(LANCASTER, Pa. ” April 4, 2003) ” The international Cat Writers’ Association (CWA) has announced that it will hold its 10th annual writers’ conference in Houston, Texas, November 21-23, 2003. The conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza, Downtown Cullen Center in Houston.
The conference is open to anyone interested in pet writing and will feature two days of professional seminars with nationally known speakers on topics including magazine editor panels, how to write saleable articles and book proposals, self-publishing and radio interview techniques. In addition, the CWA conference includes appointments and social gatherings where writers and photographers can network with authors, editors and agents, plus an annual Writing Awards banquet.
CWA events will be in conjunction with the Cat Fanciers’ Association International Cat Show, the largest cat show held in the Western Hemisphere. The CFA show, held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, presents the best of championship cats from around the world, as well as vendor booths with cat-related products, demonstrations and other events.
Registration for the writing conference is $100 for non-members. Information about registering for the full conference will be posted on the CWA web site, http://www.catwriters.org after June 1, 2003.
Each year, the CWA hosts an annual contest for published work, open to members and nonmembers alike. This advances their goals by recognizing and rewarding outstanding communication about cats in nearly 40 categories, including magazine and newspaper articles and columns, fiction and nonfiction, online venues, photography, and poetry. Entrants compete for the CWA’s Muse Medallion™ and for special, corporate-sponsored awards on such topics as nutrition, health and behavior.
CWA, founded in 1992, is dedicated to providing news, information, and education on all aspects of cat care and welfare, as well as improving the quality of writing about cats and other companion animals. Its 200 members include published cat writers, photographers, artists, novelists, editors and broadcasters. They encourage professionalism among members, provide information on becoming published and help mentor new writers.