One of our highlights every year is when we gather together to celebrate the Christmas Holiday and to reflect on the year that has passed.  Also every year we receive a special plaque commemorating another year that we have been together as a group.  This year twenty-seven individuals gathered together for the celebration.  It was a wonderful time of exchanging our white elephant gifts, and eating wonderful food.  Here are the pictures from that gathering, at ​“The Village Corner Restaurant “ on Tuesday December 20, 2022.

It is official, I registered today for a 10 x 20 space, twice the space we had last year.  The other Snellville writers group decided they wanted to get their own booth, so that made my mind up that I would register for a booth twice as big as last year, but not the 4 times as big that I had hoped.  But as they say, you get born, you crawl, you stand and totter, you walk, and then you run!.  I think Scribblers is somewhere between crawling and tottering.  Hopefully next year we will be walking or maybe even running!

So, The cost of the booths was $1,350 and I order two additional tables for $70.  So the total paid today was $1,420.  I asked for the same area we were in last year, but this year the entire end cap of that row of booths instead of just half.  I beleive that will give us the room to actually have 6 - 7 tables.  There will be 4 chairs supplied by the festival, and I thought it was easier for us to bring additonal chairs and save the money.  Perhaps next year I will even buy the tables, to save the additional fees for that as well!  I think you can actually purchase the tables for about what we are renting them for.  Of course then we have to haul them there, and haul them out!  

The cost per author coming this year is $100 for the first book and then $5.00 for each additional book.  I believe we will have space for 14 authors and like last year I will put together the space and time plan for the show.  Right now we have seven authors committed to coming, representing 20 books. 


Please review the attached spread sheet and please send me the names of the books you will have on display, and if you are not on the sheet please confirm with me that you are coming:

• Charles A de Andrade
• Frannie & Doug Watson
• Mike & Leda Owens
• Donna Barron
  
• Luanne Scrogan
• Pat Smith
• Marilyn Hart

I charged the booth, which buys us about 21 days before I will need to pay the charge card.  So, if you are planning to come to the Book Festival please bring your check to our March 14th meeting that will occur at the library.  We are meeting on Thursday March 14, 2019 at the Five Forks Branch Library located at 2780 Five Forks Trickum Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30044-5865.  We will be meeeting at 6:00 PM to do the filming for the Speakers Bureau.

Make your checks payable to:  Scribblers - CdA Consultants Inc. 

If you are not yet listed, it is because I have not heard from you diffentively that you are coming.  If you do want to be included, please let me know as soon as possible.   Also, let me know how many titles you will be bringing. Seven Authors have registered and we have space for at least seven more.   Right now, we will have 20 books, and I suspect we will be closer to 40 once the final authors join in. 

I will be sending out another e-mail tomorrow related to the Library and our next meeting.  

Until then...already getting excited about August 31st and September 1!

Grace and Peace,

Charles

Welcome All Scribblers!  2019 is upon us!

I hope that you all had an absolutely marvelous Christmas!  2019 is right around the corner, and with it comes excitement over what the new year will bring for all of us. But first, an update coming out of our December meeting, since so many folks were already on the road or attending Christmas related events.

Joining us for the meeting was Sarah Grimes.  Sarah does graphic arts and is proficient at creating Book Covers for authors who need that type of assistance.  She can be reached at either [email protected] or 404-539-5937.  Her graphic arts side is a part time work, so please leave her a message and she will get back to you. Sarah comes to the group through Luanne Scrogan, one of our authors. 

I personally know how important it is to have a quality cover for your books.  Part of what Scribblers is about, is bring to all its members the different expertise that a traditional publisher would provide for an author.  In this new world, especially when so many authors self-publish, having the resources available is important.  Thank you, Luanne, for recommending Sarah to our group. 

We are still in the need for proof readers, editors, and other artists to aid us all with our books, and with our marketing. If you have any recommendations, please invite them to our meeting, and let me know who you know that can help us. I am speaking with Joe at Trinity Press, and he has a good editor that I hope to be introducing to everyone soon. 

Also joining us for the meeting was Tony Miller.  Tony was recommended to us by a new member David, who I met while attending the book signing at Southern Pen last month.  Tony is a retired library administrator, who is amazingly aware of what the library systems look for in placing books on their shelves, and he is a writer as well.  Please welcome Tony to the group as well.

Attached to this e-mail you will see the Scribbler 2018 plaque each member was given at the December meeting.  If you did not receive a plaque, please see me at the January meeting to get yours!  I look forward to us growing as a group of writers, and this plaque is a reminder that you were a Scribbler in 2018!

Our next meeting will occur on Thursday January 17. 2019 at 6:00 PM at the Crossings Restaurant in Norcross GA.  I have asked for the side room, behind the bar, with the hope that as we grow larger that location will permit us all to hear one another better.

For the January meeting we will be adding a new section to the meeting.  What I am calling: “Author Focus”  will give two/three authors the opportunity to share current works they are working on for the group to comment on.  It will also be the opportunity for the author to share what they need from the group in order to help them succeed.  For the January Meeting the following authors will have the 10 minutes “in the Sun”.  Mike Owens, Luanne Scrogan, and Charles de Andrade will be speaking.

Anytime an author wants a review of something new they are working on, we will circulate a selection of their project to everyone about 2 weeks before the meeting.  For my section, I will be talking about Marketing and the plan to use the Amazon platform to our advantage as authors.  Please be looking forward to the next e-mail that will come out shortly after the New Year starts.

I you are interested in "Author Focus" for February, please let me know.

Finally, I would like to gather each of your goals for 2019 at the January meeting.  This will give us all the opportunity to share what we are working towards in 2019.  I shared my goals with you for the December meeting.  Please write out your goals for the meeting and provide me with a copy.

I look forward to seeing everyone in January.  

Please let me know if you are able to make the January meeting, so I can provide the Restaurant with the correct head count.

See you in the new year!
 
Grace and Peace,
Charles