SOUTH FLORIDA

writers association

The South Florida Writers Association conducts programs, activities and special events that are in accordance with its mission and purpose. Our monthly hybrid meetings are FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC with educational presentations about writing, publishing, marketing or award-winning or best-selling authors, agents or publishers.

Welcome to SFWA

Join Now!

Membership Benefits

Among others boons, we award four semi-annual grants of $500: for marketing and publishing, awarded at our June meeting along with the installation of the new Board, another pair in December at our annual Holiday Party.

All members can apply and winners are selected by random lottery.

Hybrid Monthly Meeting

The next General Meeting of the South Florida Writers Association will be on

Saturday, June 7, 2025 at 10:30 AM at

Pinecrest Library

5811 SW 111th Street

and will feature the installation of the new

Board of Directors for the 2025-2026 year that you selected last month.

You can also join us on Zoom at:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83899718493

Presiding over the installation will be Ellen Book, Branch Manager of the Pinecrest Branch Library.

Click Here to Join Zoom on 6/7

Rules and procedures:

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SFWA CASH GRANTS

1. $500 BOOK PUBLISHING GRANT to help with the cost of printing, book cover design, ISBN or book editing. Applicant must submit the application form with a brief description of the book project with the target date of publication (within 1 year of receiving the grant). Printed book, e-book, chapbook, audio book of any genre will be accepted.

2. $500 WRITER OR BOOK MARKETING GRANT to help cover marketing costs, e. g. professional headshot of writer, photographs of book cover/s, website design/maintenance or hosting, advertisement, conference or book fair fees, publicity, travel costs for book tour/s, podcast, book trailer or video production. Applicant must submit the application form with a brief description of the marketing activity or activities that the grant will be used for. Open to freelance writers, journalists, bloggers, authors, playwrights, etc.

3. Eligibility: Applicant must be a paid member of SFWA at the time of drawing/for the period between July 1, 2023 until June 30, 2024.

4. Previous winners of the grants will not be eligible, in order to provide opportunity for other members.

5.. Members who applied for the grants between July – December 2024 and did not win at the July or December 2024 drawings will be automatically included in the June 2025 round

Use this link to apply now!

Ellen Book began her career with the Miami-Dade Public Library System in 1987 after graduating from FSU.

Starting as a Business and Science Specialist at the Main Library, she promoted into Branch Management at a wide range of locations.

Along the way, her volunteer efforts were noticed. Members of the Dade County Library Association elected her as their President from 2010-2012 and the Rotarians of the South Miami Rotary Club elected her as their President in the mid-2000s from which she ascended to a two-year post as Asst. District Governor.

One of her favorite literacy projects was coordinating numerous countywide dictionary giveaways when 27,000 dictionaries were handed out to students at assemblies. Back in 2006, the City of South Miami proclaimed May 2nd as "Ellen Book Day" to thank her for many hours of community service and in 2014 the League of Women Voters presented her with the Community Activist of the Year Award.

Her passions with recycling have led her to teach thousands of environmentally conscientious people how to Compost at Home as she is also a Master Gardener for UF/IFAS Extension and how to upcycle used plastic bags into crocheted mats for the homeless. Both programs have received national awards. Feel free to ask her how you can become a librarian because she is always recruiting for her beloved profession.