Great Opportunities for Members, But We Need Your Help!

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CWG members–we have some exciting programs that can only take off if we get volunteers.  Please check these out, pray on them, and contact Karina at coordinator(at)catholicwritersguild.com

give me

 

First, ZENIT has asked the Guild for contributors.  While this is a no-pay, it has a huge Catholic audience.  We are speaking with them now about requirements, but in the meantime, we need someone who will coordinate contributors and liaise with ZENIT staff.  We need someone who will be consistent and dedicated.  It probably won’t take more than an hour a week, not counting time for writing your own articles.

Second, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis has asked about CWG developing some school programs.  If you write for kids through high school, this could be an awesome op for you–and if it works out, we can take it nationally!  Again, we’re talking to the principals to find out their needs, but in the meantime, we need someone to coordinate.  This will require some work at the forefront, but in time, it should start moving pretty automatically.

Want CWG stuff?  We’re looking at starting a CafePress or Zazzle store, but we need someone to run it—basically checking on it now and again, adding stuff, etc.  After the initial set-up, it won’t take much time at all, maybe an hour a month, tops, but this could be a great money-making opportunity for us–plus it’s a chance for us all to get CWG stuff!

We’re very sorry to say that our news coordinator, Annette Tenny needs to bow out because of health issues.  Please pray for her!  In the meantime, please welcome Karl Erickson, who is stepping up to fill this role.  Thanks, Karl.

 

Members: We need some volunteers!

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If you are a dues-paying member, you should have gotten this e-mail last Friday; however, I’m posting it here again to try to catch more of you.  Of all the programs the CWG has done, this one is the one that most directly helps Catholic writers in their marketing efforts and is a boon to Catholic bookstores as well.  We really need dedicated people to keep it going.  We’ve been blessed with Sarah, Carol-Ann and Mary–will we be blessed with you, too?

–Karina

One of our most successful programs is the Seal of Approval, which vetts books for quality and Catholic content with the goal of marking those qualified to stand on the shelves of Catholic bookstores.  Three wonderful ladies have been handling this:  Sarah Reinhard, Carol-Ann Chybowski, and Mary Gildersleeve.  This year, however, Mary needs to bow out, and Sarah is looking for an apprentice/ assistant.   Would you be willing to help out?

The Seal of Approval runs on a quarterly schedule, and handles ten to thirty books a quarter.  We have a cadre of around twenty-five readers.

Below are the duties:

Mary Gildersleeve, SoA Awards Coordinator:

Once winners were chosen, SoA Coordinator took care of the letters, which involved:
•    filling in the blanks for the Yes List and emailing the SOA art
•    sending that information to Margot Davidson, so she could mail hard copy seals
•    sending drafts of No letters to Ann for proofing, suggestions, etc.

SoA Coordinator, Sarah Reinhard (apprentice/assistant needed):

Monthly:  I fill out Committee report with updates on needs and achievements of the SoA committee.

As Needed:  I correspond with officers on the needs and issues of the SoA that cannot wait for the meeting.

Right before a submission month:
•    promo on Guild blog

During submission month:
•    Forward subs to Carol Ann
•    Once a week, I usually do a once-over on the spreadsheet, touch base with Carol Ann, make sure there are no flaming emails or such. Some weeks, it seems to be an hourly sort of thing. Other weeks, I don’t even know SOA exists.
•    Part of this time frame also includes sending follow-up emails to authors as their electronic copies come through.
At the end of the sub time:
•    I check the spreadsheet and verify that we do have electronic copies of all the books (sometimes I just email Carol Ann and she checks)
•    Remind Carol Ann that we need to recruit readers, give them the timeline, get info lined up
During the eval time:
•    forward evals to Carol Ann as they come in
•    alert authors where hard copies need to be sent
Near the end of eval time, closing in on awarding time:
•    touch base with Carol Ann (and Mary) with the titles that I think need to be evaluated by Core Team (I also monitor this through the eval period…if I see a flag go up, I’ll read the evals and see if we need to get on it)
•    I also make the “call” on some titles—sometimes, our evaluators are a little overzealous in rejecting a book
•    At the end, as we get to awarding, I’ll email Carol Ann (and Mary) and give them the Yes List, the “I’m Not Sure” List, and the No List.
Mary then took care of the letters, which involved:
•    filling in the blanks for the Yes List and emailing the SOA art
•    sending that information to Margot Davidson, so she could mail hard copy seals
•    sending drafts of No letters to Ann for proofing, suggestions, etc.
On occasion:  Authors will not be happy with the Committee decision; I am the person who deals with their replies. Carol Ann (and Mary) do not.  I consult with the officers when there is an issue that needs consideration.

After awarding is done,
•    I copy the list of Yes titles into the SOA google doc, email it to a list of Guild members (Ellen, you, Ann, Maria for the newsletter, Jen for the blog, and a few others who I can’t remember offhand)
•    I move the titles off the working part of the spreadsheet into the archived part of the spreadsheet
•    I move the decline notes into a different part so our working doc is clear again

Please contact Sarah Reinhard at soa(at)catholicwritersguild.com if interested.

Why Attend the Live Conference?

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Is it worth attending the live conference?   Daria Sockey shares her experience:*

At last years’ Catholic Writers Conference, I made a book pitch to Servant Publications acquisitions editor Claudia Volkman. She thought the idea had merit and encouraged me to submit a full proposal, which I did about a month later. It was a long wait. Getting impatient, I sent a (nice) “nag” email to Claudia in January. She reassured me that my book was still under consideration. It was quite an education to learn about the mysterious “marketing team” and the lengthy process required to vet a proposal. To make a long story short, I signed a contract in early June.  The Everyday Catholic’s Guide to the Liturgy of the Hours will appear in Spring 2013!

I am so very grateful to CWG, because without the pitch sessions I don’t think I’d have a book contract today. The idea of writing a full proposal and sending it to a faceless publisher would have been too intimidating. And running a close second to my timidity was my laziness: who wants to do all the work of writing a proposal without having at least a hint that it might not be all for nothing?  Receiving some friendly encouragement from a real human being who worked for a publisher made all the difference in the world, enabling me to take the next step and write the actual proposal.

I’m not sure whether I can manage to go to Arlington this year. After all, I have a manuscript deadline coming up. (How delicious to say that!) But I want to encourage everyone who has an idea, an outline, or half a chapter of a possible book to sign up for those pitch sessions. It’s true that a positive response to your pitch is not a promise of publication.  But hearing an editor say, “yes, we would  be interested in your proposal” makes all the difference in the world. I can’t recommend the CWG pitch sessions enough.

*  Reprinted with permission.  Daria’s articles on Catholic life have appeared in many publications. She authored several of the original Ignatius Press Faith and Life catechisms, and was a Senior Writer for Faith and Family Magazine until it ceased publication this year. She now writes for Catholic Digest.  Her upcoming book will introduce Catholic laity to the “prayer of the whole people of God”, aka the Liturgy of the Hours. She blogs about the same topic at Coffee&Canticles  and also at Catholic Exchange She’s a mother of seven and a grandmother of one.

What’s New, CWG?

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Hi all!  A little late with this because my life has been busy!  The great news is, the Guild has been busy, too!  We’ve been going strong with several of our projects, and a couple that have been on hold took off this month.  Here’s the scoop:

Catholic Writers Conference-LIVE: Arlington, TX, Aug 29-31 (https://catholicwritersconference.com/index.php):  Are you going?  It will be an awesome time, as usual.  In addition to the workshops on writing, the opportunity to promote your work to publishers and bookstores on the events floor, and the in-person pitch sessions, we have secured a special deal with SPQN!  They are having their conference next door to ours, and for an extra $25, you can attend their Friday workshops on blogging.

Ann Lewis still needs some volunteers to help her out.  Contact her at president(at)catholicwritersguild.com.

The Catholic Arts and Letters Award:  We hope eventually this award, also known as the CALA or the Lilly, will become the premier award for Catholic writing.  After a small start, we had to put it on hiatus for a year because of lack of volunteers to help out.  (Folks—we need you!)  However, Michelle Buckman has courageously taken it on, and is gearing up to do an award in 2013 for books published in 2011 and 2012.

In addition to fiction, the 2013 award will have nonfiction categories.  We’re tentatively thinking theology, devotionals, biographies and self-help/misc.  We may also be able to offer a cash prize to the winner—someone has offered a grant, and we are talking with that person about details.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT ENTER:  You must have an Imprimatur or the CWG Seal of Approval to qualify.  That means if your book is published in late 2012, you must get the manuscript approved (if you are a member) or the book submitted no later than Jan 2013 to the CWG committee.  There will be no exceptions!

Right now, we have a committee of three and could use some more folks to help.  Of special need are a couple of people to receive and distribute the books to the judges (CWG will pay for postage), and folks to help promote in conjunction with the publicity committee.  Please e-mail MichellePBuckman(at)gmail.com if you can help.

Catholic Writers’ Retreat:  April 19-23, Indianapolis, IN:  Things are looking good as far as getting a grant to help us keep the costs down on this.  We’re putting a down payment on the Our Lady of Fatima Retreat House in order to hold the dates.  Mark your calendar!

Steady as she goes…

Catholic Writers Conference Online: March 4-13, (https://catholicwritersconference.com/index.php).  We’re already lining up presenters and publishers.  If you know someone who could do a workshop (or want to do one, yourself), contact Laura Lowder at laura.lowder(at)gmail.com

Blog:  If you’re here, you know it’s awesome.  However, it’s getting BIG!  Jennifer would like someone to help her with the tech side of wordpress to make sure it doesn’t get out of hand.

Note for Paying Members Only:  We are taking poetry submissions for the blog.  No pay, just credit, and do remember that publishing on a blog does count as publication to some magazines.  If interested, send your submission and a short bio to:  poems(at)catholicwritersguild.com.  If you can devote an couple of hours a month to tweaking and some simple tasks, e-mail her at blog(at)catholicwritersguild.com

Seal of Approval:  We’re in our second quarterly cycle, and things are running smoothly.  Please note that we have a new PO Box for sending hardcopy books to.

CWG Book news:  We send out a monthly newsletter to bookstores and interested readers.  We’d like to expand this list.  If you know any stores, libraries, schools, etc. that might be interested in learning about new Catholic books, please send a note to Ellen Hrkach at vicepresident(at)catholicwritersguild.com

CWG newsletter:  Maria is always looking for new writers!  She especially wants some help with book reviews, the saints column, and news.  Please contact her at mariarr(at)comcast.net

 

Seal of Approval Now Accepting Submissions

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We’ll be accepting submissions for the Seal of Approval from April 1-30.

If you meet the qualifications below, consider applying now!

Purpose

The purpose of the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval is to help Catholic bookstores and venues in their determination of the Catholicity of a work. This reassurance from a professional organization can assist authors in marketing and promoting their works.

Our Process

Submission and awarding periods as follows:

  • Accepting submissions January 1-31, awarding by March 31
  • Accepting submissions April 1-30, awarding by June 30
  • Accepting submissions July 1-31, awarding by September 30
  • Accepting submissions September 1-30, awarding by November 30

Requirements

For a book to be considered for the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval:

  • Book is published OR will be self-published OR book is under contract with a publisher
  • Author must be Catholic
  • Book is Catholic in nature (for fiction, this means Catholic themes and characters)
  • Book does not contradict nor disparage Catholic teaching
  • Book does not speak disparagingly of an accepted Catholic practice (such as Novus Ordo Mass or Tridentine Mass) nor give the impression that only a particular Catholic practice is the right way to salvation.
  • Book does not support heresies or New Age philosophies

One of the concerns we face as an organization is the quality of the work we stand behind. While we do reject titles when we have concerns with poor editing, there is now the opportunity for one resubmission with proof of professional editing.

We may request up to five hard copies and/or electronic copies for our evaluators.

The Seal of Approval application is here. If you are a Catholic Writers Guild member, you may apply free of charge. If you are not a Guild member, there is a processing charge.

We also need volunteer evaluators!

To be an evaluator, you have to be a member in good standing with the Catholic Writers Guild. To evaluate a book, you read the title you sign up to read and complete the evaluation form. We ask that you have some background in the Catholic faith and that you are willing to look up things that may be questionable.

All evaluations must be true and faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

What we evaluate:

  • Is the work libelous or slanderous?
  • Does the work seek to foster hatred or conflict among individuals or groups, including racism, religious fanaticism, or anarchy?
  • Does this work contain obscenity or promote anti-Catholic views of modesty, decency in language, actions, or basic morality?
  • Does this work contain pornography?
  • Does this work promote pre-marital, extra-marital, or other non-marital sexual relationships?
  • Does this work lack respect for the reasonable privacy of others?
  • Does this work degrade the dignity of the person, including the promotion of euthanasia, abortion, homosexual actions or unions, child labor, or prostitution?
  • Does this work promote the worship of false gods?
  • Does this work attempt to draw others away from the orthodox teachings of the universal Catholic Church?
  • Does this work use others’ proposals or ideas without credit or permission?
  • Does this work present others’ work as the author’s own original ideas?
  • Does this work violate any known laws?
  • Does the author of this work belong to an association(s) or participate in activities that may compromise integrity, damage credibility, or cause scandal in the Guild’s sole determination that you are aware of? Examples include freemasonry, Catholics for a Free Choice, NAMBLA, a history of works opposed to the Guild’s values or ethics, excommunication, etc. For example, these may be stated on the book jacket or may be from your prior knowledge of the author.
  • Is this work so badly written or edited that granting the Seal of Approval would harm the reputation of the Catholic Writers Guild as a writers organization?
  • Can you see this book in your local Catholic bookstore?

We have a “theological experts team” that is on-hand to answer any issues we have with doctrinal issues.

If you’re interested, email us at SOA -a-t- catholicwritersguild.com

Meet the committee:

  • Sarah Reinhard, Fearless Chair (or Big Boss Lady, depending on the day)
  • Carol Ann Chybowski, Submissions and Evaluator Coordinator
  • Mary Gildersleeve, Awarding Coordinator

If you’re interested in learning more about the Seal of Approval, email us at SOA -at- catholicwritersguild.com.

The New and Improved Seal of Approval Process

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The purpose of the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval is to help Catholic bookstores and venues in their determination of the Catholicity of a work. This reassurance from a professional organization can assist authors in marketing and promoting their works.

Our process includes submission and awarding periods as follows:

  • Accepting submissions January 1-31, awarding by March 31
  • Accepting submissions April 1-30, awarding by June 30
  • Accepting submissions July 1-31, awarding by September 30
  • Accepting submissions September 1-30, awarding by November 30

These are the requirements for a book to be considered for the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval:

  • Book is published OR will be self-published OR book is under contract with a publisher
  • Author must be Catholic
  • Book is Catholic in nature (for fiction, this means Catholic themes and characters)
  • Book does not contradict nor disparage Catholic teaching
  • Book does not speak disparagingly of an accepted Catholic practice (such as Novus Ordo Mass or Tridentine Mass) nor give the impression that only a particular Catholic practice is the right way to salvation.
  • Book does not support heresies or New Age philosophies

One of the concerns we face as an organization is the quality of the work we stand behind. While we do reject titles when we have concerns with poor editing, there is now the opportunity for one resubmission with proof of professional editing.

We may request up to five hard copies and/or electronic copies for our evaluators.

The Seal of Approval application is here. If you are a Catholic Writers Guild member, you may apply free of charge.

We also need a team of volunteer evaluators!

To be an evaluator, you have to be a member in good standing with the Catholic Writers Guild. To evaluate a book, you read the title you sign up to read and complete the evaluation form. We ask that you have some background in the Catholic faith and that you are willing to look up things that may be questionable.

All evaluations must be true and faithful to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.

These are the items we consider on the evaluation:

  • Is the work libelous or slanderous?
  • Does the work seek to foster hatred or conflict among individuals or groups, including racism, religious fanaticism, or anarchy?
  • Does this work contain obscenity or promote anti-Catholic views of modesty, decency in language, actions, or basic morality?
  • Does this work contain pornography?
  • Does this work promote pre-marital, extra-marital, or nother non-marital sexual relationships?
  • Does this work lack respect for the reasonable privacy of others?
  • Does this work degrade the dignity of the person, including the promotion of euthanasia, abortion, homosexual actions or unions, child labor, or prostitution?
  • Does this work promote the worship of false gods?
  • Does this work attempt to draw others away from the orthodox teachings of the universal Catholic Church?
  • Does this work use others’ proposals or ideas without credit or permission?
  • Does this work present others’ work as the author’s own original ideas?
  • Does this work violate any known laws?
  • Does the author of this work belong to an association(s) or participate in activities that may compromise integrity, damage credibility, or cause scandal in the Guild’s sole determination that you are aware of? Examples include freemasonry, Catholics for a Free Choice, NAMBLA, a history of works opposed to the Guild’s values or ethics, excommication, etc. For example, these may be stated on the book jacket or may be from your prior knowledge of the author.
  • Is this work so badly written or edited that granting the Seal of Approval would harm the reputation of the Catholic Writers Guild as a writers organization?
  • Can you see this book in your local Catholic bookstore?

We have a “theological experts” team that is on-hand to answer any issues we have with doctrinal issues.

Meet the committee:

  • Sarah Reinhard, Fearless Chair (or Big Boss Lady, depending on the day)
  • Carol Ann Chybowski, Submissions and Evaluator Coordinator
  • Mary Gildersleeve, Awarding Coordinator

If you’re interested in learning more about the Seal of Approval, email us at SOA -at- catholicwritersguild.com.

“To Outline or Not to Outline”

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Before I get to the topic at hand, I would like to announce that my new book, The Priest and The Peaches officially launched two days ago. So, HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It is in e-book format and the publisher is Tribute Books. This is a work of fiction and I would like to let you all  know that, in my own way, I have tried to compliment, praise and elevate the priesthood with this work. In fact, part of the dedication is to the priesthood. The truth is, I’m sick and tired of all the anti-catholic, anti-priest stuff that has been smothering everyone, and maybe, in my own small way, I might be able to counteract that. Anyway, if you might want to take a peek at the book you can go to https://www.thepriestandthepeaches.com.  Okay–to the point at hand.

I have been fulfilling numerous requests for “guest posts” on blog-sites. You know how that goes. They ask you to write 300 to 500 words about such things as writing habits, inspiration, character development, character interviews, etc. etc..  One question I was asked was, “Do you outline your stories or do they just take you along for the ride?” So, let me “fess up” about me and outlining.

I think they call someone like me a “pantser”. That is because I do go along for the ride and “fly by the seat of my pants”.  I outline the book after I’m done. I mean, I do have a potential ending in sight when I start, but, like some of those remodeling jobs I have done in the past, I never know what to expect. I might tear out a wall and, lo and behold, there are plumbing pipes staring at me. Where did they come from? You don’t want them there but you cannot get rid of them so–you adapt and change things. Consequently, as I write things become clearer and clearer, and anticipating problems and glitches happens more quickly.

Ultimately, I outline when I’m finished. I understand that, according to all the “poohbahs” out there, I am doing it all wrong. Well, my goal is to get to the finish line. For me, getting there is all that counts. If I fall down ten times, bust myself up and wind up bloodied in the process, I don’t care. Look, I am probably the type of writer you do not want to emulate. But, when all is said and done, we must march to the beat of our own drum and I have always had a hard time keeping in step with the beat.

I sincerely hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas, and a I wish Happy New Year to all of you.

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