2009 Conference Event Proposal Guide
Terms & Conditions
Preparing Your Proposal for Submission: What You Need to Know
Event Types
Event Organizer Information & Responsibilities
Event Moderator Information & Responsibilities
Information on Listing Your Participants
Receipt of Your Proposal
Selection Process
Notification on Your Proposal's Status
Audio-Visual Requests
Biographical Notes
Common Mistakes and Problems
Access Guidelines
Registration Policies
Sample Proposals
 AWP's 2009 Event Proposal Handbook (PDF-132KB)
Terms & Conditions
Submission Deadline:
All Conference Proposals must be received no later than May 1, 2008. Proposals may only be submitted via AWP’s online submission form. Hardcopy and emailed proposals will not be accepted.
Event Organizer:
All conference proposals must identify one (1) Event Organizer, who will serve as the central contact person and presentation coordinator. If your event proposal is accepted for the 2009 Conference, the Event Organizer will receive the initial acceptance notification, and he/she is responsible for confirming all event particulars including participants, scheduling issues, etc.
The Event Organizer will not be listed on the event as a participant, or listed in the conference program, unless he/she is listed as a participant in addition to being an Event Organizer.
An individual may chair no more than two (2) accepted events.
Event Moderator:
All events must have a designated Moderator, who may also be the Organizer of the event. The Moderator is considered a conference participant, a participant in the event, and will be expected to adhere to AWP’s participation guidelines, policies, and limitations.
Moderator Responsibilities: The Event Moderator is responsible for managing the event on-site at the Conference, seeing that the event stays within the time allotted, that individuals at the event conduct themselves appropriately, and that AWP’s Event Guidelines are adhered to during the event.
Please Note: While the Event Moderator is responsible for managing event discussions and readings on-site at the Conference, the Event Organizer is responsible for all relevant paperwork to be submitted to AWP, requests, changes, and serving as the liaison between AWP and the event participants.
If the Moderator is the same as the Organizer of your event:
If the two are the same, all you need to do is click "Yes, the Moderator is this event's Organizer," list that individual's biographical note, and all other contact information will be applied accordingly.
Limitations on Participation:
In order to create a diverse and well-balanced program, presenters may participate in no more than two (2) accepted events, only one of which may be a reading. A person may be included in no more than three (3) proposals. If any individual is listed as a participant in more than three proposals, ALL proposals that include that individual will be removed from consideration.
All participants must be confirmed with the Event Organizer before they may be listed on a proposal.
Each event may have a maximum of six (6) participants. An event may have fewer than six (6).
Requests:
For your protection all formal changes and requests for proposals and events MUST be submitted in writing. Submitting your request in writing helps insure you that your request has been properly communicated. Send all requests to conference@awpwriter.org.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Preparing Your Proposal for Submission: What you Need to Know
Have your proposal prepared prior to going to our online submission form. Computers and the Internet are wonderful tools, but sometimes they fail. Make sure you have a copy of all your proposal information before beginning the online submission form.
Type your text directly into the submission form. Do NOT cut and paste your text into the form, as this may very likely create errors in the delivery process of your proposal and AWP may not receive all relevant text.
Be sure you have the information below prepared before submitting your online proposal form:
- Complete contact information, biographical notes (490 characters including spaces) for event participants.
- Complete event description (500 characters including spaces).
- Complete event statement of merit (500 characters including spaces).
- Confirmation from all your proposed participants.
- Type of event you are submitting.
- Current email addresses for all your participants! AWP does not sell or trade email addresses.
Please see below for more detailed information on each item.
Participants:
You will need a biographical note, email address, mailing address, telephone number, and institutional affiliation for all of your proposed participants.
Contact each of your proposed participants before listing an individual. If an Event Organizer wishes to be listed in the Conference program and/or take part in the event, he or she must be included on the list of participants.
All event participants listed on your event proposal MUST be confirmed prior to submitting your proposal. This means that the Event Organizer of an event proposal must have received approval and confirmation from an individual that the individual intends to participate in the given event at the conference, if the event is accepted. Any changes in participation after final event selection have been made are subject to approval by AWP. If an accepted event changes significantly it may be removed from the program.
In order to create a diverse and well-balanced program, presenters may participate in no more than two (2) accepted events, only one of which may be a reading. A person may be included in no more than three (3) proposals. If any individual is listed as a participant in more than three proposals, ALL proposals that include that individual will be removed from consideration.
Contact information (including email addresses) and biographical notes must be complete upon submission of your proposal.
Event Description:
Your event description should be no more than 500 characters long, including spaces. This text should read as you would like it to appear in the conference program, should your event be accepted. In addition to relevant details, this description should include the topic to be covered in your event and points of focus. Please see example proposals.
Do NOT use all caps for any reason beyond acronym listings. Do NOT use asterisks.
Statement of Merit:
Your statement of merit should be no more than 500 characters long, including spaces. This is your opportunity to inform AWP’s ranking committee of why your proposal should be included in our 2009 Conference program, why the topic would be of specific interest, and how this event stands out among others. Please see example proposals.
Do NOT use all caps for any reason beyond acronym listings. Do NOT use asterisks.
Your Event Type:
In the proposal form you will be prompted to select an event type. Please see the event section for the types of Conference events.
Biographical Notes:
Each participant should have a biographical note no more than 490 characters, including spaces. The bio should begin with the first name, followed by the last name. It should include the individual’s genre and up to the last three titles an individual has published. The three latest journals of publication may be included, if the individual does not have books published. Please do not include personal information, such as place of birth, family members, etc. Such information will not be considered during the selection process, and will be omitted in the conference program.
Do NOT use all caps for any reason, including book titles. Do NOT use asterisks for book titles. AWP will make all formatting changes necessary. Please do not list email addresses, web sites, or any other personal information.
Below is an example biographical note, as one should appear in your proposal:
Luna Hartman is the author of three books of poetry: Threshold (University of Pittsburgh Press); Lunar Sightings (W.W. Norton); and Wonderlust (HarperCollins). She won an NEA fellowship in poetry in 2005. Hartman directs the writing program at Palmer University.
AWP reserves the right to edit all biographical notes.
Audio-Visual Requests:
Audio-visual requests are not a required when submitting an event proposal. Please do NOT make such a request unless you need an item to facilitate your event. Not all events utilize audio-visual equipment and completion of this section is only necessary if you have a request for an item that will facilitate your event.
All rooms are set up with microphones and sound systems according to the size of the room.
If you would like to request that AWP consider providing additional audio-visual equipment for your event, you must include your request with your proposal, and write a short statement of need. Due to increasing costs to AWP and its members for rental of audio-visual equipment, no audio-visual requests will be taken after event acceptances are made. AWP reserves the right to accept or deny audio-visual requests at its discretion for accepted events. All requests must be included on your proposal with a statement of need for your request to be considered. Requests for audio-visual equipment will not be considered after May 1, 2008 for any events. Requests included on your proposal will not be considered during the event selection process.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Event Types
As an organization of writers, creative writing programs, and writers’ conferences, AWP seeks proposals for presentations of contemporary literature, the art of writing, the pedagogy of teaching writing, and the business of publishing or managing an educational program for writers. Presentation sessions are 75 minutes in length and must begin and end on time. You may propose one of the following types of presentations:
Writers' Conferences & Centers Events
These presentations focus on issues related to good management of literary nonprofit organizations, writers’ conferences, and community centers: audience development, community service, administration, marketing, board development, fundraising, programming, facilities management, strategic planning, and teaching outside academe.
Pedagogy
These presentations focus primarily on issues related to effective teaching of writing at all levels: graduate workshops, undergraduate seminars, and writers-in-the-schools or community classes. Pedagogy events may be focused on the teaching of a single genre or multiple genres.
Translation
These events focus on theories and strategies of translation, cultural differences, and the practical considerations of literary markets for translated works.
Agents, Contracts, & Contests
These presentations and workshops are designed for writers who need to understand the business side of publishing. Events should provide advice in selecting a literary agent, entering literary competitions, understanding copyright laws and issues of libel or defamation, finding a publisher, or executing a contract for publication.
Program Development
These events are designed for the administrators of various kinds of creative writing programs: residency programs, low-residency programs, undergraduate programs, graduate programs, and programs at 2-year colleges. The presentations focus on the elements of good program administration: admissions, state and regional accreditation requirements, curriculum development, recruitment of faculty, fundraising, alumni development, marketing, and strategic planning.
Playwriting & Screenwriting
These presentations focus on elements of craft as well as appreciations of other writers and discussions of cultural trends in theater, cinema, and television.
Career Advancement
These presentations are designed for writers seeking employment or promotion both within and outside academe. Topics may include: job interview skills, development of resumes or CVs, internships, management of careers, jobs in technical writing, editing, and publishing, and the academic job market.
Publishing & Editing
These presentations are addressed to editors and publishers of literary books, anthologies, journals, Web sites, and electronic media. Topics may include: marketing, graphic design, editing, rights acquisition, copyright, Web site development, and small press administration.
Craft of Fiction
These presentations focus on the craft of writing short stories and novels and the challenges of writing in various forms of narration: epistolary novels, experimental fiction, short-short fiction, unreliable narrators, handling point-of-view, genre fiction, effective dialogue, maximalist fiction, minimalism, humor, controversies and trends in recently published fiction, and other topics.
Fiction Readings
Readings by authors of novels and short story collections. Events may be proposed by presses, including anniversary readings celebrating milestones in their publishing history. Readings may also showcase outstanding authors from the region in which the Annual Conference is held.
Craft of Poetry
These presentations focus on the craft of writing poetry: the elements of formal verse, free verse, creative strategies, literary theory, aesthetics, current controversies and trends, and other topics.
Poetry Readings
Readings by authors of poetry. Events may be proposed by presses, including anniversary readings celebrating milestones in their publishing history. Readings may also showcase outstanding authors from the region in which the Annual Conference is held.
Craft of Nonfiction
These presentations focus on the elements of craft in writing nonfiction.
Nonfiction Readings
Readings by writers of memoirs, essays of creative nonfiction, and literary biographies. Events may be proposed by presses, including anniversary readings celebrating milestones in their publishing history. Readings may also showcase outstanding authors from the region in which the Annual Conference is held.
Cross-Genre Issues
These presentations focus on issues that have a general impact across the field of literature and upon writers, readers, publishers, or teachers: cultural trends; political upheavals; the creative process; religion; feminism; environmental advocacy; literacy; book reviewing; needs of the disabled; topics of craft that apply to more than one genre; managing the writer’s life; business realignments in publishing; literary or cultural theory; therapeutic applications of writing; and technological innovations affecting reading, writing, and publishing, for example.
Cross-Genre Readings
Readings by two or more writers in two or more genres. Events may be proposed by presses, including anniversary readings celebrating milestones in their publishing history. Readings may also showcase outstanding authors from the region in which the Annual Conference is held.
Tributes
Appreciations of outstanding authors, literary mentors, and editors. Such events typically have two or three speakers testifying about the honoree’s contributions to literature; the testimonies are often followed by a short reading or speech by the honoree, but tributes may also be conducted in appreciation of a recently deceased author’s work as an artist, mentor, or teacher.
Regional Focus
These presentations seek to define the identity of the literature of the region in which the AWP Annual Conference is held; to examine the contributions of outstanding writers in the region; or to analyze the evolving literary themes that animate the region’s history.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Event Organizer Information & Responsibilities
The Event Organizer will not be listed on the event as a participant, or listed in the conference program, unless he/she is listed as a participant in addition to being an Event Organizer.
An individual may chair no more than three accepted events.
The designated Event Organizer agrees to serve as the liaison between AWP and the event participants, and is responsible for completing all relevant confirmation forms, responding to requests for information, and maintaining an open line of communication between AWP and the event’s participants. The Event Organizer is responsible for confirming the participation of all participants on the given event, as well communicating all planning, organization, and scheduling on to participants.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Event Moderator Information & Responsibilities
Event Moderator
An event moderator is considered to be a “participant” in the conference. All events must have a designated Moderator, who may also be the Organizer of the event. The Moderator is considered a conference participant, a participant of the event, and will be expected to adhere to AWP’s participation guidelines, policies, and limitations. The Moderator’s biographical note will be included, and that individual will also be listed in the Conference Program’s Participant Index.
If the Moderator is the same as the Organizer of your event
If the two are the same, all you need to do is click “Yes, the Moderator is this event’s Organizer,” list that individual’s biographical note, and all other contact information will be applied accordingly.
Moderator Responsibilities: The event Moderator is responsible for managing the event on-site at the Conference, seeing that the event stays within the time allotted, that individuals at the event conduct themselves appropriately, and that AWP’s Event Guidelines are adhered to during the event. Individuals moderating a panel should oversee event discussion, question and answer sessions, as well as see to it that discussion time is managed appropriately. Individuals moderating a reading should oversee introductions, questions and answer sessions, as well as see to it that individuals read for the appropriate amount of time. All moderators will be expected to adhere to AWP’s participation guidelines, policies, and limitations.
Please Note: While the Event Moderator is responsible for managing event discussions and readings on-site at the Conference, the Event Organizer is responsible for all relevant paperwork to be submitted to AWP, requests, changes, and serving as the liaison between AWP and the event participants. AWP understands that in many cases the Moderator and Organizer will be the same individual. However, individuals may organize an event, making all administrative preparation, and elect not to participate in the event discussion or reading.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Information on Listing Your Participants
Contact each of your proposed participants before listing an individual. All event participants listed on your event proposal MUST be confirmed prior to submitting your proposal. This means that the Event Organizer must have received approval and confirmation from all participants that they intend to participate in the event, if it is accepted. Any changes in participation after final event selections have been made are subject to approval by AWP. If an accepted event changes significantly it may be removed from the program.
In order to create a diverse and well-balanced program, presenters may participate in no more than two (2) accepted events, only one of which may be a reading. A person may be included in no more than three (3) proposals. If any individual is listed as a participant in more than three proposals, ALL proposals that include that individual will be removed from consideration.
Contact information (including email addresses) and biographical notes must be complete upon submission of your proposal.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Receipt of Your Proposal
Confirmation for your proposal will be sent via email within 48 hours of your submission. Please be patient, but make sure you receive it! If you do not receive a confirmation email, AWP cannot guarantee that your proposal will be included for consideration.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Selection Process
AWP's conference staff compiles the proposals in catalog format of over 600 pages, and forwards a complete package of proposals to the Conference Committee. Events are grouped by event type.
The Conference Committee (comprised of 6 volunteer members of our board of directors) spends approximately 4 weeks reading, reviewing, and ranking all proposals. Events are reviewed and ranked alongside events of the same type.
Conference Committee members submit rankings to AWP Director of Conferences for tabulation. Each proposal is given an aggregate score based upon these rankings. Proposals are sorted by aggregate score and the top-ranked proposals in each event type are marked for acceptance.
Please read the instructions on submission, and ensure that statements of merit, descriptions, and participant biographical statements are complete and properly formatted. Incomplete proposals, or proposals that do not adhere to the required length or format, will not be considered.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Notification on Your Proposal's Status
All designated Event Organizers will be notified via email by August 1, 2008. Event Confirmation Forms and formal letters of acceptance will be sent via post by August 7, 2008. Your Confirmation Form must be completed, signed, and returned to AWP no later than September 7, 2008, in order for the accepted event to be included in the 2009 Conference Program.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Audio-Visual Requests
Audio-visual requests are not a required when submitting an event proposal. Please do NOT make such a request unless you need an item to facilitate your event. Not all events utilize audio-visual equipment and completion of this section is only necessary if you have a request for an item that will facilitate your event.
All rooms are set up with microphones and sound systems according to the size of the room.
If you would like to request that AWP consider providing audio-visual equipment for your event, you must include your request with your proposal, and write a short statement of need. Due to increasing costs to AWP and its members for rental of audio-visual equipment, no audio-visual requests will be taken after event acceptances are made. AWP reserves the right to accept or deny audio-visual requests at its discretion for accepted events. All requests must be included on your proposal with a statement of need for your request to be considered. Requests for audio-visual equipment will not be considered after May 1, 2007 for any events. Requests included on your proposal will not be considered during the event selection process.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Biographical Notes
Each participant should have a biographical note of no more than 490 characters, including spaces. The bio should begin with the first name, followed by the last name. It should include the individual’s genre and up to the last three titles an individual has published. The three latest journals of publication may be included if the individual does not have books published. Please do not include personal information, such as place of birth, family members, etc. Such information will not be considered during the selection process, and will be omitted in the conference program.
Do NOT use all caps for any reason, including book titles. Do NOT use asterisks for book titles. AWP will make all formatting changes necessary. Please do not list email addresses, web sites, or any other personal information.
Below is an example biographical note, as one should appear in your proposal:
Luna Hartman is the author of three books of poetry: Threshold (University of Pittsburgh Press); Lunar Sightings (W.W. Norton); and Wonderlust (HarperCollins). She won an NEA fellowship in poetry in 2005. Hartman directs the writing program at Palmer University.
AWP reserves the right to edit all biographical notes.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Common Mistakes and Problems
Sometimes problems occur with event proposals without the Event Organizer being aware during the submission process. Please be sure to follow all the submission instructions to be sure that your proposal is received by AWP in its entirety. Below is a list of common mistakes and problems individuals encounter.
Do not paste your text into the proposal form from another document: You may see the text on your screen correctly, BUT when AWP receives it, that text may not appear as you wrote it. This method of input can lead to large portions of your proposal text to be missing or unreadable when AWP receives your proposal from the online form.
Have a backup copy of your proposal saved: Computers are wonderful tools, but sometimes they fail. Make sure you have a copy of your proposal saved in case something should go wrong during your submission process.
Don’t leave your proposal form open on your computer: Leaving the form open on your computer idle for more than a few minutes can cause you to lose information. The form will not remain connected to AWP’s web site if it sits idle, and you will lose your information.
Don’t draft your proposal in the form: This could cause you to lose information if for some reason you are disconnected from AWP’s website or the form unexpectedly closes.
Depending on your browser, the “back” button may not allow you change your submitted proposal: Once you click “Submit” your proposal is sent to AWP, and pushing your browser’s “back” button does not always retrieve your proposal or allow you to reenter data into your original proposal. Going back may take you to your proposal as it appeared on your screen, but your proposal will have already been sent to AWP. Please email us if your proposal was submitted before it was complete. You may submit a complete proposal, but we will need to eliminate the incomplete version.
Once you click “Submit” your proposal is sent to AWP: Going back may take you to your proposal as it appeared on your screen, but it will still be sent to AWP. Please email us if your proposal was submitted before it was complete. You may submit a complete proposal, but we will need to eliminate the incomplete version.
If you would like to be in the printed conference program, include yourself as a participant: All Event Organizers must list themselves as a participant in order to be included in the program.
Email us if your proposal was submitted before it was complete: Once we hear back from you, we will eliminate the incomplete proposal, and you may submit a new version. Send e-mail to conference@awpwriter.org.
Have your cookies enabled: In order for the proposal form to operate properly, you must have cookies enabled on your computer. Some computers located at university computer labs will not allow you to do this, in which case you must submit your proposal from another machine.
Submit your requests in writing: We are happy to help you in any way that we can, and please call us with any questions, but for your protection all formal changes to proposals and events MUST be submitted in writing. Submitting your request in writing helps insure you that your request has been properly communicated. If you don’t hear back from us, please follow up. Send all requests to conference@awpwriter.org.
Do not mail your proposal: AWP does not accept proposals sent by post. Due to often-delayed postal deliveries, we may not even receive your proposal in time to ask for it electronically.
Wait for your confirmation email: Confirmation for your proposal will be sent via email within 48 hours of your submission. Please be patient, but make sure you receive it! If you do not receive a confirmation email, AWP cannot guarantee that your proposal will be included for consideration.
Make sure you’ve entered your email address and other information correctly: Confirmation for your proposal will be sent via e-mail within 48 hours of your submission. If we don’t have the correct email address you will not know if your proposal has been received, and likewise you may miss critical correspondence regarding your event.
Be sure you have correct information for your event participants: Missing or incorrect email addresses and postal addresses prevents AWP from communicating important information to your participants. If we don’t have the correct information, we cannot send them event correspondence. AWP does not sell or trade email addresses.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Access Guidelines
AWP is committed to making all reasonable arrangements that will allow members of the association to participate in conference events. Space has been left for two wheelchairs in each meeting room. Please keep this area and the aisles clear for persons who may be using wheelchairs, canes, crutches, or motorized vehicles. Space should be left around the doors and aisles to allow access. If you require special services, equipment, or additional accommodations, please submit your request in writing along with your registration form by December 15, 2008, or email us at conferences@awpwriter.org.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
Registration Policies
All participants must register for the Conference. Participants should register at the reduced presenter rate, available by telephone or a private link, which will be emailed to all presenters. The early-bird pre-registration rate for presenters is $75.
Registration Includes: Conference registrations include admission to AWP’s Bookfair, meetings, panels, readings, and public receptions for the duration of the conference week. Meals, lodging, and travel are not included. For information on airfare or lodging at AWP’s official conference hotels please visit our Web site. Individuals registering at the student rate must present a valid student ID on site.
Return to the AWP 2009 Conference Event Proposal Page
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