Sharon Melynk
cwaconfregistrarsam@gmail.com
Su Ewing, President, Cat Writers' Association
dogwriter@windstream.net
www.catwriters.org
www.catwriters.org/12conference-registration.pdf
Conference info: www.catwriters.org/annual-info.html
Cat Writers’ Association home page: www.catwriters.org
Hotel reservations: 800-228-9290 or 310-337-2800
A star-packed writers’ conference loaded with professional seminars by nationally known speakers will be held Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2 - 3, 2012 in Los Angeles – and it’s an extreme bargain. Sessions cover writing for (and publishing on) the Web, social media, self publishing, blogging, photography and more (partial menu below). For registrations made by Sept. 15, the cost for both days is $125, including dinner Friday and three meals on Saturday (single-day registration is $55). The conference, organized by the Cat Writers’ Association (CWA), a nonprofit group, is open to anyone interested in writing.
The fun includes a book signing party on Saturday, November 3 – open to the public – just in time for holiday gift buying. Jackson Galaxy, star of Animal Planet’s “My Cat from Hell,” will be there autographing his new book, "Cat Daddy." So will veterinarian Dr. Karen Halligan, author of Doc Halligan's "What Every Pet Owner Should Know," and Bob Walker, whose spectacular photo books highlight the home he and his wife transformed into The Cats’ House, the ultimate kitty playground.
In addition, on Saturday night CWA will present cash prizes totaling $10,000 for the year’s best writing, broadcasting and graphic arts about cats.
All events take place at the Renaissance Los Angeles Airport Hotel (Marriott), 9620 Airport Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90045. A block of rooms has been reserved for conference attendees at a discount rate of $105.
“It’s a two-day pep rally for writers,” says Su Ewing, President of the Cat Writers’ Association. She explains that the conference is inexpensive because speakers are not paid. “All of them want to share,” she says. “That’s what our organization is all about. The conference is our once-a-year time to get together to learn, network, be recognized, be inspired and celebrate.”
Founded in 1992, the Cat Writers' Association, Inc. (CWA), is an organization of professionals writing, publishing and broadcasting about cats. Members receive a quarterly newsletter plus access to the e-group. Besides the annual conference, CWA runs a mentoring program and a yearly contest.
Conference speakers include:
-Arden Moore, award-winning author and podcast host, on how to land deals for websites, radio, TV and being hired as a media consultant and professional speaker (appearing with Zeki, a feline ambassador)
-Patricia Fry, literary and manuscript consultant, editor, public speaker, teacher, and author of 35 books (and executive director of SPAWN [Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network]), on self-publishing
-Sandy Robins, whose work appears on MSNBC.com, TodayShow.com, AOL's Pawnation and regularly in multiple national publications, on rewriting and reselling the same topic to different markets
-Lee Wardlaw, award-winning author of close to 30 books for young readers, on writing for children, tweens and teens
-Melissa Kauffman, Website Editorial Director for the websites of 16 BowTie Inc. publications, on website management
-Amy D. Shojai, certified animal behavior consultant, co-founder of Cat Writers' Association and author of 24 nonfiction pet books, on e-publishing and "Kindle-izing” books
-Marilyn Krieger, certified cat behavior consultant, owner of The Cat Coach, LLC®, Web and magazine columnist and award-winning author, on changing unwanted cat behaviors through clicker training and other gentle methods (appearing with her Bengal cat)
