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

Happy Fall!

Some of our members, including me, participated in craft fairs this past month. It was a lovely experience for me as I talked to lots of people and sold some books that had been languishing in my office for nearly two years. I also saw several of our SASP members actively selling their books as well.

NaNoWriMo is upon us, and those who choose to participate look forward to a busy month of writing. I plan to finish a project (book) before the end of the year and decided to use the NaNoWriMo event to spur me on to the finish line. (Fingers crossed!)

As most of you know by now, I get emails from several sources that often contain helpful tips and tricks for writers. I’d like to share a link with you that came from a screenwriter’s blog. It details the tricks of foreshadowing and how to use them to make your story more exciting. The example is from the movie “The Sixth Sense” with Bruce Willis, and I found the tips to be helpful in writing a novel. The link is How to Use Plants and Payoffs. (Spoiler alert! If you haven’t yet seen the movie, I recommend watching it before and after you read the blog post.)

SASP is gradually returning to full strength. Each month there are more attendees at our meetings, and the feedback I’m hearing is positive and encouraging. I urge all of you to help elect the slate of SASP officers. Gather with us at the Golden Corral to celebrate the joys of writing and to encourage each other in our respective endeavors.

Sue Eller

FROM YOUR EDITOR, WEB-MASTER, TREASURER

Evidently I’m still a little out of sync with again having real meetings. Here I am working on the newsletter for November and I still have to write up some sort of summary for our last (our October) meeting. As best as I can remember the days prior to the pandemic, that is something that would be written and posted to the web-site not long after we had met. Maybe after our November meeting I’ll be more in tune with things and get notice of that one posted sooner. Bear with me!

I now have a ballot for our elections put together. I’ll be sending it out to SASP members, along with our newsletter, our roster, and a treasurer’s report. You can download, fill out and e-mail back. Or you can print it out, fill it our and bring with you to our November meeting. (We’ll have copies on hand as well, in case you misplace, lose, or forget it. If you wish to vote, please make sure your dues are paid up.

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. I also try to notify anyone who pays that the dues payment has been received… usually by way of e-mail.

FROM OUR ACTING PRESIDENT (Previous)

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 (Previous)

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 28^th. 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.

Dave

Spokane Authors & Self-Publishers

Page revised 10/29/2021 DAM

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