FirstCoastChristianWriters.org

We welcome any and all knowledge related to writing, publising and promotion. Our mission is to support members through: improving writing skills with education and critiques, networking within the publishing industry, and holding each other accountable to achieve goals. Anything you can do to encourage writers and provide guidance based on your experience is valuable.

We want to hear your advice on any of the following:

• managing time, goals, milestones and deadlines
  

• how to get through ups and downs

• how to establish contacts and relationships with editors, agents, publishers
  

• greatest lessons or best tips

• how you organize your research and files
  

• who to work with and who not to work with
  

• how you market and promote your work and/or business through a PR agent, web site, or blogging
  

• social networking and promotion through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others

• support through writers' conferences, critique groups, mentors, and others
  

• upcoming local events, classes, conferences and training that may be of interest to writers

• publishing venues such as traditional, print-on-demand, self-publishing

• financial aspects of publishing, the expenses and the rewards
  

In other words, we're interested in hearing your story and how and why you're involved in the publishing industry, and the greatest lessons you have to offer.

Our meeting starts at 6:45 PM, so we ask speakers to arrive around 6:30 PM to meet with our officers and be prepared to help ensure a successful presentation.We do not have access to vending machines or food, so we encourage you to bring a water bottle.

As soon as you confirm your speaking date and you're on our calendar, we ask that you provide us with an extended bio, a digital professional photo, and a link to your web site if you have one. If your web site includes a bio or an about page, and photo, a link to your website may be adequate. We will use this information in our newsletter which is generally sent out to the FCCW distribution list three to six days prior to the day you speak. If you'd like to see a sample newsletter, feel free to request one from any FCCW Officer.

We encourage you to announce your speaking engagement via your website, newsletter, Facebook fan page, Twitter, press releases, and any other means you use to market and promote your work. We encourage you to provide a link to www.FirstCoastChristianWriters.org so people can see the date you're speaking and have easy access to directions and answers to any other questions they may have.

If you'd like to work with our VP of PR, we may be able to assist you in sending out a press release to local media.

If an emergency comes up and  you have to cancel, we ask that you help us by recommending someone who can speak in your place. If you change a date a few weeks out, it gives us some time to find another speaker, but if you have to cancel at the last minute, it puts us all in a tight spot and it's very helpful if you can help us find a replacement.

It's very helpful if you bring a bio so the MC can read a professional introduction. You may provide a few-sentence bio on a printed page from your book or web site, for example. If you don't bring a bio, we will "wing it," based on how we connected with you, but it works best for the speaker, the MC and the audience if you bring a few well-prepared sentences in writing, briefly describing your connection with the publishing industry and what you will be presenting in the meeting.

Speakers are welcome to bring business cards, promotional items, copies of articles, or any other handouts to distribute to the group. In case you'd like to bring handouts we generally have about 10-15 participants, and sometimes more depending on the speaker.

FCCW is a nonprofit organization for writers who want to help fellow writers. We do not provide a stipend or mileage reimbursement. Speakers may reap tremendous benefits, however, by spreading the word about their products and services and making new connections.