Thank you for your interest in joining the LI Authors Group!
Below you will find the answers to frequently asked questions
about membership and the LIAG. Among the answers are step
by step instructions on how to join. At the very bottom
of this page is the LIAG application which you'll need to
print out.
We are very excited about
our organization and look forward to your joining very soon!
Please review the following topics of information…
What are the Benefits of Membership?
- Members' books are displayed and sold at our bookstore located in the IAC Gallery store at the Westfield South Shore Mall in Bay Shore. Members receive 100% of the sale price of their books.
- LIAG authors give monthly presentations on various topics for our members as well as for the general public at the IAC Gallery.
- There are monthly author dinner meetings with guests speaking on various topics of our craft.
- Each member has a personalized profile page on our website.
- Author book signings are provided at various venues around Long Island.
- Members can participate in town fairs with other author members to sell books and promote the LIAG.
- LIAG offers members the opportunity to expand their network, increase book sales and enjoy learning experiences by posting on the Long Island Authors Group Facebook Community Page and on Instagram.
- LIAG publishes a catalog featuring author presentations and workshops. It is marketed at book fairs and other events to promote the group and create opportunities for authors to engage in a variety of venues. View the Presentation Catalog here.
- Members have access to a master database of event contacts at libraries and bookstores to promote their programs.
- Informative monthly emails are sent to all members, listing educational pieces and publishing opportunities for poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
- There is the opportunity for members to be interviewed on the TV shows, The Writer's Dream and Between the Covers.
- The LIAG sponsors a literary challenge with monetary prizes to encourage the craft of writing among high school students.
- Members can participate on committees that assist the organization with social media, marketing, fundraising, accounting, membership, the bookstore, and our guest-speaker bureau.
- We enjoy the comradery with dozens of fellow authors and learn from one another.
- Each member receives a list of all LIAG authors allowing easy interaction with peers. Celebrity authors Tom Clavin and Steve Israel are among our members.
LIAG has, among its primary objectives, the desire to
guide writers toward the production of professional work,
and with that, assist them in promoting, distributing and
selling their publications. We have no bias regarding self-published
work, alternative press publications or commercial (mainstream)
books.
We also recognize that authorship can take many forms and
that a published book may fall into special categories such
as edited guidebooks and works of art including collections
of photographs and or illustrations. While the LIAG acknowledges
the value of such books and welcomes the published authors
to submit a LIAG Membership Application, we also reserve
the right to limit membership if the book being reviewed
is not up to our submission guidelines or falls outside
of the LIAG Mission Statement.
To become a member of LIAG, all books submitted for consideration
must demonstrate that they are:
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Free of typos, misspellings and grammatical errors
(except where, in context, stylistic license may apply).
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Designed and laid out professionally including typography;
margins and spacing; choice of paper and binding; illustrations
and photos (where such graphics apply).
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LIAG embraces diversity, while holding to high standards
of authorship. Should a book not meet the basic professional
standards we require, we will advise the author and hope
he or she will resubmit a re-edited or other work at a future
time.
What are the requirements to become a member?
There are basically three requirements. First,
the applicant must have written a book that has been published—the
book must have an ISBN. Second, the author applicant must
live in either Nassau or Suffolk Counties, or grew up on
LI. It is acceptable if the author applicant has a Nassau
or Suffolk mailing address, but lives in NYC because of
employment. Third, that the book be submitted to the LIAG
membership committee for review and approval—the book must
meet the usual book design and interior standards found
in literary works.
Can I join if I was an editor or contributed to an
anthology or collection of stories or Poems or if I authored
a magazine or journal article?
No, the requirement is that the applicant be
an author or co-author of a book, not just a contributor.
Why do authors have to submit their book(s) for
review and approval in order to join the LIAG?
Quality is a vital and important part of book
publishing. If a book that is submitted does not meet what
we believe are the minimal "general" quality standards that
would make this book attractive to the general book-buying
public, the book and the author's membership application
could be rejected. The Membership Committee, at its sole
discretion, will point out what needs to be fixed in a general
way—this might be in the book design, interior layout, writing
level, or editing issues.
What is the process—how does an author go about
joining the LIAG?
We suggest that an author interested in joining
review the various pages of the LIAG website, including the
about-us page, the
events page, and the
information contained on this page,
to learn more about the LIAG.
If the author decides to apply,
here are the steps…
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After visiting the LIAG website,
the author applicant should click on the join us tab, double
click on the application form, select open, then fill in
the LIAG Membership Application form and printout a copy.
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Send in the application with a copy of your book(s)
to the following address:
Long Island Authors Group
PO Box 1289
Smithtown, NY 11787
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The book(s) and application
are collected and forwarded to the Membership Committee
for review and consideration.
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Once the review process
is completed, the applicants are contacted regarding their
application status.
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Authors approved for membership
are then sent the official LIAG online information template.
Information on this form is needed for the author applicant
to be placed on the author pages of the website. In addition,
the applicant will receive instructions to send in a suitable
image file of their book cover(s) and a head shot image
file. These images should be in JPEG format.
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The applicant must send in their membership dues to
the LIAG treasurer at this address:
Long Island Authors Group
PO Box 277
Port Jefferson Station, NY 11776
Attn: Treasurer
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When all 6 steps described above are completed, the
author applicant is sent an e-mail welcome to the
Group.
How long does the membership process take?
The application and book review process can
take up to 2 to 4 months to complete. After that, the time-frame
is determined by the applicant sending in the right materials
in the correct format. The Membership Committee Chair or
Assistant Chair will follow up with the applicants during
the application process.
Can I participate in any of the LIAG events and
activities while waiting to be an approved member?
No, except for activities that are open to
the public, author applicants cannot participate in LIAG
events that are closed to the public until the application
process is completed. This includes any seminar or workshop,
and any book selling event such as book fairs. We hope that
all applicants will expedite the submission of materials
and follow-up as needed. The LIAG Board appreciates the
applicant's cooperation and patience.
What is the fee to join the LIAG?
Membership in LIAG incurs yearly dues of $130. For this
one payment you are entitled to have your books on the
shelves of our LIAG Bookstore at the Islip Arts Council
Gallery in the South Shore Mall, as well as the ability
to participate in all our other activities.
About the money that is collected, what is it used
for?
All monies collected, this includes membership
dues, seminar admission, book fair table fees and so on,
are used to maintain the organization. The money collected
pays for expenses such as, liability insurance, website/domain
name fees, artwork created to promote events, LIAG banners
and event signs, and for LIAG Board approved expenditures
as needed. No officer or Board Member receives any compensation.
The LIAG Treasurer maintains the organizations checking
account and books, and prepares a financial report to the
LIAG Board each quarter.
What is the membership period?
The LIAG membership is renewed on an annual
basis—membership runs from January 1st to December 31st.
If I join the LIAG in June, is there a reduction
in the dues I have to pay?
Yes, new members will have their first year's membership
dues pro-rated relative to the calendar date of their
acceptance.
What about co-authors, can a co-author participate
in LIAG activities without also being a member?
No, co-authors interested in participating
in LIAG activities such as book fairs, book talks, and seminars
must also be official members and have paid dues.
What type of organization is the Long Island Authors
Group?
The LIAG is an IRS approved 501(c)3 public charitable
organization. Contributions to the LIAG are
tax-deductible under Section 170 of the Internal Revenue
Code. (Consult your tax adviser for details.)
The LIAG was established to be a grass-roots
organization with the members themselves doing the work
needed to conduct the Group's activities. The LIAG at this
time does not provide members with any individual writing,
editing, or book selling services. Ideas for activities
and events are presented to the Board and voted on in accordance
with the mission statement and by-laws of the LIAG.
What is the mission statement of the LIAG?
The mission of the Long Island Authors Group
is to encourage, support and promote authorship, primarily
in the Long Island, New York area. We are a group of local
book authors who have joined together to conduct activities
and events that add to the availability of our published
works while promoting the Long Island writing community.
Our group works with retail bookstores arranging book talks
and signings, and conducts events at various locations that
are open to the public. Our group fosters knowledge and
experience by conducting educational seminars on assorted
topics such as writing workshops, marketing techniques,
promotion strategies, and the use of emerging Internet outlets
& new technologies.
After I become a member, how can I get involved
in the organization—what can I do to help?
This starts with participating in the LIAG
events and activities—including supporting individual members
by attending their author events when possible. Any member,
even new ones, are encouraged to get involved by offering
to help with new ideas for events, serving on the various
committees, coordinating events, and helping the LIAG where
needed. Members can speak to any LIAG Board member to learn
more about getting involved and to ask about available volunteer
positions within the LIAG.
Will I have fun as a member of the LIAG?
Yes, without a doubt! Generally, you will find
members of the organization are willing to help each other
with the answers to questions about book promotion and marketing,
about the book publishing industry, and to offer advice
based on the experience level of the authors. Authors are
free to socialize and to network with other people of similar
creative minds. Meetings and events are always upbeat—members
have opportunities to meet other authors and to learn from
each other what they can do as authors. As one writer explained
following a long conversation with one of the authors,
"You know, this isn't a conversation you can have with
just anyone."
For the
purpose of this policy, a conflict of interest is
defined as follows…
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A
conflict of interest occurs when an individual, as a
member, or a pending member of the Long Island Authors
Group (LIAG) is involved in multiple interests, one of
which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act
in another.
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Or, when a situation in which a person, as a member
of the LIAG, has a duty to more than one organization,
competing or otherwise, but cannot do justice to the
actual or potentially adverse interests of both
organizations.
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In addition, someone accused of a conflict of
interest might deny that a conflict of interest exists
because there was no improper act committed. We
recognize that a conflict of interest can exist even if
there is no improper act as a result of it. In this
sense, there might exist "a conflict of roles." A
person, as a member of the LIAG, may experience
situations where these two roles conflict and the
differing roles will certainly provide an incentive for
improper acts in some circumstances.
Furthermore, it is stated that…
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Members of the LIAG cannot serve on the board of a
conflicting group or be a founding member of the
organization.
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A conflicting group is defined as an organization
that has a similar mission statement, recruits similar
members, and/or conducts similar activities. A
conflicting group is identified by the LIAG Board of
Directors.
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Members of the LIAG cannot own, be a principle share
holder, or hold an administrative position within an
organization, a corporation, or be a sole proprietor of
a company that sells services or solicits sales, that
may influence or limit, a LIAG member's book
publishing/marketing experience.
Action taken when an individual, as a member of the LIAG
is thought to have a conflict of interest…
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Members of the LIAG deemed to have a conflict of
interest are reported to the LIAG Board of Directors.
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The LIAG has the right to limit participation or deny
membership for individuals who violate the LIAG Conflict
of Interest Policy.
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These conflicts will be decided by a majority
decision vote of the LIAG Board of Directors.
Are you ready to join? Click on the application form
below to apply!
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