And now a note from my favorite editor and marvelous friend Jennifer Silva Redmond, as posted on her substack forum.
As many of you know, I have been very active over the last 29 years with helping people get their writing published and market and distribute their books. First, I was selecting stories, essays, and poetry as editor of the Sea of Cortez Review (if you want to read more about that project and how it opened doors for me, click here). In 2000, I was hired by Sunbelt Publications to market their books and acquire new projects (eventually I was promoted to Editor-in-Chief, to do those same things and much more!). In 2005, I started teaching classes on how to get published. In 2011, I became a freelance editor and publishing consultant, while still working with Sunbelt to find potential projects. Recently, I was part of a small group that helped spread the word about Sunbelt’s struggle to raise funds to reprint their classic books. The effort to raise money was only successful enough to reprint one book, and help with expenses with another pending reprint. People kept telling us we needed to have non-profit status, but that is nearly impossible for a for-profit business to do, after the fact. But businesses said they couldn’t donate to printing books without that NFP tax designation. Well, one thing led to another, and that small group of San Diego friends, including Neva Sullaway, author of Baja to Bering and San Diego Seafood, Then and Now, among other titles, started talking about how to enable companies and individuals to more easily and readily donate toward printing and publishing both classic and new books. In other words, we decided to form a non profit! It took some time, but thanks to Neva and the other Friends of Sunbelt, that all took place, and somehow I was made President of the non-profit’s board and Neva is the Secretary (we are both doing this as a labor of love, not for any salary). You can reach either of us at info (at) regionalink (dot) org.
Our first order of business will be to solicit funding from individuals, companies, and foundations, and to establish partnerships with local and regional businesses, in order to fund the reprinting of children’s books that entertain and educate young readers about the natural history and cultural heritage of the U.S. Southwest, including Southern California, of course. So, without further ado, I introduce you to Regional Ink, a registered 501(c)(3) public charity based in La Jolla, California. On the website you can learn more about the educational titles we are currently raising funds for, including a couple of desert-themed coloring books and Life in the Slow Lane: A Desert Tortoise Tale. In my dreams, I can see Regional Ink being and important regional resource, enabling local authors and publishers to raise funds to produce, package, and print important literary and educational works. Every big success has to start somewhere, we are starting right here and now. I hope you’ll join us. And you can start by attending the first event we have planned, held at Sunbelt’s Chula Vista book warehouse and offices on November 21st from 4-7pm. You may have planned on visiting Sunbelt’s new(ish) location for the past couple of years, and wanted to see the book warehouse, so here’s your invite. And yes, it may be chilly out so there’s homemade chili!
There, you can meet Neva Sullaway of Regional Ink, Jeniffer Thompson of the warm and welcoming group Publishers & Writers of San Diego, and of course, meet the Sunbelt crew—Lisa, Nichole and Maria. (I won’t be there as I was already booked to do in-person book and writing events in the Puget Sound region—if you’re in the Seattle area, find out about the University District B&N event on Oct 26th here—so I won’t be able to be there. Typical over-booked president behavior, right?) If you have any questions about Regional Ink, or the projects we are funding, or how your company or group can get involved, or if you want to cover Regional Ink or our event in the media, please feel free to email me here (just hit reply and your email will be private), or comment below if it is a general question (click the heart to go to the comments section, or email us at info (at) regionalink (dot) org. If you think this post would be of interest to someone you know, you can share it in an email or message them the link (click share below). Or restack it! NOTE: Editor on Board is always free, with no paywalls, but paid subscribers do get discounts on my editing services (like 20 percent off a content edit, and a free pitch or query consult). Click below to subscribe, or upgrade, if you’re already a subscriber. I have more book reviews coming up in October; it truly is an amazing season for independent publishers. Hasta pronto! |
