E-Newsletter | Issue: 2024-10-01

President’s Letter

From the writing desk of Katrina Marie

Dear CRW Members,

We are in the 4th Quarter of the year. I hope you’re hitting all your goals and getting all those words in. It’s the perfect time to snuggle up with a warm cup of tea and write.

Board elections will be happening October 16-31st. I have more information on that below if your interested in running for a board position.

Do you have a workshop you’d like to lead for CRW next year? We’re taking proposals now! Find out more here >> https://contemporaryromance.org/workshops/crw-workshop-policies-submissions/

I hope October is a productive month for you.

If you are one of the many affected by Hurricane Helene, please check in and let us know you are okay.

Keep reading for important updates!

CRW Board Elections

It’s that time again to look at who will help run CRW in 2025. If you’d like to run for a board position, please fill out the 2025 Volunteer Application. Below you will find the descriptions of the board positions.

The board positions include:

PRESIDENT:
Oversees and presides over all board meetings and the general running of the organization and the board of directors. The president shall refrain from voting on board decisions unless there is a tie-breaking vote needed, at which point, the president’s vote will determine the tie-break outcome. The president shall be one of two board members on the organization checking account. The president shall be responsible for reimbursing organization workshop instructors, event costs, and other expenses incurred by the organization. The President oversees organizing twice yearly Mentor Matching Program, monthly Writing Challenges, Nanowrimo group, Accountability group, Writing Sprints, and the DEIA program. Candidates for President must have been a member of CRW for a minimum of the 12 months before taking office and completed one full year of Board service with CRW.

SECRETARY:
Records all CRW board meetings and posts minutes to contemporaryromance.org. Keeps a record of all CRW documents. Keeps a record of CRW membership and reaches out to members with any membership issues.

TREASURER:
Keeps an accurate and up-to-date record of all organization finances including the bank account and PayPal account. Reports to the president if any financial inconsistencies arise. All communication with regard to chapter finances must go through the Treasurer and President. Candidates for Treasurer must possess strong business and financial skills and must have been a member of CRW for a minimum of the 12 months before taking office and completed one full year of Board service with CRW.

VICE PRESIDENT OF COMMUNICATIONS:
Responsible for all social media accounts, the CRW website, and the organization’s main email address (communications@contemporaryromance.org). The VP of Communications shall give updates and communicate with organization members upcoming events, workshops, or anything CRW or craft, business, industry related. The Vice President shall communicate with the board of directors any issues brought to them by CRW memberships. The VP of Communications may be one of two board of directors responsible for reimbursements for organization expenses through the PayPal account or one of two board members on the organization checking account. The VP of Communications shall not have access to more than one organization financial account.

VICE PRESIDENT OF WORKSHOPS:
Oversees all online workshops. Shall book and schedule online workshops for Contemporary Romance Writers to be held on a forum of their choosing based on instructor and membership needs and availability. The VP of Workshops shall keep an accurate record of each workshop attendee, cost, and amount to be reimbursed to the instructor. The VP of Workshops shall ask for a yearly programming fee, TBD by the board of directors, to be utilized for scheduling special workshops/programs for CRW members. Shall report any workshop issues/problems to the president. The VP of Workshops may be one of two board of directors responsible for reimbursements for organization expenses through the PayPal account or one of two board members on the organization checking account. The VP of Workshops shall not have access to more than one organization financial account.

VICE PRESIDENT OF PROGRAMS:
Oversees CRW events, including Stiletto Contest, Annual Conference, Retreat(s) (if the Board votes to hold retreats), and Pitch Events. The VP of Programs may appoint chairpeople to lead each event and/or choose to lead one or more event. The VP of Programs will establish event policies and standards, propose budgets for approval by the Board, ensure successful execution of each program, work with the VP of Communications on marketing and communications for each event, and report any program issues/problems to the president. The VP of Programs may be one of two board of directors responsible for reimbursements for organization expenses through the PayPal account or one of two board members on the organization checking account. The VP of Programs shall not have access to more than one organization financial account.

New Members

Please join me in extending a big, warm welcome to our newest members of CRW:

Event Calendar

Writing Sprints

Join in on our CRW-led writing sprints. We share reminders in the member Facebook Group and Slack.

Every Tuesday: 9am ET | 8am CT | 7am MT | 6am PT
Sprints with Tanya on Zoom

Every Saturday: 12pm ET | 11am CT | 10am MT | 9am PT
Sprints with Michelle on Zoom 

Want to run sprints at a different day/time? Let us know!

Upcoming Workshops

Invest in your own growth as a writer this year! Here is the lineup of workshops we have for February 2024. Members attend at a discounted price!

Member New Releases

Have a new release? Share it on our site and in an upcoming Member Newsletter here, and be sure to take a look at all the new books from CRW members in 2024.