 From the President's Perspective . . .
November 2003
EPIC—the Electronically Published Internet Connection—is a professional organization of published authors and industry professionals brought together by the common goals of advancing the electronic publishing industry; promoting the EPIC organization, its members, and their work.
In late 1997 a handful of electronically published authors began online discussions about the need for an organization to meet the needs of this relatively new industry. They were now published authors, the problem was that hardly anyone outside the industry recognized them as such. They knew nothing about marketing their books and little information existed on the subject. There was no vehicle to facilitate networking. Alone, they faced an impossible task. Something had to be done.
By April of 1998 the little e-mail group had grown to around 25 and the decision was made to organize and incorporate as a non-profit organization in the state of Oregon. This was completed in August of that same year and EPIC (Electronically Published Internet Connection), the "Voice of Electronic Publishing" was born.
In May of 1999 the EPPIE awards program recognizing outstanding electronically published works of literature was created. Plans were completed for the first EPICon. On August 24-27, 2000, fifty-seven gathered in Omaha, Nebraska and met face-to-face, many for the very first time. The first EPPIEs were awarded during that three-day conference. It was a small beginning, but one filled with great dreams for the future.
A "mini-conference" was held in Las Vegas, Nevada in March of 2001, a full EPICON in Seattle, Washington in March of 2002, and another in Tampa, Florida in March of 2003. EPIC'S fifth EPICON is scheduled for March 12-14 of 2004 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
The EPICON is the highlight of the year. EPIC members from all over the country and around the world flock to this yearly event that features a wide range of business-related in-depth workshops, the only face-to-face business meeting of the year, and an opportunity to meet and network with on-line friends old and new. The event is capped off with the gala EPPIE AWARDS banquet where five finalists in each of over twenty categories anxiously await that big announcement-the winner of the EPPIE AWARD!
From the small handful that shared a dream back in 1997, EPIC has grown to over 400 members. It now has EPIC chapters in twenty-four states and four foreign countries. But this is only the beginning. EPIC is aggressively reaching out to the thousands upon thousands of authors and industry professionals, in both the electronic and traditionally published industry, who have an interest in electronic publishing, to join with us, to help make the "Voice of Electronic Publishing" heard around the world.
Hugs and Happy Trails!
Dusty Rhodes
EPIC President
Dusty Rhodes is a best selling author of Western novels, and currently serves as the President of EPIC—The Electronically Published Internet Connection "the Voice of Electronic Publishing" and sponsor of the EPPIE Awards. You can visit Dusty's homepage at www.eclectics.com/dustyrhodes
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