About

The Los Angeles Chapter of the Women’s National Book Association brings together individuals with diverse backgrounds to exchange ideas, focus on issues, network, and support the local book community. In an effort to advance knowledge of the world of book publishing and related fields, we welcome, encourage, and educate people from all areas of the book industry, particularly women.

Our members include authors, screenwriters, poets, songwriters, performance artists, activists, readers, publishers, librarians, booksellers, educators, publicists, editors, production/graphics specialists, agents and reviewers.

We welcome new members all year long, and your dues of $50.00 cover the membership year of June 1 through May 31.

Mission

The Women’s National Book Association is a national organization of women and men who work with and value books. WNBA exists to promote reading and to support the role of women in the community of the book.

Reflecting the diversity of our membership, WNBA-Los Angeles offers a seasonal program schedule that presents networking opportunities and timely topics concerning book publishing and issues surrounding the book industry.

The purposes of WNBA are educational and charitable. WNBA came into being to inform book women about matters relevant to themselves and the book world so that these women could inform and help one another.

We work to:

  • Bring together women and men who are active in the world of books.
  • Educate and inform the public about the need to create, produce, distribute, and use books.
  • Respond to requests for information about books and the allied arts and generate and support projects that help to disseminate such information.
  • Serve as a catalyst for all in the book community who wish to work together.
  • Promote recognition of women’s achievements in the book industry.

Women’s National Book Association History

Welcome to the original WNBA—the Women’s National Book Association, established in 1917, before women in America even had the right to vote. WNBA is a vibrant national organization. There are chapters with active members in New York, Detroit, Boston, Nashville, San Francisco, Charlotte, Seattle, Washington DC, New Orleans, South Florida, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. WNBA has individual Network Members across the country, numerous corporate Sustaining Members, and chapter Honorary Members in the world of books and beyond. WNBA is a broad-based non-profit organization with some 800 members across the country, three distinguished national awards, and a history of lively events in chapter cities and elsewhere.

Autumn 1917: Women across America awaited the Senate’s vote on the proposed 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which, when ratified in 1920 by two-thirds of the state legislatures, would give women suffrage. A group of fifteen women booksellers excluded from membership in the all-male Bookseller’s League met in Sherwood’s Book Store, 19 John Street, in downtown New York to form the Women’s National Book Association.

Its unique characteristic was that membership was open to women in all facets of the book world, publishers, booksellers, librarians, authors, illustrators, agents, production people—the only criterion being that part of their income must come from books.

Almost one hundreed years later, with chapters spanning the country from Boston to San Francisco and with Network members across the country, the WNBA continues to champion the role of women in the world of words. Today, membership is open to women involved in all aspects of publishing and to men who subscribe to the Association’s goals.

During these years, WNBA has run seminars on bookselling techniques, published four books, led in-service courses for teachers on children’s books, sponsored book and authors’ luncheons and dinners, participated in local book fairs, been active as a non-governmental organization member at the United Nations, entertained visiting book women from abroad, and surveyed the status of women in publishing.

Believing that books have power, WNBA has made it possible for people engaged in various book activities to help broaden their part in the book world, and to know one another as individuals with common problems, aspirations, and goals.

Women today have more opportunity to make change and move ahead than ever before. The Women’s National Book Association is the organization in which they can come together, define goals, develop leadership, further communication, and organize activities to benefit women.

Nearly one hundred years after our foremothers struggled for the right to vote and learned how successful organized women can be, WNBA celebrates its continuous commitment to improving the status, image, and role of women in the world of books.

Awards

The first issue of The Bookwoman, the organization’s official publication, appeared in November 1936 through the generosity of Constance Lindsay Skinner, author, lecturer, and active member of WNBA. Since 1940, the Women’s National Book Association Award (formerly the Constance Lindsay Skinner Award) has been given to a book woman for “meritorious work” in her special field. During the 1960s, the Amy Loveman National Award for the best personal library collected by an undergraduate in an American college was a major project.

The Lucile Micheels Pannell Award, which promotes the creative use of books with children, was established in 1982 with funds bequeathed by the late Mrs. Pannell, who was a founder of the Chicago chapter of WNBA. This award is given annually at the American Booksellers Association convention.

Given annually, the WNBA Eastman Grant is a cash grant given to a library association in a state where there is a WNBA chapter. The funds are given to support librarian professional development or training offered by an official library association. The WNBA national board administers the program and selection of the library association to receive the award occurs at the WNBA annual national board meeting.

Our hashtag: #judylopezaward


Past Events

Hispanic Heritage Month – October

A huge thank you to everyone who made it out to our event on Saturday! And a special thank you to @lilliamr @mireyasvela @jennanntorres

 


Pitch and Query Workshop – A big thanks to literary manager Marilyn Atlas!

Marilyn Atlas

You’ve written a book or a screenplay. Now what do you do? How do you set yourself up so that your book can make it on shelves or for that screenplay to make it to film? You learned how best to present yourself so that you can succeed.

Marilyn R. Atlas is a talent and literary manager and award-winning producer. Among her credits as film producer are “Real Women Have Curves” for HBO, which won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival; “A Certain Desire,” starring Sam Waterston; and “Echoes,” which won the Gold Award at the Texas International Film Festival.


Highlights from Scary Stories Around the Pitfire Highlights from Scary Stories Around the Pitfire!

Thank you all for joining us! To watch and listen to the readings, check out the Facebook Live videos on our page–there are three parts, and nearly all readings were captured!

Thank you again to all who stood up and shared their story: Laurie Finkelstein Mark J. Rose Mike Robinson Sean Patrick Traver Diana Giovinazzo Tierney Flo Selfman Robin Reed Brad C. Hodson Tori Eldridge Naomi Brett Rourke Vanta M. Black Eddie Louise Robert Yehling.


WNBA-LA National Reading Group Month Event

Celebrating Great Group Reads about women in media with guests @gretchenbonaduce @lauradaveauthor @robinnelee at @skylightbooks. Our panel was moderated by the fabulous @ezinatv.

   


It’s a beautiful day for a Sunday Tea…Judy Lopez Dinner


We are so pleased to honor Alan Gratz the Judy Lopez Award.

Three children from different time periods embark on a harrowing journey to escape their war ravaged countries to find assylum in the United States. Poignant and timely, we are so pleased to honor Alan Gratz with the 2018 Judy Lopez Award.

A look at some of Judy Lopez past winners:


Women supporting women at our annual Writer’s Voice event

 


Meet and Pitch an Agent – what a wonderful event!
Thank you to The Lev Bookstore for hosting us!

   


Our semi-annual Literary Tea Salon!

So much gratitude for these authors spending their Sunday with us and enlightening us with their stories and publishing insight. Diversity focused, strong women characters, bestsellers…you can’t get any better than that! And thanks to members and prospective members for coming out!

Our hashtag: #judylopezaward

Join Us!

We welcome new members all year long, and your dues cover the membership year of June 1 through May 31. Please renew below.


• Need to renew your membership? CLICK HERE

• For New Members: As of 2023, we current ly offer three types of memberships for the Los Angeles chapter.

General Admission – $50

Marginalized Voice Membership – $25 for voices typically marginalized in the publishing industry.

Student Membership – $15 for people actively enrolled in college/graduate school.

Please choose your membership below:

Membership Types

or if you prefer…

Send a check (fee: $50) to:

WNBA-LA
TBD

CLICK HERE (Live PDF file) to download our sign-up form to print and mail in or send thru email to: treasurer@wnba-la.org

Member Benefits:

Membership is much more fun with a friend. Invite a friend to join WNBA and share in the fun.

Benefits of membership include:

Network with WNBA professionals around the U.S. and regionally
Attend WNBA events anywhere in the country
Professional development through LA Chapter & national board positions
Get a discounted rate to enter the WNBA Annual Writing Contest
Nominate a book woman for the WNBA Award
Promote your work through the WNBA Promotional Program
Be included in our So Cal Reads Bookclub
Participate in events with our national chapters.

Members with companies or professional services:

Your logo, URL, and description featured on Meet Our Members page (For our Sponsoring Members)
Promotion through The Bookwoman
Publish articles or book reviews thru social media
Publicize books or articles you’ve published thru our Newsletter
Advertise your skills or business
Listing in our Online National Directory
National Website: Promote your book or service for an additional $30 a year
National Website: List your blog for free
Add your book to the Boston Public Library’s WNBA collection (and to the circulating collection, if desired). More information in the National Members Only section.
Facebook publicity through LA Chapter and national accounts
Twitter publicity through LA Chapter and national accounts
Learn about trends and issues in the book industry and literary world in your region and in the larger U.S.
Receive The BookwomanWNBA’s national newsletter
Receive LA Chapter’s newsletter

 

Other Types of Membership:


Sponsoring Membership: Local sponsoring membership is available to any individual, local organization, or agency that desires to make an initial or additional annual contribution to the chapter. Local sponsoring members have the full rights and privileges of active members. In addition, members are entitled to have a link on the chapter Web site and to be listed in the chapter newsletter. ($100 + $5 fee)


Network Membership: Network membership is available to anyone living more than fifty miles from the city in which the chapter is located. Network members may elect to affiliate with any WNBA chapter and are entitled to most of the rights and privileges accorded to active chapter members and to any additional benefits extended by that chapter to its members. Network membership dues are the same as the dues for active members. ($50 + $2 fee)