The SPA Charter

governs all official activity within the group. The current version will always be displayed on this page. Any and all discussion and proposed changes/ additions to the charter take place in our Forum: Click Here!

1.) Definition of group. The Small Press Association (SPA) is a loosely-knit grouping of writers, artists, publishers, musicians, animators, and their fans, who are joined together here by past, present, and intended future involvement in projects within the small press/ independent community at large, and to build better tools for all to use in the betterment of the network.

2.) Membership. Membership. To be considered a member of the SPA, you need to meet the minimum requirement. This is: You are a member of the Dimestore website in good standing. Additional membership levels and positions to be defined. Membership privileges and rights are defined under Article 2B.

A.) Founder: Ian Shires (AIPman1). The Founder Co-ordinates and delegates all projects of the SPA, and has final veto power in all maters. Should the Founder relinquish this position or should he die, the SPA's Current Administrators will have the task to create a new position or positions to replace him, which will need to be voted into the Charter by the general membership. The person or persons who fill that position/positions will need to be voted in to that/those position/s by the general membership also.

B.) All Forum Members. Forum members have the power to vote on amendments to this charter. To vote on matters concerning the SPA and the charter, you must be a member of the Forum. Voting is generally called for on a "pay attention" basis. Meaning, the period of voting will be announced in the Handbook section of the forum, and it is up to you if you vote or not.

Current List of ALL Members

C.) Forum Co-Administrators. A Co-Administrator is a member who has shown over time a genuine embodiment of the true spirit of the SPA, and has been a positive presence in the keeping of the friendly, constructive doings of the group. Co-Administrators have the power to delete posts if deemed necessary, lock any topic anywhere in the forum to keep a lid on any building problems, as well as ban members, who would then need to appeal to re-enter the Forum to the Founder. They are the keepers of the Chain Of Command, which is: If a member has a problem with another member, the member is to take that problem to a co-Administrator first. Co-Administrators are encouraged to use the private Leaders Forum to discuss situations, and the Founder will only get involved if requested, although he is free to offer advice.

D.) Forum Moderator. Moderators are members of the forum who have stepped forward to assist in the running and development of sections of the forum. Moderators are in their positions for as long as they wish to be, and can only be removed from their positions by an emergency vote of the Administrator level. If someone steps down as a moderator, it will be assessed if a direct replacement is necessary. New Moderators can be proposed and positions created by vote of the membership. A Moderator has limited added "power", and have the following guidelines:

1.) They are to help keep topics on-topic as much as possible.

2.) If they are faced with problems or member questions that either don't pertain to them, or they are unable to deal with, they are to bring the situation to the attention of a Forum Co-Administrator, not the Founder.

3.) As moderators, they are asked to go forth and let others in places that people of interest would congregate, and promote the Forum.

E.) Project Manager. A project manager is a person who has been named in the wording of an official SPA project to be the point-person who knows what the current status of the project is, and acts as the informant between the people participating in the project and the Founder. The Project manager has the task of keeping any threads in the forum pertaining to their project on-topic and to provide updates on the status of the project for the membership at large. Project managers are elected to their position by the voting in of a project, and remain Project managers until that project is complete as defined in the project text. If a project manager needs to step down for any reason, the membership will be asked to find a replacement, if none can be found, the project will be cancelled and have to be re-voted into activity with a new project manager when one can be found.

F.) Local Managers: A LM is the SPA's point person in an area, the person to contact to develop local events, and run projects through on a local level. To become a LM, all you have to do is be the first SPA member in your area to express the interest of helping develop that area. Keeping the LM position is contingent upon progress of the area. SPA Administrators will conduct a quarterly look at LM progress, and determine courses of action based on performance. LMs have the power to perform these functions in the name of the SPA:

1.) Our main support of this effort is allowing individuals the right to go around to their local comic book, record, coffee shops, anywhere you find those local newspapers for free, and collect local advertising for the printing of Local Editions of Self Publisher! Magazine. The LM Can co-ordinate this effort in their area any way they wish to get SP! into the most hands possible.

2.) The LM can create and run a local artist group, and is encouraged to work with local schools and libraries to reach talent in the area, young and old alike. This can also include setting up local classes in teaching how to make comics, and other such activities, as created and delegated by the LM and his local available talent.

G.) Gold Member: A Gold member shall be defined as a member of the SPA that has paid yearly dues for membership. Current Dues are set for $6.00/year. Gold membership will afford the member numerous opportunities to take advantage of, which will be defined in SPA Projects, and other offers exclusively in a special Gold Member forum section that only Gold Members will be able to see.

3.) Procedure for updating/ Changing/ Adding to the charter. All members are welcome to submit ideas. This can be done online by posting a proposal in the Handbook section of the SPA Forum, or by sending it in writing to SPA HEADQUARTERS/ P.O. Box 214. Madison, OH 44057, and it will be posted there for you. Proposals need a second from another member, and then a period of discussion as needed to refine the proposal into the form to be voted into the charter by members in the Forum.

4.) SPA Projects. An SPA Project is defined as a group activity that in some way generates publicity or funds for the SPA. Any member can propose a project, and the forum membership will be asked to vote on it after a period of discussion determined by the Forum Administrators and Moderators. The project must be presented with a Project Director in mind, and if it is something that will cost money to complete, a plan for raising the $$ for the project is needed, it must be worded into your proposal. The SPA does not and cannot keep Funds if a project raises $$, therefore a plan so spend any $$ raised must also be included. At some point the SPA Would like to create and run a Treasury, but that would require many things we have not done at this point.

A.) Weekly Chats: The Small Press Association gathers every Tuesday Night in a chat room (currently hosted on the Dimestore site), to enjoy idea sharing, camaraderie, and keep in touch. Project Manager: Wade Busby (ArchetypeOne)

B.) Yearly Calendar: The SPA puts together and prints a Calendar each year to promote the SPA members that participate and the SPA in general. Project Manager for 2010 Calendar: Ginny (Possumgirl)

C.) SPA Cards: The SPA offers it's active (defined as members who maintain a positive SPA BITS balance) members to "buy into", using those bits, any of the SPA Card sets that they qualify for, based on the guidelines for the card system put out by Dimestore for the SPA. No Purchase necessary. Project Manager: TBA

D.) Front Page Comics Project: The SPA will have 5 comic strips submitted by creators for inclusion into the Daily Kick Start. Each comic strip will run on a prescribed day for a period of 8 (eight) weeks, and be selected from those projects submitted to the Project Managers. Shorter and longer runs can be arranged depending on the nature of the request and upon agreement by both Project Managers. Current Project Managers: Spyros Evangelos Armenis (SEA3) and Jennifer Walker (Scraps)

1.) The Project Managers will:

a.) Be responsible for accepting and evaluating submissions based on the stated criteria

b) Communicate with each other about submissions, discuss pros and cons, if necessary, and each have a vote on the approval of the submission. Asking for an Admin to break any ties.

c) Be responsible for submitting the content in the proper format to the Kick Start Editor each week at least 2 days before the content is scheduled to be published.

2.) Content must meet the following criteria:

a.) It must contain only original content and characters unless the written permission of the original copyright holder accompanies the submission.

b.) 4 (four) completed strips are due at the time of submission, with 1(one) strip due each week until the full 8 (eight) have been submitted. Failure to maintain a 4(four)-week buffer may result in removal from the rotation but can be caught up at the Project Manager's discretion.

c.) It must be acceptable for audiences equivalent to a PG-13 rating: no nudity, no excessive violence, no excessive swearing or cursing.

d.) It must fit a standard newspaper-style strip format, 700 pixel wide x225 pixels tall at 72 dpi (700 x 450 pixels for double-register or Sunday-style strips). Accepted file formats are gif, and jpg.

e.) It must contain proper spelling and grammar and be legible at the given resolution.

f.) A brief description of the theme or concept of the strip to accompany the first 4 strips: give us your "elevator pitch."

3.) Other Considerations

a.) Assignment of feature days would be decided by a draw of the hat for the first 5 (five) submissions so as to ensure fairness. Openings will thereafter be assigned on an as-available basis.

b.) The submission period will be ongoing. once the initial strips have been chosen any subsequent submissions that meet the criteria and are approved by both Project Managers will go into a queue for the first available opening in the rotation.

c.) Comic strips which have concluded their 8(eight)-strip run without missing any deadlines will be able to retain their current spot in the rotation unless given 2 (two) weeks notice by the Project Manager(s) that no further strips are desired.

d.) A link will be given, with each content update, to the creator's homepage or outside work in consideration for the use of the submitted content.

e.) New, first-run work is preferred but we will accept simultaneous syndication of work available elsewhere on the Internet or in print.

f.) Creators will retain all ownership and rights of their original content, this program only grants Dimestore the privilege of including the submitted strips in the Daily Kick Start newsletter and does not represent any other contractual obligations on the part of Dimestore or the SPA.