Early bird registration for ASJA’s 2023 annual conference was just wrapping up when the Pacific Northwest chapter got together in May, with nearly 200 people having registered for the virtual event, set for June 13-15.
Michelle Rafter, conference chair, noted that sessions will be recorded and available on the ASJA website after the conference as part of the registration fee. Members will also be able to purchase recordings of sessions they didn’t attend.
Along with 36 sessions, the conference will include nine informal conversations, or snack chats. Sharon Elaine Thompson will co-host “Everything you wanted to know about starting or growing an ASJA regional chapter” on June 15.
Also discussed at the May meeting: potential markets for various stories and projects in the works; print-on-demand book publishing services; research for an article on the metaverse; the use of AI to generate royalty-free images; and ChatGPT as a brainstorming tool.
Sharon Elaine Thompson, writing as Liz Hartley, has independently published her third novel, The Illinois Caper, the first in her new The Route 66 Steal series. She’s released it digitally, through the most popular e-reader platforms (Amazon, Nook, Kobo, and iBooks). It is also available in paperback not only through Amazon, but through Bookshop.org (supporting independent bookstores) and, by special order, through local independent booksellers. The second book, The Missouri Run, is in process.
Bruce Miller’s photos of news and events in the Seattle area appear occasionally in Shoreline Area News, which covers Shoreline and Lake Forest Park.
ASJA members attending the May meeting: Rosemary Keevil, Bruce Miller, M. Carolyn Miller, Michelle V. Rafter, Randy Stapilus, Sharon Thompson.