On Nov 12, 2018, I held a meeting to start a Read Local movement in our area. About a dozen folks attended. I’ve annotated this post, and edited the ideas at bottom, to reflect discussion at the meeting. My original post is in black text, post-meeting edits in red.
Dear writers of Santa Barbara County (and thereabouts),
Last year I moved to Carpinteria and discovered that my neighbors include a great variety of interesting and talented writers. Too few people know this. I’d like to change that.
Many of you feel similarly and quite a few have already organized your own groups to build community among local writers. Let’s get your efforts more widely known, then grow them by developing a Read Local movement.
Purpose: To increase the visibility and value of local writers by sharing our art and entertainment within our communities.
Important: This group does not exist to promote or sell individual writers, but instead to connect writers with their neighbors; to make people aware of, proud of all our local talent. (Indirectly, of course, this can help individuals…) Well, some of our group do want promotional events. Some don’t. I think the solution is to have each kind of activity, but keep them separate.
Mantra(s): Whatever we wind up doing, it needs to be open and friendly, supportive and fun, honest and transparent, sustainable and consistent. Also, we share the workload or we don’t do it.
Models: We wouldn’t be the first such group. For example…
Next Steps: We’ll next be meeting in small groups to finalize group mission, purpose, priorities, and scope, then plan and launch the activities that interest the most people. Everything about this proposal is still on the table, open to change. If you missed the first meeting we can catch you up!
If you want to stay informed about our Read Local, make sure I have your email. (If you leave a comment on this blog I will automatically get your email.)
Possible Activities: There are so many ways to take Read Local. Below is a starter set of ideas with simplest at top. (If you have other ideas, we want to hear them!) As you go down the list, the ideas take more resources (people, time, money). (I’ve included my guesstimates on resources.)
To make Read Local sustainable, we need to start small then grow only when enough people commit to tackling new efforts.
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Finalize name, regional scope, and purpose/mission for this group.
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: One time, revisit every couple years.
How many people to be sustainable?: I volunteer to lead the effort but welcome help, input and buy-in from as many as possible.
Set-up efforts and costs: 1-3 meetings, 90 minutes each.
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Create a Read Local brand, logo, book sticker.
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: One time to create. Sticker printing will recur.
How many people to be sustainable?: 1-2.
Set-up efforts and costs: $2k-ish.
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Find out what writers’ groups and kindred efforts already exist. List them. Learn their history, experience, words of wisdom. Over time, help to network them and broadcast them.
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: Ongoing curation of the information.
How many people to be sustainable?: 1-3
Set-up efforts and costs: Canvas local groups, compile the results.
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Maintain a Mailchimp database of emails to stay in contact with local writers and those interested in us. Write and send emails sometimes. Make sure recipients are only getting the emails they want to get (ex only send promotional emails to people who want them). Update email addresses as needed.
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: Ongoing
How many people to be sustainable?: 2-3
Set-up efforts and costs: Learn Mailchimp. Input existing emails. Put emails in groups according to interests (ex, writer? reader? wants to hear about author promotions?)
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Live readings modeled after Out Loud Santa Barbara. Solicit then select submissions to feature 10 varied writers per reading, arrange venue and publicity.
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: Occasional. Every 2 months, opposite Out Loud schedule?
How many people to be sustainable?: 2-3
Set-up efforts and costs: Purchase (then store and schlep) sound system, advertise for submissions, read and select (fairly! transparently!) submissions, publicize event.
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Add bells and whistles to the live readings. Record the readings then post them? Let the performers sell books for cash-only? … Eventually add credit-card sales? Involve local TV?
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: Occasional.
How many people to be sustainable?: 3-5 + treasurer
Set-up efforts and costs: Depends. For recording: equipment? For sales: bookkeeping, bank account, credit card reader and app.
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Write and email a newsletter. Include free excerpts of local writing. (Can recycle this content for web page or columns, see below…) Solicit contributions, monitor them to uphold group purpose.
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: occasional — monthly? quarterly? annually?
How many people to be sustainable?: 2-3 with contributions from many
Set-up efforts and costs: time to do writing and maintain consistent, engaging presence
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Provide free excerpts and short pieces of our writing, as well as blurbs about our writers. On a website/blog? In a newsletter? Maybe in a column in the Coastal View News?
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: regular, on-going, once a week or once a month.
How many people to be sustainable?: 2-4 with contributions from many
Set-up efforts and costs: time to gather writing and distribute it.
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Publish an anthology of our writing. In print and as an ebook.
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: One time or very occasional.
How many people to be sustainable?: 2-4 with contributions from many
Set-up efforts and costs: time to gather writing, format, edit. Cost of publishing (depending on length, about $5/paperback via Amazon’s print on demand services.
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Create and maintain internet presence Web page/blog? Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Google Plus? This would include upcoming events, author info, free excerpts. Would likely have one set of content then link or copy to the other social media. Would have to monitor to uphold group purpose.
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: Ongoing
How many people to be sustainable?: 2-4
Set-up efforts and costs: time to do writing and maintain consistent, engaging presence
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Build, steward, and contribute to Little Free Library stands. There are about 2 dozen stands in south SB County. If we want to add our books we should be good custodians of the system. Investigate coordinating with the littlefreelibrary organization? Maybe Carp Arts Center would fund and host a stand that features local authors? Maybe the books by Read Local authors could have a Read Local sticker?
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: Ongoing
How many people to be sustainable?: 2-4 with book donations from many authors.
Set-up efforts and costs: $… $$??
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Fun freebie events such as geocache treasure hunts with giveaway books as prizes; special themed events (ex a family reunion contest plus a showcase of local memoirs).
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: One-time.
How many people to be sustainable?: Each event needs 2 people.
Set-up efforts and costs: Wildly varied. Will always need publicity and freebies and venues.
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Pop-up bookstore. How might we include ebook sales?
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: Occasional
How many people to be sustainable?: 3-4 + treasurer. Credit card sales require bookkeeping and bank account.
Set-up efforts and costs: Venue, publicity, signage. Solicit books and materials for sale. Permits and permissions. Book and equipment schlepping, set-up, take-down.
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Annual Writers’ Fair like the spring 2017 event in Carpinteria. Add credit-card sales (which requires bookkeeping and bank account).
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: Once a year but takes effort for at least half the year.
How many people to be sustainable?: 4-6 + treasurer
Set-up efforts and costs: venue, publicity (digital and hard copy), tables and chairs, sound system, planning, schlepping, credit card sales?
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Become a non-profit or not-for-profit. Set up a leadership group? Appoint a treasurer? Open a bank account? Go after grants and other funding opportunities for our events and their marketing?
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: Ongoing.
How many people to be sustainable?: 3-5?
Set-up efforts and costs: Considerable? Lengthy?
===== ACTIVITY IDEA: Have a table at local farmers’ markets. Sell books of local authors. Provide handouts that include excerpts, newsletter copies, links. Transparent bookkeeping. Establish a rule: If you want us to sell your books at a table, you need to volunteer to man the table and for every X hours that you volunteer, you get to sell your books Y days…
One time, occasional, or ongoing?: One or more days per week?!
How many people to be sustainable?: 6-8 + treasurer.
Set-up efforts and costs: Schlep and store table, books, signs, printed materials. Handle money. Requires bookkeeping and bank account.
I’m proud and excited about the result, The Summer Land, an historical drama from a supernatural time. I hope you’ll give it a try! I’ll be trickling copies out, on line and in stores, over the next couple months. Right now you can check it out on Amazon.
Required Writing 