Editorial: Carrying the Message

Several years ago the Central Office Oversight Committee decided that the Essay newsletter, which used to be mailed without charge to everyone on the Central Office mailing list, should be put on a “self-supporting” basis, in accordance with the principle underlying the Seventh Tradition. Members were asked to subscribe if they wished to continue to receive the Essay; the charge was set at $7.00 per year for 4 issues. Now, several years later, it looks like we need to revisit our policy for a couple of reasons. First, the newsletter is not self-supporting yet, and second, although we have about 800 subscribers, many fewer SA members are receiving and reading the newsletter than used to be the case when it was sent out for free.

In regard to the cost issue, Central Office figures indicate that the Fellowship is subsidizing each subscriber at the rate of approximately $.75 per issue—$3.00 per year. We need to decide soon whether or not this is a prudent use of Fellowship funds. We will continue to enthusiastically pursue appropriate ways to cut costs, but it may be that the price of a subscription will need to be adjusted to reflect the actual cost of producing and mailing the newsletter.

We also need to consider the ramifications of the fact that fewer SA members are receiving and reading the newsletter. Fine, we may say to ourselves, the Essay, like the program, is for those who want it, not those who should read it. The problem is that, as a relatively young Fellowship, important issues concerning the Fellowship as a whole are still arising. For example, the SA national service structure has, within the last year, undergone a far-reaching and momentous change. Because regional and area service structures are still somewhat sketchy, the Essay functions as the main source of information about proposed changes of this magnitude. Very simply, this means that even when Fellowship-wide feedback and approval is sought, only 800 members are in a position to know about it!

The newly-formed Essay Committee has been asked to come up with suggestions for increasing the distribution of the newsletter. The primary goal is, of course, to carry the message of recovery to as wide an audience as possible. The other vital goal is to gain the participation of as many members as possible in an ongoing dialogue on issues such as those presented in Working Paper #1, Practical Guidelines for Group Recovery, published recently in these pages. Some ideas for carrying the message to more sexaholics are detailed below.

General: We have given some thought to publishing shorter issues on a more frequent basis—once every 6 or 8 weeks. This might give the Essay more of a presence in the Fellowship than is possible with the current quarterly publication schedule. This may not be feasible at this time due to increased costs for postage and distribution.

Cost Ideas

1. We could increase the individual subscription cost just enough to cover present expenses (which includes sending some free copies to prisons).
2. We could increase the individual subscription cost enough to cover sending a master copy of the newsletter free to all registered groups, with an invitation to make copies for group members who cannot afford the subscription fee. The extra money would also cover the cost of sending free copies to prisons (which we already do) and possibly expanding that outreach effort.
3. We could make 2- and 3-year individual subscriptions available; for example, $12 for 1 year, $20 for 2 years, $28 for 3 years. Make gift subscriptions available.
4. Publicize the fact that if a member cannot afford to subscribe, he or she can receive a free individual subscription on a year-to-year basis, by writing to the Central Office.

Distribution Ideas

5. Ask local groups to create an “Essay Representative” group leadership position. The person would be a point of contact for Essay subscriptions and would make periodic announcements aimed at informing newcomers about the benefits of the newsletter and how to subscribe.
6. Design a one-page information flyer for use at conferences, marathons, and by Essay Representatives. The flyer would include an order form. Send one flyer out with each Literature Order dispatched from the Central Office. Provide the flyers to the Essay Representatives.

If you have any feedback on these suggestions or ideas that we haven’t thought of, please let us know by writing to or calling the Central Office, ATTN: Essay Committee.