Tag Archive for: volunteers

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!

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!

Members: We Need You!

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You can probably guess from the topic and from that fact that it’s from me, that this is a call for volunteers.  It seems that my purpose in the Guild, whether as founder, President, or Committee Coordinator, has been to beg for people to help with our projects.  Maybe one day, I’ll work myself out of a job?

The sad fact is that the Guild has several wonderful projects and important functions that are floundering because we don’t have enough folks.  This past year, many folks have dropped out because of family illnesses, economic troubles, or sometimes for happier reasons like getting a new job.  We really need some folks who can devote an hour or so a week, or maybe a few hours one weekend a month–and we need a few people who will jump in to lead some of these projects.

Sometimes, its hard to know what you can help with.  To that end, I’m creating a talent survey.  This survey will have two purposes–it will help us know what Guild projects might interest you, but it will also let us know your skills so that when someone comes to the officers seeking a writer or illustrator for a project, we will know who to contact.  We have had several wonderful (and some high-paying) opportunities come through the Guild.

Please be on the lookout for the survey.  In the meantime, three of our committees have identified the following needs.

1.  Proofreader for the CWG Book News.  This is a monthly ezine of about 1500 words.  It only takes about 10 minutes to proof, but that second set of eyes is invaluable!

2.  Database workers:  All you’d need to do is input the information, not develop the database itself.  We need folks for the membership committee (inputting names, addresses, and such), and for building our contact list of magazines, radio stations, etc.

3.  Assistant to get guest speakers of the CWG Guest chats.  This person would assist the Guest Chat chairman with:

–Contacting writers, illustrators, publishers, etc. to join the Guild in a moderated chat on the topic of their choice.  (Kind of like the chat presentations at the online conference.)

–Scheduling someone to moderate and transcribe the guest chat.  Remember, this is only once a month.

4.  Assistant PR leader. This person would help coordinate the public relations activities.  This is probably the most time-intensive duty, but is still no more than a couple of hours a week during the heavy weeks (like right before the live conference) and perhaps an hour a week the rest of the time.

If you’ve been thinking about joining the Guild and cannot afford dues, we do allow volunteer work in lieu of dues.

If you can help with any of these, please contact me at coordinator(at)catholicwritersguild.com

 

Committees: Introduction by Karina Fabian

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I’m Karina Fabian, and I’ll be posting on second Fridays (and perhaps other times) about what’s going on with the committees of the Catholic Writers Guild.

Committees are the hands and feet of the Guild—they do things and take us forward.  When you see someone announce that they’re book received the Seal of Approval or that a bookstore has just ordered copies because they saw it in a newsletter, when you attend one of the conferences, when you read this blog—you are seeing the result of the hard work of our Guild committees.  These people give of their time, talent and sometimes their treasure to take on projects to help others achieve their writing dreams.  The Committee Chairs in particular give a lot of themselves to keeping these programs going.  Without their dedication, we would have a Guild that is name only.

I’m honored to be the Committee Coordinator in 2012.  I’ve been with the Guild since it was just an idea on a Yahoo group.  I helped found it, create rules for it, and have led it as President, Vice President, and Secretary.  However, I feel like the most important practical aspect of our Guild is in the committee work.  There, we harness the power of our group and its reputation to help not just each other, but Catholic literature in all its forms.

However, this is often frustrating work—there’s so much to do, and so few who step up to help out—or those that offer their help aren’t consistent.  This is a long-running problem in the Guild, and this year, I want to dedicate my efforts to building our cadre of volunteers and finding ways to make the experience of working in the Guild more rewarding.

I’m certain this isn’t a matter of “finding the right people.”  We have a wonderful, giving membership!  However, we also have a busy membership, so we need to find ways to make it easier to volunteer, to match guild needs to member strengths, to encourage consistency, to improve communication and direction.  I’ve started talking to the committee chairs about what they need.  Members, soon, you’ll be seeing a request from us to fill out a survey with your talents interests and how much time you can volunteer, as well as specific volunteering opportunities.  In the meantime, if you have any ideas about how we can improve Guild operations, please make your comments below or e-mail me privately at http://karinafabian.com/index.php?name=ContactPro.

Volunteer Drive: Volunteer Coordinator

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Karina Fabian is getting the ball rolling on getting more folks involved in the Guild, but we need someone who can run this program on a regular basis. The Volunteer coordinator would:

–Keep a running list of volunteer needs (The Committee Chair will supply the info)
–Contact new members about opportunities.
–Contact all members about opportunities through a quarterly article posted in the newsletter and blog (or more often if needed)

This is a fabulous way to get to know the members of the Guild, make some new friends and keep our Guild running strong.

If interested, please contact Karina Fabian karina(at)fabianspace.com

Volunteer Drive: CWG Wiki

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CWG MEMBERS ONLY: This is the next in series of activities the Guild does, and that it needs volunteers to help with. The CWG wants to be a force for promoting quality Catholic works–and quality works by Catholics. Won’t you give of your time and talent for this worthy endeavor? If the program below doesn’t appeal to you, but you want to help, check out the other programs here.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a place where you could find just Catholic authors? Dave Law, the man with the mad computing skills, is setting up a wiki for the Guild. It will concentrate on Catholic writers, living and dead.

Wiki authors: Once this is set up, we need wiki authors to write and post the articles. This will require research, references, etc. We will include Guild members, but they must adhere to the same standards of research. (So if you write your own wiki, you will need to keep it biographical and not advertising, and include references.)
Wiki Editors: We will need some editors to fact-check the articles.

If interested, contact Dave Law at davealaw(at)shaw.ca

Volunteer Drive: Facebook

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CWG MEMBERS ONLY: This is the next in series of activities the Guild does, and that it needs volunteers to help with. The CWG wants to be a force for promoting quality Catholic works–and quality works by Catholics. Won’t you give of your time and talent for this worthy endeavor? If the program below doesn’t appeal to you, but you want to help, check out the other programs here.

Did you know the Guild has a facebook page? (http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Catholic-Writers-Guild/122546024421) We have members as well as non-members that view it. It’s a great tool for getting the word out to interested Catholic writers. However, aside from blog notices and chat notices (and the times that I see something newsworthy about a member), it doesn’t get many posts. We’d like to improve that, so we need:

Posters! Two or three people who are on facebook to once in a while check out some Guild members’ profiles for news, and post it on the Guild page. (Awards, honors, births, weddings, etc.) (15 minutes every couple of days)
Someone(s) through the list of people who “like” the Guild page, and invite them to subscribe to the blog. (Takes about 15 minutes a session.)

If interested, contact Karina at karina(at)fabianspace.com

Volunteer Drive: Publicity

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CWG MEMBERS ONLY: This is the next in series of activities the Guild does, and that it needs volunteers to help with. The CWG wants to be a force for promoting quality Catholic works–and quality works by Catholics. Won’t you give of your time and talent for this worthy endeavor? If the program below doesn’t appeal to you, but you want to help, check out the other programs here.

We are starting at ground zero on this one. Right now, our publicity efforts have been haphazard at best. However, the wonderful Clare Bills has agreed to start by being out press release person. She also wants to brainstorm with other committees about coordinating efforts. Right now, however, she needs

Contact lists: Do you have a Catholic contact list you’d be willing to share? Maybe for magazines, podcasters, reviewers, etc? If so, pass them on to clarebills(at)live.com.

A Social Media Marketer: Clare has a of expertise to share in the realm of traditional publicity. However, she is not yet up to speed on harnessing the social media phenomenon. Someone with that expertise would be a great help.

A Crew: People who will send out press releases, call radio stations, process publicity requests, etc. We’re only talking about promoting the Guild activities, but you can use the knowledge and resources you gain here to help your own publicity efforts.

Contact Karina Fabian karina(at)fabianspace.com if you can help.

Volunteer Drive: Inside the CWG Newsletter

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CWG MEMBERS ONLY: This is the next in series of activities the Guild does, and that it needs volunteers to help with. The CWG wants to be a force for promoting quality Catholic works–and quality works by Catholics. Won’t you give of your time and talent for this worthy endeavor? If the program below doesn’t appeal to you, but you want to help, check out the other programs here.

Inside the CWG is our monthly newsletter. It’s grown into a great source of information about the Guild and has some great marketing tips, too. However, Maria Rivera, our intrepid editor-in-chief needs:

WRITERS: folks to do regular columns, book reports/critiques, once-in-a-while columns, etc. This is a once-a-month commitment for a short article (500 words or less)
EDITORS: Folks who can look the final over for typos, etc.
LAYOUT: Someone familiar with HTML to codify the document. (It’s simple stuff, mostly links and bold-italics and such)

For more information, contact Maria Rivera at mariarr(at)wi.rr.com

Volunteer Drive: CWG Guest Chats

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CWG MEMBERS ONLY: This is the next in series of activities the Guild does, and that it needs volunteers to help with. The CWG wants to be a force for promoting quality Catholic works–and quality works by Catholics. Won’t you give of your time and talent for this worthy endeavor? If the program below doesn’t appeal to you, but you want to help, check out the other programs here.

One Sunday a month, we have a guest speaker attend out online chat. They talk about their books, publishing, or some other aspect of writing. This is a great way to meet some wonderful people!

Theresa Henderson is the fearless leader, but she would like the following.

An Assistant: This person would help her in

1. seeking our people to come to the chats (We have a list of presenters to contact and are glad to seek more.)
2. getting their bios
3. sending out the notice (We have a template you fill out and send to the people listed)
4. send a reminder e-mail to the guest of honor
5. send a thank-you note to the guest afterward

We also need moderators for these chats. They run very much like the CWCO chats.

If interested, contact Theresa Henderson at steve_and_theresa(at)yahoo.com

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