Diane McGurgan Service Award winner

The winner of the 2016 Diane McGurgan Service Award is longtime NASW volunteer Lynne Lamberg, as announced by president Laura Helmuth on October 29 during ScienceWriters2016.

Lamberg, NASW book editor and member of the Freelance committee, has been a quiet workhorse on behalf of NASW, producing resources that highlight members’ work and provide support for authors. Lamberg edits and produces "Advance Copy," NASW’s online book blog, appearing individually on Wednesdays near each book’s publication date. A quarterly wrap-up of these reports appears in ScienceWriters magazine.

For each Q&A, Lamberg asks the author how he or she came up with the idea for the book, developed a proposal, found an agent and publisher, funded and conducted research, and put the book together. She also asks the authors what they wish they had known before they began working on their books, or had done differently. Lamberg also produced, and continues to update, a guide to book publishing for NASW members, "Write That Book!," a list of more than 150 books and online resources on crafting book proposals, finding agents and funding sources, negotiating contracts, self-publishing, publicity, and marketing.

Now in its sixteenth year, the Diane McGurgan Service Award has been given annually since 2001. It was created after member Louis Lerner sent an unsolicited check for $2,500 to NASW as a token of appreciation to then-Executive Director Diane McGurgan and others whose efforts on behalf of NASW go above and beyond the call of duty. At McGurgan's suggestion, an annual service award was created. After initial funds were disbursed, the NASW board voted to continue the awards at the same $500 annual level, and awards are presented at the annual meeting each fall. If you would like to suggest a volunteer for the Diane McGurgan award, please send a short letter of nomination to director@nasw.org prior to August 15.