The 2024 Annual Conference
April 25-27, 2024
Wyndham Omaha/West Dodge, 655 N 108th Ave, Omaha Nebraska
Reserve your room with our special discount rate applied.
Thank you for a great conference. We’ll see you next year!
Keynote Speaker: Becca Syme
Becca Syme holds a master’s degree in transformational leadership and has been a success coach (primarily utilizing the Gallup Strengthsfinder®) for over fifteen years. She’s coached over 5,000 individual authors and creatives through her Write Better-Faster and Strengths for Writers classes & coaching cohorts: six- and seven-figure authors, major award winners, midlisters, and new authors alike. Becca is the host of QuitCast for Writers and a mystery author. Connect with Becca at betterfasteracademy.com.
Emcee: Dennis Gaunt
Dennis Gaunt has always enjoyed making people laugh. He has previously emceed at the Storymakers and ANWA writing conferences. He is a frequent teacher at those and other writing conferences around the country. In addition, he is a published author with both Deseret Book and Covenant Communications, as well as being a teacher and motivational speaker for youth and young adults. When he’s not writing, he enjoys photography, playing the guitar, going to Disneyland, and Godzilla movies. He also hates onions.
First Page Consultations with Dennis Gaunt
This year, Dennis will be giving consultations where he will go over your first page with you as seen from the viewpoint of a slush pile reader. Dennis has been working as a slush pile reader for many years. If you send your manuscript to a publisher, it is a slush pile reader who first sees your work. Dennis will give you his first impressions of your first page, and tell you his thoughts on how you can improve your story. If you want a consultation with Dennis, book it now! We only have a few slots available.
Literary Agents
The literary agents will be taking virtual pitches on Thursday, April 25th from 8:30-10:30AM.
Tess Callero with Europa Content Agency
Bio:
Tess graduated from Indiana University with a dual degree in Marketing and English. She moved to New York to combine her love of both fields and become a literary agent. After spending four years at Curtis Brown, she moved to Europa Content in March 2019. Tess represents clients across genres and categories, from young adult and adult fiction to select nonfiction projects. She is a member of the AALA and is the Chair of the Media and Digital Innovations Committee.
What she’s looking for:
On the adult side, Tess loves smart, twisty psychological suspense in the vein of Lucy Foley or Ashley Audrain. She’s also looking for fun and engaging contemporary rom-com with elevated themes woven throughout – think Emily Henry, Talia Hibbert, Elena Armas, or Ali Hazelwood. She’d especially love a story that takes a young female narrator in a familiar setting and tells readers something new about the experience, like SUCH A FUN AGE or THE CLOISTERS. Please do not query her with sci-fi/fantasy, horror, or historical fiction.
In the children’s space, she’s exclusively looking for YA thriller/suspense. She especially loves a unique setting (boarding schools, small towns, international adventures). Please do not query me with picture books or middle grade.
Nonfiction: cookbooks, food narrative, pop culture, science, investigative journalism, business, social justice and anti-racism, humor.
Callie Deitrick with Wendy Sherman Agency
Bio:
Callie Deitrick is a literary agent at Wendy Sherman Associates. In fiction, she represents Caitlin Barasch, author of A Novel Obsession (Dutton, March 15th, 2022) and Emma Fedor, author of At Sea (Gallery, March 7th, 2023). She graduated from Hamilton College in 2016 with a major in creative writing and a minor in art. She then completed the Columbia Publishing Course in 2017. Professionally, she has worked as a publicity and editorial intern at Europa Editions, as an editorial intern at Henry Holt (where she illustrated the cover of Number One Chinese Restaurant), and as a bookseller at Little Joe’s. She has been an agent at WSA and has been assisting Wendy Sherman since the fall of 2018.
What she’s looking for:
Callie is looking for contemporary literary/upmarket novels with a fresh hook and a strong character-driven plot. She enjoys books that are both smart and entertaining with writing that has moments of humor and elements of suspense. She is drawn to books with flawed Millennial characters, diverse voices, and sympathetic protagonists. She has a soft spot for light speculative fiction with a simple conceit that otherwise feels like it could be set in reality. Narratives that subvert genre norms and the expectations of readers excite her, and she loves stories about complicated female friendships. Her personal interests—outside of reading—include art, traveling, cooking, soccer, and dogs.
Conference Schedule
Thursday
8:00 am | Registration |
8:30 am | Opening Remarks |
9:00 am | Writing Sprints – Bring your laptop or other writing device and get ready to get words on the page. We’ll do 20-minute sprints with breaks in between where you can socialize. |
12:00 pm | Lunch (included) |
1:30 pm Classes: | Dodge 2-3: Creating and Maintaining a Successful Writing Group by Mari Beck and Jim Arrowood Rose Room: The Art of Interviewing by Hugh Reilly VIP Room: Write Now, Research Later: Going Down the Research Rabbit Hole by Barbara Salvatore |
2:30 pm Classes: | Dodge 2-3: Market Better—Faster by Becca Syme Rose Room: Project Management for Writers by Don Carey VIP Room: Submittable: Surviving the Lit Mag Rabbit Hole by Tacheny Perry |
3:30 pm Classes: | Dodge 2-3: Turning Your Personal Experience into a Memoir by Jennifer D. James Rose Room: Chemistry Isn’t Just for Romance by Michelle Pennington VIP Room: How I Connected with 256 Nebraska Libraries by Bonnie Lacy |
4:30 pm | Closing Remarks |
7:30 pm | Music Bingo Night! Come win prizes and have fun! |
Friday
8:00 am | Registration |
8:30 am | Opening Remarks |
9:00 am Classes: | Dodge 2-3: Adapting Your Novel into a Screenplay by Christine Conradt Rose Room: Feed Yourself First: How to Make Money as a Content Marketer by Brittany Wren VIP Room: Picture Book Basics by Heather Dawn Torres |
10:00 am Classes: | Dodge 2-3: Unstuck Yourself by Becca Syme Rose Room: Cultivating an ARC/Street Team by L.A. McBride VIP Room: How to Write Poetic Prose that Isn’t Purple by Charlene Pierce |
11:00 am Classes: | Dodge 2-3: What Do Copyeditors Do Anyway? By Julie Haase Rose Room: “No, I Am Your Father!” How to Craft a Crafty Villain by KaTrina Jackson VIP Room: Help! My Book Isn’t Selling by Victorine Lieske |
12:00 pm | Lunch (included) |
1:30 pm Classes: | Dodge 2-3: Bookkeeping for Authors by Brandy Prettyman (2-Hour Intensive) Rose Room: Giving Birth to New Monsters by ShennonDoah VIP Room: Motivation for Writers: A Crash Course in Courage, Connection, Confidence & Community by Mari Beck |
2:30 pm Classes: | Dodge 2-3: Bookkeeping for Authors by Brandy Prettyman (2-Hour Intensive) Rose Room: Questioning the Author “Rules” by Michelle Pennington VIP Room: Writing Plausible Computer Hacks by Don Carey |
3:30 pm Classes: | Dodge 2-3: A Genuine Look at Impostor Syndrome by Dennis Guant Rose Room: Leveling Up Through Collaboration by Tara Grace Ericson VIP Room: You Wrote the Book, Now Brand the Biz by Katie Garland |
4:30 pm | Closing Remarks |
7:00 pm | Boot Camp – Sign up for our free Boot Camp and we’ll divide into small critique groups. Read the first chapter of your work in progress and get feedback from your group! |
Saturday
8:00 am | Registration |
8:30 am | Opening Remarks |
9:00 am | Keynote with Becca Syme |
10:30 am Classes: | Dodge 2-3: All About Dialogue by Tosca Lee Rose Room: Pitch Workshop by Jaye Viner (2-Hour Intensive) VIP Room: Websites for Authors: How to Get the Most Out of Your Digital Space by Virginie Carmichael |
11:30 am Classes: | Dodge 2-3: Reading Like a Writer by Margaret Lukas Rose Room: Pitch Workshop by Jaye Viner (2-Hour Intensive) VIP Room: Inspiration in the Mundane by Brandy Prettyman |
12:30 pm | Lunch (included) |
2:00 pm Classes | Dodge 2-3: Voice: Metallica, Muppets, and Me by Dennis Guant Rose Room: Writing the Hallmark Style Rom Com by Christine Conradt VIP Room: Writing with ADHD by Michelle Pennington |
3:00 pm Classes | Dodge 2-3: Writing Unforgettable Characters by Tosca Lee Rose Room: Use Kindle Vella for Writing Inspiration and Productivity by Mari Beck VIP Room: DIY Like a Pro: Graphics Edition by Katie Garland |
4:00 pm Classes: | Dodge 2-3: A Practical Guide to Deep POV by Julie Haase Rose Room: Indie Publishing on a Low Budget by Victorine Lieske VIP Room: Academic Writing for Publishing by Catherine Baker Nicholson |
5:00 pm | Raffle Drawing and Closing Remarks |
Conference Prices
NWG Member Registration
Saturday Only: $149
Friday and Saturday: $199
Best Price: All Three Days: $239
Non-Member Registration:
All Three Days: $299
Anyone is welcome to join the NWG to get the member price of the conference. Click Here to Join.
Registration Is Now Closed
Cancellation Policy: Cancellations on or before March 15th – $25 Cancellation Fee. Cancellations after March 15th – No Refunds Given
Looking for other writing conferences to attend? Here’s a great article from Kindlepreneur on the best writing conferences. We are proud to have made the list!