2020/1 — Irene Smith

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GCWAGulf 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

GCWA November Zoom meeting

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November 2020

Zoom meeting. Directions to follow.

Speaker: April O’Leary
Topic: What Publishing Path is Perfect for You?

April O

Decades ago aspiring authors had only two options secure a traditional publishing deal, or if you couldn’t get one, publish your work yourself for a small fortune. Fortunately, writers have many more publishing paths available to traverse today that include various levels of difficulty. In this presentation, April O’Leary, founder of O’Leary Publishing, will discuss the pros and cons of each path including the amount of time and technology skills required for the author, the upfront cost, the opportunities for distribution and ownership of your work. You’ll walk away with a clear trail guide to help you publish your book with success. See you at the top!

About April
April O’Leary is the founder of O’Leary Publishing, a hybrid book publishing company that serves independent authors who want a book to grow their brand, share a message or build a community. She is the author of six books and the host of the I’m Booked podcast. For more information you can visit www.olearypublishing.com and download The Influencer’s Path to Successful Publishing free today.

Meeting: November 21, 2020, 10:00 AM – 12:00 Noon (Zoom meeting)

Vic Larson

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Vic Larson

Ask me what I DO and I’ll tell you I’m retired. Ask me what I AM and I’ll say that I’m a writer. I’ve been writing either professionally or as a hobby since college at the University of Illinois where I wrote for the school newspaper. If I could do it all over again I’d pursue a degree in Communications or Journalism.  When I became a writer, and then manager, of a Corporate Writing Services department in the Chicago area I joked when interviewing potential employees that I wouldn’t give myself my old job back with my degree in Medical Technology. As I told my wife the day I got my writing position, “I think I just ruined a perfectly good hobby.” And indeed, writing from nine to five is a job like any other. But I fully understood how difficult it is to make a living as a freelancer or novelist.

After twenty-seven years I left that job and moved to Port Charlotte Florida.  I now write daily, developing posts for two of my own blogs. I also post frequent movie reviews to a third site. I am Webmaster for the Port Charlotte Garden Club and Outreach For World Hope, a non-profit that rescues starving Guatemalan children. I enter contests, write reviews for new or favorite local businesses, and currently have a piece being considered for a podcast at Walt Disney World Magazine. Other than that, I live on a steady diet of rejections and M&Ms. You can find my writing at https://viclarson.blogspot.com, and movie reviews at https://www.vixflixreview.com.