About the Conference
The 21st annual San Francisco Writers Conference will take place on February 6-9, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco.
This year's conference features
- 100+ presenters
- 25+ literary agents and acquiring editors
- 80+ sessions, lectures, and classes over four days
- 12+ topics covering fiction, nonfiction, traditional and self-publishing, memoir, children's/YA, poetry, marketing, business, tech, books-to-screen, and more
Registration includes
- Entry to the Writing for Hollywood Summit, SFWC Poetry Summit and Jazz party
- Access to 8-minute paid consults with editors, promotional experts, and book coaches. Your first one is free!
- Access to 30-minute editor manuscript reviews
- Multiple networking social events attended by industry pros
- Morning continental breakfasts with industry pros and awards and keynote luncheon
- A bag of goodies
- Pub quiz with prizes
- So much more!
Conference Schedule
Optional add-ons include
Concierge Consults with Kevin Smokler, Diane Frank, Nina Amir, and Andy Jones are available if you want to make the most of the SFWC or just want to talk with them about writing and publishing. Registered attendees will get info on how to get a consult. The fees fund SFWC scholarships.
Master Classes: We take advantage of the fact that a boatload of talented writing and publishing teachers are here for the conference and tap some of them to host 3-hour master classes in various facets of the craft. And it's great that anyone can sign up for these intensives. It's open to everyone, not just registered attendees. Take a class with your friends. It's a great way to start your writing year off with a bang.
Location
The Hyatt Regency San Francisco is located on Market Street across from the Ferry Building and next to the Embarcadero BART station.
Book your room directly with the hotel by calling 415-788-1234 or by going here. Use our discount code G-WR25 to get the $265 room rate. The code is only good through January 17th, 2025, or whenever the rooms sell out.
What is the SFWC?
This will be the 21st Celebration of Craft, Commerce, and Community for all writers. Attendees will join 100+ presenters and fellow writers from across the country and around the world at this year's event. The SFWC events are consistently rated among the top writers' conferences anywhere. Our goal is to help writers become published authors as we help them become better at the craft of writing and the business of publishing. The SFWC is also one of the friendliest conferences around.
Presenters this year will include best-selling authors, literary agents, acquiring editors, indie editors, and publishers from major publishing houses as well as small presses. There will be experts on self-publishing, book promotion, platform building, social media, audiobooks, podcasting, and author websites.
The San Francisco Writers Conference has one of the largest faculties of any writers conference to ensure the best networking with the people who can help you get published. All of our presenters are in person at the SFWC events and eager to share their expertise and love of writing. As presenters for 2025 are confirmed, they are added to the SFWC Speakers page, with links to their websites.
What happens at the SFWC?
The event spans four days and offers optional Pre- and Post-Event 3-hour Master Classes!
There is copious networking with the very people who can advance your writing career, a glorious gala, keynotes, and continental breakfasts, lots of social interaction with other writers, our Pub Quiz, and an invaluable 'practice your pitch' session. Want feedback? Attendees can have a free one-on-one session with an independent editor, book coach, and marketing expert. There will be exhibitors with services and tools for writers, too.
If you are working on your book, getting ready to publish it, or looking for ways to promote an already published book, this is the event you need to attend.
What to expect at the SFWC?
The San Francisco Writers Conference starts on Thursday at 1 p.m. with an orientation...followed by a full afternoon of classes. Then the conference runs-pretty much nonstop-through early afternoon on Sunday.
The included SFWC Gala networking party is on Saturday evening, and it is followed by the Poets and Jazz event.
If you can stay longer, there is a no-host banquet on Sunday afternoon where you can keep the networking going with SFWC presenters, staff, and volunteers. On Thursday evening and on Sunday afternoon, there will be several optional Master Classes too, which are available even if you're not registered for the main conference, so please, tell your writing buddies!
All attendees get a commemorative tote bag with writing goodies! The SFWC offers so much social and one-on-one networking time with other writers and industry professionals. After-hours hosted networking events, poetry happenings, No-pitch/No-host meet-ups in the bar? You bet. Don't want to eat dinner alone? There is a no-host dinner every night at a different San Francisco restaurant. Our attendees tell us this friendly yet professional atmosphere is what makes SFWC the conference they choose to attend.
From start to finish, the San Francisco Writers Conference is designed to help you become a better, more professional writer and accelerate your career.
Top Ten Reasons for Writers to Attend the San Francisco Writers Conference
- You appreciate sessions that fit your specific writing needs and goals. At SFWC, you can choose from a full schedule of workshops and panels that cover fiction, nonfiction, children's/YA, self-publishing, books-to-screen, poetry, marketing, business, tech, and more.
- You want to launch your writing career-or take it to a more professional level. As in any business, it's "who you know." Meet industry leaders and learn how to play the publishing game. The information at SFWC covers the latest trends and technology to help you get more writing done ... and successfully sell what you write.
- You want an agent! Pitch your book ideas in 8 minutes, one-on-one, to the literary agents of your choice (For registered attendees only. Details will be sent in February).
The literary agents at SFWC are on the lookout for new clients with great books they can represent. They sign up new clients from SFWC all the time! - You are ready to learn about a wide range of publishing options from leaders in self-publishing, hybrid publishing, and traditional publishing.
- You can get FREE editorial feedback on your work from a freelance book editor and can consult with a book coach and a marketing expert.
- You are building your personal writing community. At SFWC meet like-minded writers from all over the United States and other countries too.
- You seek innovative writer-related services. Meet with the exhibitors and see demos at the conference to find out what's new for writers.
- You love books. Come browse our onsite bookstore and get the books you purchase autographed by the presenters.
- You have heard about SFWC's over-the-top networking opportunities. SFWC attendees can jump into pitch practices, share their work at craft workshops, and socialize at our Pub Quiz, Dessert Keynote, Gala Party, and Poetry and Jazz events. This is just a small sampling of what goes on during the event.
- You want to go to a conference that offers it all. You've just described the San Francisco Writers Conference-top quality information and excellent speakers, yet is extremely friendly to writers at all levels.