November 2025 MWSA eBlast

News

2026 Conference Update

We continue to make progress in setting up our 2026 conference. Although we don’t yet have a contract with the hotel, we are confident in sharing the following details so everyone can mark their calendars:

●       When: Thursday through Saturday, October 22-24, 2026

●       City: Orlando, FL

●       Tentative Hotel: Rosen Plaza

Visit our conference page for details.

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/events/2026-conference

2026 Awards Season

Our 2026 season will kick off on January 2. If you’re planning on submitting your book next season, you can expect the submission form to be available on that date. As usual, our window will remain open until June 1. To familiarize yourself with our review and awards procedures, please visit our main awards page: https://www.mwsadispatches.com/awards

As always, remember to “pay it forward” by helping out a fellow MWSA author by becoming a reviewer. If you’re interested, you can sign up here: https://www.mwsadispatches.com/mwsa-reviewer-signup

Author Interview Videos

In case you missed them, we now have two video interviews available on our website. Take a few minutes to hear what our 2024 MWSA Writer of the Year, Kathleen Rodgers, had to say. Our most recent interview was with MWSA best-selling author, James Bultema. You’ll find both interviews here: https://www.mwsadispatches.com/author-interviews#videos

Meet “Ask MWSA”—your new 24/7 help on all things MWSA

We’ve added a new way to get quick answers from the Military Writers Society of America. Ask MWSA is a site-wide chatbot that helps members and authors find what they need at any time of day.

What it does

Answers common questions about membership, awards, events, and all things MWSA

Points you to forms, deadlines, and page links on our website

Explains how to order extra medals or stickers

Helps prospective reviewers and authors find the right next step

If it doesn’t know, it will route you to the proper contact or form

Where to find it

Look for the floating “Ask MWSA” bubble at the bottom-right corner of any page on our website [mwsadispatches.com]. Click it to start a conversation (no login required).

Try asking:

“How do I join MWSA?”

“Where do I submit my book for awards?”

“When are the next events?”

“How do I volunteer to become a reviewer?”

“How do I register for this year’s conference?”

A note on privacy & accuracy

Ask MWSA only knows what’s on our public pages and the information you share in the chat. It won’t access your private data. For questions about your membership record or an individual submission, we'll direct you to a human so we can assist you securely.

We want your feedback

This is a living tool—we’ll keep training it based on real questions from members. If you spot a wrong answer or want the bot to learn a new topic, please tell us via the site’s Contact page or email president@mwsa.co.

Give it a try today—click Ask MWSA on any page and get instant answers. If the bot doesn’t have the answer, or you prefer the human touch, visit our main contact page and find the email or form you need.

Dispatches Magazine

For those who may have missed it, we released the fall issue of Dispatches magazine in October. See highlights from our 2025 conference as well as award winners and other MWSA news here.

The deadline for articles and advertisements for the winter issue remains Dec. 15.

 

Benefit Spotlight

Tips and Tricks

In case you haven’t found this valuable resource, visit the Tips and Tricks section of our website. We’ve recently revamped this page, grouping the articles by topic to make them easier to find.

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/tips-tricks-1

If you’ve got any tips and/or tricks to share with your fellow MWSA members, please let us know. Just email us at info@mwsa.co.

Friendly Reminders

And finally, a happy Thanksgiving to all our members and their families!

Author Interview with James Bultema

In this episode, we sit down with award-winning author and MWSA member James Bultema—a military veteran and retired LAPD officer whose career has spanned both combat zones and city streets. His experiences lend authenticity and power to his writing, from his Sea of Red thriller series to his police histories such as The Protectors and Guardians of Angels. A six-time award-winning novelist, James combines real-world insight with gripping storytelling to explore patriotism, duty, and the challenges faced by those who serve.

Join us as James talks about his path from service to storytelling, the research and discipline behind his novels, and the role MWSA has played in his writing journey.

Meet “Ask MWSA”—your new 24/7 help on all things MWSA

We’ve added a new way to get quick answers from the Military Writers Society of America. Ask MWSA is a site-wide chatbot that helps members and authors find what they need at any time of day.

What it does

  • Answers common questions about membership, awards, events, and all things MWSA

  • Points you to forms, deadlines, and page links on our website

  • Explains how to order extra medals or stickers

  • Helps prospective reviewers and authors find the right next step

  • If it doesn’t know, it will route you to the proper contact or form

Where to find it
Look for the floating “Ask MWSA” bubble at the bottom-right corner of any page on our website [mwsadispatches.com]. Click it to start a conversation (no login required).

Try asking:

  • “How do I join MWSA?”

  • “Where do I submit my book for awards?”

  • “When are the next events?”

  • “How do I volunteer to become a reviewer?”

  • “How do I register for this year’s conference?”

A note on privacy & accuracy
Ask MWSA only knows what’s on our public pages and the information you share in the chat. It won’t access your private data. For questions about your membership record or an individual submission, we'll direct you to a human so we can assist you securely.

We want your feedback
This is a living tool—we’ll keep training it based on real questions from members. If you spot a wrong answer or want the bot to learn a new topic, please tell us via the site’s Contact page or email president@mwsa.co.

Give it a try today—click Ask MWSA on any page and get instant answers. If the bot doesn’t have the answer, or you prefer the human touch, visit our main contact page and find the email or form you need.

Military Writers Society of America 2025 Anthology Press Release - Member Announcement

As a service to our members, the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) offers the following press release template to help writers spread the word about their work being published in the 2025 MWSA anthology. Simply fill in the [brackets] and share with your local media, online outlets, social media, and wherever you would like to tell your story.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media contact: [Name]

[Email]

[Phone]

[Attach anthology book cover and author head shot if possible]

 

[Member Name] Published in Military Anthology

[Member Name] of [city, state] was recently published in the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) anthology Reflections: Service to our Country. [His/her] story was titled [X] and discussed [X].

MWSA publishes an anthology every two years with member submissions. Stories include fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and artwork. Reflections: Service to our Country currently sits at an Amazon a five-star rating!

The anthology is available in paperback and eBook at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FBS26BXK.

Proceeds support MWSA’s missions of helping the military, veterans, and their families to tell their stories.

 

About [Member Name]

[50-word biography]

About the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA)

MWSA’s tagline is “Saving history one story at a time,” and its mission is to help military, veterans, and their families tell their stories. The 501(c)3 non-profit encourages writing and provides writing opportunities through programs include book awards and reviews, writers education, publishing venues, and in-person and virtual events. For more information, please visit https://www.mwsadispatches.com/.

 

Write Your Story Workshop 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact: Bob Doerr, writeyourstory@mwsa.co | 210-827-1309

Write Your Story Workshop

On September 25, 2025, members of the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) will host a free Write Your Story workshop for local military, veterans, and their families in Kansas City, MO. This workshop is geared to storytelling, whether attendees may be working on a novel, a memoir, a short story, a poem, or an article, both fiction and nonfiction.

MWSA will hold the event at the Westin Kansas City Crown Center, Washington Park 1, 1 East Pershing Road, Kansas City, MO. It will take place from 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM.

Award-winning writers from MWSA have conducted these veteran-focused workshops coast-to-coast since 2015. When asked at last year’s event, “What was the most valuable part of the workshop?” attendees said:

o   Each one was important

o   All of it, since I’m not a writer but would like to be

o   All valuable!

o   Meeting other veteran writers

o   Being with other writers

o   Exercises

o   Story arc

This event is geared toward newer writers who want to tell their stories and may not know where to begin, but the sessions have also proven beneficial for more seasoned writers who share in the camaraderie with other veterans and families. Please email writeyourstory@mwsa.co if interested. Registration is required by Sep. 15, and MWSA will provide a free lunch to all attendees. MWSA hopes you will join this event to help tell your story.

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MWSA News Blast -- August 12, 2025

2025 Conference–Time’s Running Out

There is still time to make reservations for this year's conference in Kansas City, September 25-28. For this year, we have three registration options:

  • Full conference–$275

  • Half conference–$205

  • Awards banquet only–$145

Rates for non-members are $25 higher than the prices listed above. However, as an added incentive to join MWSA as a full member, those registering for full or half conference attendance will become full members (a 50% discount on the regular cost of a one-year membership).

To learn more about this year’s conference or to register for both the conference and the hotel, visit the conference page on our website:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/events/2025-conference 

If you've been to prior conferences, you know they are easy-going affairs. We need volunteers to help work the registration table, serve as timekeepers, and assist with other tasks. If you would like to volunteer, you can let us know via the volunteer form on our conference page (link above) or email the conference organizers at events@mwsa.co.

If you’ve never joined us for a conference in the past and would like to get a feel for what you can expect, you might want to have a look at our past conferences. On each conference’s page, you’ll find photos of the "action" and the agenda of activities during each of our prior member get-togethers. Here’s a link to our past conferences page:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/events-past-and-future#conferences 

We're looking forward to another successful and enjoyable conference this year. 

Kansas City, here we come!

 

It’s Buckaroo Auction Time Again!

MWSA’s Buckaroo Auction at our Annual Conference is a way for us to recognize our volunteers by providing “Buckaroos” for their services performed for the organization throughout the year. Below is a list of Buckaroo earnings for work performed. 

We are currently seeking items members may want to donate (services, books, electronics, or unique items) in addition to the “secret items” we have already secured. Please let the Buckaroo Auction Chair know via email at vp@mwsa.co. Thank you in advance for your help!

 

Speaking of Donations

Are you aware that you or organizations you are involved with can make tax-deductible donations to MWSA at any time to help military, veterans, and their families tell their stories? MWSA is a 501(c)3 non-profit, and donations can be made via our website at our new donation page: https://www.mwsadispatches.com/donation

 

MWSA Anthology Making the News

Thank you to our MWSA members who have been sharing the word about the 2025 anthology, Reflections: Service to our Country. News of our story has been shared on Penny Rafferty Hamilton’s Substack, the e-Quipsblog, the SouthWest Writers website, the Anadrako Daily Newspaper News, and has shown up in websites in Denmark, France, and New Zealand. And that is just what we are aware of! 

We currently have a 5-star review rating on Amazon but could certainly use our members’ support. If you can find time to pen a sentence or two to help fellow writers and our organization, please drop a review here: https://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B0FBS26BXK/.

As a reminder, MWSA published this anthology as the Military Writers Society of America imprint, so all profits go toward continuing MWSA’s programs to help tell veterans and their families' stories.

 

Dispatches Magazine

The fall issue of Dispatches will be published after our annual conference. As usual, we’ll focus this issue on our season's medal winners and a wrap-up of the conference. We ask that conference attendees submit photos via the Dispatches submission form on the Dispatches Submissions web page or here: Submit Files - Dropbox.

 

Editor Wanted

Our Vice President, Val Ormond, stepped in to fill the void when our last Dispatches Editor resigned, and she agreed to take on the duty for one year. That year is up in September! If any of our members may want to take on this duty, please reach out to Val at vp@mwsa.co for details. She is retired Navy, so the passdown will be thorough with checklists and all.  

 

Benefit Spotlight

MWSA Member Resource Directory




If you haven’t checked it out yet, now’s a great time to take a look at our Member Resource Directory. It’s a growing collection of services and resources offered by members for members. Whether you’re looking for an editor, cover designer, marketer, or just someone who understands the publishing world, we’ve got listings that can help you take your writing to the next level.

Sometimes it’s even better to give than receive. If you offer services yourself, you can add your name to the list. It’s a great way to connect with fellow MWSA members and support each other’s creative journeys.

Here’s what you can do:

  • Browse the directory for help with your next project

  • Submit your own listing if you’ve got a service to offer

  • Come back periodically to see if we’ve updated anything

This is just one of the ways we’re working to make MWSA more useful and connected for all of us. Take a look and see how you might benefit—or contribute!

Check it out here:
mwsadispatches.com/member-resource-directory

  Friendly Reminders

MWSA’s Writers Education Series 

MWSA will host the fourth installment of our Writing Your Story educational webinars on Sunday, Aug. 17, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern, 4:00 PM Central, 3:00 PM Mountain, and 2:00 PM Pacific. This edition will be presented by Jim Tritten and is titled: Plot and Story Arc.

Visit our Writers Education page to see more details, get the Zoom link to join our session, watch our prior sessions, and/or see what’s on tap for future episodes:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/writers-education#wys 

MWSA Author Interview with MWSA's 2024 Author of the Year, Kathleen Rodgers

This interview, our first recorded Zoom session, is with award-winning novelist and longtime MWSA member Kathleen M. Rodgers. Named MWSA’s 2024 Writer of the Year, Kathleen draws on her life as a military spouse to tell powerful, heartfelt stories about family, friendship, and resilience. She’s the author of five novels, including The Flying Cutterbucks and Johnnie Come Lately, and her next book, The Llano County Mermaid Club, will be out in 2025. Kathleen’s also been a big supporter of the MWSA community, always encouraging and lifting up fellow writers.

Announcing MWSA’s 2025 Writer of the Year – H. W. "Buzz" Bernard

We’re proud to announce that acclaimed author and veteran H. W. “Buzz” Bernard has been named as our 2025 Mike Mullins Memorial Writer of the Year Award Winner.

Buzz’s award-winning novels—including When Heroes Flew, Down a Dark Road, and When Dawn Comes Up Like Thunder—have captivated readers with their gripping authenticity, emotional depth, and vivid historical accuracy. They’ve also impressed every team of MWSA reviewers assigned to his books over the years—he’s got the medals to prove it. A former Air Force weather officer and respected voice in military fiction, Buzz exemplifies the spirit of storytelling that MWSA exists to celebrate.

“Buzz Bernard’s books are action-packed, authentic, and deeply respectful of those who serve. I’ve had the pleasure of reading several of his books myself, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each one.”
— John Cathcart, President of MWSA

The award will be officially presented during the 2025 MWSA Awards Banquet on September 27, 2025, in Kansas City, Missouri. We usually wait to announce each year’s Writer of the Year during our annual general membership conference and awards banquet. This year, we decided to break the news a little early. Speaking of the banquet and conference, there’s still time to make your reservations to join us. If you’re interested, visit the conference page on our website at the link below.

🎖️ RESERVE YOUR SPOT OR LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD:

We invite you to join us in congratulating Buzz and help share this exciting news with your readers, social media contacts, and friends.

Warm regards,
John Cathcart
President, Military Writers Society of America

Unlock Your Manuscript’s Potential: The Value of MWSA’s Beta Reader Program

For MWSA members preparing to launch their book into the world, participating in the Beta Reader Program through the members‑only forum on is a smart and strategic choice.

Purpose‑Driven Feedback

MWSA’s Beta Reader Forum connects authors with fellow member‑authors who can read and give feedback on manuscripts nearing completion. This feedback comes from peers who write and read, not just friends or family.

It brings fresh eyes to spot inconsistencies, pacing issues, character gaps, jargon problems, or confusion—elements that authors can easily overlook.

Honest Critique That Goes Beyond Praise

Working with fellow writers offers a level of objectivity and writing experience that personal readers often lack. That honesty matters, as it spotlights plot holes, clarity issues, tone mismatches—giving you a chance to improve your work before publication.

Improve Your Book’s Quality and Award Chances

MWSA strongly recommends using the Beta Reader Program if you’re submitting for the Review & Awards season (Jan 2–June 1 each year). Beta reading helps catch technical or storytelling flaws before official review, improving your manuscript’s evaluation scores and chances at recognition.

Build Community & Share the Journey

Participating as a beta reader isn’t just about receiving feedback—it’s about giving back. The program embodies MWSA’s “authors helping authors” spirit: offering feedback helps peers polish their manuscripts while you also learn as you evaluate others’ work.

Beta vs. Alpha Readers: Why It Matters

Alpha readers address big-picture structure early in the draft stage. Beta readers, however, test near-final drafts from a reader‑oriented perspective, helping clarify tone, pacing, and emotional impact for your intended audience. Although our program is called “Beta Readers,” both types of evaluations can occur depending on how far along you are in your writing process. MWSA’s beta readers are typically familiar with the genres and the community values, giving especially relevant insights.

✅ Summary: Why You Should Participate

Why It Matters

  • From fellow author‑readers who understand the writing craft

  • Pinpoint confusion, pacing issues, or character inconsistencies

  • Manuscripts polished via beta input typically perform better

  • Strengthen relationships and sharpen your editorial eye

Benefit

  • Constructive, candid feedback

  • Greater precision in storytelling

  • Improved award or review outcomes

  • Community connection & learning

How to Participate

Sign in to the MWSA Beta Reader Forum via the member‑only portal on the MWSA Dispatches site. Our program is a benefit offered to full members only, so you’ll need to be a member with an MWSA account.

  • Authors post a short description of their book (genre, summary, formats, deadlines).

  • Interested beta readers respond, and when ready, sign up to review the manuscript, provide honest feedback, and optionally appear in acknowledgments (with opt‑in consent).

Authors can also submit peer feedback via the “Buckeroo” credit form to recognize beta readers’ contributions.

Final Thought

MWSA’s Beta Reader Program offers a unique, accessible, and highly effective way to elevate your manuscript. You’ll gain honest feedback from fellow military‑affiliated writers, refine your storytelling, and strengthen your chances in MWSA’s awards process—all while contributing to a community that thrives on collaboration. Participating is a win‑win for your craft and your community.

However, let’s be honest. To be successful, we must have member volunteers on both sides of the equation. That means we need more of us to volunteer and help our fellow members. Please visit the Beta Reader page today, see what’s available, and step up to help!

Writers Education Event - Sun., Jul. 27th, 5:00 PM EST

Come join us at the upcoming Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) Writers Edcuation event with Bob Doerr, Past MWSA President and author of 27 books. Hear Bob's thoughts on the importance of Telling, Narration and Dialogue. Join your friends and colleagues at this link on July 27, 5:00 PM EST.

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/events/2025/telling-narration-and-dialogue-bob-doerr

The War Horse Writing Seminar for Black Veterans

We recently received an email from a like-minded organization called War Horse. Here’s their mission statement:

The War Horse is an award-winning nonprofit newsroom and the most trusted source for bulletproof reporting on the human impact of military service. Our team strengthens our democracy by holding power to account and improving the public’s understanding of the true cost of military service.

War Horse is seeking applications for an upcoming seminar, so we’re sharing this info with our members.

Writing Seminar Details

The War Horse, an award-winning news site, invites Black veterans to apply for its 2025 Writing Seminar.

 Despite centuries of courageous service, Black veterans have often been overlooked in the nation’s historical record and narratives about military life. Their voices deserve to be heard to set the record straight and enrich our collective understanding of war, sacrifice, resilience, and community.

The War Horse’s all-expenses-paid seminars offer new and seasoned writers a chance to find and hone their stories. Participants will meet with mentors, editors, and other veterans in a supportive environment allowing them to write, share, learn, and heal.

This year’s seminar will run from October 19-24th at Lucky Spur Ranch in Justin, Texas.

To learn more about the seminar, including how to apply, please visit: https://thewarhorse.org/writing-seminar-black-veterans/

Applications close on July 27, 2025.

The Military Writers Society of America 2025 Anthology is Now Available!

Military Writers Society of America’s (MWSA’s) 2025 anthology, Reflections: Service to our Country, has been published and is available for purchase.

Anthology Chair and Senior Editor Bob Doerr said, “Every few years, MWSA provides an opportunity for members to be published in one of our anthologies. Reflections: Service to our Country includes poems, articles, and stories. Some will make you laugh. Others you will find enlightening. You may even shed a tear.”

This was the first year MWSA published its anthology under its own publication entity with Military Writers Society of America as the publisher. MWSA thanks the 31 member contributors for sharing their words and our volunteer editors for giving their time. We’d also like to thank our layout and design professional, Andrea Reider of Reiderbooks.com, for her extraordinary efforts and patience in working with the MWSA team under this new process.

All 31 contributors will receive their paperback courtesy copies in the next few weeks.

We hope you enjoy our reflections in keeping with MWSA’s mission of “Saving History One Story at a Time.” You can purchase paperback and eBook copies here: 2025: Reflections, Service to our Country — Military Writers Society of America.

MWSA Writers Education Series, Write Your Story (Part 3) Video Available

Our latest Writers Education, Write Your Story Zoom Session, is available for viewing. To watch the video, click on the image below.

You can also view the video directly using one of the links below:

Click on the image to watch the video

🚀 Our New MWSA Store is Now Open – Shop and Celebrate with Us! 🎉

The moment we’ve been waiting for is here – our new merch store has launched and is officially open! 🎉

We’ve created a special place where you can shop for all our exclusive branded merchandise and some awesome products that show off what makes MWSA unique. It’s all here—designed with you in mind!

Everything You Need!

With a wide variety of stylish apparel, we’ve got something for everyone. Show off your organizational pride!

How to Get Started

  1. Visit the store here: https://yourmpstore.com/mwsa or navigate your way to the last item on our MWSA Resources page

  2. Create an account using your [email address] and [password]

  3. Start exploring and enjoy shopping!

Get Involved

We’d love to hear what you think about the store! After you’ve checked it out, feel free to share your feedback with us at vp@mwsa.co. Is there something you’d like to see? Anything we can improve? Your input will help us make the store even better.

Thank you again for all your support. We’re excited to share this with you and can’t wait to see you wearing our gear. As a bonus, our supplier is a veteran owned business!

Veteran Owned Business image with medal

Let’s celebrate the launch and show off our MWSA camaraderie together! 💥

MWSA News Blast -- May 5, 2025

Registration for our 2025 General Membership Conference and Awards Banquet is now open!

After many weeks of planning and negotiating, we're finally ready to start taking reservations for this year's conference in Kansas City, September 25-28.

For this year, we have three registration options:

  • Full conference–$275

  • Half conference–$205

  • Awards banquet only–$145

Rates for non-members are $25 higher than the prices listed above. However, as an added incentive to join MWSA as a full member, those registering for full or half conference attendance will become full members (a 50% discount on the regular cost of a one-year membership).

To learn more about this year’s conference or to register for both the conference and the hotel, visit the conference page on our website:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/events/2025-conference 

In addition to asking everyone to put the conference dates on their calendars, we are looking for members who would like to be a presenter or a panel member. If you've been to prior conferences, you know they are easy-going affairs. We also need volunteers to help work the registration table, to be timekeepers, and so on. If you would like to volunteer as a mentor, you can let us know via the volunteer form on our conference page (link above). 

If you’ve never joined us for a conference in the past and would like to get a feel for what you can expect, you might want to have a look at our past conferences. On each conference’s page, you’ll find photos of the "action" and the agenda of activities during each of our prior member get-togethers. Here’s a link to our past conferences page:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/events-past-and-future#conferences 

We're looking forward to another successful and enjoyable conference this year. If you have any questions, please email our conference organizers at events@mwsa.co.

See you in Kansas City!

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Friendly Reminder

MWSA Writers Education Series

MWSA will host the third installment of our Writing Your Story educational webinars on Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 5:00 PM Eastern, 4:00 PM Central, 3:00 PM Mountain, and 2:00 PM Pacific.

This edition will be presented by Jack Woodville London and is titled: Starting Your Story/Characters.

Visit our Writers Education page to see more details, get the Zoom link to join our session, watch our prior two sessions, and/or see what’s on tap for future episodes:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/writers-education#wys 

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Benefit Spotlight

Author Interviews

Another unique benefit of MWSA membership is our author interview program. All dues-paying members can submit an interview form, which we’ll publish online (on our website and various social media outlets) and in our Dispatches magazine. Use our interview program to spread the word about your latest writing adventures and to let your existing readers know about any ongoing or future writing projects. If you’re a new author, introduce yourself to future readers and put in a plug for your new book.

Under our system, you have complete control over the interview: you tell us which questions to ask and provide your answers. It’s easy, it’s free, and it’s just another benefit of being an MWSA member.

To learn more, read other authors’ interviews, or submit your interview to us, visit our author interview page:

https://www.mwsadispatches.com/author-interviews 

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Last, but not Least

Is There a Lawyer in the House?

Last year, the MWSA Board of Directors conducted a thorough bylaws review to ensure our bylaws continue to reflect the purpose and direction of the organization. We made administrative updates and are not looking to make major changes. However, as a board, we believe it is in the best interest of our members to have a legal review of our bylaws. In the past, we have had member lawyers do this review for us pro bono.

If we have a member out there who would be willing to review our bylaws during     2025, please let our Vice President, Val Ormond, know by emailing VP@mwsa.co.

Next Generation Indie Book Awards

MWSA received the following notification regarding an upcoming book awards program, which we pass along to members. This does not imply official endorsement.

The Next Generation Indie Book Awards, currently in its nineteenth year, is the largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. The Indie Book Awards is now accepting entries from independent publishers and authors worldwide who have a book written in English and released in 2024, 2025, 2026 or with 2024, 2025, or 2026 copyright date. For the 2026 awards program, the Indie Book Awards offers 80+ categories. The entry fee is $80 for the first category and $65 for every additional category entered for the same title. The entry deadline for the 2026 year is Thursday, February 12, 2026.

Winners and Finalists will be announced in mid-May. Winners in each of the 80+ categories are given $100 cash prizes, gold medals, complimentary stickers, social media coverage, possible representation by a leading literary agent, and recognition as one of the top independently published books of the year. Three Grand Prize Winners will be selected from all entries received and will be awarded cash prizes of $1500, $750 and $500 based on their order of win. All Winners and Finalists are invited to attend the Indie Book Awards gala ceremony. Enter today at http://www.indiebookawards.com.

MWSA Writers Education Series Next Event Featuring Jack Woodville London

Please join our first Writers Education Series of the year on May 18, 2025, when MWSA award-winning author Jack Woodville London will present “The Character, the Conflict, and the First Sentence – Setting up your Reader to Turn the Pages.” All webinars this year will be held on Sunday afternoons at 5:00 PM Eastern, 4:00 PM Central, 3:00 PM Mountain, and 2:00 PM Pacific. You'll also find these webinars listed on our website's Events page.

This event will include a presentation, discussions, and questions and answers.

Please use the following link to join the meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2245629439?pwd=AH6c5VaddDONn88i6dXU2aZKm1RLcB.1

If anyone has any questions, contact Jim Tritten at jimtritten@comcast.net.

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