site. I hope that helps.
Dave
Spokane
Authors & Self-Publishers
Page revised 10/16/2021
DAM
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