The Catholic Writers Guild will hold its annual live conference Tuesday, May 28 - Thursday, May 30, 2024, in conjunction with the Association of Catholic Publishers meeting at the Holiday Inn O'Hare, 5615 N Cumberland Ave, Chicago, IL 60631. We have a full day of activities scheduled for Thursday at this year's conference, so plan to make Friday your travel day so you can take full advantage of the opportunity to participate in some of ACP's workshop breakout sessions!
The 2024 Conference Schedule and registration will be available soon. Bookmark this page for more information, or watch our member newsletter and social media updates.
Registration for the conference and info about the hotel room block will open in February and will be available at the bottom of this section. Registration is made through the Association of Catholic Publishers. (You do not have to join the Association of Catholic Publishers to register; proceed to register as a guest.)
Conference registration when we reach our limit of 100 registrants. There will be no registration at the door.
2023 Conference Schedule:
Tuesday, May 30
12:30 - 1:00 Check-in
1:00 - 1:45 Opening Session (led by Antony Barone Kolenc and CWG Board members)
2:00 - 2:45 Podcasting Breaks and Mistakes for Authors (Antony Barone Kolenc)
3:00 - 3:45 The Importance of the Best POV (Michelle Buckman)
4:00 - 4:45 A Crash Course in Course Creation (Erin McCole Cupp)
5:00 - 5:45 KEYNOTE: Write to Change the Culture (Alexis Walkenstein)
7:30 - 9:00 Fine-tune Your Elevator Pitch (Karina L. Fabian & Ann Margaret Lewis) - Erie Room, Second Floor
Wednesday, May 31
9:00 - 9:45 Nature Prompts: Seeding Your Writing Skills and Growing in Faith (Margaret Rose Realy, Obl OSB)
10:00 - 10:45 Panel: Self-Publishing (Moderator: Annie Harton; Panel: Kate Frantz, Maria Riley, Phillip Campbell, G.M. Baker)
11:00 - 11:45 Who Is Your Ideal Reader? (Stephanie Landsem)
12:00 - 1:00 Meals with Mentors
1:30 - 2:15 KEYNOTE: Beyond the Memoir: Turning Life Experiences into Books That Help Others (Vinita Hampton Wright)
2:30 - 3:15 How Being Trendy Builds Engagement (Allison Gingras)
3:30 - 4:15 Panel: Traditional Publishing (Moderator: Amanda Lauer; Panel: Antony Barone Kolenc; Amy Cattapan; Margaret Rose Realy, Obl. OSB; and Ann Margaret Lewis)
4:30- 5:15 Becoming a Resilient Writer (Jennifer Thomas)
5:30 - 6:00 Closing Session & Book Raffle
Thursday, June 1
8:00 - 12:00 Pitch sessions - Erie, Ontario, & Huron Rooms, Second Floor (by appointment only)
All talks will be held in the Superior Ballroom with the exception of the Fine-Tune Your Elevator Pitch on Tuesday evening, which will be in the Erie Room on the second floor. This session is for those who will be pitching book ideas on Thursday morning.
First-page critiques (by appointment only) will be held in the Huron & Erie Rooms. Those who have signed up and paid for a first pages critique will be emailed their time and location.
Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning and afternoon, the Ontario room will be open as a Hospitality Room. Stop by to grab a little refreshment and chat with your author friends.
2023 Registration fee (includes boxed lunch on Wednesday):
CWG Members $100
Nonmembers: $140
BOXED LUNCH CHOICES: (each includes side of tortilla chips, salsa dip, cookie, and bottled water)
Cali Club Sandwich (served with applewood smoked bacon, avocado, lettuce, tomato, pepper jack, smoked chicken)
BLT Wrap (smoked bacon, lettuce, tomato, guacamole onion, gardiniera aioli on sourdough)
Veggie Wrap (spinach, marinated red and green peppers, onion with garlic aioli)
Chicken Caesar Wrap (made fresh USDA chicken brease, crisp romaine lettuce)
Buffalo Chicken Wrap (crispy chicken with Buffalo sauce and crisp romaine lettuce)
You will need to indicate your boxed lunch choice at the time of registration.
Hotel information, including the coupon code to get the special room rate, is on the same page as the registration form.
