Faculty Notes 2024

I’m grateful for WHAC’s team and the technology that enables us to go virtual again with an amazingly interactive conference. No pre-records! Everything is live. 

If you have not presented workshops online, please check that box on the bottom of the info sheet. We will again use Obvio’s platform and easy-to-follow dashboard that interfaces with Zoom. 

Time Zone & Schedule: Since our virtual studio is in New Jersey, we will be using Eastern Time throughout the conference. We do not expect you to be online throughout the entire conference, although you are more than welcome to attend anything that interests you.

Videotaping: The entire conference except for appointments, round tables, critique groups, and small breakouts will be videotaped. We will note on the conference dashboard that keynotes, continuing sessions, learning labs, and workshops are copyrighted in the name of the speaker. You will receive the link to what you taught and, of course, are free to use it however you want. To provide more learning opportunities for our conferees, we are again asking for permission to make your videoes available through December 31, 2024.

 

Please view as a PRIORITY! Come ready to focus on the Lord during our times of worship with Marty Goetz and to be blessed by the messages our keynoters will bring. Keynotes are 35-40 minutes. Payment $100.

Wednesday, 7:30 – 8:10 pm
Thursday and Friday, 10:10 – 10:50 am and 7:30 – 8:10 pm
Saturday, 10:10 – 10:50 am and 5:00 – 5:40 pm

 

Because we want WHAC to bless you spiritually and professionally (and because there is always more to learn) we hope you will take advantage of going to some classes. Of course, you can slip in and out of virtual rooms. 

Note to all instructors: We want to make the conference as interactive as possible. Please encourage participants to use the chat. You may want to allow some time during or before the close of your session for live Q&A.

Room monitors: A staff member will make sure your room is open and will assist you should there be a technical glitch. Prior to the conference we will provide numbers you can text for assistance. (Be certain to give us your cell number so we can reach you if there is an issue. Only staff will have access to it.) We will provide a staff member for continuing sessions and learning labs who will check in with you prior to the conference to ask if there are ways they can assist you during your session such as monitoring the chat. 

Learning Labs

Instructors are welcome to take a break during their two hour lab on Wednesday, 2:30 – 4:30 pm Eastern. We will keep the room online and unmute the conferees so they can chat if desired. Or your room monitor can create small group breakouts. They are a great way for conferees to interact. Payment $120. Please note on the info sheet whether your content will work best in a two hour Learning Lab and whether it is targeted for Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, or ALL writers. 

Continuing Sessions 

These meet five times (60 minutes each) throughout the conference (total 5 hours):

Thursday & Friday, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm and 3:15 – 4:15 pm
Saturday, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm

We will leave your room open for 5 minutes after the scheduled time to end to allow for discussions in the “hallway.”  We will, however, stop the recording. Please note on the info sheet whether your continuing session is targeted for Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, or ALL writers. Payment $300.

 

Workshops

The same as last year, workshops are 50 minutes instead of 60. Please be considerate and end on time so we can stay on schedule.

Wednesday, 5:00 – 5:50 pm
Thursday & Friday, 2:15 – 3:05 and 5:15 – 6:05 pm
Saturday, 2:00 – 2:50 and 3:45 – 4:35 pm

The same as the continuing sessions, we will turn off the recording when you are scheduled to end, but we will keep the room open for “hallway chats” for 5 minutes afterwards. Payment $50. Please note on the info sheet whether your workshop is targeted for Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, or ALL writers.
 

Conferees really appreciate handouts. Please email to Chris Richards at passingthequill@gmail.com by July 15. She will post them to https://colorado.writehisanswer.com/handouts2024. Only conferees and faculty will have access to the link.
 

To provide opportunities to connect with one another, we are again going to use lunch and dinner “mealtimes” for round tables. Of course, if you’re not on Eastern Time that won’t be when you’re eating! But that’s one of the advantages of being virtual. You can grab a snack or eat a meal whenever it works for you.

We have enough rooms (laptops) for every agent and editor to use one mealtime for Q & A about your publishing house, publication, or agency. You’ll receive a form from Barb Haley to let her know times you can be available. 

Authors: We’re planning to use Wednesday’s dinner (6:15 – 6:45 pm) to “Meet the Authors.” Rooms will have several authors. If you are not available Wednesday, let Barb know what other meal(s) would work for you on the form she will send you.

Other pros and authors who offer services to writers: We want to help you gain clients! Barb will send you a form to let her know what mealtimes you would be available. She will schedule you for one mealtime, perhaps with several others if you offer similar services.

No payment for a mealtime round table.

 

The critique groups we offered last year were enthusiastically received. Please note on your info form if you are interested in leading a group and, if so, the genre. Conferees will copy and paste 100 words into the chat box. No payment because no preparation is needed. Groups meet 4:30 – 5:10 on Thursday and Friday, 3:00 – 3:40 on Saturday.

 

Thursday 1:10 – 1:55 pm 
Agents Panel
Indie Publishers Panel 

Friday 1:10 – 1:55 pm     
Book Editors Panel (traditional publishers only) 
Magazine Editors Panel

Saturday 1:10 – 1:55 pm   
Will They Read On? – Book Editors
Will They Read On? – Magazine Editors 
Conferees will paste the title of their manuscript, genre, and first 100 words into the chat. The moderator will read and then give time for several panel members to comment on whether or not they would read on.
Please remember to also say something positive. We don’t want to wipe anyone out.

No payment for serving on a panel.                              
 

We will be conducting group appointments again this year because the logistics of ushering individual conferees in and out of the Zoom appointments every ten minutes is not feasible. We received positive feedback last year from editors/agents as well as the conferees. We are confident this is the most effective approach for our virtual conference. No payment for appointments.

Because the rooms (and staff and laptops) are limited, only agents and editors will be doing appointments. Appointments will be scheduled during the learning labs, workshops, and continuing sessions with no more than 3 conferees in 30-minute time blocks and a 5 minute transition between groups. 

Barb Haley will send you an Appointment Availability form to complete early June. Many conferees view appointments as the most valuable part of the conference, so thank you in advance for making time to meet with our conferees. Authors and other professionals are, of course, welcome to request to meet with 2 or 3 agents and editors on the form you also will receive.

Barb will also send you an Editorial Needs form. She will compile the info you provide into incredible charts to help our conferees make wise choices for their appointments.

Prior to the conference book editors and agents will receive a One Sheet and first page to make the appointments as helpful as possible for you and our conferees. Barb will ask magazine editors what they want submitted.

Option to follow-up after the conference: Based on their submission and meeting them during the group appointment you will have the option to follow-up afterwards via email, phone, Zoom, or Face-time. Or book editors and agents may prefer to request a full proposal. 

Prior to the conference you will receive the times and names of your scheduled appointments. (We may not need all the time slots you tell Barb you are available.) Keep in mind that conferees leave a learning lab, workshop, or continuing session to meet with you. Please do not disappoint them by being late for their appointments. And please sandwich constructive criticism between positive encouragement, but be careful not to give false hope.

Important note to book editors and agents: While we know platform is critical, many of our conferees are still developing in this area. If they are not a go for your house or agency because of a lack of platform, please use the appointment time to discuss their idea. We want everyone to walk away with something, even if they do not yet have platform. Thanks for that!  

We are all pressed for time, but if you request a conferee send you a full proposal, please try your best to get a response to the conferee in at least three months. If your policy is that no answer within three months means you’re not interested, please make that clear to the conferee at the conference.

For more information about how our appointment system works, click on Appointments.

Father, please give us all much wisdom to know how
You would have us respond to the conferees we meet with.
And please help them to hear what we’re saying;
not what they want to hear.
Give them teachable spirits and give us sensitive hearts.
 

We do not have enough rooms (or staff and laptops) to offer virtual paid critiques at the conference. If you are interested in doing them after the conference, please note this along with the genre(s) and length on your info sheet as well as how many you are willing to do. We will post this info on the website. Conferees will send a request for a paid critique to you through our team member Laura Shaffer. We did this to avoid sharing your email address online and inviting potential spamming. Once you receive the request, you are responsible to contact the conferee and agree or not agree to take the paid critique. If you agree to take it, the conferee will send their manuscript to you and pay you $40 for written comments and a 20-minute phone call, Zoom, or Facetime meeting that you will arrange to take place after the conference. Click here for more info and the genres and lengths offered last year.

 

We are happy to add one or two of your books to our virtual bookstore. You have two options:

• We will send those who want to purchase your book to Amazon or another source.
• You will fill book orders. After the conference, you will receive a check for 80% of the price of the book plus $4.00 to cover your shipping costs. [The conference charges a 20% consignment fee to cover PayPal charges and to help with conference expenses. We will collect and pay PA sales tax.)
• IMPORTANT – Chris Richards needs to receive a jpeg of your book cover and blurb no later than July 15. 

 

 

Info will be posted under the schedule on the conference website.

 

Director
Marlene Bagnull
267-436-2503  (cell) 
mbagnull@aol.com

Registrar / Appointment Coordinator
Barb Haley
haleybarb@yahoo.com

Bookstore 
Chris & Roy Richards 
passingthequill@gmail.com
 

If you encounter a problem checking in
Numbers provided later
 

For tech issues during the conference
Numbers provided later