Lori A. – Interested A.A. and Author of Grapevine article, “The Hope I Found” (Read Lori’s article in the January 2023 issue of the Grapevine, Page 48)
Each month the Grapevine asks for submissions and lists several themes. I believe back in 2018 the theme the Grapevine was looking for was stories about our introduction to the Big Book. I wish I could remember what guidelines from the workshop helped me to write my experience about receiving and reading my first Big Book. Regardless, Grapevine Editorial thank me for my submission and would let me know if my article is selected. That was October 28, 2018.
Fast forward to November 2022. I received an email from Grapevine Editorial stating that my article was selected for the January 2023 issue. Initially, I had no idea what they were talking about. As you know a lot has happened since 2018. Grapevine sent me a copy of my submission from 2018 to remind me along with a legal form to sign allowing them to use my article. Grapevine does make changes to submissions, but I can tell you the changes made to my article was not significant. They did change the title, but it wasn't so far from the message of the article to make a difference. I learned that they keep all submissions on file to use in the future. I would encourage AA members to try not to feel discouraged if their article is not used right away. Guidelines for writing an article in the AA Grapevine can be found at www.aagrapevine.org/contribute
Note from Area 53 Grapevine Committee: Don’t miss the upcoming annual AA Grapevine Workshop on Saturday, August 26, 2023, from 10am – 2pm. For more information, see our flyer at https://area53aa.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Grapevine-Event-1.pdf