APW Typerider November 2025
Greetings and Happy Thanksgiving!
I am delighted to be a part of a professional writing organization with members who are so giving of their time, knowledge, and talent. Thank you!
Once you renew your membership, we have two new potential opportunities for you to shine in 2026.
Reginald Manning is the artist behind APW’s logo when we were Arizona Press Women. He was an American artist and illustrator, best known for his editorial cartoons. The Arizona Republic hired Manning as a photographer and artist in 1926. “Hats” won him the Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 1951. (Thanks to Cheryl Kohout for his name.)
May your words flow,
Carol Baxter, APW President
p.s. The 2026 White Mountain Writers Conference date is July 31 (not the 3rd).
Membership
State membership for Arizona Professional Writers is $30.
If you know professionals who might be interested, they can join now and their membership will be good through 2026.
Membership in the National Federation of Press Women:
Professional $105 (may enter professional contest, $15 goes back to APW)
Student $25
Retired $30
Premium Professional $148 (Libel Insurance option)
There are several ways to pay. More information on those ways HERE.
AUTHOR TABLES AVAILABLE
Tucson Book Festival
The Tucson Festival of Books happens March 15 and 16, 2026.
APW has purchased a corner booth with the intent of growing our membership, showcasing our award-winning “Skirting Traditions” book, as well as offering members the opportunity to sell their books in the booth.
There will be more info/instructions, but these are the basics.
There are 2 half-day opportunities on Saturday and 2 half-day opportunities on Sunday.
You must be a member of APW in 2026.
If you want the CHANCE at a spot, please email Carol by November 30th. You must indicate which festival (Tucson and or or Scottsdale) you are interested in.
On December 1: If there are more authors than spots, live on APW’s Facebook page, the 4 names will be drawn out of a hat plus 2 alternates. You cannot choose your day, morning / afternoon time slot.
The cost to each author is $110.00
You are responsible for getting your books to and from the booth.
Your book price must include tax. You alone are responsible for remitting the taxes on your book sales.
You MUST read the festival Handbook.
Many thanks to Marie Fasano for coordinating pre-event.
Dawn Filos (Mauro) is the contact person for APW's booth, on-site.
Scottsdale Festival of Books
The Scottsdale Book Festival is January 24th 2026.
APW has purchased a booth at the Scottsdale Book Festival with the intent of growing our membership, showcasing our award-winning “Skirting Traditions” book, as well as selling other books by members.
You must be a member of APW in 2026.
Kathleen Osborne is setting up the booth (canopy, table, chairs).
One other APW officer must man the booth (and help set it up).
The cost of having books at the booth will be split between authors who wish to have their books for sale on the table. (You are not allowed to be in the booth or hang around outside making sales.)
Your book price must include tax. You alone are responsible for remitting the taxes on your book sales.
This is not a corner booth, and we estimate there is room for 12 authors, 6 in the morning and 6 in the afternoon. The cost is probably between $34 and $68.
You are responsible for schlepping your books to and from the booth that morning. You are responsible for helping Katherine set the booth up and tear it down.
There will be more info/instructions, but these are the basics.
If you want the CHANCE at a spot, please email Carol by November 30th. You must indicate which festival (Tucson and or or Scottsdale) you are interested in.
On December 1: If there are more authors than spots, live on APW’s Facebook page, the 12 names will be drawn out of a hat plus 2 alternates.
CHAPTER NEWS
Rim Country
Mark your calendars! The 11th Annual Payson Book Festival is July 18, 2026. Registration opens in January. Returning authors have first dibs. Watch for a December email from Connie Cockrell.
Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month at 1 p.m. entirely via Zoom. The next meeting will be January 21.
Central
No regular meetings until January.
Book Club
Meeting via Zoom fourth Saturday of every month at 10 AM
Zoom link will come in an email nearer the date of the event!
If you want to be on the Book Club list, email Karen.
Nov. 22:
Beautiful Daughter! - ¡Te Quiero, Te Quiero Mucho!: A Story of Growing Up Different by Maria J. Greenhalgh
A young mother hugs her baby girl and looks at her lovingly. She frequently tells her, ¡Te quiero, Te quiero mucho! (I love you. I love you very much!)
This is a story of how that little girl goes through the stages of growing up to become her authentic self. She is different, not at all like the magical princess her mother expected her to be.
The story is also about a mother's love for her daughter and a parent's journey to loving a child without the deeply rooted expectations set forth by culture and tradition.
Beautiful Daughter is a book written for both children and adults to enjoy, and shares the message of unconditional love and acceptance.
Maria will also spend a few minutes talking about her Kickstarter project in case any of you have considered running a campaign.
December Holiday Break –
No Book Group
Jan. 24
Birds, Puppets, Murder by Brenda Whiteside
White Mountain
Meetings are (hybrid in-person and via Zoom) held on the fourth Tuesday of the month at 6 pm.
Mark your calendars! The 2026 White Mountain Writers Conference date is July 31. The Festival of Books will be held on August 1. The White Mountain Writers Contest entry dates are March 1 through June 1, 2026. Winners will be announced at the conference.
The National Federation of Press Women's 2026 conference will be held September 24-26 at the Turf Valley Resort in Maryland.
2026 NFPW Professional Communications Contest
Opens: October 15, 2025
(Work must be published between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 2025.)
Early deadline: January 21, 2026
(Entries by this deadline avoid a $25 late-entry fee.)
All books deadline: February 4, 2026 Final deadline: February 18, 2025
Suggestion: Paying your 2026 Affiliate and NFPW dues when invoices first go out this fall will benefit in two ways: you’ll be sure to get the member rate when you submit your contest entries, and your first-place winning entries at the affiliate level will be ready to move quickly into the national competition!
HINT: Judges read author statements. The information in them can help determine who wins the top awards. Make sure you answer the questions specific to the category you are entering. Answer thoroughly but write concisely.
Notable Events
Ruth Douthitt is the featured speaker at The Scottsdale Society of Women Writers on November 19th.