Re: Paying for a Writing Group
Back in mid-December I did a search for face-to-face writing groups in Maryland and came across a list on the Maryland Writers’ website. I sent off e-mails to several different coordinators of writing groups that are close enough for me to attend, or otherwise seemed like something I could do. I got one back from a nice lady named Rachel and have settled into that group well (we share 10 pages and meet once a month at Starbucks), but today I got a facebook message from the head of Charm City Writers asking if my e-mail had changed, because she’d evidently tried to e-mail me and had it bounce. My e-mail hadn’t changed and I don’t know why it bounced, but I got the following e-mail shortly after I told her so.
Thanks for your interest and patience! I’m in the process of re-organizing Charm City Writers and would be happy to include you.
The likely structure of our group will be that we meet on Sundays, every two weeks, alternating between poetry and prose, for two hours. If you’re not interested in poetry, you simply skip that meeting and come once every four weeks. At least once a year we will stage a reading in which group members can participate. I’m also working on a publication that will include participants’ work.
To help cover admin expenses, each member pays $60 for six months, by check or cash, in advance of the first meeting.
Please let me know if this works for you. You can weigh in on whether you prefer Sundays at 9:30-11:30,12:30-2:30, 1:30-3:30, or some other time. I’ll be sending out another email soon confirming the details for new group members
… and oh does that ever so not work for me. I’m looking for a writing group — mostly looking for encouragement and feedback. Maybe even a bit of social networking. What I’m not looking for is to pay $10 a month, $60 at a time before I even get a chance to see whether or not I even like the group, with no real guarantee that it’s not a scam. I don’t even know what the structure is like — with my other group, my actual group I should say, we send out 10 pages once a month, and spend a few hours talking about everyone’s piece, taking turns. We meet at Starbucks, and there certainly aren’t any “administrative fees.”
And why would I want to do a reading? I’m a writer, I want to sell books — I don’t want to be judged on my oration.
What’s more, I’m supposed to pay you administrative fees when it takes from December 16 until February 28 — that’s over two months — to get back to a simple fees? Not exactly stellar administration.
Thanks, I think I’ll pass. Especially since I’m not interested in being published by a local thing… and since I write neither poetry nor short fiction, it’s even less likely that I would be.
But honestly. You want me to pay $60 up front to be in a writing group that meets once a month? And that only covers half the year? Heck, early sign-ups for the local convention was only $48! And that’s 3 days and involves actual useful information and networking at much higher levels.
Filed by Cally at February 28th, 2009 under Tags: charm city writers, payment, writing group