I Am Running for SFWA Secretary

I have some exciting news today, particularly for my fellow Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America members. I am running for the office of SFWA Secretary. The SFWA Board’s Secretary is responsible for record-keeping for the Board, communicating with  potential qualifying market publishers, and compiling issues of The Forum Binary.

Here is my official candidate platform:

Hello! I am Jasmine Gower, and I am running for the role of SFWA Secretary.

I have been an Active Member with SFWA since 2018, following the sale of my debut novel Moonshine, published by Angry Robot. Beyond SFWA, I am involved in local SFF writer communities in the Portland, OR metro area, as well as queer and disabled writer communities online and locally. I also have a Master of Arts in Book Publishing from Portland State University, where I did over two years of publisher-side work at the university’s graduate press, Ooligan Press.

Beyond my publishing experience, I have a robust work history in documentation and record-keeping within various fields ranging from health insurance to academia. From taking meeting notes to accounting monthly expenses to fully rewriting department-wide workflows, I’ve done just about every type of record-keeping an organization could need.

I hope to serve as Secretary in order to give back to the SFWA community that has supported me in my early writing career. As SFWA Secretary, my goal is to ensure that SFWA documentation is kept running smoothly and accurately so that SFWA members can continue to get the most out of their experience with the organization. Additionally, I aim to work within the role to ensure that SFWA record-keeping is maintained as efficiently and accessibly as possible.

For all of the Secretary candidate platforms, see this thread on the SFWA forums (only accessible to SFWA members). Voting will take place beginning in March, and you can check the SFWA Elections page for more details. I’m so excited for the opportunity to run for a position that will allow me to become more involved in and give back to the SFWA community!

2020 Nebula Conference Online Reading Series

Jasmine Gower speaking at the University Bookstore in Seattle

My SFWA reading that was originally scheduled for April is back on! Sort of!

For those who have 2020 Nebula Conference membership, on Wednesday, August 26th at 5:00 PM PDT, Corry L. Lee and I will be digitally joining the Reading Series for the 2020 Nebula Conference Online, where we will be reading from our works and doing a Q&A afterward. I’m planning on reading a few scenes from Moonshine, as well as a scene from my new (not yet sold) dark fantasy project.

Details about the reading can be found on the Nebula Conference site.

[UPDATED] Upcoming Event: SFWA NW Reader Series

UPDATE – MARCH 12, 2020

Both of these readings have been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns. While disappointing, I’m glad that SFWA is considering public health and safety in this decision, and there is a possibility that it will be rescheduled for later in the year when things are less pandemic-y.

As always, I will update here on my site if and when I have any new information about upcoming events. In the meantime, please be sure to wash your hands with soap regularly and channel your inner vampire when coughing and sneezing.


Exciting news for those in the Pacific Northwest: I’ll be joining the SFWA Northwest Reader Series in April, along with Corey L. Lee and Carolyn O’Doherty! The three of us will be reading in Seattle and Portland on April 28th and April 30th, respectively. These events are free to the public and in addition to the readings from each of us will also include a Q&A, signings, and a chance to purchase our books.

If you’re interested in attending, it would be a big help to SFWA (for headcount reasons) if you register for the events on Eventbrite. Here is the Seattle page, and here is the Portland one.

A big thanks to the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America for inviting me to be a part of this event! I can’t wait to see everyone there!

SLIGHT UPDATE: I completely forgot to add the details to my Upcoming Events page when I posted this originally, but all that information is now collected there for quick and easy reference.