We’re sharing presentation slides that Jim Tritten (our 2023 MWSA Writer of the Year) made which cover some details about writing for and about the military.
You can browse the slides below, or click on the image to the right to download your own copy.
Thanks Jim!
We’ve received several requests for the slides that MWSA Awards Director Betsy Beard used for her briefing during this year’s general membership conference in New London.
Click on the image to the right to download a copy in PDF format.
Visit our Facebook page tomorrow (September 16) at 6PM Eastern for a livestream of our awards banquet.
https://www.facebook.com/MWSA.MembersPublic/live_videos
If you miss the live presentation, the recording should be available on the link above.
We hope to post all the medal winners on the 2023 Season page shortly after the banquet.
MWSA is seeking viable candidates for copyediting and layout services for the 2024 editions of Dispatches magazine. See the details below.
The Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) is soliciting price quotes for Dispatches magazine
Opening Date: 09/05/23 | Closing Date: 10/14/23
Scope of Work: Scope of Work: MWSA Dispatches Magazine: Copyediting, Layout, Design, Publication, Distribution, and Marketing Support.
Period of Performance: 10/16/2023 – 11/20/2024. This includes four issues of the magazine to be published: 04/15/2024, 07/15/2024, 10/15/2024, and 01/15/2024.
Option Years. At the Sole discretion of the MWSA Board of Directors, this contract may be extended for a total of not more than three option years. If an Option Year is exercised, it will include a maximum of a 2.5% inflation rate.
Option Year 1: November 2024 – November 2025
Option Year 2: November 2025 – November 2026
Option Year 3: November 2026 – November 2027
About MWSA
MWSA is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation to support military writers. The purposes of the organization are to help military service members, veterans, their families, supporters, and historians record history and the complexities of military life, and to encourage writing as therapy. The organization focuses on using the writing of MWSA members to educate the general public, students, and the military community.
Contract Performance Work Statement for MWSA Dispatches Magazine
This MWSA Request For Quote (RFQ) seeks a Price Quote and relevant experience qualifiers from knowledgeable individuals and businesses to become a compensated provider, working with MWSA volunteers to provide services to compile, format, edit, publish, and market MWSA 2024 Dispatches magazines. Specific services will include:
1. Work with the MWSA Publication Chair/Editor-In-Chief and other volunteers to produce the MWSA quarterly Dispatches magazine.
2. Produce magazine softcopy, providing copyediting and layout and design services
3. Provide eMagazine layout and design
4. Provide eBook layout and design (as needed)
5. License and supply graphic content (as needed)
6. Photo restoration (as needed)
7. High-resolution image conversion (as needed)
8. Provide cover art design for MWSA approval.
9. Supply complete versions for review and approval to MWSA Publications Chair
a. PDF for print version
b. PDF for eBook w/embedded cover version (as needed)
c. PDF w/cover for eMagazine version
10. Provide upload to the Print house for distribution.
a. Amazon/KDP
b. Ingram (as needed)
11. After Publication Marketing
a. Provide cover art jpgs of hi-res and web for MWSA IT/Social Media
b. Supply designs, jpgs, pngs, PDFs as requested for marketing via IT/social media marketing
12. Set up MWSA sales account through Print house.
a. Ensure all sales royalties are paid directly to the MWSA Treasurer
b. Ensure all ad royalties are paid directly to the MWSA Treasurer
c. Ensure control by MWSA board over title (active or retired)
d. Changes to document (as needed) in case of misprint or error
13. Provide quarterly royalties statements to MWSA Treasurer as requested.
a. Note: No royalty or administrative costs will be retained by the contractor. All proceeds from sales after print cost will be paid directly to MWSA. Contractor will provide documentation of such upon request.
14. Offerors will provide all names of individuals who will support this effort. Updates to names shall be provided to the MWSA Publications Chair throughout the period of performance.
15. This effort can be canceled at any time for the good of MWSA. Offerors may terminate after thirty days’ written notice.
Please provide Price Quote for this project including the following:
16. Examples of experience with similar projects in the past five years.
17. Two work reference points of contact (name, email, and phone number).
Email proposals to the MWSA Contacts listed below by 10/14/23.
MWSA Contact:
Gary Zelinski, MWSA Publications Chair. communications@mwsa.co
Click to visit website
From the Cuddy Foundation for Veterans website (not affiliated with MWSA):
Our foundation accepts original submissions from veterans, active duty personnel, and anyone who wishes to help us develop this creative outlet.
Purchases of our journals will directly benefit the missions of The Cuddy Family Foundation for Veterans! Moving forward, we will try to release poetry and short story journals twice a year.
Here are the submission deadlines for future journals:
August 30, 2023 - Volume Six
February 29, 2024 - Volume Seven
August 30, 2024 - Volume Eight
Guidelines
Submissions should be sent in the body of an email to this address: info@tcfffv.org
No attachments, please.
While we have not established a line or word count limit for submissions, please use discretion as we anticipate a large volume of entries for each quarterly edition.
All submissions should be original works that have not been previously published.
Please include your full name, mailing address, phone number, branch of service (if applicable), and any relevant social media or author links in the email with your poem(s). Poets are welcome to submit more than one poem per submission period.
Please include your full name, mailing address, phone number, branch of service (if applicable), and any relevant social media or author links in the email with your poem(s). Poets are welcome to submit more than one poem per submission period.
Many thanks to the organizations and individuals that have helped to spread the word about our poetry and short story journals to veterans and others!
Your Dispatches editorial staff has created a new section on our website to help MWSA members submit articles or advertisements for publication in our quarterly magazine.
In this new section of our website, you’ll find a
Submission form with requirements and instructions
includes a contact form and a file transfer portal to send documents and files
Click here to email our Dispatches staff with general inquiries or comments
Is there a photographer in the house? The MWSA Program Committee is seeking a volunteer photographer or two to capture moments of our upcoming Annual Membership Conference, and particularly our Awards Ceremony banquet. If you are willing and able, please contact president@mwsa.co.
The countdown to the conference is on (56 days), with the first event being Sep. 14. If you have yet to register, please do so soon. The hotel is holding 30 rooms until August 26 (37 days away) or until the first thirty are booked. The program is online for you to check out along with the registration form. Please check the agenda online as changes do occur.
Do you think you know all about Benedict Arnold? You may be surprised by our guest presenter, Steve Manuel, the Director of the New London Historical Society, who may have new facts for you and will bring an artifact or two along for you to see.
Some time ago a movie about the slave ship "Amistad" was in theatres and a topic of discussion on television. Learn more about this event and its connection to New London from Henry Savin of the New London Maritime Museum.
At approximately 3:15 PM after our Write Your Story workshop ends on Sep. 14, MWSA will hold a brief remembrance ceremony for longtime MWSA member Mike Mullins at his ceremonial brick on the walkway to the Submarine Force and Library museum. MWSA members and guests in New London are invited to attend. Additionally, those members familiar with Mike may write something to be read at the ceremony; Haiku, poem, short memory, or story, but please keep it under 200 words. For those wanting to share something, but will not be present, please forward your input to Valerie Ormond at vp@mwsa.co. If you will be attending and will have a camera with you, we would appreciate you taking some photos which we want to share on social media, our website, and in Dispatches.
What: MWSA Writer’s Education Webinar Series Welcomes Greg Elliot
When: Aug. 3, 2023, 4PM EST
Who: Greg Elliot. For fifteen years, Greg taught at UCLA for the Extension Writers’ Program and was the recipient of their Outstanding Instructor Award in Screenwriting in 2014. Elliot wrote for Star Trek: Voyager, for which he received a Sci-Fi Universe Award nomination. He was a Story Editor on the Warner Brother series Savannah and an Executive Story Editor on the WB series Charmed. Greg also wrote for the Disney Channel series In a Heartbeat. Professionally, Greg has edited short stories, novels, nonfiction books, brochures, how-to books, personal essays, and college papers.
Greg will offer classes on story structure, broken into two parts. Part 1 was presented on May 20th. See it online on our website. Each class is 1.5 hours, and questions will be permitted at the end.
Topic: Story Structure Part II: character development, tension, and conflict.
Follow the Link Below:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2245629439?pwd=Sk92UXVZNzBpK1Z3NWd1TWtPcUM3UT09
We are looking for volunteers to step forward and participate in this year’s Open Mic event which will be hosted by Sandra Linhart. Sing, read a short story of your own, tell jokes, dance, your choice.
MWSA has room for FIVE volunteers to fill the program, for FIVE-minute sessions, so don’t be shy. Please email jimwritespoetry@gmail.com to secure a spot.
Click for the list of finalists on our 2023 season page.
MWSA normally announces its awards finalists in mid-August each year. However, 2023 has not been a normal year. In fact, it’s been a record-breaker, with 117 books submitted to our review and awards system!
Due to some amazing work by our volunteer reviewer force, not only have we been able to accept more books than ever before (over 40% more than in any prior season), we’ve also finished our evaluations almost a month earlier than normal.
For this reason, we’ve decided to announce our season finalists today.
Visit our 2023 season page to see the list.
June 30, 2023
Buckaroo Auction Rides Again!
We have mentioned the return of the Buckaroo Auction the the MWSA Annual Conference this year. Experienced “Auctioneers” Jaime Navarro and Randy Beard will host this fun MWSA event where you can get to know some of your colleagues better. It’s your chance to spend those “Buckaroos” you’ve earned and find out how to earn more.
Below includes PRELIMINARY information on the number of Buckaroos earned for volunteer duties, and our wizards behind the scenes have been tracking what volunteers have been doing regarding their dutues. Your earnings will be included in your registration packet, so you will know what you have available to spend. This program is for you, so if you have input, please provide it to this year’s Buckaroo Auction Chair, Valerie Ormond at VP@mwsa.co or speak to her at the MWSA conference.
Communications Committee Comes in Strong
New MWSA board member Gary Zelinski volunteered to fill the vacant Communications Committee Chair position which now includes management of the Publications (Dispatches and anthologies), Website/IT, Social Media, and Media and Public Relations Subcommittees. You will be hearing more from him, but his immediate request is that members take advantage of their membership benefit of being published in our quarterly Dispatches magazine. Please see below for the submission process and deadlines. Thank you for filling this important position, Gary.
Sneak Peak at 2023 MWSA Anthology
MWSA’s 2023 Anthology is coming out in September. This year’s is better than ever. In total, thirty-four members submitted thirty-seven stories or poems. Congratulations MWSA!
Thank you to Social Media Volunteers
Speaking of communications, last month we put out a request for Social Medial volunteers, and three members stepped up to the plate. A big thank you to Joe Campolo, Brad Huestis, and Rebecca (Becca) Johnsey. More to follow, and if anyone has ideas of how to step up our social media presence and has a few hours a month to spare, please contact our new Communications Chair, Gary Zelinski, at communications@mwsa.co.
Last Day to Nominate a Deserving MWSA Member for Writer of the Year for 2023!
Here’s the link to learn more about the process: https://www.mwsadispatches.com/mike-mullins-woy
May 20th Writers Education Series Now Live and Upcoming Session
Please see the following and thank you for your attendance. We’ve had great feedback on the event! Click here to watch recorded Zoom session
Look for another Writers Education webinar coming July 27th!
jim greenwald, MWSA President
Membership | membership@mwsa.co
Review & Awards | mwsaawardsdirectors@gmail.com
Events & Conferences | events@mwsa.co
Dispatches Magazine | dispatches@mwsa.co
Outreach & Education | outreach@mwsa.co
Volunteer | volunteer@mwsa.co
Website & Contact | info@mwsa.co
In the past day or so, several members have received emails from our membership management system (Wild Apricot) indicating that their passwords are due to expire.
These emails raise the obvious question: Is this email legitimate?
The answer is probably yes.
Why “probably”? Because it always pays to be suspicious and careful when receiving any similar email—and especially before you click on any included link.
Why “yes”? Because our membership management website has recently upgraded its password strength and recency requirements.
MWSA takes the privacy of our members seriously. We have safeguards in place to keep our members’ personal information safe, so we support this effort by Wild Apricot.
Although updating passwords is never “fun,” following these rules will help safeguard your personal information.
If you receive a password reset email, the easiest AND SAFEST thing to do is to go directly to our membership website, log in, and then reset your password yourself.
Here’s the link: https://militarywriterssocietyofamerica.wildapricot.org/Sys/Profile
Click to enlarge the image
Once you’re logged in, click on the blue silhouette near the top right of the page and then select “Change password” (see screenshot).
After clicking on that link, you’ll go to a page that will:
ask for your OLD password and
have you enter your NEW password twice.
The page lists the new password requirements (length, type of characters, etc.).
If you have any problems with your password reset, you can contact our membership team (membership@mwsa.co).
If you’re comfortable with emails and URLs (i.e., a little more tech-savvy), you can quickly assess the legitimacy of the email by following the following suggested steps:
1. BEFORE YOU CLICK, check:
The Sender: Military Writers Society of America <MilitaryWritersSocietyOfAmerica@wildapricot.org>
The link: the password reset link should look like this:
https://militarywriterssocietyofamerica.wildapricot.org/Sys/Password/Reset?id=___many characters here___&expired=True
Ensure the link starts with the same characters above, up to the “Reset?id=” part.
Check that the written link (what you read) is the same as the actual embedded link (where the click will actually send you). Do this by hovering your mouse over the link. In most browsers or email clients, you’ll see a yellow highlighted version of the link on the bottom left of your screen. Make sure they’re the same.
SouthWest Writers (SWW), in partnership with the New Mexico Arts & the Military Community, is creating an anthology of stories, art, essays, and poetry. These will be perspectives of military life in general, and/or insights into the broad scope of events, feelings, and viewpoints of veterans and their families. The submission window opens March 1, 2023, thru April 1, 2023. There is no entry fee. Entries must be entered by current or former active-duty members of the military or an immediate family member or veteran caregiver currently from New Mexico. They can be memoirs, fictional stories, or poetry and can include artwork or photography.
For more information, go to https://www.southwestwriters.com/military-anthology/, call (505) 453-6795, or email military@swwriters.com.
MWSA annual book submission window will open on January 15. If you plan on submitting your book, please have a look at our main review and awards page for details.
If you’re interested in helping out this season as an MWSA reviewer, you can learn more and submit your name on this page: Click Here.
Solicitation: Request for Proposals (RFP) #012022
Title: Snapshots
Opening Date: 10/01/22
Closing Date: 12/31/22
Download: http://www.mwsadispatches.com/mwsa-news
Scope of Work:
About MWSA
MWSA is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation to support military writers. The purposes of the organization are to help military service members, veterans, their families, supporters, and historians record history and the complexities of military life, and to encourage writing as therapy. The organization focuses on using the writing of MWSA members to educate the general public, students, and the military community.
MWSA Anthologies
In past years, MWSA has compiled and published multiple themed anthologies. These anthologies offer MWSA’s writers opportunities to have their work published and allow MWSA members to read other members’ shorter works. The theme for the MWSA 2023 Anthology is “Snapshots.”
2023 Submission Requirements
Submissions must be written by MWSA members and have been not previously published. They may be fiction or non-fiction. Authors will grant a one-time right to publish in the anthology with all rights other than the anthology publication remaining with each author. "Snapshots," as the theme implies, means submissions are short pieces. The format is wide-ranging: from articles and short stories (maximum 3,000 words, please), to art and photo essays, poetry, and music lyrics (if a contributor has recorded a song based on the lyrics, then please add the URL so that editors -- and obviously, readers -- can listen to it). All submissions have to be related in some way to the military and military life. The goal is to be as inclusive as possible with regards to the military experience, ranging from that of what veterans themselves experienced to the experiences of veteran family members, and to civilian outsiders who have their perspective. All submissions must be respectful of all the military branches and of the people who served. Graphics, maps, and photographs to which authors have permission may be included with their work with proper attribution and within the publisher’s specifications. In accordance with the MWSA Ethics Policy, MWSA cannot accept submissions that include politically, religiously, or racially biased, or anti-U.S./U.S. military material.
Contract Performance Work Statement
This MWSA RFP seeks proposals from experienced individuals and businesses to provide services to compile, format, edit, publish, and market MWSA’s 2023 Anthology. Specific services will include:
1. Managing the project to include schedules, communications with MWSA, and cost management.
2. Compiling stories and poems from MWSA authors. The anthology should be approximately 300 pages in final format.
3. Formatting of the anthology to include individual stories and poems, graphics, front matter, back matter, front and back covers, and spine.
4. Copy editing.
5. Coordinating final edit with MWSA authors and MWSA leadership.
6. Publishing anthology in eBook and in paperback (50 print copies).
7. Distributing via Amazon, MWSA website, and social media.
8. Initial marketing to include a press release and announcements via social media.
9. Anthology to be completed for distribution at the MWSA Annual Conference tentatively scheduled for September 2023.
Proposal Instructions:
Please provide your proposals for this project including the following:
1. Description of how you will accomplish tasks 1 – 8 in the Scope of Work including project management and your technical solution.
2. Past experience you have with similar projects in the past ten years. Include links to three projects if available.
3. Two work reference points of contact (name, email, and phone number).
4. Any additional information the proposal evaluators should take into consideration.
5. Your price quote. This is a firm fixed-price contract.
Email proposals to the Technical Contacts listed below by 12/31/22.
Technical Contacts:
Bob Doerr, President (2022) and Immediate Past President (2023) rddoerr@cs.com
Procurement Contact: Hugh Simpson, Treasurer hsimpson@simpsonlaw.org
Click on the image to go to our Facebook page.
No problem; we’ll be live streaming on Facebook (technology and iPad battery permitting).
Join us around 6 PM Central Time on our Facebook Live Video page.
https://www.facebook.com/MWSA.MembersPublic/live_videos
Even if you can’t join us live, the video should be available to watch at your convenience.
Our MWSA voting window is now open and will remain open for the next ten days. Please don’t delay. Your vote lends legitimacy to our Board and to MWSA. Click on the link and cast your ballots. Remember, you can only vote for four of the six candidates for the Directors at large positions. You can vote for all four officer candidates if you wish.
MWSA will announce our 2021 awards medalists via Facebook Video Premiere on Saturday, September 18, at 8 PM Eastern (7 Central, 6 Mountain, 5 Pacific).
Click on the image to the right or the button below to go to our MWSA Facebook page and watch the video.
If the button doesn’t work, here’s the URL to watch the video:
After the video premiere airs live, you’ll be able to find the recording in the video section of our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MWSA.MembersPublic/videos
MWSA will announce our 2021 awards finalists via Facebook Video Premiere on Saturday, August 7, at 5 PM Eastern (4 Central, 3 Mountain, 2 Pacific).
Click on the image to the right or the button below to go to our MWSA Facebook page and watch the video.
MWSA finalists can expect to receive an email notification with further details and recommendations shortly after the time mentioned above.
If the button doesn’t work, here’s the URL to watch the video:
https://www.facebook.com/events/365206461732653
For those of you who missed Dawn Brotherton’s second (of four) Zoom sessions on May 23, it’s now posted on our website (as well as YouTube and Facebook).
Click here (or click on the button below) to watch the video.
For those of you who missed Dawn Brotherton’s Zoom session on April 25, it’s now posted on our website (as well as YouTube and Facebook).
Click here (or click on the button below) to watch the video.
The Military Writers Society of America (MWSA) is soliciting proposals for the following:
Solicitation: Request for Proposals (RFP) #012020
Title: Untold Stories - Military Writers Society of America 2021 Anthology
Opening Date: 9/30/2020
Closing Date: 11/30/2020
Download: http://www.mwsadispatches.com/mwsa-news
Scope of Work:
About MWSA
MWSA is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation to support military writers. The purposes of the organization are to help military service members, veterans, their families, supporters, and historians record history and the complexities of military life, and to encourage writing as therapy. The organization focuses on using the writing of MWSA members to educate the general public, students, and the military community.
MWSA Anthologies
In past years, MWSA has compiled and published multiple themed anthologies. These anthologies offer MWSA’s writers opportunities to have their work published and allow MWSA members to read other members’ shorter works. The theme for the MWSA 2021 Anthology is “Untold Stories.”
2021 Submission Requirements
Stories and poems must be written by MWSA members and have been not previously published. They may be fiction or non-fiction. Authors will grant a one-time right to publish in the anthology with all rights other than the anthology publication remaining with each author. The maximum word count is 3000 words. Graphics, maps, and photographs to which authors have the permission may be included with their work with proper attribution and within the publisher’s specifications. In accordance with the MWSA Ethics Policy, MWSA cannot accept submissions that include politically, religiously or racially biased or anti-U.S./U.S. military material.
Contract Performance Work Statement
This MWSA RFP seeks proposals from experienced individuals and businesses to provide services to compile, format, edit, publish, and market MWSA’s 2021 Anthology. Specific services will include:
1. Managing the project to include schedules, communications with MWSA, and cost management.
2. Compiling stories and poems from MWSA authors. The anthology should be approximately 300 pages in final format.
3. Formatting of the anthology to include individual stories and poems, graphics, front matter, back matter, front and back covers, and spine.
4. Copy editing.
5. Coordinating final edit with MWSA authors and MWSA leadership.
6. Publishing anthology in eBook and in paperback (50 print copies).
7. Distributing via Amazon, MWSA website, and social media.
8. Initial marketing to include a press release and announcements via social media.
Proposal Instructions:
Please provide your proposals for this project including the following:
1. Description of how you will accomplish tasks 1 – 8 in the Scope of Work including project management and your technical solution.
2. Past experience you have with similar projects in the past ten years. Include links to three projects if available.
3. Two work reference points of contact (name, email, and phone number).
4. Any additional information the proposal evaluators should take into consideration.
5. Your price quote. This is a firm, fixed-price contract.
Email proposals to the Technical Contacts listed below by 11/30/20.
Technical Contacts:
Bob Doerr, President
Procurement Contact: