For many of us, one of the greatest benefits
of RWA membership is belonging to a local chapter
and/or online chapters. Periodically, each chapter
re-examines the services it offers to members,
and I’d like to provide suggestions as to
some of the things chapters might consider. I
want to move beyond that, too, and also suggest
things individual members can do to make their
chapter experience more meaningful and assist
their fellow members.
Workshops are one of the most
important functions of a chapter, be they in-person
or online. Has your chapter canvassed the members
and found out what they’d like to hear?
Craft or motivational? Special interest topics
like police or historical clothing? Hands-on exercises?
Anonymous critiquing? Talks from local authors
who write something other than romance? One of
my chapters had a thriller writer (male) come
to talk about pacing and male POV, and it was
one of our best-attended meetings.
Do you have the resources to invite non-local
authors to present workshops? If you hold in-person
workshops, you’re looking at travel expenses
and probably honoraria. If you want to do online
courses, you need the technology and administration
to set this up. If you don’t have the resources
to invite non-local authors, draw on the expertise
within your membership. Published authors should
be presenting; it’s great promotion. And
so should pre-published authors; for them, it’s
terrific experience and exposure. Many prepublished
authors present workshops at RWA National, so
no one should think she/he must be published in
order to have something to offer.
Conferences and mini-conferences
provide members with terrific career opportunities:
to present, learn from other speakers, meet with
editors/agents, and network. In addition, they’re
great promo for the chapter and may result in
new members. Putting on even a one-day mini-conference
takes a lot of volunteer resources, so be sure
your chapter is ready for this before taking it
on. Start small and build up. Or consider combining
efforts with a nearby chapter or writing group.
Support is another huge benefit
of chapter membership. Writing is a lonely occupation
and often our family and friends, even if they
mean to be supportive, don’t truly understand.
We are a community of writers. Who else “gets”
the concept of a good rejection letter? New members
sometimes feel shy about coming to meetings or
participating in loops, but there’s a huge
benefit to be gained if they overcome that shyness.
Each chapter should have a formal or informal
welcoming process, perhaps even a mentorship program,
to get new members involved. And each member should
go out of her/his way to talk to new members (remember
what it was like when you ventured to your first
meeting?). If you’re a new member, the best
way to learn and to get comfortable is dive in
and get involved. Get your feet wet by volunteering
for a committee or small task, and move on from
there. If you’re nervous about doing this,
ask yourself whether you want to be a visitor
or a full member. Visitors are passing by and
don’t get much out of the experience, so
commit to yourself and your writing career by
committing to chapter involvement.
Recognition is a valuable form
of support. Many local chapters give silk roses
for book sales, and awards for other writing milestones,
from finishing a first manuscript to selling a
twenty-fifth book. Often, a chapter meeting has
a “hugs” portion, where people share
their good and bad writing experiences.
Information sharing is a service
all chapters, be they local or online, can provide.
This includes industry information and research
assistance. An online loop is the easiest mechanism,
then all you need is a chapter that encourages
this use of the loop, members who aren’t
afraid to ask questions that might seem naïve,
and other members who are willing to share their
knowledge.
Critiquing is something many
authors, published and prepublished, value highly.
Members may organize critique groups themselves,
or the chapter may take a hand in this. Some groups
meet in person; some work online. My own has three
members in Vancouver and one in Japan and we meet
via Skype, a program that provides free long distance
conferencing via computers at each end. For occasional
critiquing, consider something my two local chapters
have done. Pooling resources, they offer a critique
clearinghouse. An author who wants a critique
of anything from a query letter to a full manuscript
contacts the coordinator, who looks for a published
author or PRO volunteer to provide the critique.
Also, if you’re holding a conference, note
that a critique draw can be a good fundraiser.
Writing groups (let’s
get together in a coffee shop and write for two
hours) and brainstorming groups may be organized
informally among members or facilitated by the
chapter.
A number of chapters sponsor contests. These
may be inhouse, open to RWA members or open to
everyone. For prepublished members, contests provide
an opportunity for work to be read by published
authors, editors or agents. If your chapter holds
a contest, volunteer to get involved as either
an organizer or a judge. After all, you’ve
probably entered—or will enter—your
fair share of contests. If you’re a judge
who’s published and you read a fantastic
entry, consider asking the author if she/he would
like to be put in touch with your editor or agent.
Same goes if you’re critiquing, and come
across something wonderful. Encouragement and
practical support from published authors mean
a lot to the pre-published.
The published authors are often the ones who
bear the heavier load in terms of preparing and
presenting workshops, providing writing and industry
tips, critiquing and judging contests. And they’re
the ones who have frantic publishing schedules
and are supposed to be promoting their books,
on top of all their other work and personal commitments.
If the burden falls too heavily on them, they
won’t be able to afford the time and energy
to keep participating. So the prepublished members
need to pull their weight too, and the chapter
and its members need to make the chapter a true
benefit to the published members.
There are many ways the pre-published members
can participate, including putting together workshops
of their own and volunteering for one of the many
administrative positions that keep the chapter
running. Will this help them sell? Experience
and networking can only help a writer to be in
the right place at the right time with the right
product.
A number of pre-published authors assume, or
maybe hope, that once you get published you have
it made. The truth is, published authors have
just as many or more career threats and insecurities.
They need as much support as their prepublished
colleagues.
A chapter can support its published authors in
a number of ways, such as promoting them on the
chapter website, making sure new releases are
announced in the newsletter and on the website,
including reviews on the website and in the newsletter,
and organizing events at libraries, book stores,
local writing conferences, book expos and perhaps
with other community groups/programs. Some chapters
hold luncheons for readers and/or for booksellers
and librarians. Valentine’s Day is always
a good time to target local media with a press
release about romance fiction, and the local authors
who write it. If there are other chapters in the
area, get together with them to sponsor promotional
events and advertising.
Every chapter does some promotion to bring in
new members, and one of the biggest selling points
for a chapter is the number of published authors.
Every promo piece or event for the chapter should
showcase published authors. And, in return, when
published authors attend an event, they should
carry chapter brochures and mention the benefits
of membership.
If the chapter has a brochure, it should include
information about the published authors and be
updated regularly. One of my chapters has a separate
brochure featuring the published authors. If budget
allows, a chapter can place ads in Romance Writers
Report, Romantic Times and perhaps local magazines
and newspapers, send out a newsletter to libraries
and bookstores, and distribute posters, postcards
or bookmarks featuring members’ new releases.
Individual members can provide support for their
published colleagues by attending events so there
are familiar, friendly faces in the audience,
and people who will ask intelligent questions
if there’s a lull in the action.
No published author expects everyone in the chapter
to buy her/his books because, let’s face
it, we all like different things. But it’s
particularly meaningful when chapter members do
purchase our books and show up at meetings asking
for an autograph. It’s even more meaningful
if you buy at a local store and, if the store
doesn’t have the book in stock, ask them
to order or re-order it—and point out that
this is a local author. Yes, buying online is
convenient, but it doesn’t assist with local
sales statistics or local promotion for the author.
Telling a store about local authors might even
result in an event/signing and perhaps an article
in the local paper—more promo for the author(s)
and the chapter.
If you buy a book and like it, be sure to tell
your friends and encourage them to buy it themselves.
And consider posting a review at one of the online
sites like Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Chapters
Indigo.
If you’re a multi-published author, a review
from you—or that marvellous thing, a cover
quote—would mean a lot to someone who’s
just starting out in a similar genre as you.
If you’re an individual chapter member
who’s wondering what you can do to help
your colleagues, the answer’s easy. Put
yourself in their shoes. If you’re multi-published,
remember back to when you were starting out. For
example, think how much it meant when one of the
most successful authors in the chapter came to
talk to you at your very first meeting, and made
you feel like you belonged. If you’re prepublished,
envision what it will be like when you make your
first sale. For example, imagine your first signing
at a local store. Wouldn’t you love to look
out into the audience and see a dozen or more
chapter mates, all clapping for you and waving
your book? We all have writing dreams—and
thoughtful, generous chapter members can help
us achieve them.
Susan Lyons (www.susanlyons.ca)
is a member of two local Chapters (Greater Vancouver
and Vancouver Island) and at least half a dozen
others, and loves them all. She writes erotic
romance for Kensington Aphrodisia (Champagne
Rules, Feb 2006; Hot in Here, Aug
2006).
Articles may be reprinted in RWA® chapter
newsletters, attributed to the Spotlight.
Non-RWA® newsletters may not reprint articles
without the permission of the authors.
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