Contact Information:
Please send all inquiries to
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Q. How can I get on the PWC mailing list
to receive a conference brochure?
A. Get on our mailing list by attending a Conference or
by sending your full name and postal mailing address to info@pwcwriters.org
or by mail to Philadelphia Writers' Conference, P. O. Box 7171, Elkins
Park, PA 19027-0171. You'll receive the June conference brochure and the
Spring and Fall Pen Points. Conferees receive mailings seven years,
others two years (Other Requests). The brochure is usually mailed by late
February/early March.
The full brochure is also available
online here, with registration form, downloadable to fill in and mail.
Q. Can I pay for my tuition and food
function costs by credit card?
A. We do not currently accept credit cards. We accept cash, personal
checks, and money orders.
Q. When can I register for the conference?
A. You can register any time after you receive your brochure.
Registrants who are submitting manuscripts must mail registrations and
manuscripts to the appropriate addresses listed in the brochure by the
deadline postmark of April 30. Workshop space is allocated on a first-come
basis so it's advisable to register early.
Walk-in registration starts at
8:30 a.m. on Friday, the first day of the conference.
Pre-registered conferees need
only sign-in and pick up a conferee packet.
It's also possible to register
at walk-in registration.
Sign-ups for food functions must
be in by noon Friday.
Q. Can I pick up my pre-registration
or do walk-in registration later in the day or on the second or third day?
A. Yes, the registration table is staffed the entire first
day, and most of the second day. Even the third day there's usually someone
there.
Q. Is it possible to sign up for only
one day, or for one workshop?
A. No. Only full three-day conference registration is accepted.
Q. Can I sign up to attend only the appointments
with agents or editors?
A. No. Appointments with agents and editors are free to
full three-day registrants, with PWC conferee badge required to participate.
Q. Do people ever sign up for the full
three days and not attend it all?
A. Yes, this happens a good bit of the time. Some can't come
on one of the days, or can't stay for evening events--but there's enough
to provide a good conference experience even it's necessary to curtail
attendance times.
Q. Why are the two Novel Workshops in the same
time-slot--or the two Short Story Workshops?
A. These are the two workshops with the heaviest attendance.
It's necessary to divide the registrations so the manuscript critique load
isn't too heavy for the workshop leaders.
Q. Why can't a conferee just bring a manuscript
for the workshop leader to look at during the conference?
A. Our workshop leaders are dedicated writers with their own
heavy schedules, who teach at the conference, and additionally take time
to critique submitted manuscripts on their own time. It's not fair to expect
them to take more time during the conference itself to look at manuscripts.
We ask that conferees respect the submission date (April 15) for manuscript
critiques.
Q. What is the purpose of the half-hour free
time between workshops? Couldn't it be shorter--or longer?
A. The half-hour free time is provided for conferees so they
can stretch their legs, use the restrooms, have a break, and have time
to meet and talk with other conferees in a relaxed atmosphere. PWC provides
a Conferee Lounge with complimentary coffee, decaf, tea, and herbal tea
at the 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. breaks. (Some conferees have suggested
the time of the a.m. and p.m. breaks could be shorter, others have suggested
it might be longer--the happy-medium seems to work well.)
The lunch break of 1½ hours allows those who like to walk to
get out for a bit or to frequent outside restaurants. It also provides
a time when some instructors like to meet with conferees.
Q. How do I register if I was a
first-prize winner and received free tuition for the following year's conference?
About the time the brochure is
mailed to conferees, you'll get a letter from our Scholarship Chair with
your voucher and other details.
Q. Can I bring a laptop computer or tape
recorder to take notes?
A. Neither is permitted. We've found that the clicking of laptops
annoys other conferees. Taping is not permitted because it infringes on
the rights of the presenters.
Q. Can I sell my own books at the conference?
A. No. Arrangements with the Book Fair and city sales and tax
codes do not permit this.
However, conferees may put a limited
number of small flyers about their work on the tables in the Conferee Lounge.
Q. Can I get the Pen Points by
e-mail?
A. Sorry, no. Some of the material is proprietary and not
available for general distribution, so we've opted not to post the newsletter.
Q. Exactly where in the Holiday Inn Independence
Mall does the Philadelphia Writers' Conference take place?
A. All PWC events are in the hall that leads off from the
left end of the hotel lobby. The PWC Registration Desk is right there.
All sessions are in rooms in that hall and the agent/editors appointments
are at the end of the hall on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, the Book
Fair is in that space.
Quick Reminders
IN spring, as the bulbs begin their rebirth, writers’ minds lift up with the spirit of the days and the urge to capture dormant words and give them new life. It’s time to do new work, to revise still-not-ready drafts, and to think about getting a writing-infusion by attending the Philadelphia Writers’ Conference.
• If you plan to enter manuscripts for either critique by a workshop leader or as contest submissions, the deadline is a postmark of April 15, 2008. If you’re not sure the date will be on there if you mail it the last day, ask the postal-clerk to hand-stamp the date.
• April 15 is also the deadline for the reduced tuition fee of $185 for six workshops and several features. From May 1 through walk-in registration, the tuition is $205 (also for six workshops and several features). Walk-in registration starts at about 8:45 a.m. on the first day of the conference.
• If you plan to attend either of the evening food functions —Friday Buffet with Agent/Editor Panel ($40) or Saturday Keynote Speaker and Awards Banquet ($40)— the deadline is absolutely Friday by noon, as the count must be turned in to the hotel kitchen.
• If you attend, bring paper/pencil for taking notes, a light sweater/jacket for changing room temperatures, a willingness to learn, and the happy expectation of meeting with other writers in workshops and our Conferee Lounge. #
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