The Sassy Awards Day was created by Selwa Anthony and Eric Lobbecke in 1993, and has been held every year since.

'SASSY' stands for Selwa's Authors Success Stories of the Year. You can read more about the SASSYs here, and view photos from previous years.

During the day, seminar attendees hear from successful authors.

They hear about their own unique journey to publication: the highs, the lows, the humour and the heartbreak. It's not uncommon to see both authors and audience in tears as these stories are told. In the end, though, there's triumph - after all, these ARE Selwa's authors' success stories!

The night is kept for the Sassy Awards, where authors are rewarded for their success, their attitude, and their perseverance. 

Here are a few snippets from the 2009 Sassy Awards, held on September 12 at the Swissotel. The quotes are taken from various authors telling their stories.

Dianne Armstrong [Nocturne]

"I've found when talking to experts [for research] that they are just as interested in how to write a book as you are in their area of expertise."

Karina Maccaro [Spirit Sisters]

"I learned at WHO magazine always to 'tell it through a person' - as long as I find a person to tell the story through it will be okay."

and

"My first line and my closing paragraph have gone through completely unaltered... in fact, the first line is the one I nervously typed out in my submission to a publisher!"

Stephen Irwin [The Dead Path]

"Writing manuals and corporate videos (like "How to Make a Road") taught me what structure was. I learned that you need a beginning, middle and end."

and

"I contacted a few agents but was told 'Sorry, our books are closed"... but there's more than one way to skin a cat. I got an e-flyer about a seminar, spent $70 to go... and met someone who referred me to Selwa." [agent Selwa Anthony].

Chris Gibson [Memoirs of a Fat Bastard]

"People talk about books that changed their lives. Well, there are two that changed my life. One was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, and the other was Change Your Life in Seven Days by Paul McKenna."

Juanita Phillips [How A Pressure Cooker Saved My Life]

"The secret to getting this book published was having a husband who is a graphic designer, who was able to mock it up. I was able to say 'This is kind of what it will look like; this is the feel; here's a sample of the writing."

Agent Selwa Anthony

"People ask me: 'What's the economy doing to book publishing?' Well, there are no problems at all; sales of books are good."