AAPA Member Services

The American Amateur Press Association provides a variety of services for its members.

Online Services

Members who have Internet and e-mail access can take advantage of the following AAPA services:

Project ALERT

AAPA's Project ALERT coordinator, Danny Kelly, gathers AAPA news and announcements into e-mail messages sent to members who want to receive them. For further information, send a message to the coordinator.

Online Membership Directory

If you need an AAPA member's e-mail address, visit the online directory. Members who want to access the list must first get the password from AAPA's Secretary-Treasurer. (Note: The file excludes addresses of members who have indicated they do not wish to participate in the list.)

Web Page Listings

Have a Web page you want listed on the AAPA site? If it includes a link into the AAPA Web site, your page can be included in the AAPA's ``Reciprocal Links'' page. If it describes a letterpress printshop, you can have it listed on the ``Hobby and Professional Letterpress Printing'' page. Just send the information to webmaster Dave Tribby.

E-Journal Archive

Members who publish their journals electronically can send them to the coordinator for inclusion in the AAPA archive.

Other Services

Much of the text in this section was taken from the Handbook of the American Amateur Press Association, published in 2002 by Les Boyer.

The Bundle

The mortar that binds the Association together is the bundle! Every month members receive from the Mailer a packet containing a copy of every paper published that month. Occasionally a publisher mails his journals directly to members, but almost always the needed number of copies are sent to the Mailer who then handles the mailing chore. The Mailer perodically announces how many copies are required to cover the current membership, plus possibly a few extra for sample bundles to be sent to prospective recruits. In recent years, approximately 150 copies have been needed, but when it comes time to publish your journal you should check with the Mailer for the latest requirements.

Official Organ (American Amateur Journalist)

Published by the elected Official Editor every other month and distributed in the bundle, the AAJ contains official reports and articles of interest.

Laureate Awards

The Association annually awards laureate certificates to members producing the outstanding piece of work in each of the following categories:

1. letterpress printed journal
2. non-letterpress printed journal
3. journal of overall excellence
4. prose fiction
5. prose non-fiction
6. poetry
7. original work of art.

One or more honorable mentions may also be awarded in each category.

The 12-month period covered by the awards commences on July 1 and ends the following June 30. Winners are selected by a three-member Laureate Board, and any work distributed to the membership is eligible.

Annual Cooperative Publication (Ink Cahoots)

Members who want to participate in the yearly edition of Ink Cahoots send the required number of 4-1/2 by 6 inch pages to the coordinator before the deadline of August 31. The coordinator collates the pages, binds them into the cover, and sends them on to the Mailer for inclusion in the bundle.

The only coordinator (so far) has been Dave Tribby. Write to him for publication details or a sample copy.

Constitution and By-Laws

For details on member services, duties of officers, and rules governing the operation of the organization, refer to the Constitution and By-Laws.