The Catholic Writers Conference is just two months away now, and you might be wondering, “Should I go to Chicago?  Is it worth it?” You aren’t the only one. From my inbox:

So the CWG Live conference. My dear friend and fellow Guild member and I want to go. But, we’re going to need some motivation/conviction/roughing up.

Can you help offer a few inspiring words why we absolutely must attend this year or be destined writing failures?

This was my answer:

Oh goodness, if you can swing the travel, GO!

Why? I came up with four reasons off the top of my head.  And that’s just benefits for your average Catholic writer who doesn’t even have a manuscript to pitch this year.

1. You’ll learn skills writers need to know, from folks you’ll never ever get to spend 60 minutes interrogating at any other time.

I’ve got Teresa Tomeo’s “How to Do Radio” talk cemented in my brain from two years ago, and every time I get a radio interview, I’m reminded that I’d sound 98% more stupid if I hadn’t sucked up all that advice. I’ve even had a host tell me he’d be glad to have me on his show any time . . . trust me, that’s not my brilliance, that’s me doing what experts told me.

I never would have learned those and many other essential skills for writers if I hadn’t gone to the live and online conferences.

2.  You can make writing friends in person, and connect up with the folks you know online.

There’s no “inner circle” to Catholic writing, but there are 10,000 tiny writing circles that all overlap.  A very talented and diligent writer can sit home alone typing out a first manuscript, ship it off to a complete stranger, and get accepted and published.  But let me tell you, ground-level writing friendships make it possible for the rest of us to find critique partners, improve our work, get ideas on where to submit that will actually want the work we do . . . it really really makes a difference to have friends for mutual support.

That’s true all along, whether you are starting your very first blog or visiting EWTN every other week.

3. It’s the only chance you’ll ever have to see the entire Catholic publishing world in one room.

You want to survey the Catholic book market? That’s the market. You can talk to vendors, find out what’s selling and what’s not, find out what kind of books they want to publish more.  Of course you’ll be polite about it, and not hog a vendor’s time when they need to be working with a customer.  But you’ll be amazed what you can learn just in casual conversation walking the trade show floor.

Bonus: You can see all kinds of great Catholic merchandise that you’d never even known existed, and which might be exactly the thing your family or your parish needs now.

4. It’s fun.

Don’t be shy.  One week a year, you can creep out of the hermitage and meet your fellow Catholic writers in a safe, happy, Catholic writer’s paradise.

Guzzle down your extrovert juice and go if you can, for sure.  Register here.

 

Catholic Writers Conference Online

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Jennifer Fitz is the author of The How-to Book of Evangelization: Everything You Need to Know But No One Ever Taught You from Our Sunday Visitor and Classroom Management for Catechists from Liguori Publications. She writes about all things evangelization and discipleship at jenniferfitz.substack.com. For updates on where else to find her, visit JenniferFitz.com.

2 Replies to “Why Every Catholic Writer Should Attend the CWG Live Writers Conference”

  1. Super! For volunteering, contact Ann Lewis for now, and she’ll put you in the hands of the volunteer coordinator.

    And excellent decision, volunteering is the best way to get started at a conference, because you meet so many people so easily.

    Here’s the directory of CWG Contact info:
    http://blog.catholicwritersguild.com/cwg-contact-information

    For preparation: Business cards, blank on one side so people can make notes on your card when they meet you. And the rest depends on your goals.

  2. I’m looking forward to attending my first CWG conference. I’d like to volunteer. Whom should I contact? Any advice as we prepare for the conference? Thanks. God bless.

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