Are You Ready to Rumble??

Previously Posted March 10, 2009 by SandyM.

Well, I found out at our last meeting that not many members knew our blog was up and running, let alone that I had posted something at the beginning of 2009. LOL, imagine my surprise! Are y’all just ignoring my emails?? I really did send an email for my blog post in January. Honest. Check it out here.

‘Tis okay, we’ll start again!

Actually, what I’d like to talk about now is expanding our membership. We have three new local members join the chapter, which is just terrific. We’ve also had several out-of-the-area members join us and that’s wonderful. We are definitely growing!

But we need to keep growing. So how about a brainstorm session on who we can contact to get the word out even further than we have so far that we’re here and we’d like anyone and everyone to join us. So all ideas and suggestions are welcome!

I’ll tell you what Dawna and I have done so far in spreading that word.

1. We’ve posted information with all four local TV stations in their Community Calendars and will continue to do so each month, especially now that we have great speakers lined up for the rest of the year.

2. We have done the same with The Fresno Bee. With them I’m not sure how much that will help; it’s not their paid advertising, so who knows.

3. We’re emailing the creative writing/English departments at all the Valley colleges and JCs we can think of.

4. We’re in contact with the Fresno County Library, main branch, and are sending our fliers and newsletter to them and they are, in turn, sending those out to the various branches.

5. We have sent out about 50 fliers to people who are on a list that Joan gave to us last year. Since the list is more than a year old, however, we’ll have to wait to see how many come back as undeliverable, but we thought it was worth the try. Is anyone here with PAN or PRO with RWA? If there is, would you mind checking the RWA website to see if there is a listing of folks in the Valley or even a couple-hundred-mile radious that you can get your hands on? We’re assuming that’s where Joan got her list, but we’re not 100% certain. There’s nothing we can find outside of the PAN or PRO areas on their site for that type of list.

6. We’re hitting the local used book stores each month with fliers, but we’re down to two or three of those now. So far we’ve been to The Book Nook at First and Herndon, The Bookworm in Clovis (who was very receptive!), and the bookstore in the Tower District, though I forget its name right now. We weren’t successful there yet, however, because they keep odd hours with no lising on the door as to business hours.

7. We’re trying to post fliers on bulletin boards where we can find them. So far there’s been only two: Uncle Harry’s in Fig Garden Village and Whole Foods. We’re looking for more, but they’re apparently few and far between.

8. We’ve shared our newsletter and flyer each month with a couple of other Valley writing groups.

So. Those are our efforts so far. I think we’re about ideaed out, the brains refuse to work anymore. Anything any of you can add is greatly appreciated. So let’s talk it out and see what we come up with! Any and all comments are appreciated!