About the MWA

Purpose | What We Do | How to Join | Executive Committee and Officers | Book Sale Guidelines

Purpose

The Maryland Writers' Association (MWA) is a voluntary, not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the art, business, and craft of writing. MWA strives to:

• Bring together writers of all levels and disciplines
• Serve as an information resource
• Help members make contacts that lead to publication
• Encourage writers to reach their full potential, and
• Promote writing within the community.

		Who We Are MWA's diverse membership ranges from professional freelancers and published authors, to writers aspiring to be published and those who write as a creative outlet.
Members hail from all over Maryland as well as from Washington, D.C., Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.

Members produce both nonfiction and fiction, including novels, short stories, poetry, plays, scripts, speeches, feature articles, and essays. Some work in specific genres such as romance, science fiction, thriller, fantasy, children's literature, travel writing, or biography.

What We Do

Among MWA's activities and services:

• Monthly meetings with speakers
• Annual writers' conference
• Member newsletter, Pen in Hand
• Writing workshops
• Literary contests
• Writing projects for children

What Members Get

Members of MWA have access to:

• Regional chapters
• Monthly chapter meetings
• Forums to present your creative work
• Pen in Hand, MWA's quarterly newsletter
• Reduced fees to MWA-sponsored events
• Participation in MWA's Annual Conference
• Marketing opportunities at art and literary festivals
• Links to your website(s) from the state and chapter websites

How To Join

Annual dues are $35 ($40 beginning January 1, 2010). To join, fill out a membership application and mail it with your check made payable to Maryland Writers' Assocation. Please allow up to six weeks for processing.

For more information about membership, contact Eileen Haavik McIntire.

2009-10 MWA Executive Committee

Guidelines for MWA members to sell/sign books at festivals where MWA has rented exhibit space

There is no charge for this member benefit. Prior to an event, the state or chapter officers will designate a person or committee to coordinate the exhibit space. This person or committee will be responsible for notifying members about the event, providing logistical information, developing a staffing and exhibition schedule, and coordinating exhibitors before and during the event.

MWA offers two options for selling books at events: by selling in-person, and by providing copies to MWA to sell on behalf of member authors. Please understand that, while MWA will make every effort to display the maximum number of books at each event, the number of available slots for each option will vary depending on the event.

In exchange for this member benefit, participating authors are asked to represent the Maryland Writers' Association as well as themselves. Professional courtesy requires that authors do not compete with other authors or MWA representatives for the attention of visitors. MWA event coordinators have the discretion to deal with interruptions, "hard sells," and other unprofessional or disrespectful behavior as they deem in the best interests of MWA and fellow authors.

1) For authors who sell and sign in person:

• Slots are offered on a first-come, first-served basis following the event announcement by MWA. Instructions on how to apply will be provided in the event announcement.
• Authors must provide their own books and be physically present at the exhibit space when their book(s) is/are on display, with reasonable exceptions for bathroom and food breaks, etc. at the discretion of the MWA coordinator.
• Authors will be asked to designate the day(s) and time(s) that they will be at the event. The MWA event coordinator has the discretion to enforce that schedule as appropriate.
• Authors may choose to be responsible for their own sales, including applicable charge and remittance of state sales tax, or they may designate the MWA to handle sales at a 20% commission. All authors who handle their own sales must meet be able to demonstrate that they meet all applicable state sales tax requirements.
• Authors must be flexible with display space. Typically, between 1/3 and 1/2 of the exhibit table is reserved for MWA materials, while the rest is available to MWA authors.
• The MWA coordinator will inform authors in advance about the need to bring folding chairs and refreshments, limitations on storage space, and other logistical issues.

2) For authors who provide books for sale at events where they will not be present:

• MWA will maintain a waiting list of authors who wish to take advantage of display space. Each author's title will be displayed at two (2) events and then will be moved to the bottom of the waiting list to enter normal rotation for future events. Instructions on how to apply will be provided in the event announcement.
• The event coordinator will request at least five (5) copies of the author's book, to be delivered by the author in advance of the event. Author has the discretion of providing signed or unsigned copies and designating the sale price.
• Authors intending to sell more than one title will be informed in advance whether sufficient space is available for the sale of multiple titles.
• MWA will handle sales at the event and will subsequently remit the profits to the author minus a 20% commission. Members may also choose to donate books so that all sales benefit the state organization or chapter as designated by the author. In such cases, MWA will provide authors with an acknowledgment letter that can be used for tax deduction purposes.
• Authors may choose to arrange to pick up unsold books following the event, or to restock any sales. Books that have not been restocked will be removed from the waiting list rotation following the sale of the last copy.

Maryland Writers' Association
PO Box 41671
Baltimore, MD 21203