May 17, 2017

Introduction to the Small Business Administration for Authors

Summary: Today, almost all authors (especially independent authors) run their own small businesses to get their books edited, produced. promoted, and sold. Our skills and education may make us much better at writing our books than in the business aspects of making our passion a profitable business. We can get help from the Government at little or no cost through the Small Business Administration in areas such as mentorship, business plans, marketing plans, etc. This talk will cover an overview of the services provided by the SBA and how they are applicable to authors.

Speaker bio: Ms Thompson has been researching, writing, and speaking about women’s roles in wartime (with an emphasis on women in World War I) for decades. An Air Force officer during the Vietnam Era, she served as a WAF squadron commander in Southeast Asia. New to Hawaii, she has turned to fiction in her retirement. She is currently working on a novel about a Southern California feminist family in World War I.

Expenses: $18.22 for snacks & Lei

ATTENDANCE: Gay Gale, Dawn Casey, Kent Reinker, Doris Chu, David Jones, Lizbeth Hartz, Rose Mary Thompson, Lei Ishikawa, Lorraine Saito, Shauna Jones, Vicki White, Gail Baugneit, Laurie Hanan

1. BIG THANK-YOU to everyone for sharing last month from Left Coast Crime-it was a terrific meeting.

2. SPEAKER FOR MAY: Our own Rose Mary Thompson who has been researching, writing, and speaking about women’s roles in wartime (with an emphasis on women in World War I) for decades. An Air Force officer during the Vietnam Era, she served as a WAF squadron commander in Southeast Asia. New to Hawaii, she has turned to fiction in her retirement. She is currently working on a novel about a Southern California feminist family in World War I.

3. Introduction to the Small Business Administration for Authors Today, almost all authors (especially independent authors) run their own small businesses to get their books edited, produced, promoted, and sold. Our skills and education may make us much better at writing our books than in the business aspects of making our passion a profitable business. We can get help from the Government at little or no cost through the Small Business Administration in areas such as mentorship, business plans, marketing plans, etc. This talk will cover an overview of the services provided by the SBA and how they are applicable to authors.

4. Some of us use writing coaches and website managers. This aids in showing the need for getting help running your small business of selling/marketing your work. Some marketing used – twitter, FB, goodreads, SinC, HBMF, blogs & blog interviews, FB boosts and rumors. To mention a few.

5. Marketing is time consuming/good ideas-send thank you notes daily. Lisa See’s mother says she gets the best response from this. Laurie says she sees her sales go up when she uses twitter.

6. Website https://www.sba.gov/ Small business partnerships started in 1953 during Eisenhower administration. Contains some videos Contains 3 C’s;

7. Capital - for loans-such as supplementing your income for more full time work on your small business

8. Contracting - options, kind of a bootcamp of help

9. Counseling - by volunteer group SCORE: service of retired exec’s. Counseling helps like a mentor, developing plans, giving advice, connecting you to the best place possible for your needs. Even legal references as well.

10. SBA EVENTS usually free, but you do need to register. Rose Mary said events good. Good networking source and keeping up with new trends. Next event June 23 Orientation to SBA organization/tools/benefits.

11. LEARNING - begin to measure your work to make sure you are not wasting time of ineffective methods. Scribner now available for tablets. Constant Contact used for newletters as word processor to provide stats – Can be used in e-mailing services like Mail Chimp. There is a fee. Twitter and Google have stats available for free.

12. RMT – helps with some research, find info. They have good relationship with libraries.

13. Possibility of new tax law this year.- some larger companies are fraudulently posing as a small business for its benefits.

14. Hawaii District office - 500 Ala Moana Blvd. Suite 1-306 Honolulu, HI 96813 Ph 808-541-2990 Fax 808-541-2976

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1. WEBSITE: Any comments on website? https://don-vicki.wixsite.com/sistersincrime

2. EVENTS: Looking to get a grant for the Craft Fair late this year at Blaisdale. Nov is still not posted other dates are Oct 20-22 or Dec 152-17. Any date preferences or do we still want to shoot for Nov if the Mayor Craft Fair happens?

3. CORRECTION IN APRIL MINUTES. It was stated that Dana Stanebow is an Aluet, but she is not.

4. PUBLIC READINGS: a website giving tips on reading in public, which “they say” is the best way to expose strangers to your work. http://www.thereviewreview.net/publishing-tips/your-job-just-try-act-normal-couple-hours-be

5. STRUCTURAL ELEMENT DIFFERENCES between mystery, crime and thriller by David Corbett (for more info visit: http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/differences-crime-novel-mystery-novel-thriller-novel) FOR MYSTERIES-The baffling crime-The singularly motivated investigator-The hidden killer-The cover- -Discovery and elimination of -Evaluation of clues-Identification and apprehension of the killer./ FOR CRIME -Typically the story starts with a brilliant or daring crime, and then a cat-and-mouse game of wits and will ensues, with the tension created by the increasing intensity of the battle between the opponents. The underlying question is: Will the cops prevail before the opponent stages his next crime?/FOR THRILLERS-The dangerous world we live in, the vulnerability of the average person, and the inherent threat of the unknown. A devastating crime is about to be committed, or has been committed with the threat of an even worse one in the wings.-The perpetrator is known, but his guilt is not absolutely certain—or the hero wishes not to accept the truth of his guilt. -The hero is under constant attack as she tries to definitively prove the perpetrator’s guilt and/or stop the next atrocity.

6. BOUCHERCON INFO: SinC Into Great Writing IX--Learn How to Give Your Novels Structure/Workshop Alexandra Sokoloff ♦ Keynote Address Maureen Jennings Wednesday ♦ October 11, 2017 from 1 - 9 pm * Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel ♦ Room TBA ♦ Toronto, Canada

7. WRITERS' POLICE ACADEMY (WPA) will be held August 10-13, 2017 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is helmed by SinC member Lee Lofland and provides a rightly renowned hands-on interactive experience designed to help writers increase their understanding of all aspects of law enforcement and forensics. For more detailed information on the Writers’ Police Academy, go to www.writerspoliceacademy.com. /$150 discount for Sisters in Crime members who have never attended a WPA is available for 2017! Visit www.writerspoliceacademy.com and start the registration process. The total cost is $395.00 but you will receive a $150 discount for just being a Sisters in Crime member.

8. NEXT MEETING will be June 21 6pm Makiki Library