2020/1 — Irene Smith

Gulf Coast Writers Association, Inc
PRESIDENT’S LETTER

For 25 years the Gulf Coast Writers Association has set the standard for writers and aspiring writers. Our monthly meetings provide opportunities to network with people in the various stages of writing, including many well-established authors and publishers. Our guest speakers have been phenomenal.

This past year has been a financial challenge. Only 43 members paid their dues for 2020, creating a deficit of $2,056. In spite of that, until October we held on-site meetings for which we had to pay rent. October and November were conducted via Zoom. We did not charge for these meetings, but we cannot continue along this line for next year.

I expect to find a venue for holding onsite meetings and include Zoom at all of the meetings. However, there will be a charge. Annual dues for 2021 is still only $40. That equals out to $3.60 per month! Members in good standing will not be charged extra. Dues need to be paid before the end of January. You can mail your payment to P. O. Box 60771, Fort Myers, Fl., 33906, or on PayPal, https://gulfwriters.org/join-us/

A fee for guests on Zoom will not be established until we confirm what our costs will be. There is a limit on how many people can tune in to these meetings. Members (paid for 2021) will come first. Registration will be online at www.gulfwriters.org.

Zoom is a wonderful option for people with physical or medical conditions that limit their ability to leave home. In addition, people residing anywhere can attend the Zoom meetings.

If you didn’t tune in to either of our last two meetings this is what you missed:
October: Rebecca Seitz and her cast and crew, specialize in producing professional podcasts. One hundred million people listen to podcasts. She can review your book to see if it could become a money-producing podcast.

November: April O’Leary of O-Leary Productions, and her team provide a one-stop shop for all your book publishing requirements: editing, book design, illustrating, marketing, etc. We ran overtime on this one!

Both of these vibrant and talented professionals are local and have fabulous websites. Check our website for more information. https://gulfwriters.org/home-new/speakers-2/

In my next issue we hope to have information on workshops or seminars. These services will cost extra; they always have. But the events are always worth more than you will ever have to pay for them.

Again, because we will be doing Zoom, it is well worth the cost of membership to make sure you don’t miss out on any opportunity to make you the successful author you deserve to be.

Irene Smith, President
Gulf Coast Writers Association