Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the 2021 conference being held online instead of in-person?

When we began planning the 2021 conference, the situation with COVID-19 was still uncertain. We decided the best choice was to plan an online conference, for the health of our attendees and to avoid a possible last-minute scramble to convert an in-person conference to online. Please join us in praying that we can all meet in person in 2022!

How will I watch the workshops?

All workshops are pre-recorded (they will not air live). On February 26, we’ll send you an email with information on how to access the workshops. You may watch them anytime in the following six weeks, through April 10, 2021. You may watch as many or as few as you choose, in any order, and at any time!

How will I watch the keynote talks?

The keynote talks will be pre-recorded (they will not air live). You will receive the link by email on February 26 in the morning.

I signed up for a Coaching Circle. How will I join my session?

The Coaching Circles will be held live on Zoom video on Thursday, February 25 from 9 am—3 pm Pacific Time. If you signed up for a Coaching Circle, your faculty leader will email you the link and any handouts in advance.

I signed up for a Round Table. How will I join my session?

Round Tables will be held live on Zoom video at 1 pm Pacific Time on either Friday February 26 or Saturday February 27 (the date specified when you registered). If you signed up for a Round Table, your faculty member will email you the Zoom link in advance.

I signed up for an Editor or Agent Pitch Session. How does that work? When will that be scheduled?

Pitch sessions will be held live on Zoom video or by phone. If you signed up for a pitch session, the agent or editor will email you directly to set up your session.

I signed up for a Coaching & Critique Appointment. How does that work? When will that be scheduled?

If you signed up for a Coaching & Critique appointment, please submit your manuscript to coordinator Cathy Elliott at coaching@westcoastchristianwriters.com by February 7, 2021. Type “WCCW Coaching & Critique” in the subject line of your email. In the body of your email, include the title, type (fiction/nonfiction/script), genre, and name of the coach you selected during registration. Attach a 1000-word (or less) Microsoft Word document in the following format: Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. Appointments will be held live on Zoom vidoe or by phone and will be scheduled by mutual agreement with your coach. 

When will I receive the conference content?

You should receive the email with the workshop access information by 9 am Pacific Time on Thursday February 26. If you registered for any add-ons (Coaching Circles or appointments), you should be contacted by a faculty member by Monday February 22. If you have not heard from us by then, please contact us at info@westcoastchristianwriters.com to make sure we can connect.

When I registered, I didn’t sign up for a circle/appointment. I’ve changed my mind. How can I sign up?

To add a circle, appointment, or round table, you’ll need to register again (creating a separate ticket). Just head back to our website and click the register button link. When checking out, you don’t need to select a general registration ticket, just the add-ons that you want.

Is there a waiting list if the appointment/circle I want is full?

Yes! During checkout, you’ll see the option to be added to the waiting list for a circle, round table, or agent/editor appointment. You may choose to register for another available one or wait to see if your first choice becomes available.

Why are you charging for appointments this year? They were included in the registration price before.

Since we are meeting online instead of in-person, there are extra administrative costs to running the appointment system. Also, when we meet in person, our faculty are already present and volunteer their appointment time. This year, we wanted to pay the faculty for their extra contribution of time.

Can I share the links to the videos with my friends, writers group, or on social media?

We respectfully ask that you do not share video links, as all workshops are paid content. Thank you for understanding and for respecting our faculty and our conference team.

Do I have to be on Facebook to watch the workshops or to be part of the conference?

No, you don’t. The Facebook Group will only be used for announcements (which will also be sent by email) and for interaction. You will not miss any vital conference material if you don’t belong to Facebook.

I see that some of the meetings are on Zoom. I’m not familiar with Zoom. How can I learn more?

Please see the Zoom tip sheet at this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bRyFvm94G7816j2rfTmLY0nTvbcP-oNJb4XOQlH0VUU/edit?usp=sharing 

Where can I find the conference schedule?

You can find the schedule here: https://westcoastchristianwriters.com/schedule-2/ Also, the schedule will be available in your conference program, a downloadable PDF.

How do I get access to the Facebook group for the conference?

The link to our private Facebook Group is in your confirmation email. Click the link to request to join. After we confirm your registration, you’ll be admitted.

Is there an opportunity to have appointments with publishing professionals?

We are pleased to offer many ways for you to interact with our faculty! Here are some opportunities:

• Agent & Editor Pitches—Individual Sessions: The opportunity to connect with agents is an important part of our WCCW Conference. fifteen-minute individual appointments with an editor or agent (conducted by phone or online).
• Round Tables—Group Sessions: You can meet online in a small group with an industry professional to ask questions or brainstorm. Round Tables will be conducted live online on February 26 and 27 for one hour each.
• Coaching and Critique Appointments—Individual Sessions: Would you like feedback on your writing from a published author? You’ll have the opportunity to submit a writing sample in advance. A faculty member will meet with you online or by phone for thirty minutes to give you feedback and discuss next steps for you and your writing.

Each of these appointments are add-ons at registration. Here are more details about our appointment system. https://westcoastchristianwriters.com/appointments-2/

If you don’t wish to make an appointment, some faculty members will also hold informal interactive Zoom chats. More information on these will be coming at a date closer to the conference.

Can older teens who are writers attend?

Yes. This is a great conference for teens who love to write.

How do I enter the writing contest? Is there a cost to enter?

WCCW is once again sponsoring a writing contest for original, unpublished submissions. The 2021 Goldie Awards feature categories for nonfiction, fiction, poetry, children’s lit, and—this is new—“bad writing” (have fun writing the absolute worst you can!). Entry is FREE! The entry deadline is February 7, 2021. Manuscripts should be emailed to contest@westcoastchristianwriters.com . For more details, including formatting requirements and the writing prompt, please see https://westcoastchristianwriters.com/2021-writing-contest/ .

I have a schedule conflict during the conference days. Can I still participate?

Yes, you can. The workshops will be available for viewing from February 26 through April 10, 2021, and you can watch them at any time during those six weeks. 

For the Editor & Agent Pitch Sessions and the Coaching & Critique Appointments, the faculty member will contact you directly to schedule the appointment, which will be held between February 25 and March 10, 2021.

However, some events will be held live at specific times (Coaching Circles and Round Tables). Please make sure you’re free at those times before you register. If a schedule conflict comes up after registration, please contact us at info@westcoastchristianwriters.com .

Are conference scholarships available?

We do have a scholarship fund. Please apply here: https://forms.gle/SjV9zB8wvREVRWJcA

How can I get a registration refund?

General registration is non-refundable. Coaching Circle and Round Table registration is fully refundable up to thirty (30) days prior to the conference (Monday January 25, 2021). Refund requests inside thirty days to the conference will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

I am interested in finding out how to join WCCW.

We don’t have a membership model for WCCW. Instead, if you sign up for the mailing list, and join the Facebook group (if you’re on Facebook), you’ll get all the information and announcements and community that we offer online. Our public Facebook page is here: https://www.facebook.com/westcoastchristianwriters . We also have a private Facebook Group for those who have registered for our February conference, and the link will be in your confirmation email.

You can sign up for our mailing list here: westcoastchristianwriters.com

Is there an email or mailing list for information on upcoming conferences?

Yes, there is! Please sign up for our mailing list here: westcoastchristianwriters.com