Before we march into 2025, here's a review of what the Guild accomplished in 2024. We'd love to be able to add to this list the number of books our members published, launched, and won awards for. A poll at the end of this post may help us do just that.
Three in-person meetings:
- Literary Games with Margaret Harmon
- Our 45th anniversary celebration with Odin Award presentations
- The Year-End Celebration
Plus an extra event in July as “Author of the Month” at the Central Library
In 2025 we are committed to hosting at least three in-person meetings as well in April, August, and December. These meetings may be on a different day and time.
Open Mic Night
We held one Open Mic Night on Zoom in November. Feedback from participants was very positive. We plan to hold at least one Open Mic Night event in 2025.
Eight Presentations on
- editing and selecting an editor,
- planning a book launch,
- legal considerations of AI for writers,
- finding a book coach,
- tips on preparing an anthology submission,
- first page critiques,
- the importance of Chapter One, and
- the Road from Moments to Memoir
Recordings of all these presentations are available for viewing on our website.
In 2025, we have already scheduled presentations to address finding an agent and building an author website. We welcome ideas from members. Send them to events@sdwritersguild.org.
Four Workshops on
- Character Therapy,
- Verbing your Writing,
- Creating Podcasts, and
- How to Sell Your Novel
Recordings of all these workshops are available for viewing on our website.
In 2025 we plan to host two workshops. If you have ideas for topics or presenters for workshops, send them to events@sdwritersguild.org.
Manuscript Critique Program
- At an initial Strategic Planning session, we restructured the Manuscript Review Program into the Manuscript Critique Program to provide greater value to our members.
- We completed twice as many Manuscript Critique Reviews (8) as we had planned for (4).
The price for the restructure program remains $20 per submission.
Local Book and Author Events
We represented the Guild at two local events
- San Diego Writers Festival
- North Park Book Fest
We’ve already books a space for the 2024 Writers Festival. And our coordination with Partners In Crime and San Diego Writers, Ink at the North Park Book Fest is something we believe we can build on in 2025.
Anthology
We changed our anthology program in two ways:
- first, all submissions are short stories, and
- second, the production period spans two years.
The reason for the first is to improve our marketing opportunities to a potential audience beyond our membership. The reason for the second is to allow time for more members to get involved in, and learn about, the production process to benefit their own independent publication skills.
The Poll
Here's the poll that we hope will help us create a list of members' accomplishments in 2024. Click the button below to help us gather the number of books our members published, launched, and won awards for.
{NOTE: To complete the poll, choose "Vote" first and then add your Comments. }
