Ideas and Suggestions for the Guild Future

[FrancesP]

So much great input. I think, the points about publications, legal status, and marketing are spot on. It seems like one thing we can focus on is what we’re doing well right now, to me that seems to be: 1- social platform via Slack, Telegram and the weekly chats (which also are a great platform for learning/education at least on a topic by topic level) 2- Market aggregation, which could be more up to date but it sounds like we’re on top of that and I know even just having open calls listed in the forums has been a HUGE help to me. and 3- the Coyotls, which we have room to step up and do more for. I look forward to Mary’s input on what we can do to really get behind the awards and imo this should be a priority. I agree with what Chipotle said about the award working as an avenue for broader recognition and I think we’d do well to latch onto and nurture that.

I still think we should do the follow free/easy/quick things.
Automate an annual email reminding the membership to consider donating.
Automate a monthly alert to go out on Slack and telegram (if that platform allows this) which says: another month is upon us, don’t forget to submit your articles, blot posts, fiction excerpts or author spotlights to the blog. (I also think this rider should be at the end of every blog post we do, if it isn’t already… but the people seem to be on telegram and slack more than the blog, so it would maybe serve well there)
Start a thread or some official post somewhere that lists: what the leadership needs done (what projects are on the table) and request volunteers to work on them. Ie: committees or projects that need manpower. Because expecting the membership to knock on your door and say, I’ll do this thing, requires some outreach that says, these are the things we need done.
Lastly, do everything we can to support and assist with the Coyotls.

These seem like doable and manageable tasks as opposed to things like, anthologies, tax exemption, newletters and more daunting tasks.

[FuzzWolf]

SJW attack .

[Dwale]

Night of the Living SJWs?

[Silver2075]

I don’t get it? Is that something below religious zealots character. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think it was a tactic something the West Burro Baptists utilized when they were around but I just don’t put anything past any radical. People just like to mock, insult, or attack people with different views for some reason.

[Daniel]

This risks drifting off topic, but since you sound genuinely confused:

First of all, SJWs are not the problem. SJWs are good. Nazis are bad.

Second, there are much bigger organizations within furry (e.g., MFF) that have weathered attacks by Nazis and their friends. The FWG is not a target, being a legal entity wouldn’t make it a target, and even if it were a target, furries are good at fighting Nazis.

[Dwale]

Let it suffice to say that “SJW attacks” are not on our list of concerns, nor are they likely to be for the foreseeable future.

[Ryffnah]

People who use “SJW” as a pejorative are dog-whistling – intentionally or not – in a way that makes a lot of the most marginalized individuals in a community feel unsafe. Posts like that do not make for a welcoming community to so many of the people who SHOULD feel safe and welcome here.

Honestly, I’m mostly just too tired to figure out how to gracefully push back against that kind of thing.

I had to ask my husband to step in and say something, because I’m not comfortable in places where that kind of dog-whistling is either ignored or laughed at (but in a way that lets it continue), and it makes it very hard to both engage and keep the kind of even-keeled demeanor that is generally required from women for them to be accepted as professional.

[Shirou14]

I don’t have much to add to the discussion that hasn’t already been said- and there’s been a lot said!- but I would be happy to volunteer to some capacity, not certain how much of my time I can donate but we can work things out. I would also be happy to send some money to the guild every so-often if that’s something that can be done. I would like to know there’s some sort of plan, ideal, or goal for the money though. Not just throwing money into a void and waiting to see if something happens.

[Silver2075]

My apologizes for dog whistling, but I don’t really know what to call those who think they have the moral high ground to harass or shut down things they don’t personally agree. As a writer, I loathe the idea of censorship of any kind form any group for any reason real or imagined. I feel this should always be a concern because I feel writers should engage society by the written word. You have my apologies, but my opinion of what kind of behaviors people will engage in to harass others who are different has not changed. Call them nazi if you wish, I’ll just call them dirt bags if no one has a problem with that. lol

[Silver2075]

And can someone please answer my previous question as to scrutiny of current donations? Does the importance of becoming a legal entity increase for a sponsorship donation as opposed to a general fund donation?

[Dwale]

[Ok, folks, that’s enough noise in the signal. Let’s try to keep posts on topic. Future posts deemed off topic may be removed without notice.]

Silver, I really do not understand what you’re trying to ask.

[Silver2075]

Well, the guild does take donations currently correct? My suggestion was to allow someone to sponsor the awards. For example, my books will never win an award but a mention of good will could be a justifiable investment to justify a larger sum for the donation. However, it was then refereed back to legal status of the group. I guess I’m not sure why, where, or when the line is drawn or if it is just a matter of we just don’t know.

[Dwale]

You would have to ask someone more knowledgeable in the legal minutiae than I, sorry.

[Silver2075]

Yeah, I have no idea either. lol That is why I asked. I guess someone can let me know if they want to kick around the Idea of a sponsor. Of course, next year would be better for me. I’m not publishing any books this year. lol

[Frank_LeRenard]

Guess it’s the new year, huh? And everyone’s vying for change.

I don’t have any suggestions, really, regarding what more the Guild could do. I have no expertise in writing (solidly classified as hobbyist, here), publishing, organizations, taxes, or any of that stuff. I do have expertise elsewhere, though, and I know many of our other members do as well (degrees, jobs, identity, etc.), so perhaps that’s an untapped resource that might also be tapped. Google only gets you so far when you want to research something while writing. Maybe have a list somewhere of who in the Guild is willing to be contacted for consultation on what subject?

But that’s all I got.

[Dwale]

That actually exists, although I do not believe it has been updated in quite some time.

[Frank_LeRenard]

Where is that, exactly? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen it, which is maybe not a good sign for its utility…

[Dwale]

I just tried to find it and could not. Perhaps it is time to make a new one.

[Poetigress]

Member knowledge base

A thread for those of us willing to offer our skills, experience, or general knowledge in particular areas (horses, medicine, macrame, whatever) to writers needing questions answered or perhaps a beta read for that particular aspect. Post your particular areas of expertise here if you’re willing to have forum members contact you about them as needed.

[LiteralGrill]

Okay. So (deep breath): I don’t think having the FWG simultaneously be a writers’ group—however we define it—and a publisher is a good idea. At least in principle, it’s a conflict of interest on two levels: it puts us in at least indirect competition with other furry publishers, and it means we’re potentially giving our own prospective members the publishing credits they need to become members. In practice neither of those has come up as an issue yet, but the potential is there—especially if we ever seriously consider required membership dues, however nominal they might be. A Coyotl anthology series that by definition reprints previously-published work doesn’t run into this issue, but a magazine would.

I hadn’t considered it from this angle, I’m really glad you brought it up. You’re right, this might not be the good route to go but I do have other ideas I’ll get to in a moment because…

I can’t speak on any official terms since I’m not part of the administration, but a FWG anthology in the future is probably not going to happen unless an editor/president steps up (like I did) and pays for it out-of-pocket.

It seems to be the case here. I’ve tried talking to some of the other small furry authors, there seems to be things out there were you essentially print one book at a time as people order but it increases the price by a LOT. Either way with the potential conflict of interest above, I think I’m gonna say I agree now that publishing things outside of maybe Coyotl reprints might be a bad idea.

HOWEVER recently an exquisite corpse story was started through the FWG Telegram and I have to say things like this may be the way to go. It seems if anything, the most liked suggestions in this thread have either been about making us a more official organization (which seems complex but somebody should take on eventually it seems) or expanding the social aspects of the group, promote ourselves more, things like that.

I think things like this, maybe promoting some flash fiction challenges, things people can get into for fun maybe is how we should take it then! Of course making small groups in chats for encouraging submissions to anthologies and the like could be cool. Essentially a place more focused to bounce ideas off of other folks in potentially. I’ve already suggested getting a stronger beta reading program going. If this is the kinda stuff people wanna see more of we can always start there and get more ambitious as time goes on!

In terms of making things into a proper business at least, I do think it’s something that needs to be done. That being said I also understand completely why it hasn’t been attempted yet too. If things have been going by on a barely going volunteer basis filing complex tax forms might be a BIT above the pay grade. If I remember it’s literally over 25 pages of stuff to fill out to just make it happen.

Not sure what to suggest there, whoever has to try and do it has so much on their hands to make it happen, it’d be tough as heck.

(Oh jeez, and a quick googling suggests it’s gonna be at LEAST $400 bucks just to file… Which I’m going to guess is a BIT over the kind of budget anyone has.)