Member News: Our Writers Retreat Is Almost Here!

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Member News: Our Writers Retreat Is Almost Here!

 

It pains me to say it, but summer is almost at an end in my part of the world. The best I can hope to do is muster some excitement for new opportunities that coincide with a new school year. A new routine to incorporate writing, being one!

The Guild has its retreat, back from hiatus, planned for October. We have enough registrants to make it a viable event, but if you’ve been procrastinating, please register ASAP to make sure to save your spot. It promises to be a worthwhile event: a Catholic writer’s dream, if you ask me!

Also, please share news of the event with fellow Catholics and pray for its success. You can share our social media posts or copy and paste information from the details below.

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The Catholic Writers Guild’s Retreat for Catholic Writers has returned and is scheduled for October 9-13, 2023, at St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt, Michigan.

The retreat offers ample time away from life’s distractions to focus on writing, whether it’s developing a proposal, polishing a manuscript, banging out a first draft, or meeting an editorial deadline. Time is provided for critiques by fellow Catholic writers.

Deacon Greg Kandra, best known for his popular blog “The Deacon’s Bench,” will deliver daily reflections. Deacon Kandra is an author, speaker, blogger, and award-winning journalist, who was ordained a deacon in the Diocese of Brooklyn in 2007.

Cost, including room and all meals, is $875. The retreat center is conveniently located five minutes north of Lansing, Michigan, an easy drive from the airport, and a shuttle is provided.

Register at bit.ly/CatholicWritersRetreat.

 

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Thank you to Guild member Nancy Bechel for this beautiful image incorporating our prayer!

You should be able to right-click on the image and save to your computer or save to your device, keeping it handy on your desktop or wallpaper so that you can make a habit of praying before writing.

Heartbeat

We hit a milestone – 60 users online at once!

Whether you’re a new member or you missed the email invitation in your inbox, we’d like invite you to join the Catholic Writers Guild Heartbeat community!

More than 250 of our members have joined, and it has become a lively place for our members to discuss, chat, critique, plan meet-ups, and more!

If you are an active member (meaning your dues are paid up) and have not received or have lost your invitation, reply to this email, and I’ll be sure you receive an invitation. (If you’re not a member, you can still access our Sunday night chats and the public portion of our community.)

God, Your Writing, and You

Guild member Karina Fabian is compiling a book of inspirational stories (nonfiction) around writing as Catholics. The idea is to make it a gift to the Guild to give all members and to sell on Amazon (with proceeds to the Guild). These are short stories about how God has affected your writing in a concrete way, stories about saint writers, success stories, etc. This is NOT a devotional or a lessons-style book.

IMPORTANT: To contribute, please read and follow the guidelines.

Due date: Oct 1, 2023.

No compensation. Each contributor gets a one-sentence bio with a link per story.

Seal of Approval

Remaining application dates for 2023:

  • Fri., September 15

During the 24-hour application window, you can access the Seal of Approval application form. Reminder: If your book has received an Imprimatur, it is ineligible for the Seal of Approval but receives all benefits associated with the Seal. More information on the Seal of Approval process.

To become a volunteer evaluator, email the SOA committee at [email protected]. Training is provided.

Check Your Spam!

If you’re waiting on a reply from an official Guild email account (one ending in catholicwritersguild.com or catholicwritersguild.org), please be sure to check your spam or junk folder. Unfortunately, our messages have a way of ending up there.

If you’ve not received a reply to a message in a reasonable amount of time, please check your junk or spam folder before resending your message.

With rare exception, I personally reply to messages within 2-3 days, maximum.

Copyright 2023 Carolyn Astfalk

CWG Member News: Conferences, Member Perks, and Opportunities

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CWG Member News: Conferences, Member Perks, and Opportunities

My husband captured the image above as he was driving through the Pennsylvania countryside last week. Isn’t is beautiful? I may be oversharing this image from my little corner of the world, but who can’t use a little more beauty in their lives?

As writers, we’re about the business of creating beauty. Made in the image and likeness of God, we share in creating beauty in myriad ways, including through words. A bot may be able to string together coherent sentences, but I think that humanity excels at creating beautiful narratives.

Please read on for upcoming opportunities, including our 2023 conferences! It’s not too early to register for our annual online conference. If your membership is current, you’ll see an email with discount codes in your inbox next week.

It’s also not too early to be thinking of our live conference in the spring. Do you have knowledge, experience, and wisdom to share? Now is the time to apply to be a speaker.

The world needs the beauty you create!

Carolyn Astfalk
President

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Register today for the Catholic Writers Guild Online Conference!

 

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Seeking speakers for our 2023 live conference, May 30-June 1, 2023, near Chicago. Apply now!

 

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What Catholic Writers Guild member perk would you like to see?
The board is gathering ideas to add to our membership benefits. We’re thinking of things like course, software, or product discounts. For example, a Scrivener discount or a member code for IngramSpark. If there’s a member perk you’d like to see, please send it to Pat Chalmers at [email protected] with as much detail as possible (e.g. product/service, website, value, contact information, whether a similar organization offers such perk) so that we can follow up.

Catholic Writing Prompts: Let’s create some!

We only received a handful of member-written prompts last month.
Would you consider submitting some prompts?A while back, we received an email request from a member for Catholic writing prompts. Not finding any online or among our membership, it seems like a simple creative resource we could provide – together!Each member is invited to contribute up to four writing prompts – two fiction, two nonfiction.

We’ll share these prompts on our website. And, depending on volunteer support and response, we may share these on social media. They could also be used for flash fiction contests. What do you think?

Submit prompts

 

Volunteer Corner

Annual officer elections are just around the corner! Please take a few moments to consider whether you are being called to serve your fellow Catholic writers as an officer in 2023.

CWG Blog

Our blog is a place where Catholic Writers Guild members can publish their articles and showcase their writing. We are looking for volunteer editors to edit one or more article per month or to join our substitute editor team.

Substitute editors are available to consider covering for regularly scheduled editors when needed. If you are interested in being one of our editors, or writing for the blog, please contact blog@catholicwritersguild.com. Thank you!

Opportunities

Occasionally the Guild receives email messages from businesses and ministries seeking our writers’ services. I’ll share these here for our members to contact directly.

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Associate Children’s Editor, Pauline Books and Media

Looking for someone with:

•    an in-depth knowledge of Catholic theology

•    experience in working with children

•    a love of children’s literature

•    an aptitude for editing

The position:

•    can be on-site or remote

•    full- or part-time.

The full details about the job are here:

https://www.catholicjobs.com/job/4745154614

 

Editorial Administrative Assistant, Pauline Books and Media

We’re looking for someone with:

•    organizational ability

•    attention to detail

•    familiarity with Microsoft Office 365

•    knowledge of the Catholic faith

The position:

•    is on-site in Boston

•    is full-time.

The full details about the job are here:

https://www.catholicjobs.com/job/4745154615

 

Check Your Spam!

If you’re waiting on a reply from an official Guild email account (one ending in catholicwritersguild.com or catholicwritersguild.org), please be sure to check your spam or junk folder. Unfortunately, our messages have a way of ending up there.If you’ve not received a reply to a message in a reasonable amount of time, please checking your junk or spam folder before resending your message.

With rare exception, I personally reply to messages within 2-3 days, maximum.

Seal of Approval

The Seal of Approval application opens for the 1st quarter on Monday, January 16, 2023 at Noon EDT. Once open, you can access the Seal of Approval Application Form for 24 hours. Reminder: If your book has received an Imprimatur, it is ineligible for the Seal of Approval but receives all benefits associated with the Seal. More information on the Seal of Approval process.

Application dates for 2023:

  • Mon., January 16
  • Fri., April 14
  • Fri., July 14
  • Fri., September 15
You may notice that the dates have shifted from the beginning of the month to the middle. This was done to avoid regular conflicts with New Year’s, 4th of July, and Labor Day.
Copyright 2022 Carolyn Astfalk
Photo at top copyright 2022 Michael Astfalk, all rights reserved.

CWG Member News March 2022: Opportunities Galore!

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We’ve been gearing up to revive some activities that have fallen by the wayside, asking you to prayerfully consider where you can pitch in. This month, we have some concrete opportunities. Please read on for details.

I pray that despite the many distractions and crises in our world, these grace-filled weeks of Lent bring you closer to our suffering Savior.

Carolyn Astfalk
President

[Editor’s note: email addresses and links to members-only forms are included in the newsletter sent to all CWG members. If you did not receive your newsletter, which was sent on March 10, first check your spam folder before emailing [email protected].]

By Popular Request

There was great interest at the online conference in a listing of members and their websites, podcasts, and social media. This will help our members connect, share ideas, and promote each other’s work. We’ll provide access to a spreadsheet with this information in our next newsletter. Please fill in the members-only Google form linked in the March newsletter if you’d like to participate.

Showcase Your Writing

Write for the CWG blog! We’d love to revive the blog as a showcase of member writing. We have a survey for members who would like to help with this project as a monthly writer and/or editor. We’re also seeking blog committee members. Please fill in the members-only form linked in the March newsletter, and our CWG blog project manager, Katelin Cummins, will be in touch.

Social Media Help Wanted

We could really use a volunteer or two to assist with social meda. Currently we have a presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and MeWe. We also have some software to help with certain social media scheduling. We’d like to post about twice per week, plus engage with our followers. Interested? Contact information is available in the March newsletter.

 

Testimonials Wanted!

Would you like to share a brief (max 25 words) testimonial like the one above about the Catholic Writers Guild for our social media promotion? This could be a general testimonial or something about our conferences, awards, Seal of Approval, critique groups, or other activities. Contact information is available in the March newsletter.

CWCO Wrap-up

Our pitch sessions were a great success! To clarify last month’s update: Twenty-seven pitches resulted in manuscript requests. An additional eleven pitches sparked some interest that may result in a later request. Thanks to all of those who coordinated and participated! If you attended the conference, you should have received email links to the recorded sessions. If you did not, please let Carolyn know.

Ohio Writers: Let’s Start a New Chapter

We’re looking for writers interested in starting a Catholic Writers Guild Chapter in the Cincinnati/Dayton Area. Contact information is available in the March newsletter.

Catholic Writers Conference Live 2022

Mark your calendar and make your reservations! Our live conference returns this year, held in conjunction with Catholic Marketing Network’s Momentum 2022 July 25-28, 2022 in Schaumburg, Illinois (same location as last year). Would you take a couple of minutes to fill our this interest survey? It will help immensely with the planning for the event. Thank you!

Why Attend an Online Conference Like CWCO2016?

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CWCOiconCWCO2016 is almost here! It’s set for March 4-6, and all the terrific details are at http://catholicwritersconference.com. It’s $40 for nonmembers,  $25 for CWG members. Drop by the website and register soon. Registration ends Feb 27 or when we get 200 attendees.

It’s been a long haul for Laura Lowder and I. We’ve been recruiting speakers for months, working on the new webinar software and putting together a huge amount of publicity and training materials we’ll be sharing with attendees. We have 24 presentations and 6 pitch sessions with Catholic and secular publishers.

I’d like to share with you why I feel so strongly about this conference.

In 2007, I attended my first writing conference. What an experience! I sharpened my skills as a writer and was introduced to the then-new world of internet marketing. I sold my first novel to a small press publisher. I – an introvert who seldom socialized – attended a huge party and laughed for hours. To top it all off, I made connections that have pushed my publishing career forward and made friends that I can still depend upon for help or companionship.

But the most amazing thing? The conference was completely online!

Have you ever wished you could attend a conference, learn from the writers who had been there/done that and succeeded, meet publishers and make friends who identify with your passion for words?

Have you ever had to push that dream aside because live conferences don’t work for you? They may be too expensive, involve travel that takes you away from work or family…or maybe it’s too far beyond your comfort zone to talk to complete strangers.

I’ve been there. I know how much easier it is to correspond, where I can think about my responses and not whether I’ve spilled something on my shirt or if my face “looks wrong.” My husband, Rob was working at the Pentagon, which meant LONG hours, so I could hardly leave the four kids for several days. Plus, we had enough bills without plane tickets and hotel fares. That first online conference changed my life and career. I wanted to do that for others.

But with the help of the Guild, I could do that. Ann Lewis and I started the first online conferences, and when she began the live ones, Laura Lower stepped in to co-chair the online ones with me. With Laura’s influence, we’ve given the conference a greater Catholic identity. Not only do we have excellent workshops on writing and marketing fiction and nonfiction, but we have presentations with a Catholic angle including theology, prayer and fellowship that is uniquely for our faith.

Our 2016 CWCO is coming March 4-6, and this year, we’re entering the 21st century with webinar presentations. If you can watch YouTube or use a chat like Facebook Messenger, then you have all the skills you need to participate. We have presenters covering all aspects of writing, faith and literature.

Are you ready to take your writing to the next level? Let us help you! Sign up for the CWCO 2016 today!

http://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EC51DE87844F3B

Catholic Writers Conference, July 29-August 1, 2014

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EWTN Bookmark interviews at the CWG Booth

EWTN Bookmark interviews at the CWG Booth

Headed for Catholic Writers Conference next week? Are you excited? You should be! Take a look at this photo to get a sense of the energy and opportunities that await! What an opportunity to rub shoulders with industry professionals, to put names and personalities to folks you’ve met online, to renew friendships, and to network. This is a once in a lifetime experience; make the most of it. There will never be another gathering of exactly the same people at this point in their faith and writing journeys. Truly you are in Chicago, Illinois, because God has called you to be there!

Each of you has a specific reason for attending, a goal you hope to accomplish. If this is your first conference experience, the coming days are likely to be a roller coaster of euphoria juxtaposed with self doubt. Be assured that you are not the only one grappling with these feelings. I hope this knowledge translates into a greater sense of ease in a new and sometimes intimidating environment. Here are some words of advice (of wisdom, too, hopefully!) for both newbies and veterans, for authors, for agents, and for editors, geared toward making this conference the best it can be for everyone:

1) Everyone’s goals are the same, ultimately. Editors want to find the next diamond of a manuscript to publish. Agents want to discover the next author whose career they can guide to new heights. Authors want to find a publisher and/or agent to promote their awesome work. And in this particular setting, all of these people want to serve God with their talents and gifts in the way that pleases Him the most.

When viewed through that prism, competition loses the edge of greed and rejection loses its sting. We’re all on the same side, and God’s looking out for the good of each person’s life and career. This doesn’t mean you should fail to promote your product, just that there is no need for fear. Which brings us to the next point.

2) Be confident. You have something no one else does: your voice, and your work. These are gifts that God has given you, gifts that you have honed with hard work and prayer. No one can duplicate your contribution. Take heart in that fact, and know that your work will find its home. Maybe through this conference; maybe not – which leads to…

3) Don’t take rejection personally. Sometimes it just isn’t a good fit for the publisher or agent. Imagine a library with thousands of books. You have three days to find the best two. You will have to create a system to sort and discard the ones that aren’t suitable for your purpose. Do you see that many wonderful, deserving books will be overlooked? This does not reflect on the worthiness of each one, the same way it does not reflect on your particular project. And in today’s climate, many options are available. So…

4) Be open. There are many possibilities that we may not recognize in our limited, human view. Be open to new ideas, new directions, new options. You may discover a brand new path, or even a calling! You may discover it through…

5) Networking. This is the whole purpose of a conference. Meet people! Ask them what they write, who they want to represent, what they want to publish. Have a brief answer ready when others ask you these questions. (I write ____ and my current project is about ____.)

This is a remarkably small community, and the contacts you make in the next few days will serve you for your entire career. Do not discount the importance of these interactions. They are crucial for your success. But remember…

6) Be nice. This should go without saying, especially in this setting, but we are human and sometimes we need to be reminded. Keep your comments positive; you never know who might overhear or repeat something you said in a frustrated or disappointed moment. Again, this is a remarkably small community even though it may not seem that way.

Also, restrict your interactions to appropriate venues. Don’t try to pitch to an agent or publisher in the restroom, or shove your manuscript under the door of the stall. I have seen the first and have heard of the second, so these are not as far-fetched as they seem. Be considerate of folks. If the target of your interest has a headache or gets a pained look on their face when you approach, be brief. Introduce yourself and say you’d like to send them a query if that is acceptable; believe me, they will remember and appreciate your kindness. And that goes a long way. Which leads to the last point…

7) Be yourself. This may call for leaving your comfort zone, though. If you tend to be shy (many writers are!) push yourself to be more sociable. It’s not hard; smile and ask people around you about themselves. You’ll be glad you did. If you are an extrovert, recognize your tendency to overshadow the more timid among us and let them shine, too.

8) Use social media to keep the non-conference-goers among us updated! There’s the CWG Facebook page and your personal Facebook/Twitter, etc. accounts. The ripple effect can be unlimited. Share the love!

I hope each one of you has a wonderful experience at the Catholic Writers Conference! And… Oops! I forgot the most important words of advice! HAVE FUN!

Catholic Writers Conference Live! A Two-fer Blog for conference goers (and stay-at-homers)

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Are you headed for this year’s Catholic Writers Conference Live? If you are, check out my blog from last year regarding conference etiquette. It was good advice then, and I can’t think of a thing to improve on it. Just substitute the words Somerset, New Jersey for Arlington, Texas.

If you’re not able to go to the conference, you can still share in the excitement and even network. Go to http://www.catholicwritersconference.com/ and see who’s going to be there. If a particular publisher or presenter interests you, go to their website and see if they have a Twitter account – and then follow them. It will quickly become clear who is tweeting and which threads have value for you and your situation. You can even jump in on conversations if you have salient points to contribute. One caveat here: Unless someone invites such, do not pitch via Twitter. And, as always with social media, remember to keep your tweets polite and on-subject.

Are you one of the lucky ones going to the conference? Tweet, blog, and Facebook your experiences. Engage your followers and create a ripple effect that no one else can. Encourage questions and/or discussions that you can facilitate simply by being present at the conference. Get on the Catholic Writers Guild blog and website. You have much you can share.

Like so many other enterprises we undertake as Catholics, it’s not ‘all about me.’ Be generous with your abilities and presence, whether it’s at the conference or from home. Support each other at the conference, and share with those unable to come. This is a unique opportunity to live your faith – evangelization in an unanticipated form!

Let’s all make this year’s Catholic Writers Conference Live the best ever!

 

Community! Find it in Unexpected Places!

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I took up a swimming challenge at our local YMCA in January, and I’ve had plenty of time while plowing through the H2O to contemplate. One of the things that came to me recently – and which I did not anticipate – was what swimming (or any solitary sport), writing, and faith have in common.

Did you notice the word solitary? Swimming is singularly solitary, because your face is in the water and the opportunities for interaction are pretty limited. This is true for writing, minus the face-in-water part. It’s an internal activity. Faith comes down to one’s core beliefs, which is, by definition, extremely individual.

What I never expected to discover with swimming is community – and yet it is there. Maggie, Ann, and Linda show up at roughly the same times I do for laps. They bring smiles, enthusiasm, and energy which all rub off on me. (Hopefully, I bring the same to them!) They also challenge me to do more than I ever thought possible, both in distance and in perseverance.

This is what a faith community does for us, as well. While we are responsible for nurturing our own growth, its potential is exponentially expanded when we share our faith with each other, and deepened when we gather to worship as community.

Writing communities can be powerful agents of support and encouragement, too. Because of the solitary nature of writing, it’s important to connect with other writers, whether through online venues such as Catholic Writers Guild, or through face-to-face opportunities.

So how is one to find these opportunities? The question of finding critique partners has come up a few times recently in the CWG blog. It’s not always an easy question to answer. The first step is to find writing groups. You’re here, so you’ve discovered this wonderful community. There are some forums for critique groups; check them out and see if they are a good fit. Also, participate in the live and online Catholic Writers Guild conferences whenever possible, and consider saving up for the annual writing retreat. Opportunities abound within this group!

Beyond CWG, check with your library or a nearby college for local groups. Google writers, authors, or writing groups in your area. (I recently found two groups in my area that I had no idea existed; you might be surprised!) Attend a local or regional writing conference, even if it’s not in your genre. You might connect with another author and decide to trade manuscripts for critique. Sometimes critiques are raffled off as writing fundraisers, or are offered as an extra benefit at a workshop. While this last idea isn’t as likely to result in long-term relationships, you will get some insight on how to improve your writing.

Many special interest associations exist, and most have local chapters. Check out American Christian Fiction Writers (which is focused on the Inspirational market and has a slightly different audience than the Catholic Writers Guild), Sisters in Crime (misters are welcome to join), or Romance Writers of America®. RWA® has a wide variety of online special interest chapters, one of which might address your genre, although all are focused on writing some variation of a Happy-Ever-After ending. Mystery Writers of America has an associate membership level for unpublished writers.  SCBWI, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, is a gold mine of information for writers of children’s and young adult literature.

You might want to try out Critique.org, an online group that runs on critique exchange. No cost is involved, other than your time in exchange for someone else’s. Or consider an online writing class. One of my critique partners built a years-long critique relationship with a fellow writer she has never met in person. You can find class offerings on Announceonlinewritingclasses, a yahoo group. (Be judicious. When I first discovered online classes, I signed up for several at the same time, not realizing how much time and energy they can take. The cost adds up, too, but if you only sign up for the ones that really apply to your interests and level of expertise, it’s possible to develop a critique relationship with a like-minded author.)

For more on critique and critique groups, see my CWG post from May 22, 2012.

How have you found a writing community that meets your needs? How did you find Catholic Writers Guild? My guess is that many of us came from other groups; share what was best about them!

2013 Catholic Writers Conference Online CANCELED

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2012 proved to be a difficult year for many of us, and we’re sorry to have to begin 2013 on such a sad note.  Circumstances beyond our control have caused us to cancel the Catholic Writers Conference Online, which was scheduled for March 4-15.  It was a combination of several factors, and not a decision reached lightly.  We had high hopes for this conference and some wonderful workshops planned, but alas, it was not meant to be.

We’d like to thank the generous people who volunteered to present and moderate at CWCO in March; it is through no fault of yours that the conference faltered this year.

In the meantime, we are still going ahead with the writers’ retreat October 13-17, 2013, at St. Francis Retreat Center, Dewitt MI.  The speakers will be Michelle Buckman, Al Kresta, Father Matthias Thelen, David Krajewski.  We are not sure of the fee yet, but will keep you informed.

In addition, we are also holding the Catholic Writers’ Conference Live on August 7-9, 2013 – Garden State Exhibition Center, Somerset, NJ.  We are in need of presenters, and thanks to a generous contribution, are able to pay small stipends to speakers this year.  Please contact Ann Lewis at treasurer(at)catholicwritersguild.com if interested.  We will also need volunteers, and as always, will provide hotel rooms and free admission.

Great Opportunities for Members, But We Need Your Help!

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CWG members–we have some exciting programs that can only take off if we get volunteers.  Please check these out, pray on them, and contact Karina at coordinator(at)catholicwritersguild.com

give me

 

First, ZENIT has asked the Guild for contributors.  While this is a no-pay, it has a huge Catholic audience.  We are speaking with them now about requirements, but in the meantime, we need someone who will coordinate contributors and liaise with ZENIT staff.  We need someone who will be consistent and dedicated.  It probably won’t take more than an hour a week, not counting time for writing your own articles.

Second, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has asked about CWG developing some school programs.  If you write for kids through high school, this could be an awesome op for you–and if it works out, we can take it nationally!  Again, we’re talking to the principals to find out their needs, but in the meantime, we need someone to coordinate.  This will require some work at the forefront, but in time, it should start moving pretty automatically.

Want CWG stuff?  We’re looking at starting a CafePress or Zazzle store, but we need someone to run it—basically checking on it now and again, adding stuff, etc.  After the initial set-up, it won’t take much time at all, maybe an hour a month, tops, but this could be a great money-making opportunity for us–plus it’s a chance for us all to get CWG stuff!

We’re very sorry to say that our news coordinator, Annette Tenny needs to bow out because of health issues.  Please pray for her!  In the meantime, please welcome Karl Erickson, who is stepping up to fill this role.  Thanks, Karl.

 

Members: We need some volunteers!

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If you are a dues-paying member, you should have gotten this e-mail last Friday; however, I’m posting it here again to try to catch more of you.  Of all the programs the CWG has done, this one is the one that most directly helps Catholic writers in their marketing efforts and is a boon to Catholic bookstores as well.  We really need dedicated people to keep it going.  We’ve been blessed with Sarah, Carol-Ann and Mary–will we be blessed with you, too?

–Karina

One of our most successful programs is the Seal of Approval, which vetts books for quality and Catholic content with the goal of marking those qualified to stand on the shelves of Catholic bookstores.  Three wonderful ladies have been handling this:  Sarah Reinhard, Carol-Ann Chybowski, and Mary Gildersleeve.  This year, however, Mary needs to bow out, and Sarah is looking for an apprentice/ assistant.   Would you be willing to help out?

The Seal of Approval runs on a quarterly schedule, and handles ten to thirty books a quarter.  We have a cadre of around twenty-five readers.

Below are the duties:

Mary Gildersleeve, SoA Awards Coordinator:

Once winners were chosen, SoA Coordinator took care of the letters, which involved:
•    filling in the blanks for the Yes List and emailing the SOA art
•    sending that information to Margot Davidson, so she could mail hard copy seals
•    sending drafts of No letters to Ann for proofing, suggestions, etc.

SoA Coordinator, Sarah Reinhard (apprentice/assistant needed):

Monthly:  I fill out Committee report with updates on needs and achievements of the SoA committee.

As Needed:  I correspond with officers on the needs and issues of the SoA that cannot wait for the meeting.

Right before a submission month:
•    promo on Guild blog

During submission month:
•    Forward subs to Carol Ann
•    Once a week, I usually do a once-over on the spreadsheet, touch base with Carol Ann, make sure there are no flaming emails or such. Some weeks, it seems to be an hourly sort of thing. Other weeks, I don’t even know SOA exists.
•    Part of this time frame also includes sending follow-up emails to authors as their electronic copies come through.
At the end of the sub time:
•    I check the spreadsheet and verify that we do have electronic copies of all the books (sometimes I just email Carol Ann and she checks)
•    Remind Carol Ann that we need to recruit readers, give them the timeline, get info lined up
During the eval time:
•    forward evals to Carol Ann as they come in
•    alert authors where hard copies need to be sent
Near the end of eval time, closing in on awarding time:
•    touch base with Carol Ann (and Mary) with the titles that I think need to be evaluated by Core Team (I also monitor this through the eval period…if I see a flag go up, I’ll read the evals and see if we need to get on it)
•    I also make the “call” on some titles—sometimes, our evaluators are a little overzealous in rejecting a book
•    At the end, as we get to awarding, I’ll email Carol Ann (and Mary) and give them the Yes List, the “I’m Not Sure” List, and the No List.
Mary then took care of the letters, which involved:
•    filling in the blanks for the Yes List and emailing the SOA art
•    sending that information to Margot Davidson, so she could mail hard copy seals
•    sending drafts of No letters to Ann for proofing, suggestions, etc.
On occasion:  Authors will not be happy with the Committee decision; I am the person who deals with their replies. Carol Ann (and Mary) do not.  I consult with the officers when there is an issue that needs consideration.

After awarding is done,
•    I copy the list of Yes titles into the SOA google doc, email it to a list of Guild members (Ellen, you, Ann, Maria for the newsletter, Jen for the blog, and a few others who I can’t remember offhand)
•    I move the titles off the working part of the spreadsheet into the archived part of the spreadsheet
•    I move the decline notes into a different part so our working doc is clear again

Please contact Sarah Reinhard at soa(at)catholicwritersguild.com if interested.

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