Next meeting: July 11

You may have noticed that Independence Day falls on the first Tuesday of July this year. We don't want to make you choose between celebrating our national holiday and enjoying the camaraderie and critiquing skills of fellow writers, so this month we will meet on the second Tuesday, July 11. Not our usual day, but our usual time and place (Here are the details of time and place). Hope we see you there!

And don't forget, there's still time to register online for the annual Catholic Writers Guild Live Conference, held this year in Schaumburg, Illinois, July 19-21 -- a  great opportunity to meet and learn from other Catholic writers from around the country.

If you want to make sure you never miss a meeting, contact Nancy Ward  to get on the email list. You can also sign up to receive all blog posts by email -- just fill in the form in the right-hand sidebar.

You're Invited to the CWG Conference July 19-21

Although the weather in North Texas has been cool in recent days, the heat of summer is only a few weeks away. By mid-July, temperatures will be blistering — a good time to get away to a cooler northern clime. Fortunately, that is precisely when the Catholic Writers Guild will be hosting their annual conference, this year in Schaumburg, Illinois, the heart of "Chicagoland."

Meet & Learn from Other Catholic Writers

Whether you are a member of the Guild or not, consider yourself invited to the 2017 Catholic Writers Guild Conference Live, July 19-21. As usual, the Guild Conference is scheduled to coincide with the Catholic Marketing Network's annual trade show, which means that conference attendees not only get the chance to mix & mingle with other Catholic writers, and to learn the crafts of writing (and marketing their writing) but also to pitch directly to publishers' representatives. If you have a manuscript ready for a publisher, this is an ideal occasion.

Everyone attending the conference will also have access to the Catholic Marketing Network trade show floor, where you can meet publishers, vendors and book store owners. It’s a great place to network. CMN is offering several events to CWG Conference attendees as well, such as pilgrimages and meal events.

The cost of the conference is very modest — just $75 for members, $45 for students, and no cost at all for clergy, seminarians, or religious. If you'd like to attend, but are not yet a member, you can register for $107.50, which includes a year's membership in the Guild. All attendees can also enjoy discounted group rates on accommodation at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel for $149 a night (plus taxes and fees).

Find more information on the Conference here. Online registration is being handled by the Catholic Marketing Network. You can register online until July 14; after that date, you may simply register on-site at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel. The Catholic Writers Guild Conference truly is a unique week of writing, fellowship and faith — highly recommended.

DFW Catholic Writers Meet Monthly

Meanwhile, our local DFW Catholic Writers Group continues to meet on the first Tuesday of each month (find the details here) -- next meeting Tuesday, May 2. You need not be a member of the Catholic Writers Guild to attend. We hope to see you soon!

If you want to make sure you never miss a meeting, contact Nancy Ward  to get on the email list. You can also sign up to receive all blog posts by email. Just fill in the form in the right-hand sidebar.

Guadalupe Radio interviews member Nancy Ward

Dave Palmer of KATH 910

Here’s my recent interview with Dave Palmer  on local Catholic radio KATH 910 about the fifth annual Catholic Writers’ Conference LIVE and our local Catholic Writers Group.

The Catholic Writers’ Conference LIVE provides Catholic authors with a prime opportunity to meet and share their writing and their faith with editors, publishers, fellow writers, and bookstore owners.

From Wednesday, August 7 at 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Friday, August 9, we’ll meet at the beautiful Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, NJ. We’ll enjoy the Catholic Marketing Network Trade Show and social and entertainment events with publishers and bookstore owners

The theme of this year's conference is “The Year of Faith.” Speakers include authors Patti Armstrong (Stories for the Homeschool Heart), Teresa Tomeo (Ave Maria Radio, Wrapped Up, Extreme Makeover), Award-winning author Michelle Buckman (Rachel's Contrition, My Beautiful Disaster), Randy Hain (The Integrated Catholic Life), Ellen Gable Hrkach (Stealing Jenny) and Ann Margaret Lewis (Murder in the Vatican), and author, blogger and podcaster Pat Gohn (Blessed, Beautiful and Bodacious).

Patti McGuire Armstrong gives our keynote on “Writing for God, Marketing for the World.” We’ll hear from many inspirational speakers such as Pat Gohn on “Your Word is My Delight” and Randy Hahn on “Finding Your Voice in the New Evangelization.”

We learn the craft of writing in a Catholic fiction workshop and a session on plotting. We get inspired with a panel on Faith in Fiction. We discover how to tailor our fiction or non-fiction submission to the ideal publisher and make a good pitch to the publishers who are available

Then there’s the business of writing: the ins and outs of the marketing publications with a session specifically for Kindle. A panel of writers and editors teach us about the author-editor relationship.

The Social Media Marketing Panel with Teresa Tomeo and other high-profile media people will draw a crowd as well as the blogger's summit with a panel of experienced bloggers and professional authors.

Advanced registration is required for the group critique session and the pitch sessions with publishers’ representatives. This conference is fun, spiritual and educational. There’s something for all writers from beginners to professionals with lots of book signings, and the chance to see (and purchase at deep discounts) the largest collection of Catholic books and gifts in North America.

The Catholic Writers Guild has fabulous resources and support for writers and all the details for the 2013 CWGLive conference. Check them out at CatholicWritersGuild.org.

Join us at the Catholic Writers Conference this August!

The fifth annual Catholic Writers’ Conference LIVE will take place August 7-9, 2013, at the Garden State Exhibit Center in Somerset, NJ. Sponsored by the Catholic Writer’s Guild and the Catholic Marketing Network (CMN), and held in conjunction with CMN’s annual retailer trade show, the Catholic Writers Conference LIVE provides Catholic authors with a prime opportunity to meet and share their faith with editors, publishers, fellow writers, and bookstore owners from across the globe.

The theme of this year's conference is “The Year of Faith.” Speakers include authors Patti Armstrong (STORIES FOR THE HOMESCHOOL HEART), Teresa Tomeo (Ave Maria Radio, WRAPPED UP, EXTREME MAKEOVER), Award-winning author Michelle Buckman (RACHEL’S CONTRITION, MY BEAUTIFUL DISASTER), Randy Hain (THE INTEGRATED CATHOLIC LIFE), Ellen Gable Hrkach (STEALING JENNY) and Ann Margaret Lewis (MURDER IN THE VATICAN: THE CHURCH MYSTERIES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES), and author, blogger and podcaster Pat Gohn (BLESSED, BEAUTIFUL AND BODACIOUS).

The conference will give authors an opportunity to meet personally with publishing professionals and pitch their writing projects. Some participating publishers are Ignatius Press, Full Quiver Publishing, Ave Maria Press, Christus Publishing, Tuscany Press and Servant Books.  In addition, attendees have the opportunity to sign up for critique workshop with award-wining short fiction writer Arthur Powers, and attend a writing workshop with award-winning novelist Michelle Buckman. Information for these events can be found on the conference web site.

“I did not know what to expect at first,” says 2012 attendee Maurice Prater, of Missionaries of the Holy Family. “But, what I gained from attending the Catholic Writers Conference, in terms of personal contacts and what I learned, has proven to be one of the best decisions I have ever made.” Author Ann Frailey, concurs. “I met writers, publishers, artists and a whole host of other people whose mission it is to transmit the message of truth and hope to the world in a living, vibrant manner.  It was an exciting adventure!”

 
The Catholic Writers Guild, a religious non-profit organization affiliated with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, sponsors this conference in August, an online conference in March, and a writers' retreat in October to further its mission of promoting Catholic literature. "With members all over North America, these events bring our diverse membership together for fellowship and networking to promote our mission of creating a rebirth of Catholic arts and letters,” says CWG President Ellen Gable Hrkach.

Registration costs $80 for CWG members, $85 for non-members and $45 for students. There's also a discounted combined membership. To register or for more information, go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com.