CRW is looking for speakers to lead live workshops sessions in the 2025 Contemporary Romance Virtual Writing Conference. If you have a topic you can lead that you would like to be considered for the conference lineup in 2025, please submit the information below.
RECORDED SESSIONS
Please note that all sessions will be recorded to provide conference participants with a replay for 30 days after the conference end to allow participation for those unable to attend live.
PAYMENT
CRW pays a set speaker fee to all speakers of the conference via PayPal.
TOPIC WISH LIST
CRW is open to all topic submissions. The following is a list of topics that will be given special consideration as hot topics currently highly relevant to the industry.
Business Track:
- Advanced Rights Management and Licensing: Leveraging Intellectual Property, Negotiating Contracts, and Expanded Rights.
- Analytics for Authors: Using data to understand reader behavior and refine marketing strategies.
- Avoiding Author Burnout: Techniques to maintain creativity and enthusiasm.
- Balancing Writing and Life: Tips for seasoned authors juggling multiple commitments.
- Building a Romance Brand: Creating a consistent author brand that readers trust.
- Emerging Tropes and Trends in Romance: Analyzing current reader demands and how to adapt without losing authenticity.
- Ethical Marketing Practices: Avoiding manipulative tactics like fake reviews, overpromising, or misleading blurbs.
- Global Market Opportunities: Translating works into other languages, tapping into international markets, and understanding regional preferences.
- Industry and Community Ethics: Learning and adhering to ethical standards within the writing community.
- Leveraging AI and Technology: Tools for brainstorming, editing, and marketing.
- Long-Term Financial Planning: Managing variable income, saving for retirement, and planning for tax obligations.
- Maximizing Passive Income Streams: Audiobooks, merchandise, and spin-offs.
- Networking and Community Building: How to connect in a lonely field.
- Respecting Reader Privacy: Handling reader data from mailing lists, contests, or events responsibly.
Craft Track:
- Avoiding Harmful Tropes: Identifying and steering clear of tropes that perpetuate negative stereotypes or unhealthy ideals.
- Consent in Romance: Portraying healthy relationships with clear boundaries, respect, and agency.
- Deepening Emotional Resonance: Strategies to evoke stronger emotional reactions and create unforgettable character arcs.
- Innovative Plot Structures: Exploring non-linear timelines, dual POVs, or multi-generational love stories.
- Leaving a Legacy: Writing romance novels that stand the test of time.
- Mastering Subtext in Dialogue: Using what's left unsaid to deepen character relationships.
- Plagiarism and Intellectual Property: Respecting others’ work and understanding the boundaries of inspiration versus theft.
- Representation Without Exploitation: Writing diverse characters and cultures authentically, avoiding stereotypes and tokenism.
- Symbolism and Themes in Romance: Weaving deeper meanings into romantic plots.
- Trauma and Healing: Writing about sensitive topics like abuse or mental health without glamorizing or trivializing them.
- Writing Chemistry That Sizzles
- Writing Dynamic Character Arcs in Romance
- Writing for Diverse Audiences: Authentic representation of cultures, genders, and sexualities in romance.
- Writing Layered Antagonists: Crafting compelling obstacles that go beyond clichés.