Constitution and By-Laws

 Constitution and Bylaws

of the

Authors Guild of Tennessee

Constitution

ARTICLE I.   Name   The name of the organization shall be Authors Guild of Tennessee, hereinafter referred to as “AGT.”  AGT is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation for the State of Tennessee and the United States Government.

ARTICLE II.  Mission   To foster the professional development of writers and to work together to promote and market our literary works.

ARTICLE III.  Government   The officers of AGT comprising the Executive Board shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary,  Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer. These officers plus two (2) Members-at-Large shall constitute the Executive Board which shall have control and generally manage the affairs of the organization, its funds, and physical assets. Any vacancies occurring during the year shall be appointed by the Executive Board until a replacement election can be held.  To conduct business, a quorum of the Executive Board shall consist of four members.

ARTICLE IV. Elections   The election of officers and two Members-at-Large shall be every year in December, with terms running from January 1 through December 31. The Vice President shall be chair of the Nominating Committee,  choosing other members to make up a slate to comprise the Executive Board. If an office shall be vacated during the year, the Executive Board shall recommend a member to fill it.

ARTICLE V.  Membership  All applications for AGT membership must be submitted to the Membership/Vetting Committee according to the procedures and requirements in this Directory.

ARTICLE VI.  Committees/Chairs  The Committee Chairs shall meet periodically with their members and report their progress to the membership at monthly meetings when appropriate.

ARTICLE VII.  Dues and Fees   The annual dues and fees shall be established  by the Executive Board. Dues are waived for the Treasurer and Asst. Treasurer.

ARTICLE VIII. Meetings   General membership meetings shall be scheduled once each calendar month.

ARTICLE IX.  Amendments   The Executive Board may recommend amendments to the By-Laws to the general membership for approval by a simple majority.

Bylaws

ARTICLE I.

The Executive Board shall make policies and set short- and long-term goals for AGT.

OFFICER DUTIES:

 A.  President   The president shall preside at meetings, formulate a vision for AGT with the assistance of the Executive Board, and represent AGT in its relations with individuals and other organizations.

 B. Vice-President  In the absence of the President, the Vice President shall serve in place of the President by presiding at meetings and carrying out other presidential responsibilities. Shall also serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee.

 C.  Secretary  Shall record the minutes of regularly scheduled monthly meetings and Executive Board meetings. Upon approval of the President, the minutes shall be emailed to the full membership at least two weeks prior to the next meeting. The Secretary shall send notes of condolences, congratulations, etc. to AGT members as appropriate.

D.  Treasurer  Shall maintain a checking account in the name of the Authors Guild of Tennessee, recording all payments and expenses and shall report at monthly meetings; shall work with the Board, or a designated member, regarding annual and state tax reporting requirements, which includes ensuring AGT maintains a current TN Sales and Use TAx Exemption Certification.

E.  Assistant Treasurer  Shall fulfill the duties of the Treasurer whenever he/she is not available and assist the Treasurer whenever necessary.

F.  Members-At-Large  The purpose of the Members-at-large is to broaden representation of the membership. Shall offer advice to the Board regarding items on the Board’s agenda and on issues during the year.

G.  Executive Board  The Executive Board shall consist of the five (5) officers and two (2) Members-at-Large. The Executive Board Members shall be elected by a majority vote.

ARTICLE II.

CHAIR/ COMMITTEE DUTIES

A.  Chairs

  1.  Shall inform committee members about the committee’s activities at monthly meetings or by email.
  2.  The outgoing Chair shall meet with the incoming chair to pass on materials and to give an overview of responsibilities.

B. Events Committee

  1.  If organized, shall research the most promising local fairs and festivals; sign up members to participate, compute cost per person, submit application, and correspond with organizer.
  2.  Store or secure storage for two tents, tables, display materials, and fasteners. Set up and take down all equipment at events.3.
  3.  Event participants must pay their share in the time allotted by the coordinator, and will not get a refund if unable to attend event. Coordinator’s fee to be paid by AGT, if appropriate.
  4. Organize signings at bookstore or other locations.

C. Library Committee

  1.  Shall establish a library of Members’ books to be loaned out to members at monthly meetings to read and review, with check-outs and check-ins recorded.  Books may be borrowed for one (1) month.
  2. Members are expected to tote their own books to and from meetings.

D. Membership/Vetting Committee

  1. Two Committee members shall examine applicant’s book(s) to determine compatibility with AGT Guidelines as outlined in this Directory.
  2. A Welcome Package to be given to new members with letter of acceptance.
  3. Chair to advise President and website coordinator of new member’s particulars, and order name tag from printer.
  4. If need be, Chair will send letter of rejection and return book(s) to applicant.

E. Nominating Committee

  1. The Vice-President will appoint committee in November to draw up a slate of officers to be sent out in an email prio to the December monthly meeting. Winners will be determined by a simple majority.

F. Program

  1. Chair and members shall arrange for programs for monthly meeting on topics related to writing or marketing.

G. Publicity Committee

  1. Develop strategies to promote AGT and our authors. Keep a list of newspaper and other media outlets with contact information, placing notice of monthly meetings in Knoxville News Sentinel to invite visitors and guests.

H. Retail

  1. Visit AGT retailers on a regular basis to keep track of sales and to send net payments to Treasurer on a monthly basis.
  2. Re-evaluate each store to determine viability and to remove books, if advisable.
  3. Shall look for new stores with sales potential.
  4. Request non-renewing members to pick up their books from retail stores, at Faith Lutheran Church, or donate said books to local libraries.

I. Training Committee

  1. Chair and/or Committee to conduct training (either individually or as a group) in AGT website, blogging, and social media, etc.

J. Website Committee

  1. Coordinator to oversee the AGT website to keep it current and accurate. Shall be liaison between the website master and the Guild. Shall facilitate payment for website expenses with AGT funds.

Criteria for AGT Membership

Applicant

  1. Applicant must be a resident of Tennessee.
  2. Applicant for membership shall provide to the Membership Committee at least one published book or draft of a book they wish to publish, to review for compatibility with industry standards as identified in this document.
  3. Once accepted, the applicant must pay the prorated dues within 30 days. When dues are paid, the Membership chair shall contact the President and give the Website coordinator the new member’s information.
  4. The new member is encouraged to join a committee within 30 days, to attend monthly meetings as often as possible, and to participate in the group’s activities. To be eligible for renewal of membership, the member must have attended a minimum of three (3) meetings during the current calendar year.
  5. Members are expected to review at least one book by another AGT author each month and post review on bookseller sites such as Amazon and Goodreads.
  6. To stay in good standing with AGT, a members must follow the above criteria, conform to AGT’s Constitution and Bylaws, and pay their dues on time.