Annual Conference
Every summer, the RWA holds a national conference. In 2007, approximately 1900 members attended the conference in Dallas, Texas, participating in workshops and attending lectures designed for both published and unpublished authors. A Librarian's Day started the conference, and, in 2007, over 150 librarians attended presentations by some of the more popular romance authors, including Jayne Ann Krentz, Suzanne Brockmann, Nora Roberts, Shana Abe, and Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Each year, some of the workshops are business-oriented, focusing on how to pitch a novel or write for multiple publishers. Other workshops focus on creative pursuits, including how to use swords and sword fights in a story line, how to use firefighter lingo, or how to pick the cover art for your book. The annual conference features a literacy signing, where the public is invited to meet close to 500 authors and gain autographs. In 2007, the event raised almost $60,000 for literacy charities. The conference ends with the RITA and Golden Heart awards ceremony.
The RWA funds several scholarships for members to attend the national conference. The scholarships pay for travel, lodging, and registration fees.
Future conference sites include San Francisco (2008), Washington D.C. (2009), Orlando (2010), New York City (2011), Anaheim (2012), Atlanta (2013), San Antonio (2014), and New York City (2015).
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