If ever there is a place to live in each present moment, it’s the Catholic Writers Conference Live. My adventure this year began with the delightful drive from the airport through rural Pennsylvania with Volunteer Coordinator Barb Szyszkiewicz, Ellen Hrkach, and Allison Gingras to the conference center hotel and ended with the train ride back to the airport with Deanna Klingel. Between these travel bookends, I enjoyed hundreds of moments of teaching and learning from my fellow Guildies, serving them and being served by them, discovering for the first time the faces of social-media friends, and hugging dear writers I had met and befriended at past conferences.
Catholic Disneyland
The pre-conference activities always begin with setting up our CWG booth, provided for us by the Catholic Marketing Network (CMN). The CMN Trade Show is fondly known as Disneyland for Catholics because everywhere you look is one more unique book or recording or statue or item of jewelry or clothing. The number of ways we find to express our Catholicism, share it with others, and glorify God seem limitless. No wonder the majority of Catholic book and gift shop owners do their annual buying at CMN. And we get to meet and pitch our books to acquisition editors of publishing houses – a beautiful synergy.
The Tuesday luncheon with bookstore owners brought us introductions to a few of those on the other side of publishing our books: the retailers.
Critique Workshops opened the conference on Tuesday afternoon, the Fiction Critique Workshop led by Michelle Buckman and Karina Fabian, and my Nonfiction Critique Workshop. Although I’ve been facilitating the session for several years, I always get excited about working with new writers, who teach me so much through their talent and commitment. By the end of the two hours, we were close colleagues experienced in the art of giving and receiving critiques as we headed to the historic St. Mary Catholic Church for Mass.
Dynamic speakers
Fr. Don Calloway gave a dynamic keynote address to us after morning Mass on Wednesday. Conference Chair Rebecca Willen and CWG President Joe Wetterling updated us on the conference activities and the state of the Guild. I’m sure Joe will be sending out a detailed report.
Cathy Gilmore’s talk on “New Strategies to Maximize Book Distribution” was a game-changer for me as I prepare my new book Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story for publication. Cathy teamed up with CMN retailing expert, Mary Ann Hutcherson. In a concurrent session. other writers learned freelance writing techniques from seasoned freelancer Dennis McGeehan.
As Presenters Aide for the Wednesday-afternoon sessions, I was honored to introduce Colleen Duggan, who presented a poignant and humorous talk, “The Good Enough Writer.” If you missed it, I hope you get the handout from her and enjoy her wisdom.
Gary Zimak, one of my favorite speakers, inspired us with his talk, “All Things are Possible to the Writer who Believes!” And he nailed it! Since I haven’t mastered bilocation, I had to miss dear Karen Kelly Boyce’s simultaneous session on “Daydream Believing: Writing for Children.”
The Agent/Editor Panel featured Lisa Hendey, Heidi Hess Saxon, Mary Beth Baker, and Chris Sparks, most of whom I have pitched books to in the past, except Chris Sparks of Marian Press. Rebecca fired questions at them and they responded authentically with candor.
Pitch your book
Pitch Session Prep was parallel to “Hot or Not: Cutting Edge Trends in Indie Book Marketing.” Here Erin McCole Cupp named a marketing or social media tool and four fiction authors (Matty Dalrymple, Robin Patchen, Amy Cattapan, and Nichole Loughan) held up a card, choosing “Hot” on one side or “Not” on the back. Fast and fun!
Because of my joyful duties as Presenters Aide on Wednesday, I missed “Turning Your Book into an Audiobook with QCX,” given by Ellen Gable Hrkach, who did a great job as Tradeshow Coordinator handling the booth and all the new ways to buy books we offered, and Carolyn Astfalk, who also served with Karina Fabian as Communications Liaison.
The Pitch Sessions were held on Thursday morning. There were also several sessions with outstanding speakers. Our own Donna-Marie Cooper-O’Boyle inspired us with her talk, “The Redemptive Kiss of Jesus in the Writing Life.” Then Virginia Pillars and Carolyn Astfalk helped us with “Catholic Books in a Christian Market.” Next, Regina Doman presented “Building Creative Coalitions for Christ in a Polarized Culture.” We were beautifully inspired, motivated, and educated by the warmth and wisdom of these presenters.
After lunch, Donna Heckler spoke on “More Than a Brand,” a topic we all needed to learn more about. Then two fiction sessions ran side-by-side. Carmela Martino (who later won the CALA) and Amy Cattapan reminded us about “Reaching without Preaching.” Meanwhile, Celeste Behe took a poetic stand on “Peter Piper Produced a Page of Playful Prose” to the delight of her attendees.
Joe Wetterling’s instructive “How to Win a CALA” and Virginia Lieto’s frank “The Reality of Self-Publishing” gave us much to consider in our market planning. In Virginia’s presentation, I found nuggets of wisdom that were golden.
Catholic spirituality
The last session on Thursday featured a “Writers Spirituality Panel” of dialogue with Marge Fenelon, Ellen Gable Hrkach, Lisa Mladnich, and Arthur Powers.
The daily Masses amplified the spiritual component of the conference, with Reconciliation and the Rosary presenting abundant opportunities to slow down and pray. The fellowship with other writers was astonishing and overflowed with humor over meals, breaks, hanging out at the CWG booth, walking the Trade Show floor to discover new expressions of Catholicism – and game night! Doug Keck of EWTN, Pete Socks of Breadbox Media, and others from local stations interviewed many of us, treating us like celebrities.
To catch our train, Deanna Klingel I had to leave before Friday’s Fiction Workshop with Arthur Powers and five short “Luke 24:14 Sessions” with Joe Wetterling, Michelle Buckman, Karina Fabian, Lisa Mladnich and Keith Mantoan. Next year, I hope to book a later flight, as so much happens at the Trade Show on Friday mornings.
Our phone cameras got a workout, as it seemed we all wanted to memorialize each present moment, all of which are now precious memories of a conference like none other. Next year the 11th CWCLive will take place at CMN, also in Lancaster during the same time frame. Meet you there?
Copyright 2018 Nancy HC Ward
Nancy Ward
Nancy Ward, convert, journalist, author, and speaker, writes from Texas about Catholicism, conversion and Christian community at NancyHCWard.com, JOYAlive.net, and other websites and magazines. Through her Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story workshops, retreats and DVD, she shares her conversion story in Catholic parishes and at conferences, equipping others to share their stories. She contributed to the award-winning The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion, facilitates two Catholic Writers Guild critique groups, serves on the Guild’s Board, and speaks at national writers conferences.
It works quite well for me
I’d love that! CWG is the best networking for Catholic writers I’ve found.
Thanks for the overview. I hope to be there next year.
It was a great conference! So wonderful to see you again, even though we didn’t get time to talk.
It gets better every time!