Ten benefits for joining APW
APW Benefits
- Meet and exchange ideas with local authors.
- One or two virtual meetings a month with a local speaker on a writing or publishing topic.
- Join the APW Book Club where read and review each other’s work (email Karen Lateiner kslateiner@gmail.com)
- Ability to use APW Zoom for book presentations or other writing-related meetings. (Contact Marie Fasano mafasano1@gmail.com or Jaimie Bruzenak calamityjaimie@gmail.com
- Enter the At-large contest for the National Federation of Press Women. First place winners go on to the national level. Many categories for these prestigious awards. See https://www.nfpw.org/professional-contest We had several winners at the At-large contest. Dianne Beaff and Wynne Brown won awards at the national level.
- Post on our Facebook page more than once about your book. (Nonmembers are limited to one post.) Share your new publications, wins and writing events.
- Keep up on local book and writing events in Arizona.
- Your book listed in the Holiday Bazaar before Christmas. Listed at least once on FB that it is there. (Email Jaimie Bruzenak calamityjaimie@gmail.com)
Additional National Federation of Press Women benefits
- Premium professional members of NFPW have access to discounted libel insurance through its group policy.
- NFPW focuses on and working to support the First Amendment. https://nfpw.memberclicks.net/the-first-amendment-network
Entries are open – NFPW Communications Contest!
Entries for the 2022 NFPW Communications Contest may be submitted starting today, October 1. You can avoid the late fee by getting your entry in now!
The National Federation of Press Women’s 2022 Professional Communications Contest
Entries for the 2022 contest must be published or broadcast in some format between Jan. 1, 2021 and Dec. 31, 2021.
The NFPW professional contest is a two-tiered contest. Entrants first enter a state level contest in the state they live in or are a member of, People living in a state without a state contest, are encouraged to enter the at-large contest. When entries warrant in the at-large contest, the contest may be split into regions to create a more level playing field. APW members enter the at-large contest.
First-place winners in the state-level contest and the at-large contests are eligible to move to the national level of judging. To be eligible for compete in the national level, the entrant must be a member in good standing with the National Federation of Press Women. Unless the affiliate contest requires membership to participate, the entrants can join NFPW once they learn of their winning status. The deadline to join to compete in the national contest is March 15, 2022.
The professional contest deadlines are:
- Entry deadline — January 19, 2022 at noon in the entrant’s time zone (the first entry submitted by an entrant after this deadline will be charged a $25 fee)
- Winners must be NFPW members — March 15, 2022
- National winners announced and honored at NFPW conference in June 2022
President’s Page – July 2021
April was a month packed full of activity. First of all, Welcome! I’m Connie Cockrell, newly elected President for the Arizona Professional Writers. The biggest event was the April 17th Virtual State Conference. In our short business meeting, we elected new officers. I was elected President, Marie Fasano steps into the Past President role, Bobbie Bennett remains Vice President, and Brenda Whiteside remains Secretary.
Most importantly, we are in need of a Membership Director and a Treasurer. These are vital positions in any organization. Both areas are in good shape, we just need a couple of people to see the value in keeping our organization vibrant by stepping up to volunteer. You can contact me at connie.cockrell@gmail.com to talk about it.
June was the National Federation of Press Women virtual conference. In the national contest, Dianne Beeaff from Tucson, won second place in the category Collection of Short Stories, with her book titled On Traigh Lar Beach. See her website for info on the book. Wynne Brown, also of Tucson, won second place for the category Newsletter, Web, and Social Media. Her entry, Personal, The Sara Lemmon Project can be found at her website or contact her at wynne@wynnebrown.com. Congratulations to both as there were thousands of entries nationwide making competition very high.
Our Communicator of Achievement, Marie Fasano, attended the NFPW virtual award ceremony. We’re sorry to say that she didn’t win. Sherri Burris was selected. You can find her details at NFPW. Congratulations to Ms. Burris.
July features the Payson Book Festival. It is July 17th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino from 9am to 3:30pm. We have over 70 authors this year. We’ll have a shortened children’s program in the morning and entertainment by Marshall Trimble, Buckshot Dot, and a panel of Grand Canyon experts scheduled for the afternoon. I do hope you can make it to the festival even if you aren’t a “seller”. It will be a great time to catch up!
Speaking of the book festival, we’re doing a lot of posting on our Facebook pages for both APW and the book festival. Take a look at those pages and share the posts. Lots of people sharing creates a big boost in the number of people who get to see the post. It’s an easy way for you to get to know the authors appearing and to help us drive attendance to the festival. Payson Book Festival Facebook page and Arizona Professional Writers Facebook page.
That’s it for July. Everyone stay safe, enjoy the summer, and hope to see you at the book festival!
Connie Cockrell
APW President
2021 NFPW Communications Contest winners
Congratulations to APWs two winners at the national level of the NFPS Communications contest! Both won first place in the At-Large Contest before advancing to the finals. We are very proud of them!
Dianne Beeaff (Tucson) – Second place – Collection of short stories written by entrant, On Traigh Lar Beach
Wynne Brown (Tucson) –Second place – Newsletter Web and Social Media – Electronic Newsletter – Personal, The Sara Lemmon Project
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- Dianne Ebertt Beeaff
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- Wynne Brown
Congratulations, Dianne Ebertt Beaff!
Dianne Ebertt Beeaff’s short story collection, On Traigh Lar Beach, was the winner in Short Stories in the At-Large division and moves on to the National Communications Contest.
Dianne is the award-winning author of five previously published books. Her poetry, watercolors, graphite drawings, and magazine articles have been featured throughout the United States and Canada.
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- Dianne Ebertt Beeaff
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- On Traigh Lar Beach – Dianne Ebertt Beeaff
Congratulations to Jody Sharpe!
Special Needs Children, The Angels On My Shoulder by Jody Sharpe has placed second in the category of Autobiography or Memoir in the NFPW At-Large Communications Contest.
Says Jody, this is a memoir of my twenty-five years teaching children with special needs. It’s a love story about the special students and others who over the years graced my life with just that, their grace.
With hearts of angels and challenges to face, the children took me along their journeys and inspired my own life’s journey of self-discovery. When sorrow came, their kindness helped me through. The synchronicity of events from high school to retirement changed my life for the better, turning my face toward heaven.
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- 2nd place Autobiography or Memoir
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- Jody Sharpe
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- The Angels on My Shoulder – Jody Sharpe
Congratulations to Brenda Whiteside!
Brenda Whiteside’s Secrets of the Ravine (The MacKenzie Chronicles, Book 1) was awarded third place in the category Novel, over 40,000 words in the NFPW At-Large Communication Contest. Brenda is a multi-published romantic suspense author and also provides editing services to other writers.
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- Secrets of the Ravine (MacKenzie Chronicles Book 1) by Brenda Whiteside https://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Ravine-MacKenzie-Chronicles-Book-ebook/dp/B08GPRFJBT/
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- Brenda Whiteside
Congratulations to Marie Fasano!
Marie Fasano has won two awards in the 2021 NFPW at-large communications contest. Marie currently writes for the Payson Roundup. One of her columns in “Roaming the Rim,” her bi-monthly column, won second place. Commented the judge: Wonderful opening paragraph. Informative and very nice selection of interviewees. Good selection of quotes. Marie won honorable mention in the Feature story, print newspaper category. The judge noted: Nice news feature.
Marie is APW president and our state winner and nominee for the national Communicator of Achievement Award.
Congratulations to Brad Graber!
What’s That Growing in My Sour Cream? – a collection of over 70 essays on love, life, and relationships – by Brad Graber – has won 1st place in the NFPW at-large communications contest and is eligible to advance to NFPW national round of competition.
This year the at-large contest featured entries from New York, Oregon, Ohio, Colorado, New Hampshire, Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, Minnesota, Arizona, Nevada, Michigan, Maryland, Florida, South Dakota, Louisiana, Tennessee, Iowa, Kentucky and Washington.
Brad Graber writes novels because he grew up in a family where no one listened to him – so he made up stories about them. He’s the award-winning author of The Intersect and After the Fall, and writes a humor blog: There, I Said It! Brad’s currently working on his next novel, Boca by Moonlight, the story of a widower who discovers that his assumptions about family and friends are holding him back from developing meaningful relationships. Brad currently resides in Phoenix with his husband, Jeff.
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- Brad Graber
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- What is Growing in My Sour Cream? – Brad Graber
President’s Page – November/December 2020
Happy Holidays to all members!
We are thankful for the treasures and friendships we have received this past year and we all look forward to 2021 with hope and promise. This has been a difficult year for many folks. Most of us have stayed close to home to be safe. Hopefully, this gave you an opportunity to write more novels, articles, newsletters and blogs.
I had some health issues in the last month and am now getting back to the real world. It hasn’t stopped me from taking part in several meetings of Central and Rim Country, hearing great guest speakers each time. It’s so easy to turn on the computer and be with wonderful, intelligent, articulate folks at these gatherings. Our members are terrific!
Our new APW Book Club, hosted by Karen Lateiner, is thriving with highlighting members books and having very lively and interesting discussions. Feel free to join us the last Saturday of every month. Contact me at mfasano.apw@gmail.com for the Zoom url.
Jaimie Bruzenak has kept us informed on our website and FB page. She can add you and your books to our new section called Holiday Bazaar to showcase our members’ books and websites. If you want to be included send your information to Jaimie at calamityjaimie@gmail.com.
We will be looking for some new officers for 2021. If you have any interest in taking a more active part in this thriving organization let me know. Our Bylaws are on the website under the members section. Here you can get an idea of what each position entails.
Here is another reminder to enter the NFPW Professional Contest under the At-large section. Several members have already entered their books, newsletters and articles. Go to NFPW.org for more information.
The APW Conference plans for April 2021 are going forward. We will look at the health of our community as we get closer. More information will be sent as our plans come together.
To close 2020, I wish each APW member the best of health and happiness.
Keep writing,
Marie A. Fasano
APW President
