The Catholic Writers Guild 2024 Conferences and All the News You Need!

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The Catholic Writers Guild 2024 Conferences and All the News You Need!

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Since it’s November and, in the United States, we’ll soon celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to share a little game I play with myself. I often challenge myself to name 10, 15, or 25 things I’m grateful for in the moment or from throughout the day. (I’ve never not been able to exceed my challenge. God is good!)

Here’s an off-the-cuff list of 10 things I’m grateful for about the Catholic Writers Guild:

  1. Camaraderie with members who share similar goals and missions.
  2. People who get the “Catholic stuff” in my writing.
  3. The online conference, through which I’ve learned so much during seasons where getting away for in-person events was difficult.
  4. The live conference, through which I’ve met so many fantastic people – writers and others – in person.
  5. The connections I’ve made with publishers, editors, authors, bloggers, etc.
  6. The goodness of our members, who are quick to lift up others in prayer and with practical means of support.
  7. The generosity of our members who, though busy, are willing to take on volunteer responsibilities to serve their fellow Guild members.
  8. The Guild’s founders, who saw a need and invested the time and effort to make this organization a reality.
  9. The dedication of our Board members, past and present, who truly have the best interest of the Guild at heart.
  10. The retreats hosted. Would a Catholic writers retreat even be a thing if the Guild weren’t offering it? (And I’ll just take this opportunity to thank Guild member Margaret Rose Realy for all the work she did to make last month’s Guild retreat a success! Thank you, Margaret.)

See how easy it is? I bet you could come up with a list of your own.

There’s a lot going on in the Guild, so please read on for news about our online and live 2024 conferences and other Guild activities and opportunities!

Finally, according to our bylaws, November is the time for our annual elections! Look for a separate email for nominations within a week.

I’ve served the Guild as president since September 2021 and before that as vice president. As the list above indicates, I’m so grateful to the members who have been kind, supportive, and have stepped up to help in so many different ways. You are a generous bunch!

While I’ll be continuing to serve as the Evaluator Coordinator for the Seal of Approval and assist in transitioning to our new website for continuity’s sake (we are so close, and we can’t wait to share it with you!), I will not accept a nomination for president for 2024.

God is still laying stories on my heart over these past very busy years, and I want to get back to writing them. I won’t bore you with my list of other obligations and commitments beyond the Guild – we all have them! – but it’s time for me to scale things back a little bit.

To that end, I hope that some of you will be generous in considering who might be willing and able to take on this role and then submit your nominations.

Guild Member-Hosted Retreat in Sunny Florida!

Sorry, gentlemen. This one is for ladies only.

Longtime Guild member Karina Fabian is  hosting a writing retreat open to ladies of the Catholic Writers Guild.

When: January 5-9, 2024.

Where: The Fountains, Orlando, Florida.

How much: $300 includes accommodations, food, and transportation to Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady, Queen of the Universe.

Limited to the first six paid registrations.

Questions? Email Karian Fabian at [email protected].

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Registration is Open for CWCO 2024!

CWCO 2024 is scheduled for February 23-25, 2024, with pitch practice on February 26 & 27 and pitch sessions on February 28-March 1. Register at https://catholicwritersguild.org/online-conference

Here are some of the things you can look forward to:

  • A greater emphasis on how our faith informs our writing. We have speakers who will discuss writing as a Calling, literature as evangelization, and even how genre fiction like horror and science fiction can still reflect our Catholic values.
  • Practical advice and tips you can put to work immediately. From managing your time to reconstructing your plot, and developing great characters to building your social media presence, our experienced and well-published presenters share their best practices.
  • Webinar format that incorporates audio and visuals. It’s easy – if you can handle Skype or FaceTime, you can do this! Or call in to listen to the presentations if your internet is slow. (Don’t worry, there’s still chat available for talking or “passing notes.”)
  • Networking. We’ve built in time each year for open chat, sharing links and books, even reading and on-the-fly critique.
  • Recordings! We’ll have recordings of each session available free for attendees.

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Spread the Word

Help spread the word about CWCO 2024 to fellow Catholics by sharing the information below and the image above in your parish bulletin.

The Catholic Writers Guild is hosting its annual online writing conference February 23-24. It features presentations on faith and writing, chances to meet fellow authors, and opportunities to pitch to Catholic publishers like Ave Maria and Chrism Press. It’s totally online—no travel!—and costs $60. Learn more at https://catholicwritersguild.org/online-conference

 

CWG Live Conference 2024

The Guild is excited to announce that our live conference will once again be hosted in conjunction with the Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) meeting in Chicago, Illinois!

Our conference dates are Tuesday, May 28 through Thursday, May 30. We have an invitation to attend the ACP’s breakout sessions on Thursday afternoon, and we look forward to the chance to get to know their members. You’ll definitely want to plan your departure for Friday morning to take advantage of this opportunity to meet and learn from Catholic publishing experts. We’ve also invited the ACP members to consider joining us as attendees, speakers, panelists, and mentors!

Consider sharing your expertise as a speaker or panelist: to apply, fill out our Speaker and Panelist Application.

Last year’s conference was our first time working with the ACP, and we’re grateful to be invited back and to have the opportunity to integrate better with their conference. Mark your calendar now; we’ll open registration in February.

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Job Opportunity

Catholic Book Publishing, located in Totowa, New Jersey, has served the Catholic community for 112 years. We are currently seeking an experienced editor.

Description

As an editor, you will join a dedicated team that is committed to the publication of timely and timeless Catholic resources that achieve the highest quality of content and production. Our extensive line includes Bibles; Missals; Prayer Books and Devotionals; Spirituality, Marian, and Saints Titles; Liturgical Books; Spanish Resources; Communion Gifts; and Children’s Books.

The successful candidate for this position will possess a strong command of the competencies and requirements listed below.

Competencies:
·      Solid knowledge of the Catholic Faith and familiarity with liturgy
·      Exceptional writing, editing, and proofreading skills
·      Well organized, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
·      Attention to detail
·      Excellent communication skills
·      Capable of demonstrating resourcefulness in problem-solving
·      Strong initiative
·      Marketing capabilities

Requirements:
·      Proven editorial work experience for a minimum of 5 years in the Catholic publishing sector
·      Work in office (no remote or hybrid)
·      Collaborative, cooperative spirit
·      Dedicated, hardworking, adaptable
·      Willingness to travel occasionally
·      Knowledge of Spanish a plus
·      Trade and consumer show experience a plus

Qualified individuals for this full-time, salaried position should send a cover letter, resume, and salary requirements to carla@catholicbookpublishing.com.

Heartbeat

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 280 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.)

Seal of Approval

Currently seeking an Author Coordinator!

The Author Coordinator prepares the Main Spreadsheet before the start of each quarterly submission period, communicates with submitting authors as to whether their submission has been accepted or if they are waitlisted, updates the Main Spreadsheet to reflect new applications, and uploads book files to the appropriate SOA folder. To volunteer, email [email protected].

Application dates for 2024:

  • Monday, January 15
  • Monday, April 15
  • Monday, July 15
  • Monday, September 16

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.

Reminder: Books designated with an Imprimatur or nihil obstat are not eligible for the Seal of Approval but automatically enjoy all the benefits of that designation.

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

 

CWG Member News: September 2023

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CWG Member News: September 2023

I recently accompanied my daughters to a fleece-to-shawl competition in which they participated. If you don’t live in an agricultural area, you may not be familiar with sheep-to-shawl, fleece-to-shawl, or its Angora cousin, Angorapalooza. They are each timed team competitions in which members work to create a finished product (scarf or shawl) starting with either fleece or an animal itself. The scarf pictured above was created by the winning youth team, which created a forest-themed shawl.

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For this competition, each team included a carder/flicker, two spinners, a plyer, and a weaver. Your hands likely stay cleaner as you write a novel (or other project), but there are plenty of similarities in these creative endeavors.

The person(s) carding and flicking is preparing the wool for use, combing it out and removing any impurities. This is your preparation, where you take your raw material and shape it into something useable. It’s akin to your remote preparation for writing – developing ideas, scenes, and themes before you even touch fingertips to the keyboard or pen to paper.

The spinner then takes that wool and transforms it into yarn, a useable product. It takes patience as the spinner feeds wool into the wheel and practice at creating yarn that is uniform. As a novelist, you are figuratively spinning a yarn. You’re creating something from nothing, building a tale—your first draft.

The spun yarn next goes to the plyer, who strengthens the yarn. It becomes thicker and more robust for use in the final product. In writing, this is your revision stage, where you shore up plot holes and correct inconsistencies.

The yarn now moves to the weaver, who, according to the design, creates a beautiful end product to be enjoyed by the wearer. The design complete, the ends are woven in. This is when your novel is given its final polish. The themes and threads are woven seamlessly, giving you a beautifully designed and created story readers can relish.

God’s creativity is mirrored all around us. We are so blessed.

Please read on for Guild activities and opportunities!

Carolyn Astfalk
President

Last call for the CWG October Retreat!

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.

 

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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.

 

How can the Guild help promote your book?

For many years, Guild member Michael Fraley has organized and orchestrated our monthly book blast, meant for members to share another Guild member’s book far and wide in a concentrated promotion effort. Thanks to Michael for his long and faithful dedication to this endeavor!

Due to a lack of member response (both by authors seeking promotion and fellow members promoting) in recent months, this promotional opportunity has been discontinued.

The Guild is currently seeking new ideas for helping to promote fellow members’ work.

Please send your ideas to Catholic Writers Guild Vice President Barb Szyszkiewicz at vicepresident@catholicwritersguild.com.

 

Guild Member-Hosted Retreat in Sunny Florida!

Sorry, gentlemen. This one is for ladies only.

Longtime Guild member Karina Fabian is  hosting a writing retreat open to ladies of the Catholic Writers Guild.

When: January 5-9, 2024.

Where: The Fountains, Orlando, Florida.

How much: $300 includes accommodations, food, and transportation to Mass at the Basilica of Our Lady, Queen of the Universe.

 

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Limited to the first six paid registrations.

Questions? Email Karian Fabian at [email protected].

 

Downloadable Guild Flyer Coming Soon!

Congratulations to Guild member Sarah Anne Carter, who earned herself a free year’s membership by successfully designing a Guild promotional flyer that our members can download and print for display or distribution when they are attending promotional events.

Look for the flyer linked in next month’s newsletter and on our Guild website.

Thank you, Sarah!

 

Online Conference Volunteers Needed

 

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Volunteers are needed to moderate presentations and pitch sessions. The conference is February 23-25 and pitch sessions February 28-29 and March 1.

You must commit to three sessions during the conference to qualify for free admission. Use this webform to volunteer.

Live Conference Coordinator Needed for 2024

Guild member Amy Cattapan has done a fabulous job with our live conferences for several years, but Amy is ready to step aside. Therefore, we’re seeking a new chairperson for 2024.

As the Catholic Marketing Network is not holding a 2024 event, we will be back with the Association of Catholic Publishers (ACP) again next year. By all accounts, last year’s event in collaboration with ACP went wonderfully, and we’re grateful to have been invited back!

While the Chicago-area event is in late May, planning begins now, and we’re seeking a new coordinator. The coordinator will:

  • Work with the CWG Board and the Catholic Writers Conference Live Committee to organize and run the annual live conference. The Chair will also need to communicate with the contact person at ACP.
  • The Chair also needs to work with the CWG Treasurer to make sure speakers are paid.

There is a stipend for this volunteer position, and Amy has prepared an entire folder of files to assist and guide the new chairperson. Please prayerfully consider whether God is calling you to serve the Guild in this way. To volunteer, email [email protected].

 

Legend Haven: 10.14.2023

Our friends at Legend Fiction, a creative community for Catholic & Orthodox fiction authors who love fantasy, scifi & more, are hosting Legend Haven on October 14, 2023.

The online convention for writers and readers of fantasy and sci-fi returns for its second year! Register for FREE and secure your spot in the ultimate celebration of faith-inspired storytelling.

 

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Prepare to be dazzled by what awaits you at LegendHaven 2023:

  • Live Meetups: Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of faith-inspired fiction as you chat with your favorite authors and fellow avid readers during exhilarating live speed meetings!
  • Hangouts: Dive into a world of free workshops, led by seasoned mentors, where you’ll hone your writing skills and uncover secrets to crafting captivating tales that will leave readers spellbound!
  • Expo Booths: Explore our virtual expo, teeming with authors, writing services, and bookworms like yourself. Engage in thrilling conversations about your favorite stories and discover new and exciting worlds of fiction!

This year’s theme is “Worlds without End,” a captivating tribute to the infinite possibilities that await within the realms of imagination. Bring your faith, your fandom, and your most extraordinary costume as you prepare for a convention like no other!

Claim your free ticket.

 

The CWG Blog Needs You!

If you possess writing skills, editing skills—or both, please consider writing and/or editing for the CWG Blog.

We offer:

  • Flexible schedule
  • A venue to improve and/or exhibit your talents and abilities in the area of Catholic writing
  • Admission into an association of like-minded, and talented individuals

Benefits:

  • An opportunity to share your faith
  • The satisfaction of knowing you have offered your God-given talents for the common good

To volunteer, email [email protected]

 

 

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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. Look for a downloadable high-res copy on our website soon.

 

Heartbeat

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 280 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.)

 

Deadline approaching!

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: October 1, 2023.

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

 

 

Seal of Approval

Application dates for 2024:

  • Monday, January 15
  • Monday, April 15
  • Monday, July 15
  • Monday, September 16

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.

Reminder: Books designated with an Imprimatur or nihil obstat are not eligible for the Seal of Approval but automatically enjoy all the benefits of that designation.

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

 

Copyright 2023 Carolyn Astfalk

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

Seal of Approval, Second Quarter 2023

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Seal of Approval, Second Quarter 2023

The Seal of Approval was conferred on the following books for the 2nd quarter of 2023:
Don’t by Gabriella Batell
Changing of the Guard by Corinna Turner
God’s Precious Gifts: A Special Needs Child by Colleen Keefe Faul
St. Joseph: The Foster Father Saint by Maria Riley
Antonio’s Questions by Tricia Mendoza
St. Jerk by D.J. Dixon
The application for the 3rd quarter opens at noon EDT on Friday, July 14.

The purpose of the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval is to help Catholic bookstores and venues in their determination of the Catholicity of a work. This reassurance from a professional organization can assist authors in marketing and promoting their works. Books are also judged by their editorial integrity as well. Books that are not professionally edited or publication-ready are not eligible for the Seal of Approval.

Authors looking to reach a Catholic audience, but whose books do not qualify for an imprimatur (like fiction), or authors who do not have access to the process to get an Imprimatur, can submit their book for the SoA. It provides a tangible reassurance to readers and bookstore owners that the book does support Catholic beliefs and values; and in the case that it does not, it gives the author some useful feedback.

Readers can be assured that SoA books will not offend their faith and have a certain level of editorial quality.

Store owners can be assured that they can stock the book on their shelves, host the author for a signing, etc. without compromising their appearance or mission as a faithful Catholic apostolate.

Get more information on the Seal of Approval, including when and how to apply, at CatholicWritersGuild.org/seal-approval.

 

Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval

CWG Member News: January 2023

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Guild election results, conferences, retreat, & new Heartbeat community

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January 2023

I don’t have a pretty picture for you this month, but with Saint Thomas Aquinas’ feast day coming up, this quote seemed apropos. “It is only God who creates. Man merely rearranges.”

First, it’s a great reminder that our creativity ultimately comes from God. Second, we’re doing some re-arranging lately at the Catholic Writers Guild. So, let’s get right to it.

Election Results

Thanks and congratulations to our new officers according to our election results (certified by our vice president, Barb Szyszkiewicz).

President – Carolyn Astfalk
Vice President – Barb Szyszkiewicz
Secretary – Michael Shelton
Treasurer – Cesar Chacon
Committee Coordinator – Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur

One-hundred fifty members voted in the election, and four of our five elected officers are incumbents. Welcome to Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur, the new Committee Coordinator, who has served the Guild in a variety of ways, most recently as the Author Coordinator on the Seal of Approval Committee.

Thank you to Patrick Chalmers, who so generously gave his time to the Board as Committee Coordinator in 2022. Your input and wisdom is much appreciated, Pat!

There are many roles in which you can support the Guild besides being an officer. I hope you’ll consider how you can assist the Guild, whether as a 2024 officer, supporting our events, joining a committee, blogging, or more. I’ll be listing volunteer needs in our newsletter each month.

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Catholic Writers Conference Online

February 24-26, 2023
Price: $60 non-Guild members, $40 for Guild members.

Register today!

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Save the date!

Our in-person conference is scheduled May 30 – June 1, 2023, in Chicago, Illinois, at the Holiday Inn O’Hare. This year we’re partnering with the Association of Catholic Publishers, and we look forward to this new conference adventure! Registration links, room rates, and more will be available soon. You can view the conference schedule: CatholicWritersGuild.org/live-conference.
Catholic Writers Retreat 2023!

 

Our retreat is back after a hiatus!

Member Margaret Rose Really, Obl. OSB, has graciously volunteered to coordinate a retreat set for October 9-13, 2023 at St. Francis Retreat Center in DeWitt, Michigan.

More details on theme and presenter coming soon!

 

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One of the Catholic Writers Guild’s greatest strengths, as we discovered from our informal survey in 2021, is our community. Relationships are at the heart of what we offer the Catholic writer, along with education conferences and other support for the writing craft and publishing business.

We have a lively Facebook community and a thriving Discord community. (But nary the twain shall meet.)

Additionally, many members are not active on either Facebook or Discord. Some are wary of social media or disenchanted with Facebook, where users are subject to its whims and changes. Discord is sometimes difficult for new users to access or acclimate themselves to. Both sites have various advantages and disadvantages.

In an effort to unify our membership and expand our community, the Board has decided to use Heartbeat as the place where our members meet and interact.

You can learn more about Heartbeat and what it has to offer. Our hope is that it will integrate well with our (new) website and provide a place for not only discussion threads and critique groups but events as well.

I know we’re all comfortable where we’re at. And we’re all tired of adding another app. (Even my puppy’s vet expects us to download an app!) But, I hope you’ll give Heartbeat a look. It’s fairly simply to join and navigate. Is it a perfect solution? No. Is it an improvement for our community? Yes, I think so.

We’ve started inviting our Discord members over, and, if you’re an active member, you’ll be receiving an email invitation soon. Heartbeat is accessible both from your desktop computer and by mobile app. Please take a few minutes to check things out.

(Our Facebook and Discord groups will remain operating as we all learn to navigate Heartbeat.)

Volunteer Corner

Our blog is a place where Catholic Writers Guild members can publish their articles and showcase their writing. We are looking for volunteer writers and editors to join our blog team for 2023.

We especially need editors who can edit one or more articles per month. If our team of editors grows, we will have the capacity to publish more writers.

If you are interested in writing or editing for the blog, please contact [email protected].

Thank you!

 

Seal of Approval

The Seal of Approval application opens for the 2nd quarter on Friday, April 14, 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.

Remaining application dates for 2023:

  • 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.

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: November 2022

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CWG Member News: November 2022

Supporting Your Writing Season

 

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Here we are, well into fall in the northern hemisphere. The red maple tree outside my daughters’ bedroom window is beautiful, isn’t it? Especially with the Blessed Mother there in front of it.

Every season has beauty here. The brilliant white of winter, the vibrant blossoms of spring, the lush green of summer, and the colorful foliage of fall.

Every season has its beauty and its challenges, both our natural seasons and the varied seasons of our lives. Seasons of burgeoning creativity and seasons where our priorities shift. Sometimes caregiving, parenting, illness, injury, and work take the forefront.

The challenge in every season is to prioritize wisely, keeping our faith and family at the forefront. It’s okay to have seasons when writing takes a backseat. It’s also okay to make room for writing.

The Catholic Writers Guild wants to come along side you in those journeys, a unique melding of faith and your writing life. Please see below for our upcoming opportunities.

Also, it’s almost time for our annual elections! Keep an eye out for a nomination message in your inbox next week!

And finally, the Guild has signed a contract for re-branding and updating our website!  The Guild will have a new, more contemporary look, a more user-friendly website, and a new opportunity for easy member communication. (Not on Facebook? Don’t like Discord? That’s okay. We’ll make this simple.) Look for positive changes coming soon!

Carolyn Astfalk
President

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Register at CatholicWritersGuild.org/onlineconference

Social Media Spotlight

We’d like to spotlight our favorite things about the Guild or ways Guildies have helped each other! Do you have an item to share? Bonus points if you send a photo with it. Send a note about your favorite thing about the CWG to vicepresident@catholicwritersguild.com.

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.

 

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.

We’re seeking a new author coordinator for our Seal of Approval Committee. Thanks to Patrice MacArthur, who has filled this role for many years. Her service is greatly appreciated.

Patrice left a detailed description of her volunteer role, which will make it easy for a new volunteer to step into the job.

Very simply, the author coordinator prepares the spreadsheet before the start of each submission period (four times/year), communicates with submitting authors as to whether their submission has been accepted or if they are waitlisted, updates the spreadsheet to reflect new applications, and uploads book files to the appropriate folder. (Familiarity with Google Drive is helpful.)

If you’re able to take on this role, please email [email protected]. Thank you!

 

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.

Copyright 2022 Carolyn Astfalk
Photo copyright 2022 Carolyn Astfalk, all rights reserved.

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.

September 2022 News: Resources and Opportunities for CWG Members

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September 2022 News: Resources and Opportunities for CWG Members

As the days in my part of the world grow shorter and the nighttime temperatures cooler, I’m mourning the end of summer. If it could stay another month, that would suit me just fine. Still, the advent of autumn brings with it a dose of nostalgia. I think many writers appreciate memories of breaking open new textbooks, sharpening #2 pencils, and replenishing stationery supplies. A new school year is a little like a blank page, waiting to be filled.

I’m reminded of the excitement I felt in third grade as a couple friends and I filled our own blank pages with a a short mystery we wrote and illustrated. “Chrissy Cygococo and the Case of the Missing Jewelry Box” remains, mercifully, unpublished. It was, however, immediately adapted as a play and performed for Mrs. Mehalcik’s class at St. Luke School.

Do you remember the excitement you felt when you completed a creative project? Maybe writing. Maybe something else. Maybe it was many, many moons ago. Maybe it was last week. Whenever it was, I hope that this season brings you the satisfaction of using your God-given talents and skills to create. If in the process, you sniff a rubber eraser or an old book, for old time’s sake, I won’t tell.

Searching for a little creative boost? We’ve got something to get the creative juices going, below.

Speaking of creative juices, thank you to everyone who responded to our poll regarding conference and retreat options for 2023. Votes for a conference tied to the Association of Catholic Publishers meeting in late May in the Chicago area narrowly exceeded votes for the retreat options.

So, look for more in the coming months on the May 2023 conference and news about a retreat later in 2023.

Catholic Writing Prompts:
Let’s create some!
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?

 

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Thank you to the many members who logged in and renewed last month! If you haven’t yet done so, please do.

In a couple of weeks, we’ll be sending out the member and clergy discount codes for the Catholic Writers Conference Online in February 2023. (See below.) Codes will be shared with active members only, so please be sure your membership is up to date!

Log in at CatholicWritersGuild.org to check your membership status.

By renewing your membership, not only do you benefit, but you support the Guild’s goals as we seek to offer more and better opportunities for you, such as awards, retreats, conferences, and an upgraded website.

Renew your membership at this link.

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Conference registration

Volunteer Corner

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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Discover Publications is developing a monthly publication for evangelization via direct-mail distribution and is looking for freelance writers to take assignments of various lengths (350 to 1,500 words).

Writers should be well-catechized and doctrinally orthodox. We
want to discuss the Catholic reasoning behind the Church’s formal teachings on “controversial” issues so prevalent today such as abortion, LGB, transgenderism, CRT, divorce, etc.

Writers must be facile with the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Code of Canon Law to be able to cite them as authoritative.

Compensation in the $100 – $300 range.

Leo Zupan
Publisher (and Catholic Writers Guild member)
Discover Publications
[email protected]

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  • Job: Business Writing Course Designer/Developer
  • Description: Create asynchronous online business writing courses for online career resource company for high school students
  • Qualifications: Required: Past experience with creating online courses and experience with resume writing, interoffice communications, college application writing, and scholarship application writing.
  • Pay: Negotiable
  • To learn more, contact: Walter Crawford at wcrawford@goodcounselcareers.com

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.

The Catholic Writers Conference is Almost Here!

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My husband recently participated in a home brewing contest. While there, I did something I’d never done before – poured beer for hundreds of people. Observing the brewers, their families, and their interactions, I realized they had a lot in common with the writing community.

Creativity, camaraderie, affability, and their support and encouragement of one another. I think I have a whole blog post of parallels to share, but I’m saving that for later. What I want to share with you now is the joy and energy I felt in the room. And, no, it wasn’t the alcohol. Before any beer was served, I sensed a joy that comes when you are with those who share your passion and understand the challenges in creating something for the benefit of others.

I recognized it because that’s what I’ve felt every time I’m in the company of Catholic writers. That’s what awaits you at this month’s Catholic writer’s conference.

We are only weeks away, but maybe your schedule has opened up. Maybe you’ve gotten creative with your finances or your travel plans. Maybe you’ve been on the fence about going, waiting for a nudge. Consider this your nudge.

Registration remains open, but you have to act soon! Click below to register now.

Registration is being handled through the Catholic Marketing Network. 

When you register, remember to click on “Catholic Writers Guild Track.” This is the only way for CMN to properly credit the Guild for its registrations.

 

Cover Our Conference in Prayer

Whether you can attend the conference or not, please consider a critical contribution you can make from home. Would you pray for the Guild’s intentions?

We’re asking members to commit to praying for specific intentions for the duration of the conference:

  • For safe travels
  • For our organizers and volunteers
  • For our clergy and religious
  • For those pitching projects
  • For presenters, panelists, and publishers
  • For technology to work as it should
  • For our attendees
  • For our deceased members

Click below to sign up for a day and a category. You’ll receive an email reminder a day ahead of time. Then, simply offers that day’s prayers or sacrifices for the intention you chose.

Our identity as a Catholic organization sets us apart from other writing support organizations. Here, we can lift up one another in prayer. Let’s not take this opportunity for granted.

Sign up to pray.

Are you on LinkedIn? So are we.

I’ve been dusting off our LinkedIn page, hoping to make it more active and useful. If you have a LinkedIn account, please follow the Guild and considering adding your membership to your resume.

Volunteer Opportunity: Bigmarker Managers

Do you like tech and want to help the Guild? We need of a couple of volunteers to manage the Bigmarker system. (It’s as easy as Zoom.)

What you need to know:

  • To increase our webinar offerings, volunteers are needed for beyond the annual online conference.
  • Assistance is needed with setting up the online conference. (The next will be February 24-26, 2023.)
  • Webinar masters are paid (usually a percentage of paid registrations).
  • Training videos are available as well as assistance from our resident Bigmarker expert, Karina Fabian.
Interested? More questions? Ready to commit? Let us know.

Seal of Approval

The Seal of Approval application opens for the 4th quarter on Thursday, September 1, 2022 at Noon EDT. When open, 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.

Copyright 2022 Carolyn Astfalk

Does your creativity need a jump start? Give this a try.

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My family just returned from a short camping trip. Only 48 hours at a Pennsylvania state park campsite. Though I didn’t consider our destination to be too far off the beaten path, we did not have cell phone service. What a blessing!

If your creativity is waning, you feel stuck, overwhelmed, or discouraged, I recommend unplugging and soaking in the natural beauty of God’s creation. After two days without pinging notifications or time wasted staring at a screen, my gratitude, optimism, and creative well are replenished. (Mostly. It was, after all, only two days.)

Below is a photo one of the 19 waterfalls we hiked to in Ricketts Glen State Park. What a gift that the master Creator allow us to participate in a small way in His creativity through our writing.

I hope that you make time to unplug and refill your creative well this summer, and, if you’re able, I hope that includes next month’s live conference.

Carolyn Astfalk
President

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Catholic Writers Conference Live:
Have you registered yet?
There is still time to register for our 2022 live conference held in conjunction with Catholic Marketing Network’s Momentum ’22. All the details are available at our website, including a schedule and Conference FAQ.If you’re on the fence, I sadly can’t solve problems related to inflation or the cost of fuel. However, I can assure you that your attendance will be worthwhile. Our team of volunteers has scheduled a wide array of informative sessions and panels, opportunities for networking, and pitch sessions with Catholic publishers. We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting like this since 2019, and I can sense the excitement of our attendees!

Questions? We’ve tried to anticipate those.
Registration is being handled through the Catholic Marketing Network. When you register, remember to click on “Catholic Writers Guild Track.” This is the only way for CMN to properly credit the Guild for its registrations, which help to cover our expenses.

Already registered? Here’s what you need to know.

This conference doesn’t happen without volunteer power. We need your help. No experience necessary.

Our remaining needs:

  • Presenter’s aide to introduce Tony Kolenc’s ever-popular session “Legal Issues for Writers.”
  • Pitch session assistants (2) to help move people through the process.
  • Trade Show Booth staff. This is a golden opportunity to meet those strolling the trade show floor: bookstore owners, publishers, creators, and more.
Current members who serve at least six hours will receive reimbursement for the conference fee after August 1. If you can’t serve for a full six hours but still want to help, your assistance is most welcome. Sign up today to volunteer.
Meals with Mentors, Pitch Sessions
Registrants should receive an email from Amy Cattapan to sign up for Meals with Mentors programs and pitch sessions.

Please be patient as it may take up to a week for assignments to be made.

 

Member Seal of Approval Book Display

Has a book of yours received the Seal of Approval since last year’s mini-conference? If your book received the Seal of Approval (or an Impirimatur) in the second half of 2021 or the first half of 2022, it is eligible to be displayed at the Guild’s trade show booth.

If you’d like your book to be displayed, please send a single copy to Amy Cattapan at PO Box 447, Prospect Heights, IL 60070.

Please be sure to note that the book is for the Guild’s display table.

Want to share a room or a ride?

Check your copy of the member newsletter for links to our Room Share and Ride Share interest forms and lists of members looking to share! If you didn’t receive a copy of this month’s newsletter, check your spam and updates folders of your email before contacting [email protected]

If you are unable to attend, please share news about the conference with your Catholic writer friends via email, social media, or word of mouth. This conference is very reasonably priced and not only does it benefit members, but it also helps raise the Guild’s profile and increase its membership.

A final note. I will not be attending this year’s conference. Do I think the president should be there? Yes, I do.

However, I’m still in that season of mom life where I have young children that need supervision, work schedules to juggle, and a tight budget. My limited ability to travel played heavily in my hesitancy to accept the presidency.

I will sincerely miss being at the conference as I’ve found the three conferences I’ve attended to be an absolute delight, both in helping me to grow as a writer and in meeting so many truly wonderful members of the Guild. Please do not take my absence as an indication of the value of this event.

Our officers will be represented capably by Vice President Barb Szyszkiewicz and Treasurer Cesar Chacon.

 

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Our Blog Has a Fresh Look
You may have noticed some changes to the Guild’s blog. For one, it’s a lot more active. If you’re subscribed, you’re seeing our members’ work in your inbox regularly. If you’re not subscribed, you can do that easily in the left margin of the page.
Second, the blog has a new look. It’s more contemporary, cleaner, comments are functioning properly, and it’s visually consistent with our website.

If you haven’t visited the blog, please do and share the articles that resonate with you.

Thank you to Katelin Cummins for all her work in revitalizing the blog and Barb Szyskiewicz for her expert assistance.

Volunteer Opportunity: Bigmarker Managers

Do you like tech and want to help the Guild? We need of a couple of volunteers to manage the Bigmarker system. (It’s as easy as Zoom.)

What you need to know:
To increase our webinar offerings, volunteers are needed for beyond the annual online conference.
Assistance is needed with setting up the online conference. (The next will be February 24-26, 2023.)
Webinar masters are paid (usually a percentage of paid registrations).
Training videos are available as well as assistance from our resident Bigmarker expert, Karina Fabian.
Interested? More questions? Ready to commit? Let us know.

Seal of Approval

The Seal of Approval application opens for the 3rd quarter on Friday, July 1, 2022 at Noon EDT. When open, 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.

Copyright 2022 Carolyn Astfalk

Images: (top) copyright 2022 Carolyn Astfalk, all rights reserved. All others: Catholic Writers Guild

 

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Eaton, IN 47338

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