Speakers SFWC 2025
Featured Keynote Speakers
Isle McElroy
Isle McElroy is a writer based in Brooklyn. Their debut novel, The Atmospherians, was named a New York Times Editors' Choice. Their second novel, People Collide, was New York Times Critics' Pick. Other writing appears in The New York Times, New York Times Magazine, The Guardian, The Cut, Vulture, GQ, Vogue, The Atlantic, Tin House, and elsewhere.
Isle was named one of The Strand's 30 Writers to Watch. They have received fellowships from The Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, The Tin House Summer Workshop, The Sewanee Writers Conference, The Inprint Foundation, The Elizabeth George Foundation, and The National Parks Service.
Tommy Orange
Tommy Orange is the author of the New York Times bestselling novel There There, a multi-generational, relentlessly paced story about a side of America few of us have ever seen: the lives of urban Native Americans. There There was one of The New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of the Year, and won the Center for Fiction's First Novel Prize and the Pen/Hemingway Award. There There was also longlisted for the National Book Award and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. His new novel, Wandering Stars, was published in February 2024.
Orange graduated from the MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts, and was a 2014 MacDowell Fellow and a 2016 Writing by Writers Fellow. He is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. He was born and raised in Oakland, California.
For more information on Speaker, please visit www.prhspeakers.com.
Nina Amir
Author, Growth Track Coordinator & Conference Concierge
Nina Amir is the Amazon bestselling hybrid author of How to Blog a Book, The Author Training Manual, Creative Visualization for Writers, and a host of ebook writing guides. She supports writers as a Book Coach and Certified High Performance Coach. Plus, she is an award-winning journalist and blogger and the founder of the Nonfiction Writers’ University and the Write Nonfiction in November Challenge.
Mahnaz Badihian
Author, Poet, Publisher
Mahnaz Badihian(Oba), is a poet, writer, painter, translator. She runs literacy magazine Mahmag.org. She had DDS, MA, and MFA in poetry. Currently she is working on her novel Gohar.
Amy L Bernstein
Author, Book Coach (nonfiction and memoir)
Amy L. Bernstein is an award-winning journalist, author, and certified book coach who helps aspiring and established writers to transform raw ideas into polished book proposals. Amy works with clients across all creative nonfiction disciplines, including selective memoir. Working with Amy, writers develop a compelling structure and focus for their book that positions them to compete for an agent or publisher.
Sheryl Bize-Boutte
Author & Writing for Change Track Coordinator
Sheryl J. Bize-Boutte is an award- winning (including Writer’s Digest and SFWC), widely published, multidisciplinary writer and author of the highly reviewed historical fiction novels “Betrayal on the Bayou” and “Back the Bayou: The Tassin Valley Saga Continues.” Sheryl and her daughter Angela are co-authors of the poetry books, “No Poetry No Peace™” and “Traipsing in Poetry Prose and Vignette.”
Cara Black
Author, Independent Editor
Cara Black is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 20 books in the Private Investigator Aimée Leduc series, and two World War II-set novels featuring American markswoman Kate Rees. Cara has received multiple nominations for the Anthony and Macavity Awards, a Washington Post Book World Book of the Year citation, the Médaille de la Ville de Paris—the Paris City Medal.
Sue Campbell
Author & Coach
Sue has helped hundreds of writers, from newbies to bestsellers, transform their inhibitive mindset around marketing and realize their full potential as authors. Her clients have exponentially increased their email lists and book sales, landed articles in prestigious publications such as The New York Times, done guest spots on popular podcasts and more. She is also a certified life coach.
Michael Carr
Agent
Michael Carr represents writers in a variety of genres, with a special emphasis on historical fiction, women’s fiction, science fiction and fantasy, memoir, narrative non-fiction, and popular science. He speaks Spanish and Swahili, and before joining Veritas had professions as diverse as programming simulators for nuclear submarines and owning an inn in Vermont.
Eirinie Carson
Author
Eirinie Carson is a Black British writer living in California. She is a mother of two children, Luka and Selah. She mostly writes about motherhood, grief and relationships and her first book, The Dead Are Gods (Melville House, 2023) was critically acclaimed by Oprah Daily, Nylon Magazine, Shondaland and The Washington Post as well as winning a Zibby Award. It was also named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2023.
T.A. (Tina) Chan
Author
T. A. Chan is a human being trying to live her best life on this floating piece of space rock. She spends her free time writing speculative fiction, begging her plants not to die, and spoiling the dog. Her debut dystopian novella, ONE LAST GAME, is releasing in Fall 2025 (Fairwood Press); her debut YA science fiction novel, THE CELESTIAL SEAS, will be published in Spring 2026 (Viking Children’s Books).
Douglas Cole
Author, Poet
Douglas Cole has published six poetry collections and the novel The White Field, winner of the American Fiction Award. He contributes a regular column, “Trading Fours,” to the magazine, Jerry Jazz Musician. He also edits the American section of Read Carpet, a Columbian journal of international writing. He has been nominated Six times for a Pushcart and seven times for Best of the Net. His website is https://douglastcole.com
Ying Chang Compestine
Author, KidLit Track Coordinator
Ying Chang Compestine is a versatile and acclaimed author of 27 books, spanning fiction, picture books, and six cookbooks. She is also a highly sought-after speaker, inspiring audiences worldwide by sharing her journey as a writer. Her work has been featured on numerous national television programs and regularly highlighted in prestigious news media outlets. Her books have been named among the Best Books of the Year by The Wall Street Journal, Booklist, Common Sense Media, and many other incredible honors.
Lisa Cooper Ellison
Author & Writing Coach
Lisa Cooper Ellison is a writer, trauma-informed writing coach, and host of Writing Your Resilience, a podcast exploring the intersection of storytelling and mental health. On the show, Lisa interviews emerging and bestselling authors as well as leading experts in writing, psychology, and mental health. With an Ed.S in clinical mental health counseling and a background in mindfulness, she brings a compassionate, evidence-based approach to her coaching. Her clients have been published by both small presses and Big Five publishers, with several achieving New York Times bestseller status. Lisa contributes regularly to the Jane Friedman blog. Her essays and stories have been featured on Risk! and published in The New York Times, HuffPost, and Kenyon Review Online, among other outlets. Learn more at lisacooperellison.com.
Vicki DeArmon
Acquiring Editor
Vicki DeArmon has been in the book industry for forty years asa respected publisher, bookseller, and innovator. She started Foghorn Press at age 25, growing it to a $2 million enterprise before selling it fourteen years later. She has worked as the marketing and events director at Copperfield’s Books and as consultant to indie bookstores. She currently serves as the publisher of Sibylline Press.
Krystaelynne Sanders Diggs
Author, Publisher
Author Krystaelynne Sanders Diggs is a passionate author dedicated to crafting enriching children’s stories that celebrate diversity and empower young readers. Her books aim to foster a love for reading and self-expression in children from all backgrounds.
Karly Dizon
Agent
Karly is an agent at Fuse Literary building KidLit and Adult universes with stories that matter. She is aggressively building her client list to boost and give visibility to marginalized voices, experiences, history, culture, folklore, and mythology. Karly loves stories with grand adventures, imperfect characters, but most importantly, a strong voice that hooks a reader within the first page.
Kevin Dublin
Author & Activist
Kevin Dublin is founder of The Living Room SF and focused on expanding economic accessibility to creative writing & inquiry through workshops, producing readings, publishing other writers, and facilitating partnerships. He’s author of the chapbooks Eulogy and How to Fall in Love in San Diego and resides in San Francisco.
Peter Dudley
Author, Poet, Self-Publishing Track Coordinator, Board Member
Peter Dudley is an author and leadership coach with a diverse background in tech startups, nonprofits, and Fortune 50 companies in a broad range of roles from corporate responsibility to software development. He writes extensively on his Gray Bear Coaching blog about leadership, work-life balance, and personal values. He also writes poetry and fiction for people with a sense of adventure or a sense of humor.
Tanya Egan Gibson
Author, Independent Editor (Fiction - Cozies, Mainstream, YA, MG, Literary), SFWC Consultant Coordinator
Tanya Egan Gibson is a freelance editor, writing coach, and the author of the novel How to Buy a Love of Reading. Her short fiction for adults and young adults has been published in Carve and Cicada and has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has written for magazines such as The Writer, Parents, and Writer’s Digest, including an article, “10 Things Your Editor Might Not Tell You—But Should." [email protected]
Tongo Eisen-Martin
Author, Poet
Tongo Eisen-Martin is San Francisco's 8th Poet Laureate. His latest curriculum on extrajudicial killing of Black people, We Charge Genocide Again, has been used as an educational and organizing tool throughout the country. He is the author of “Someone’s Dead Already”, “Heaven Is All Goodbyes”, “Waiting Behind Tornados for Food”, and “Blood on the Fog”. In 2020, he co-founded Black Freighter Press.
Jodi Fodor
Indie Editor
Jodi Fodor, MFA, has edited for many publishers & agencies, including PRH, Little Brown, SheWritesPress, Serendipity Literary, & Reedsy. A development & line editor who works in memoir, fiction, humor, & self-help, she loves exploring ‘what ifs’ with authors. She says, “Countless great ideas emerge during phone calls.” Jodi posts mini lessons for writers on IG @editor.teaches.writing. Find her at [email protected]
Laurie Fox
Agent
Laurie Fox is the Head of Agency at Linda Chester Literary Agency. Laurie Fox, who joined the agency in 1989. A graduate of the University of California at Santa Cruz (Creative Writing and Theatre Arts), she is a published author of fiction and poetry, including Sexy Hieroglyphics (Chronicle Books) and two novels, My Sister from the Black Lagoon (starred Publishers Weekly review; San Francisco Chronicle bestseller) and The Lost Girls, both published by Simon & Schuster. The movie of The Lost Girls starring Vanessa Redgrave, Jolie Richardson, Iain Glen, and Louis Partridge, was released in 2022. She represents books in the areas of literary and quality fiction, thrillers and speculative fiction, memoir/biography, cultural history, popular culture, quirky humor, narrative nonfiction, history and current events, art and artists, and science and technology.
Diane Frank
Acquiring Editor/Publisher (Poetry), Author, Poet
SFWC Poetry Summit Coordinator & Conference Concierge
Diane Frank is author of eight books of poems, two novels, and a photo memoir of her 400 mile trek in the Nepal Himalayas. While Listening to the Enigma Variations: New and Selected Poems won the 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Poetry. Diane plays cello in the Golden Gate Symphony and collaborated with Matt Arnerich to create an orchestral suite based on her poem, "Tree of Life."
Jenny Frankfurt
Author, Author Coach (Screenplays)
Jenny Frankfurt is the founder of The Finish Line Script Competition, which is currently in its 8th year. Finish Line is based on the idea that rewriting is essential to being a successful writer and provides development notes mimicking a studio or television producer. Prior to Finish Line, Jenny was a literary manager, selling features, TV shows and pitches as well as staffing writers on television shows.
CoCo Freeman
Agent at Linda Chester Literary Agency
CoCo Freeman graduated from Bard College with a B.A. in Written Arts. Before joining the Linda Chester Literary Agency, she worked for Tom Yoon Productions developing projects and editing existing material. She is very happy to have entered the world of her first love, books. She is looking for commercial fiction in a variety of ages and genres, from adult and young adult to middle grade and select picture books.
Joey Garcia
Author, Author Coach, SFWC Marketing and Memoir Tracks Coordinator
Joey Garcia is an editor and author coach who helps writers build platforms while she’s editing their manuscript. Joey’s clients can be found in The Wall Street Journal, Smithsonian magazine, Ms. magazine, CNN, PBS, and The Tamron Hall Show, among others. Joey has been a featured relationship expert in HuffPost, USA Today, Deutsche Welle, PBS, and Slate’s Dear Prudence podcast. Her poetry, essays, and short stories have been anthologized, performed, and published. In 2024, Joey received the Queen Mary Wasafiri Life Writing prize selected by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Cristina Rivera Garza. www.joeygarcia.com
Joan Gelfand
Author, Poet, Writing Contest Coach
Author of "Outside Voices: A Memoir of the Berkeley Revolution," Joan’s book for writers, “You Can Be a Winning Writer: The 4 C’s of Author Success,” is an Amazon #1 best seller. Award winning author of three volumes of poetry and a chapbook of short fiction, Joan’s debut novel “Extreme,” set in a Silicon Valley startup was a Finalist in the International Book Awards.
Arabella Grayson
Author
Writer/curator Arabella Grayson’s "Two Hundred Years of Black Paper Dolls," has been exhibited at the Smithsonian and numerous museums. Publisher of the Congresswoman Barbara Lee Paper Doll, Arabella's art has been featured in group shows and several books. Her thesis Contemporary Ghanaian Art and Artists, is in the Smithsonian's Warren M. Robbins Library Collection at the National Museum of African Art, by request.
Gini Grossenbacher
Author & Indie Editor
California author Gini Grossenbacher, M.Ed., is a novelist, poet, certified editor, educator, and publisher. She founded Elk Grove Writers and Artists in 2012 and JGKS Press in 2017. She brings thirty-seven years of experience teaching English/language arts to adolescents and adults and received her UC San Diego editing certificate in 2021. She is an experienced writing coach and editor who loves helping writers.
Lindy Gullett, PhD
Author & Tech Educator
Lindy Gullett teaches how to apply emerging technology (e.g. AI tools) to the craft of writing. With a PhD in Social Psychology from NYU and a background in speculative fiction, she brings a researcher's precision and a storyteller's imagination to art of writing. An advocate for the ethical use of AI, she believes that most powerful prose flows from human fingers and sees technology as a specialized muse & teacher.
Karl Henwood
Author coach
I'm a writer working on my third manuscript in SF/F, an Iraq veteran with eighteen years in Armor branch in the US Army, and I was briefly a police officer in Oakland, CA. I put on hands-on firearms classes for writers twice a year northeast of Sacramento, CA. I also have a history degree from University of Portland, and greatly enjoy both reading and working with other writers.
Georgia Hughes
Acquiring Editor at New World Library
Georgia A. Hughes, editorial director at New World Library, acquires and edits nonfiction books on spirituality, personal growth, sustainable business, relationships, animals, career, and women’s issues. She has also worked as a bookseller, freelance editor, and for Harper Collins. New World Library strives to publish books to help readers improve their lives and the world and aims for inclusion and diversity.
Meredith Jaeger
Author, Independent Editor (Historical, suspense, women's fiction, mystery)
Meredith Jaeger is the USA Today bestselling author of The Incorrigibles, The Pilot's Daughter, Boardwalk Summer and The Dressmaker's Dowry. She has been described as "a gripping voice" by the Los Angeles Times, while Publishers Weekly calls her novels, "moving and well-researched." Born and raised in Berkeley California, Meredith holds a BA in Modern Literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Alyssa Jarrett
Author
Alyssa Jarrett is a romance author and content marketer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the only thing funnier than working in tech is writing about it. Her debut novel, Love Apptually, is the first installment in a 5-book series of Silicon Valley rom-coms. When she’s not telling steamy, satirical love stories, she can be found drinking an iced tea or cuddling with her husband and three cats.
Andy Jones
Author, Poet, SFWC Conference Concierge
Dr. Andy Jones is a poet, writing professor, journalist, radio talk show host, and podcaster. He has taught writing, literature, and creative writing at UC Davis since 1990 and has served as faculty at the San Francisco Writers Conference for almost 20 years. The author of four books, including three books of poetry, he loves to talk to writers about their projects.
Claire E. Jones
Author & Indie Publisher
Claire E. Jones is an author & indie publisher who is committed to changing the world for the better through inclusive stories & practices. As an internationally-recognized speaker & writer, her novels have sold in six countries, been picked up by bookstores across the U.S., and ranked in the top 100 of the Ingram Fiction Fantasy Romance category.
Jennifer Joseph
Acquiring Editor at Manic D Press
Jennifer Joseph has been publisher/editor of the award-winning, internationally distributed Manic D Press since its founding in 1984. She has been a guest speaker at the Library of Congress, the AWP Conference, Rice University, and CalArts, among other venues. She has also appeared on CSPAN’s BookTV and on KQED radio’s Forum. Her writing has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, among other publications.
Tom Joyce
Book Designer
Tom Joyce is creative director and designer at Creativewerks and partner at Company History Publishers with offices in Belvedere, California and Washington DC. Professional awards include: the Cannes Silver Lion, Clio, and Advertising Club of New York, Western Art Director’s Club and Art Direction Magazine. Tom has published in national magazines, journals and anthologies online and in print.
Lisa Kastner
Acquiring Editor
Lisa Diane Kastner is the Founder of Running Wild, LLC, a content creation, distribution, and licensing company. She has identified talent like Jamie Ford’s "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet", Reuben “Tihi” Hayslett’s "Dark Corners", Suzanne Samples’ "Frontal Matter: Glue Gone Wild", and Shay Galloway's "The Valley of Sage and Juniper", among others considered groundbreaking in their respective genres.
Fallout
All Her Loved Ones, Encoded
God Is A Tequila Worm
Family Pack
Quiet Limit of the World
Running Wild Press Short Story Anthology, Volume 7
Dispossessed
Sailing For Grace
Number 12 Rue Sainte-Catherine
Red Roses
Crooked Out of Compton
Terror at the Sound of a Whistle
Animal Husbandry
Going to Maine
Pocket Full Of Teeth
Alterations
Academy of Unholy Boys
Language of Mothers
North
Running Wild Novella Anthology Volume 8
Getting Better
Language of Mothers
Wretched
Deaf Heaven
Campfires
Crossing from Shore to Shore
Rize Novella Anthology, Volume 2
Lost Songs of Nina Simone
I Am/ Was Spiderman
Blue Earth River
Stranded
Brenda Knight
Acquiring Editor at Mango Publishing
Brenda Knight began her career at HarperCollins, working with luminaries Paolo Coelho, Marianne Williamson and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Knight was awarded IndieFab’s Publisher of the Year in 2015 at the ALA, American Library Association. Knight is the author of Random Acts of Kindness, The Grateful Table and Women of the Beat Generation, which won an American Book Award. Knight is Publisher at Mango Publishing Group.
Mary E Knippel
Indie Editor
Mary E. Knippel, author, speaker, editor, writing coach, & Soul Story Mentor, is fiercely committed to guiding writers to uncover the global impact of their writing. A three-time breast cancer thriver and passionate journal writer, Mary knows the enormous healing power of the written word. She uses her 40 years as a journalist to support her clients in discovering, exploring, and the stories they are meant to share.
Georgia Kolias
Author, Independent Editor
Georgia Kolias is a publishing professional and acquisitions editor who has helped countless authors envision, develop, and bring their dream projects to publication. She is committed to creating greater social and publishing equity by uplifting and supporting the vision and voices of authors from a diverse range of marginalized communities. She is the author of The Feasting Virgin, a queer culinary novel that explores culture, sexuality, and diaspora through the language of food. She holds an MFA/MA in Creative Writing and has written for The Huffington Post, The Advocate, The Manifest-Station, Role Reboot, and for various other publications and anthologies.
Allison Landa
Author, Independent Editor, Coach
Allison Landa writes, teaches, and coaches both fiction and memoir. Author of Bearded Lady, an exploration of what makes you feel weird in the world, she has held artist residencies at MacDowell, WordSpace, Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow, Playa Summer Lake, Kimmel Harding Nelson Center, and The Julia and David Artists' Colony. She earned her MFA in creative writing from St. Mary's College of California.
Heather Lazare
Independent Editor (Historical, women's, and literary fiction)
Heather Lazare is an independent editorial and publishing consultant who specializes in editing adult fiction specifically: historical fiction, women’s fiction, literary fiction, contemporary romance, mysteries, and thrillers. She's worked at the Dijkstra Literary Agency and both Random House and Simon & Schuster. She is the director and founder of the Northern California Writers' Retreat.
Donna Levin
Author, Independent Editor (General and women's fiction, mystery)
SFWC Conference Concierge
Donna Levin is the author of four novels, most recently *There's More Than One Way Home,* and *He Could Be Another Bill Gates.* She has also written two books on the craft of writing, and she's taught fiction-writing for many years. Her work is included at Boston University, in the Howard Gotlieb Archival Research Center, and in the California State Library’s collection of California novels.
Kesia Lupo
Agent at The Bindery Agency
Kesia Lupo joined The Bindery Agency as Associate Literary Agent in May 2023. She started her career as an assistant in the commercial adult division at Pan Macmillan in 2013 before accepting a job editing MG and YA fiction at Chicken House (Scholastic). She worked her way up to Senior Editor before departing editorial and the UK for agenting and the US. She also has 3 YA novels published with Bloomsbury UK.
Juan Luzuriaga
Author & Poet
Juan Luzuriaga, born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, immigrated to the U.S. in 2000. He studied Neuroscience at Rutgers and English at UC Merced. He teaches poetry in prisons, at Cuesta College, and with California Poets in the Schools. His work appears in anthologies, Acentos Review, San Diego Poetry Annual, Cholla Needles and more. He has been a panelist at UC Merced, Cuesta College Writers' Conference, Litfest and others.
Maeve MacLysaght
Agent, Aevitas Creative Management
Maeve MacLysaght is an agent with Aevitas Creative Management. She represents BIPOC, Queer, and marginalized creators writing commercial genre fiction across MG, YA, Adult, and Graphic Novel. Her particular weaknesses are genre-blending SFF, horror, and anything with murder or making out (ideally both). She is passionate about making space for BIPOC and queer authors to rework the tropes that historically oppressed.
Erika Mailman
Author, Independent Editor (Historical fiction, travel writing)
Erika Mailman is a travel writer and freelancer for publications including Wall Street Journal, Condé Nast Traveler, Fodor’s, Washington Post, Smithsonian, Thrillist, Rolling Stone, Atlas Obscura, Lit Hub, and more. She’s a historical novelist with Random House and others under her real name and a Y.A. author under pen name Lynn Carthage. She has an MFA and has been a newspaper editor-in-chief.
Chris Mancini
Author
Chris Mancini is a writer, comedian, filmmaker, and podcaster. He has written on everything from soap operas to parenting books to comics to horror films, which are all more closely related than you think. Published works include Pacify Me: A Handbook for the Freaked Out New Dad, The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies, and the fantasy/comedy graphic novels Long Ago and Far Away and Rise of the Kung Fu Dragon Master.
Ally May
Independent Editor, Speaker
Award-winning writer-director Ally May has a portfolio of narrative and experimental short films, many of which have been selected for dozens of film festivals. She is also the creator/showrunner of the webseries BERNADETTE THE BRAVE, and is currently working on her feature film BACKSCATTER.
Matthew May
Author
Matthew May is six-time author, noted speaker, and currently senior strategy advisor for Insight Partners, a leading global venture capital and private equity firm investing in high-growth technology companies that are driving transformation in their industries. Matt’s perspective is heavily influenced by spending nearly a decade with Toyota. He lives in southern California with his wife and daughter.
Robert McAdams
SFWC Teen Summit Coordinator, Scholarship Sponsor
Robert D. McAdams is a science fiction author keenly interested in writing humorous and inspiring stories with women in leading scientific roles, with the hope of inspiring his students into STEM careers. He is a lead software engineer for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, the lead problem author and coordinator for HPE CodeWars, and the lead instructor for Girls Who Code at Rocklin High School.
Eva Medilek
Author, Author Coach
Eva Medilek, the founder of Optimize You High-Performance Coaching, is a multi-award-winning executive leadership coach, author and renowned international speaker. Her published book, "The Intimacy of Race: How to Move from Unconscious Racism to Active Allyship for People of Privilege" reflects her dedication to fostering inclusive workplace environments and cultivating high-performance habits for sustainable success
Susie Meserve
Author, Creative Coach
Susie Meserve is a writer, educator, and creative coach. She authored the award-winning poetry collection Little Prayers, and her essays and poems have appeared in The New York Times, Salon.com, Elle magazine online, the San Francisco Chronicle, and many literary journals. As a coach, Susie helps writers clarify their visions and goals and develop practices to support sustainable and fulfilling creative lives.
Stefanie Molina-Santos
Agent at Ladderbird Literary Agency
Stefanie Molina-Santos joined Ladderbird Literary Agency in 2021. In PB, MG, and YA she is open to all genres including NF, and in Adult she is open to cozy mysteries, grounded fantasy, romantic suspense, & NF in food/wellness/sports. She is primarily seeking work from BIPOC authors. She loves gutsy, messy main characters who disrupt the status quo. She is especially looking to fill out her MG, YA and Adult lists.
James Moorer
Author
James Moorer is an accomplished entrepreneur, filmmaker, literary manager, screenwriter, producer, and best-selling author with over 20 years of experience. He began his career in the early 2000s directing, acting, and doing voice-overs for indie films. He’s produced independent films that received critical acclaim.
Alejandro Murguia
Poet
Alejandro Murguia is the author of This War Called Love: Nine Stories, City Lights Books, Winner of the American Book Award, 2002, and Stray Poems, City Lights Books, Poet Laureate Series as San Francisco Poet Laureate #6. He is an emeritus professor at San Francisco State University, Latina/Latino Studies, and is currently editing an anthology of contemporary Mayan poetry: The Blood of the Jaguar.
Jen Newens
Agent at Martin Literary Management
Throughout her career, Jen Newens has been an author, editor, and publisher, giving her experience in all sides of the publishing business. In her new role as agent, Jen applies her 360-view of the publishing world, seeking out original voices and developing exciting new talent in children’s literature and adult nonfiction categories.
Lynnette Novak
Agent
Prior to joining The Seymour Agency, Lynnette spent seventeen years freelance editing. She worked with new writers, advanced writers, as well as New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors. Lynnette earned a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Manitoba, specializing in English and French. She has closed her editing business and is excited to bring her passion for the written word to agenting.
JoAnna Novak
Exhibitor, Presenter
JoAnna Novak is the author of seven books, most recently, Domestirexia: Poems. Her short story collection Meaningful Work won the Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest and was published by FC2. She is also the author of the memoir, Contradiction Days: An Artist on the Verge of Motherhood; the novel I Must Have You; and three additional books of poetry: New Life; Abeyance, North America; and Noirmania.
O'Cyrus
Acquiring Editor & Poet
O'Cyrus is a 14x award-winning author, independent book publisher, & host of his self-help podcast, “Feel Good Happiness.” Currently serving in the United States Air Force, O’Cyrus has spent the last nine years as a Mental Health Paraprofessional & Substance Abuse Counselor ensuring the betterment of our military service members. His goal through storytelling is to make readers feel fulfilled, inspired, & united.
Natalie Obando
Agent at Ladderbird Literary Agency
For nearly two decades Natalie Obando has worked in the world of books as the founder of Do Good Public Relations Group and the grassroots organization, Women of Color Writers Podcast and Programming. She is the current national president of the 106 years old non-profit, the Women’s National Book Association (WNBA), overseeing all chapters across the nation. She hopes to further usher BIPOC writers to create DEI.
Deborah Pardes
Podcast Producer
Deborah Pardes is VP of Swell Audio. An artist, educator, & writer, Deborah embraced podcasting in 2004 & has participated in more than 30K audio conversations, engaging both everyday folks & global luminaries. She champions unicorn creatives who see no bounds to their work. For the last 5 years, Deborah has helped 100's of people amplify their voices through Swell podcasting. She's so happy to be joining us today.
Becky Parker Geist
Audiobook Company
Becky Parker Geist is the Founder & CEO of Pro Audio Voices, President of BAIPA, and host of Audiobook Connection podcast. She typically works with indie authors and small publishers who may feel challenged in navigating the unknowns of audiobook & podcast production, distribution and marketing, helping them create exceptional audio experiences, get them out there and reach more people, all while staying in control.
Lewis Perdue
Author
Lewis Perdue is the bestselling author of 21 thrillers & non-fiction books. He's a research affiliate at UCSF Med School, AI app developer, investigative reporter (from Watergate to environmental chemicals), former top aide to a U.S. Senator, has run political campaigns, taught at Cornell & UCLA, founded and sold the top 2 US wine business pubs, was VP of a global PR firm. He lives in Sonoma, writes & makes olive oil.
Jennifer Pien
Agent
Jennifer is the co-founder of Hesperides Literary. In addition to her faculty leadership role in Stanford Medical Humanities and Arts, she is the Founder of The Pegasus Review, and serves as a founding faculty editor for the Oxford Review of Books x Stanford collaboration. Jennifer also serves on the Advisory Board for The Bellevue Literary Press and the Stanford School of Medicine Medical Humanities Fellowship.
Robert Pimm
Attorney
Bob has 40+ years experience in book publishing and owns a Literary Law firm serving authors, literary agents, & small publishers. Bob also leads PPS Books, a full-service book publishing consultancy. Bob is the Book Publishing Chair for the ABA’s Forum on Entertainment Law. Bob was Associate Dean and Adjunct Professor of Law at Golden Gate University School of Law and a Visiting Lecturer at UC Davis School of Law.
Joel Pitney
Script Consultant
Joel Pitney is the founder of Launch My Book, Inc., an author-services agency committed to sharing honest information that helps writers produce and promote their books. A writer himself, Joel has published best-selling books as a ghostwriter with Penguin, Wiley, and Public Affairs (forthcoming). Launch My Book offers highly personalized services to ensure each author is fully supported on their publishing journey.
Eli Potter
Author, Tech Track Coordinator & Scholarship Sponsor
Eli Potter is a CIO at Insight Partners, advising startups on enterprise technology at scale. She writes technical, business articles, fiction and poetry. Prior to Insight, Eli led product, data and technology teams at Coinbase and Autodesk. She volunteers at CMU to teach graduate students about crypto, AI & innovation. She donates an annual scholarship to the SFWC and NVW to support the next generation of creatives.
Elisabeth (Lissa) Provost
Author, Publisher, SFWC Managing Director
E.A. (Lissa) Provost is the author and illustrator of poetry books about family life as well as the creator of a planner/journal for teens and adults with executive functioning or mental health challenges. New Alexandria Creative Group is the cooperative publishing company she founded and she is now the Co-director of the San Francisco Writers Conference.
Mary Rakow, Ph.D.
Author, Indie Editor (fiction, non-fiction, flash fiction, memoir)
Mary Rakow, Ph.D. edits new writers and those with accolades. Her novels received outstanding reviews in Boston Globe, Wash Post, Atlantic, Harvard Divinity Bulletin.She's a Lannan Fellow and was shortlisted for the Stanford Intern'l Saroyan Prize in Literature. She does a combined developmental and line edit for clients because language used reveals the deeper issues. She loves the 8 Min. Edit at SFWC.
Joyful Raven
Story Midwife & Performer
Joyful Raven is a critically acclaimed solo performer and story midwife. Her latest show, Breed or Bust, earned rave reviews at the 2023 Edinburgh Fringe (★★★★★ Theatre Weekly), was Offie-nominated, and had an extended run at The Marsh, SF (Critic’s Pick, SF Chronicle). Her prior show, Sexual Tomboy, won Best of Fringe (2016) and ran Off-Broadway (2017). She teaches at Berkeley Rep, The Marsh, and her own studio.
Becka Robbins
Bookseller, Activist
Becka Robbins is the founder of and force behind Books Not Bans. She's also a bookseller and the events maven at Fabulosa Books. Previously she was a learning specialist and taught dyslexic tweens how to read and process language. She's a songwriter, movie hound, and dog mom. She left half her heart in LA.
Marianne Rogoff
Author
MARIANNE ROGOFF, PhD, is the author of the Pushcart-nominated story collection Love Is Blind in One Eye, the memoir Silvie’s Life, and many award-winning travel stories, short fictions, essays, and book reviews. She teaches in the MFA Creative Writing / Narrative Medicine Program at Dominican University, and is a recent graduate of Harvard Medical School’s Media & Medicine Program.
Jordan Rosenfeld
Author, Independent Editor (fiction, memoir, essay collections),
SFWC Fiction Track Coordinator
Jordan Rosenfeld is author of the novels Fallout, Women in Red and Forged in Grace and six books on the craft of writing, most recently How to Write a Page-Turner, and the bestselling Make a Scene.. Her freelance articles and essays have been published in hundreds of publications, including: The Atlantic, The New York Times, Scientific American and more. She teaches online classes and freelance edits manuscripts.
Andy Ross
Agent at The Andy Ross Agency
Andy Ross was the owner of Cody’s Books in Berkeley from 1977-2007. Andy works in a range of genres including narrative non-fiction, journalism, history, current events, literary and commercial fiction, and teen fiction. Authors Andy represents include Daniel Ellsberg, Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson, Susan Griffin, and Fritjof Capra. He is the author of The Literary Agent's Guide to Writing a Non-Fiction Book Proposal.
Deborah Santana
Author, Activist
Prartho Sereno
Poet, Author Coach (poetry)
Prartho Sereno has published several award-winning poetry collections, most recently "Starfall in the Temple" (2023). Poet Laureate Emerita of Marin County, CA, she was a Poet in the Schools for 21 years (2005 Radio Disney Super Teacher), MFA / Syracuse University, and currently teaches The Poetic Pilgrimage online. https://www.prarthosereno.com
Radhika Sharma
Author, Independent Editor (fiction, memoir)
Radhika Sharma is the author of Parikrama, a collection of short stories and Mangoes for Monkeys, a novel. Radhika has been writing for over two decades and her byline has appeared in several publications including The San Francisco Chronicle, The San Jose Mercury News, India Currents, Tri City Voice She teaches at the UCLA Extension Writers Program.
Rusty Shelton
Author, Publicist
Rusty Shelton first spoke at Harvard on the changing world of PR and marketing at the age of 23. He is a veteran of the SFWC and a bestselling author, dynamic keynote speaker and successful entrepreneur. He is the co-author (alongside Adam Witty) of The Authority Advantage: Building Thought Leadership Focused on Impact, Not Ego (ForbesBooks, 2023) and cofounder of Zilker Media, an award-winning marketing agency.
Victoria "Nicole" Shi
Author
Victoria N. Shi (师懷夕) is a Chinese American science fiction/fantasy and romance author writing under a pen name. Outside of storytelling, she is also a clinical psychologist licensed in California, treating a multitude of anxiety disorders (including perfectionistic traits), mood problems, and performance difficulties using research-based therapies and a warm, conversational therapeutic style.
Kim Shuck
Poet Laureate
Kim Shuck served as the 7th Poet Laureate of San Francisco. Shuck organizes at least three poetry events per month. Kim is author of nine solo books, one collaborative book, and has contributed to many journals, anthologies, and online poem projects. Shuck has also edited, co-edited, or been credited for being part of the editing of a further ten volumes.
Derek Slater
Tech Policy Strategist
Derek Slater is a tech policy strategist focused on media, communications, and information policy, and is the co-founder of consulting firm Proteus Strategies. Previously, he helped build Google’s public policy team from 2007-2022, serving as the Global Director of Information Policy during the last three years.
Justin Sloan
Author
JUSTIN SLOAN is a screenwriter, novelist, and video game writer currently publishing novels and writing on EA's Battlefield. Having recently written on Roku's Cypher season 2, Justin also served as the narrative lead for Galactic Entertainment's PlanetQuest. He has staffed on DJ2 Entertainment's TV-hybrid titled Rival S/Peak and wrote on such narrative-driven games as Game of Thrones and Tales from the Borderlands.
Cody Smart
Script Consultant
Cody is an L.A.-based independent screenwriter and script doctor/consultant from Santiago, Chile. She's worked as a script analyst for Sony and as a judge for multiple script competitions, she's part of the Script Reader Pro team, she’s an instructor for the prestigious Writers' Program at UCLA Extension, and she takes pride in helping writers take their scripts to the next level in her capacity as a script doctor.
Connor Smith
Agent at Hesperides Literary Agency
Connor Smith is a restless creative. He has built award-winning copywriting businesses, worked productively as a ghostwriter and editor, and is currently Narrative Director and Game Writer at Inevitable Studios. As the co-founder of Hesperides Literary, he prioritizes joyful collaboration with his writers and routinely hops into the trenches to help produce high-quality literary and speculative fiction.
Andrea Stewart
Author, Writing Coach
Andrea Stewart is the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Drowning Empire trilogy and The Gods Below, and a writing coach at The Novelry. Her work has been a finalist for the Locus Award for Best First Novel, the British Fantasy Award for Best Novel, the Goodreads Choice Award for Fantasy and Debut Novel, and the BookNest Award for Best Traditionally Published Novel. When her (admittedly ambitious) dreams of becoming a dragon slayer didn't pan out, she instead turned to writing books.
Kristen Tate
Author, Independent Editor
Kristen Tate has been a freelance editor for a decade, helping authors transform their work from rough draft to finished book. She has a PhD in English from Columbia University, with a focus on publishing history. She is the author of Novel Study: Decoding the Secrets and Structures of Contemporary Fiction and hosts a monthly Novel Study book club on Patreon, focused on current bestselling fiction.
Kristen Tatroe
Independent Editor
Kristen Tatroe (she/her) is a freelance developmental editor, copy editor, writing coach, and instructional designer who has been involved in publishing for over twenty years. She works with publishers and indie authors, with a focus on fiction, memoir, and cookbooks. Kristen believes the most successful author-editor relationship helps the author see not only what to work on, but what's working well.
Wendy Tokunaga
Independent Editor
Wendy Tokunaga is a novelist, developmental editor, writing teacher and acclaimed cat servant. She is the author of the novels “Midori by Moonlight” and “Love in Translation” (St. Martin’s). Her latest novel, “Brenda Barker’s Next Chapter,” is forthcoming from Blydyn Square Books (2027). She holds an MFA from University of San Francisco and teaches for Stanford’s Novel Writing Certificate Program.
Pamela Turner
Author
Pamela’s books include the ALA Notable How to Build a Human, YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction finalist Samurai Rising, and the AAAS/Subaru Science Writing Prize Winners Crow Smarts and The Frog Scientist. Her most recent work is the picture book biography Comet Chaser: The True Cinderella Story of Caroline Herschel, the First Professional Woman Astronomer. She lives in Oakland, California.
Julia Vee
Fiction author
Julia Vee is a trial lawyer in Silicon Valley. She attended U.C Berkeley and majored in Asian Studies. A graduate of Viable Paradise, she often writes with co-author Ken Bebelle. They have penned nine novels together. Their novel Ebony Gate, an Asian-inspired contemporary fantasy, was published by TOR and named a 2023 Golden Poppy Finalist for the Octavia E. Butler award. The sequel, Blood Jade, released in July of 2024.
Paige Velasquez Budde
Author, Publicist
Paige Velasquez Budde is a co-founding partner and the CEO of Zilker Media, an Austin-based agency that builds people-driven brands. Paige speaks to leaders about strategic business influence and people-driven marketing at many conferences, including organizations such as Ernst & Young, JPMorgan Chase, and Harvard Medical School. She delivered a TEDx Talk at the University of Texas Business School in March 2023.
Brooke Warner
Acquiring Editor for She Writes Press
Brooke Warner is publisher of She Writes Press, president of Warner Coaching Inc., and author of six books. Brooke teaches memoir intensives online and in person, and publishes around 50 memoirs a year on She Writes Press. Brooke is a TEDx speaker, weekly podcaster (of “Write-minded” with co-host Grant Faulkner), and publishes a weekly newsletter, Writerly Things, on Substack at brookewarner.substack.com.
Gordon Warnock
Agent at Fuse Literary Agency
Gordon Warnock of Fuse Literary represents New York Times bestsellers and debut authors alike in the genres of high-concept suspense, women’s fiction, self-help, pop-culture, essays, memoir, narrative nonfiction and graphic novels for all ages. His local clients include Kerry Lonsdale (Find Me in California), Patricia V. Davis (Cooking for Ghosts), and MariNaomi (Turning Japanese). www.fuseliterary.com, @FuseLiterary
Bruce Wawrzyniak
Publicist
Bruce Wawrzyniak is a longtime publicist and the founder of Now Hear This, an agency with clients across the U.S. He started the company in 2004 and has also done PR in the Olympic Movement and the National Hockey League. In addition, he has been podcasting since February 2014. He is also an active speaker at conferences throughout the country and even presented at an event in the UK. He started with SFWC in 2022.
Vicky Weber
Agent, Creative Media Agency
Vicky Weber is a former elementary school teacher turned bestselling children’s book author and literary agent at Creative Media Agency. She is a mother of two, representing upmarket and commercial fiction – board books through adult – including authors like Vikki Patis, Theresa Romain, Laura Jensen Walker, Annemarie Riley Guertin, and more.
Jacob Weisman
Acquiring Editor
Jacob Weisman is the World Fantasy Award-winning editor and publisher at Tachyon Publications, which he founded in 1995. He edits many of Tachyon’s titles, and is the series editor of Tachyon’s Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, and Shirley Jackson Award-winning novella line. His writing has appeared in The Nation, Realms of Fantasy, the Louisville Courier-Journal, The Seattle Weekly, and The Cooper Point Journal.
Monica Wesolowska
Author & Indie Editor
Monica Wesolowska is an author, editor, and teacher. Her memoir HOLDING SILVAN was named a “Best Book of the Year” by The Boston Globe. She’s also published two children’s picture books, ELBERT IN THE AIR (named a “Best Book of the Year” by BSCE) and LEO + LEA (an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner). She teaches at Stanford Continuing Studies and works one-on-one as an independent editor. www.monicawesolowska.com.
Dera R. Williams
Author, Independent Editor (fiction, nonfiction, personal essay/memoir)
Dera R. Williams is a lifelong Oakland resident whose family was a part of the Great Migration. Her published writings capture the hardships, heroism, and joys of families making that journey in fiction and nonfiction. She will soon share her complete childhood collection and novel with the world as she pioneers the path to publication. Dera honors the oral history and voices of her ancestors in her storytelling.
Kenny Yun
Theater Director & Coach
Kenny Yun has taught, directed, and coached solo performers for a decade at The Marsh theater. His performance background includes classical and modern plays, standup comedy, and award-winning solo theatre.
His students have gone on to perform all over the world. Kenny takes an embodied approach with directing and coaching. His artistic vision is to create emotionally vibrant theatre using our full being.
Paul Zeidman
Author, SFWC Writing for Hollywood Track Coordinator
Paul Zeidman is a screenwriter, blogger, and podcaster based in San Francisco. When not writing, rewriting, or reading scripts, he enjoys watching movies, reading comic books, running somewhat long distances, and making what could possibly be the best pecan pie west of the Mississippi. Check out his screenwriting blog at http://maximumz.blog.
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