For writers this week, Toronto is the place to be

This week, I’ll be attending the Professional Writers Association of Canada’s 33rd annual National Conference and AGM in Toronto. It promises to be bigger and better than ever. For the first time, the PWAC event is part of MagNet, Canada’s national magazine superconference. PWAC has partnered with Magazines Canada (the magazine trade association), the Canadian Authors Association, the Editors’ Association of Canada and the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors to offer more professional development sessions and expanded networking possibilities.

My schedule starts Thursday morning with a seminar titled At the Table with Six-Figure Freelancers. A panel of six top writers will share some of their secrets for success. On Thursday afternoon, I’m looking forward to attending Do It Yourself: How to Publish, Market and Sell Your Books Online. PWAC’s annual awards dinner is slated for Thursday evening with guest speaker Nino Ricci, winner of the 2008 Governor General’s Award for Fiction. Friday is shaping up to be an even busier day. Some of the sessions I’ll be attending include Going Global: Taking Your Freelance Career to International Clients, and Pitchcraft: How to Pitch Like a Pro. PWAC’s AGM will take place on Saturday morning. PWAC members from out of town will also have a chance to sample some of Toronto’s cultural life, with visits scheduled to popular tourist attractions like the Royal Ontario Museum, the CN Tower, the Toronto Islands, the musical We Will Rock You, and a Blue Jays baseball game. It’s the first PWAC conference I’ve ever attended and, by all indications, the organizers this year have hit one out of the park. I’ll be back at my desk on Monday, June 8, feeling motivated to achieve even more for my business and my clients.