I've also dealt with a bunch of e-mail, including sending a note to CapriCon programming, asking to be a panelist -- that's the next local convention, and apparently ISFIC, their parent organization, is a group SH can apply to for funding. We really need to start hitting up more of these -- it's a combination of doing research and actually having some presence in the region. While we can make the argument that SH serves readership almost anywhere, local fan groups are, understandably, more inclined to give money to people who actually live in the area they serve. So we'll figure out where the SH staff is first -- maybe after that, we'll start asking our readers and authors to go hit up their local sf fan groups. :-)
We do need to do something different, I'm afraid -- response has been worryingly small for the current SH fund drive -- as you can see, the thermometer is only up to $200, and we're already a third of the way through November. Not promising! We needed to ask for a little more this fund drive, since we're going to go ahead and raise our fiction rates to 5 cents/word, to keep up with the new SFWA regulations. It's squeezing our budget. :-(
If you were thinking about contributing, please don't wait 'til later in the month. People are motivated by watching that thermometer climb up, so if we can start getting some momentum going soon, that'll really help us get further. It's only $25 for the basic membership level, and you get a spiffy collectible SH member card, with original color artwork by Frank Wu, a fabulous artist, one of our favorites. The cards will be different every year, so this is a once-and-only opportunity. It's cool! It's fun! It's giving money to a very good cause!
