If you have been involved with MAP, and if you are like me, you had a bit of a letdown after our enormously successful first Publishing Summit.

Wow.  Did any of you have thoughts like, where do we go from here, or how do we even match that?

As tempting as those thoughts might be, we know that we have just begun. Of course we can do better, and certainly, we have much more that we can do.

The first direction is the publication of this first newsletter.  Through the tireless efforts of my executive assistant, Megan Norris, and again the invaluable help of board member Katey Charles, we now have a launch.  It, like our first Summit, is just a beginning, but I’m sure you can see where we are headed.  Also, we would like the suggestions and input of all the members and readers.

Second, we must take a look at ourselves.  Do board members want to stay on the same committees?   Should we add a member or two?  Are any of you out there wishing to take more active roles with MAP?

We have already set the date for next year’s Summit, March 2-3, 2006.  It’s not too early to begin planning the program.  We need the suggestions of everyone.

Third, should we be doing a mid-year mini-conference or round-table or two?  If we do, what topics should we explore?

Fourth, is it too early to think of launching an annual contest?  Warning:  A contest is an enormous amount of work—but members love them, and an awards banquet at our annual summit would be great.

Fifth, we need more people working on increasing membership.  As I said at the Summit, we have just begun to reach the huge number of publications, print and electronic, that would love to network with us and who would like to learn with us.  How do we reach them?

So many challenges, so many directions.  But once we get a map, we know we have the people to meet the challenges and to get where we want to go.