[Please forgive the cross-postings.]
 
For Immediate Release                               Contact: Isolde Chapin
                                                            (202) 347-4973
 
            Washington Independent Writers Conference To Offer
               Help for Both Seasoned and Beginning Writers
 
May 8 and 9 Conference To Feature More Than 20 Sessions
 
   WASHINGTON--Washington, New York and Boston writers, editors and agents
will meet with aspiring writers during the Washington Independent Writers
(WIW) Spring Conference here May 8 and 9.
 
   The 19th annual WIW conference, to be held at the National Press Club
in downtown Washington, will offer sessions of interest to both seasoned
and beginning writers.
 
   The conference will open Friday evening with a keynote address by Kitty
Kelley, author of "The Royals" and celebrity biographies of Nancy Reagan,
Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy. Kelley's talk will be
followed by a book signing and buffet supper.
 
   On Saturday, literary agent Donald Maass will share his publishing
know-how at a morning plenary session. Maass also will be available during
the day to offer advice to fiction writers. Novelist Sharyn McCrumb will
be the luncheon speaker. For an additional fee, Ellen E. M. Roberts,
president of Where Books Begin in New York, will offer manuscript
critiques for materials submitted in advance.
 
   Throughout Saturday, conference participants may select from among 20
specialized panels and workshops. Some sessions will be targeted to
specific writing niches such as mystery, travel, children's writing,
memoirs, screenplays and women. Other sessions will cover free-lance
basics such as identifying markets, contracts, taxes, working with editors
and self-publishing.
 
   Among the participating conference panelists will be Karen Cicero
Conlon, associate editor of American Health for Women; Phyllis C. Richman,
Washington Post food critic and author of "The Butter Did It"; John
Gilstrap, suspense novelist and author of "Nathan's Run"; Chris Keane,
screenwriter and author, "How To Write a Selling Screenplay"; Kristine A.
Puopolo, editor, Viking Penguin; John Wood, articles editor, Modern
Maturity; and Elliott Parker, associate professor of journalism, Central
Michigan University, and founder/owner of the Internet-based Computer-
Assisted Reporting and Research List (CARR-L).
 
   Early conference registration is $100 for members of WIW or the
National Press Club and $150 for others. After May 1, fees will increase
to $125 and $175, respectively. Manuscript critiques will cost an
additional $125. Registrations are accepted by check, Visa or MasterCard
and should be mailed to WIW, 733 15th Street NW, Suite 220, Washington,
D.C. 20005.
 
   For additional information or to request a complete brochure, call the
WIW office at (202) 347-4973. Information is also available on the World
Wide Web at <http://washwriter.com> or via e-mail at <[log in to unmask]>.
 
   Washington Independent Writers was founded in 1975 to help free-lance
writers, editors and journalists overcome their isolation and to provide
professional and social forums for the exchange of ideas and information.
As a nonprofit organization, WIW provides a variety of services and
resources to its 2,000 members and plays an active role in issues that
affect the independent writing profession.
 
   WIW also sponsors an Internet-based discussion and mailing list, WIW-L.
To subscribe, send e-mail to <[log in to unmask]>, and in the
body of the message, put just the line "subscribe WIW-L your-first-name
your-last-name" (without the quotation marks).
 
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