Why Attend an Online Conference Like CWCO2016?
CWCO2016 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!
