Meet you in St. Louis! Join me at the Western Writers of America National Convention, June 17-20.
Each year, Western Writers of America holds its annual convention somewhere in the American West. Members, agents, publishers, editors, and more gather to talk shop, learn, teach, make connections, renew friendships, and enjoy music performed by our members.
Why St. Louis?
by James Wade
The American West, in all its splendor and glory– its magnificent and treacherous landscapes, its courageous and complicated history, and its ancient and transcendent mysteries– is most often illustrated by sprawling vistas, mountain majesties, and never-ending skies. But our national enchantment with the West would not have been possible save for the role of a single city, high on a bluff above the Mississippi River.
St. Louis is rightfully known as the Gateway to the West, serving as the epicenter of America’s westward expansion. From Lewis and Clark to the California Gold Rush, from steamboats to rail lines, the historic city was a launching point for a burgeoning country’s dreams of progress.
Some of America’s greatest authors lay claim to St. Louis and the surrounding areas, from Laura Ingalls Wilder to Mark Twain to Maya Angelou. Here, like the geographical regions that birthed them, the lush and elaborate prose of Southeastern storytelling meets the spare, biting style of the West, combining to create a literary methodology all its own.
For these reasons, and more, the Western Writers of America is proud and privileged to bring its 2026 Convention to the great city of St. Louis. We hope you will join us in fellowship and celebration of western history, literature, and spirit.
FIND ME HERE:
Thursday June 18, 2026
2:30pm – 4pm – Agents, Publishers, and Editor’s session – Moderator: Clarissa Willis
Friday June 19, 2026
9am – 10am Roundtable Discussions (Coffee and Danish Provided) – Rotating with 5 minute Breaks
A. Spur Awards: What Judges Want you to Know – Bob Yoho, Spur Awards Chairman
B. Writing Fiction Proposals for University Presses – Dan Williams, TCU Press
C. How to Promote your Book – Krista Rolfzen Soukup, Blue Cottage Agency
D. From Script to Screen – Thadd Turner, Film Producer
E. How Authors Can Publish Independently – Tom Goodman and Karen Fitzjerrell
3pm – 4:30pm Agent and Editor Pitch Sessions
1pm – 2:30pm – “Knowing Your Rights” Information for Authors – Krista Rolfzen Soukup of Blue Cottage
Agency and Mike Milom, JD
Saturday June 20, 2026
1pm – 3pm – Agent and Editor Pitch Sessions
Blue Cottage Agency Authors attending the convention:
Jake Stetler
Clarissa Willis
Candace Simar
David Fitz-Gerald
Janice Hurff
Nancy Plain
Deborah Swenson
R.G. Yoho
Joe Brown
Phil Mills, Jr.
Larry Meese
Bill Markley
Stuart Rosebrook
Preston Lewis
Harriet Kocher Lewis
Jim Jones
Katlyn Bates
John Bradshaw
