Writer, speaker, faculty member Vonda Skelton teaching at the 2012 BRMCWC. (Photo by Mary Denman (c) 2012)
One of the most difficult things Edie Melson and I have to do each year is select faculty for BRMCWC. Why difficult? Because we receive so many request to teach. The conference has a great reputation and writers, editors, and agents lobby for positions throughout the year. It's a joy to receive e-mails from knowledgeable people who wish to help conferees along their writing journey.
Of course, we can't invite everyone. We receive far more requests to teach than we can fill. I receive teaching proposals throughout the year. Some come by e-mail; some through Facebook; some through Twitter; and some face to face.
This year, I feel the need to streamline the process a little, so here's how to submit a proposal to teach at the 2013 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference:
1. Know what we do. BRMCWC is a "wide-spectrum" conference, meaning we cover the major areas of writing. These include (but not limited to)"
a. Novels and their subcategories
b. Book length nonfiction
c. Freelance work
d. Devotions/Bible studies
e. Business issues connected to writing (trends, agents, etc)
f. Public speaking for writers (and writing for public speakers)
g. Short form nonfiction (articles, essays, blogs, etc)
h. Visual media (film and television)
i. Craft
j. Poetry/Greeting cards
k. Children/Young adult (fiction and nonfiction)
l. Marketing
2. Know how our classes work--length.
a. Workshops. A workshop is a one-hour-fifteen-minute class. The material is covered in that time. Workshops may be offered more than once.
b. Continuing class. A series of classes covering the same material. Continuing classes run the same length as a workshop but the material is spread over three to four days.
c. Practicums/clinics. A limited attendance, hands-on continuing class. Conferees do more than listen, the practice each principle taught.
3. Know how our classes work--levels.
a. Most classes are designed for beginning to intermediate conferees.
b. Next.Level classes are designed for the experienced conferee and published author.
4. Know how to audition. Here's what we need to see:
a. A pitch sheet or topic proposal. What do you want to teach? How much time do you need to teach it?
b. A bio relating your publishing experience.
c. Make your topics interesting. Each year I receive a dozen requests to teach, "How to Write a Proposal." Be creative. This is a creative business. Better is, "Ten Ways to Make Your Proposal Unforgettable."
d. Be specific. Please no, "I-can-teach-whatever-you-want" requests. There are times when we have a slot to fill and we'll approach a faculty member, but that's rare. We need to know what your best subjects are.
e. Keep it short. I know the above sounds like a lot, but we're not looking for a thesis. We just need the basic info.
f. Send an e-mail. Please don't use Twitter, or Facebook, or Google+. We need to be able to easily review, file, sort, and share the information. That's not so easy on Facebook.
5. What we're looking for.
a. Experienced writers, agents, and editors.
b. Passionate teachers.
c. People who want to give back to the industry.
d. Instructors who can remember what it was like just starting out.
e. Enthusiasm.
f. Patience.
g. Strong communication skills.
6. Some things you should know.
a. This is a conference for people producing work for the Christian market. It takes place at a Christian Conference Center. You will be surrounded by Christians and be attending worship services.
b. We are a casual bunch. We love to laugh and enjoy ourselves. We are serious about the craft but not stuffy. There is a fair amount of silliness.
Our goal is to put on a better, more useful conference than the year before. Last year will be hard to beat but we're sure gonna try.
Alton Gansky, Director
Alton Gansky is a full time writer, director of BRMCWC, and founder of Gansky.Communications. He is the award winning author of over 40 books. Prior to turning to full time writing, he was the senior pastor to three Southern Baptist churches. In addition to his writing, he speaks to writers groups and church organizations. www.altongansky.com, www.ganskycommunications.com.
