by Jenne Acevedo

Our fourth annual PENCON was held last week in Atlanta, and what a wonderful time we had! Forty of us gathered together to network, learn, and have a great time. The Buckhead area was a beautiful location, and the DoubleTree Hilton took care of us with their charming southern hospitality.

We heard many positive comments throughout our time together. Two editors even drove twenty-one hours to join us. The speakers sharpened our skills in a variety of editing sessions and business workshops. We sat face to face with like-minded professionals and met people we have communicated with online for years. What a blessing to see each smile and get to know our fellow editors in a new way.

On Saturday morning we presented our keynote speaker, Cecil Murphey, with a Lifetime Achievement Award from Christian Editor Network LLC. Cec joined us at PENCON to share his love of the industry and his expertise. We wanted to honor him in this way as he prepares for retirement.

We are excited to announce the location for PENCON 2018. Next year’s conference will be held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our tentative dates are May 3–5, 2018. Once we finalize the plans, we will open registration at a super early-bird price with a $50 deposit. Check your schedule and save the date for our fifth annual conference and the fifteenth anniversary of The Christian PEN.

Each year we put together the audio recordings and presentation materials from our conference and make them available for purchase and download. Once we compile and process the audio, we will distribute it on our website at https://penconeditors.com/audio-recordings/. The full conference package is $150 and individual sessions are $10 each. This is a great way to learn from the conference speakers even if you were unable to attend. Previous conference recordings are also available for purchase.

If you have any questions or would like to be a part of our 2018 planning team, please contact us. Visit our website for more information or join the conversation on our Facebook page.


Jenne Acevedo is a freelance editor, writer, and speaker who encourages and assists writers in their journeys to publication. She is a co-owner of Christian Editor Network LLC, the director of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network, the director of PENCON, a member of the Christian Editor Connection, and a member of American Christian Writers Association. Jenne also leads the Chandler Writers’ Group, which she started in 2011. Find out more about Jenne at JenneAcevedo.com.