SFWC Speakers – old
Featured Keynote Speakers
Raina Telgemeier
Raina Telgemeier is the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award–winning creator of Smile, Sisters, and Guts, which are all graphic memoirs based on her childhood. She is also the creator of Drama and Ghosts, the adapter and illustrator of the first four Baby-sitters Club graphic novels, and, with Scott McCloud, the co-creator of The Cartoonists Club.
Jack El-Hai
Author Jack El-Hai's book, The Nazi and the Psychiatrist, was adapted into the newly released Sony Pictures Classics film Nuremberg. El-Hai shows how Dr. Douglas M. Kelley’s research, the product of months of interviews and psychological evaluations of members of the Nazi German high command on trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity, offered a key to understanding the potential rise of fascism in the United States. The German leaders encouraged citizens to react with their emotions, weaponized the rights of democracy in anti-democratic action, exploited racial and national myths, and harnessed the power of the police.
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.
Laura Atkins
Author, Editor
Laura Atkins is a children's book author, editor, and co-organizer of the Social Justice Children’s Book Fair and Family Day at the Bay Area Book Festival. She has written five books for young readers (nonfiction and picture books), including her latest, Bringing the Beach Home. With her background as an editor (including at Lee & Low), Laura is passionate about true access to all voices in children's publishing.
David Avallone
Author
Writer David Avallone works across a variety of mediums: short stories, comic books, movies, television and RPGs, and has written iconic characters like Batman, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Bettie Page, Zorro, The Shadow, Sherlock Holmes, Luke Skywalker, and John Carter of Mars. His short story “The Golden Road” was selected by John Grisham for the 2025 Best Mystery Stories of the Year.
Jim Azevedo
Self-Publishing Expert
Jim Azevedo is the Corporate Communications Manager at Draft2Digital (D2D), having joined the company as part of the Smashwords acquisition in 2022. As Marketing Director at Smashwords since 2011, Jim delivered hundreds of talks that covered the virtues of self-publishing, revealed the best practices of bestselling authors, and illuminated publishing industry trends. Visit Draft2Digital at https://draft2digital.com.
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.
Kelly Bergh
Agent, Lucinda Literary
Kelly Bergh is a literary agent at Lucinda Literary representing New York Times-bestselling adult nonfiction books in the areas of health and wellness, mind-body-spirit, popular science, and poetry, primarily to Big Five publishers.
Jude Berman
Author
Jude Berman is an award-winning author whose novel The Vow was named one of Kirkus Reviews’ Best Indie Books of 2024. The Lie (a sequel to The Die--both cross-genre works of visionary and political fiction) will be published by She Writes Press in August 2026. Jude lives in Berkeley, CA, where in addition to her own writing, she continues to work with authors, both as an editorial and publishing consultant.
Amy L Bernstein
Author, Book Coach (nonfiction and memoir)
Amy L. Bernstein writes award-winning, genre-crossing fiction and nonfiction. As a professional book coach, Amy helps nonfiction writers to develop great books that land agents and publishers. In her self-designated role as a “doubt whisperer,” Amy counsels writers and artists on establishing a mindset for manifesting and sustaining a creative life. She writes weekly on Substack about managing creative challenges.
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.”
Connolly Bottum
Independent Editor
Connolly Bottum is a freelance editor who specializes in developmental editing and book coaching for romance, YA, and MG novels. Prior to freelancing, she worked at HarperCollins, where she edited romance novels for Harlequin's series division before joining the editorial team for Inkyard Press, which gave her the opportunity to edit YA and MG novels. She now lives in San Francisco with her chihuahua mix, Jasper.
Beverly Burch
Author
Beverly Burch’s most recent book is the novel, What You Don’t Know. She has also published two nonfiction books and four poetry collections. Her work has won the John Ciardi Prize, a Lambda Literary Award, and a Gival Prize and was a finalist for Audre Lorde Award. Her short fiction can be found in many literary journals. She is also a psychotherapist and lives in Oakland, CA.
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 is a literary agent with a background in editing and writing, working from a home base in San Francisco. He represents writers in a variety of genres, including historical fiction, mystery and suspense, science fiction and fantasy, women’s fiction, memoir, YA, and middle grade. Michael works carefully with clients to produce the cleanest, most professional manuscripts.
Mary Cash
Editor-in-Chief, Holiday House Publishing
Mary Cash is the Vice President and Associate Publisher of Holiday House and Peachtree Publishing, children's only publishing companies. Over her 40-year career she has edited picture books, middle grade and young adult novels, nonfiction, and graphic novels. Books she has edited have won awards including Newbery Honors, Coretta Scott King Medal and Honors, Edgar Awards, and numerous other accolades.
Michael Chorost
Author
Michael Chorost's first book, REBUILT, won the PEN/USA Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. His second, WORLD WIDE MIND, explored what it really means to “read a mind." He has published in Smithsonian, Slate, the Chronicle of Higher Education, the New Yorker’s blog, Wired, and elsewhere. He has given 170 lectures at university, corporate, and nonprofit venues. Refreshingly deaf, he now hears with cochlear implants.
Douglas Cole
Author, Poet
Douglas Cole has published eight poetry collections, including The Cabin at the End of the World, winner of the Best Book Award in Urban Poetry and the International Impact Book Award. His first novel, The White Field, won the American Fiction Award, and his screenplay of The White Field won Best Unproduced Screenplay award in the Elegant Film Festival. His second novel, The Invisible Hand, is newly published.
Ying Chang Compestine
Author, KidLit Track Coordinator
Ying Chang Compestine is the multi-talented author of 27 books, spanning fiction, picture books, and five internationally acclaimed cookbooks. Her work is enjoyed by readers worldwide. Ying has been featured on numerous national television programs, profiled in leading news outlets, and named one of the "50 Great Writers You Should Be Reading" by The Author's Show. Beyond her writing, she is a dedicated mentor and educator, teaching workshops, speaking at major writers’ conferences, and guiding emerging writers in developing their craft and storytelling skills.
Amanda Conran
Author, Editor
Amanda Conran is a freelance editor & author of the middle grade adventure, The Lost Celt. A longtime children’s bookseller & school booktalker for Book Passage, she relocated to the UK last year, but still runs Ink: a 13 year-long program in which kids have co-authored & self-published 6 middle grade fantasy novels to date. She co-founded the local conference BetterBooksMarin & helped host Fairfax’s Pints and Prose.
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 - Mysteries, 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." tegib@yahoo.com
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.
Barri Evins
Screenwriting Coach
Barri Evins draws on decades of industry experience to help emerging screenwriters craft powerful stories and break in with insider strategies. A story, marketing, and career mentor, her custom guidance leads to contest wins, published books, and scripts in pre-production. Through collaborative consultations, innovative seminars, and honest, empowering mentorship, Barri helps writers realize their vision and succeed.
Grant Faulkner
Author
Grant Faulkner is the cofounder of 100 Word Story, the cofounder of the Flash Fiction Institute, and the cofounder of Memoir Nation (and the co-host of the Memoir Nation podcast). He is the author of several books, including The Art of Brevity, Fissures, and All the Comfort Sin Can Provide. He just published something out there in the distance, a "flash novel" of linked short-short stories written to Gail Butensky's photographs.
Jodi Fodor
Indie Editor & Writing Coach
Jodi Fodor is a developmental & line editor and writing coach with a BA in psychology and an MFA in creative writing. She works on memoir, fiction, prescriptive, and humor manuscripts that come from traditional and hybrid publishers, literary agents, Reedsy, and from out in the wild. She considers herself a dialogue specialist, and you can find her writing lessons on Instagram @editor.teaches.writing.
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."
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, SFWC Platform and Memoir Tracks Coordinator, Author Coach
Joey Garcia, editor and book coach, guides writers in platform building while she edits their manuscripts. She is a nationally recognized relationship expert so she understands how to help authors build platforms that boost discoverability and attract opportunities. Joey’s clients have been featured in national media including The Wall Street Journal, the Tamron Hall Show, and CNN. Joey’s poems, short stories, and essays have received significant awards and have been anthologized, performed, and published. Born in Belize, she lives in Sacramento, Calif. with a 75-pound dog who insists on sitting on her lap while she writes.
Melissa Geissinger
Author, SFWC Technology Director
Melissa Geissinger is the technology director at SFWC. Her background is in web technology, astrophysics, user experience (UX) writing, and community building. She hosts seasonal writers retreats in Sonoma County through Roundtable Writers and builds author websites. Her debut novel, Nothing Left But Dust, was published in 2023. Unapologetically neurodivergent, she currently has about seven thousand incomplete manuscripts, including a memoir and speculative fiction.
Molly Giles
Author
Molly Giles has published five award winning collections of short stories, two novels, and a memoir. Her work has been included three times in the Pushcart Prize. She taught Creative Writing for many years at San Francisco State University and the University of Arkansas.
Gini Grossenbacher
Author & Indie Editor
Gini Grossenbacher, M.Ed., founder of San Rafael Writers and Artists and JGKS Press, is an award-winning indie author of The American Madams series and Glimpses. With a master’s in educational leadership, a UC San Diego copyediting certificate, and decades teaching English, she has edited countless manuscripts and presented at events like the San Francisco Writers Conference. She is dedicated to author empowerment.
Dorothy Hearst
Author & Acquiring Editor
Dorothy Hearst is the author of The Wolf Chronicles trilogy (Simon & Schuster) and co-author with Pam Berkman of the At the Heels of History chapter book series (McElderry). She has worked in publishing for over 20 years as an acquiring editor and book doctor. Clients include Vice President Kamala Harris, UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming, CAA, Roaring Brook Press, and Sounds True
Dave Holt
Author
Dave Holt, born Toronto, Canada, of Irish/English, Anishinaabe/Ojibwe ancestry, graduated from San Francisco State University’s Creative Writing program (B.A. ’93, M.A. ’95). He’s published in Santa Clara Review, Raven Chronicles, Spillway, News from Native California, won a Literary/Cultural Arts award for his book, Voyages to Ancestral Islands, is in several anthologies, most notably Red Indian Road West.
Rebecca Hunter
Author
Rebecca Hunter is an award-winning author, reader, traveler, chocolate lover, and keeper of a very messy desk. Her books have won the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award (NERFA), the HOLT Medallion and the VIVIAN Award and have hit the Publishers Weekly Bestseller lists. She currently writes witty, passionate stories about complex characters and intriguing destinations for Harlequin's Presents line. Rebecca
Satsuki Ina
Author
Satsuki Ina, was born in the Tule Lake Segregation Center, a WWII maximum security prison camp for so-called “disloyal” Japanese Americans. She is co-founder of Tsuru for Solidarity, a project of Japanese American social justice advocates working to support front-line immigrant communities being targeted today. She is Professor Emeritus at CSUS, a documentary filmmaker and a community trauma consultant.
Dianna Ippolito
Screenwriter, Director, and Producer
Dianna Ippolito embarked on her journey as a writer at the American Film Institute, where a chance writing class sparked her interest in screenwriting. In 2014, she made her mark as a co-producer for the television action series SAF3, and a year later debuted her talents as a director with her award-winning short film "The Disembodied." Currently she is developing a bio pic set in the early 1970s.
Scott James
Author and Journalist
Scott James is a veteran journalist and author of Trial by Fire: A Devastating Tragedy, 100 Lives Lost, and a 15-Year Search for the Truth, winner of the top prize for non-fiction by the New England Society of New York, and adapted for TV by the CBS News program “48 Hours.” He’s a three-time Emmy Winner, bestselling novelist and co-founder of The Castro Writer’s Cooperative, a co-working community for writers.
Miah Jeffra
Author
Miah Jeffra is author of four books—most recently The Violence Almanac (finalist for the Grace Paley and Robert C Jones Book Prizes) and the novel American Gospel, finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award—and is co-editor of the anthology Home is Where You Queer Your Heart. Miah is co-founder of Whiting Award-winning queer and trans literary collaborative, Foglifter Press, and teaches writing at Santa Clara University.
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.
Tom Joyce
Author, Book Designer & Photographer
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.
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.
Allison Landa
Freelance Editor, Coach, & Author
Allison Landa is the author of BEARDED LADY, an account of what makes you feel weird in the world. She writes, teaches, and coaches both fiction and memoir. A MacDowell Fellow, she has held residencies at Writers Colony at Dairy Hollow, Playa Summer Lake, WordSpace, and Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts. Allison earned her MFA from St. Mary's College of California. Visit her online at www.allisonlanda.com.
Shawn Langwell
Author, Speaker, & Coach
Shawn is the author of four books: Beyond Recovery, Ten Seconds of Boldness, the eponymous companion workbook, and Today’s the Day. Shawn’s life purpose is to love and inspire people to believe in themselves. To that end, he is also the host of the Dare to Be Great, Dare to Be You Podcast. Learn more:www.shawnlangwell.com
Heather Lazare
Independent Editor & Publishing Consultant
Heather Lazare is a developmental editor and publishing consultant who specializes in editing adult fiction. She worked at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and both Random House and Simon & Schuster before starting her own business in 2013. She teaches courses on publishing for Stanford Continuing Studies and is the director and founder of the Northern California Writers’ Retreat.
Shirin Leos
Author
Shirin Yim Leos has coached several writers to multiple-book deals from Big Five publishers. She is the Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning author of 21 children’s books and was once Head Goose of Goosebottom Books. Shirin leads writing retreats around the world, and teaches writing and publishing for universities and writers' conferences. Her adult debut, a historical fiction, will be published in early 2027.
Donna Levin
Author & 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.
Devoney Looser
Author
Devoney Looser, Regents Prof. of English at Arizona State U, is author or editor of 12 books, most recently Wild for Austen (St. Martin’s). Her previous books include Sister Novelists (2022) and The Making of Jane Austen (2017). Looser has published essays in such places as the New York Times, TLS, and Washington Post, and her series of lectures on Jane Austen is available through The Great Courses and Audible.
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.
Emilie Lygren
Poet & Educator
Emilie Lygren is a poet and educator whose work is grounded in curiosity and reverence. She is the author of two books of poetry and dozens of publications focused on outdoor science education. Currently, Emilie is a professor of creative writing, a poet in the schools, and at work on an anthology of poems on mental health for teens and youth.
Erika Mailman
Author, Nonfiction Track Coordinator
Erika Mailman is the author of The Witch's Trinity, a San Francisco Chronicle Notable Book which Khaled Hosseini called "gripping"; Woman of Ill Fame which Outlander's Diana Gabaldon called, "one of the best books I've read in a long time," and four others. She holds an MFA in poetry and has been a Yaddo fellow, and works as a freelance writer with clips in National Geographic, Rolling Stone, WSJ, WashPost and more.
Chris Mancini
Writer/Filmaker
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. His published works include Pacify Me: A Handbook for the Freaked Out New Dad, The Comedy Film Nerds Guide to Movies, and the graphic novels Long Ago and Far Away, Rise of the Kung Fu Dragon Master, and Alpha Cat.
Lisa Manterfield
Author
Lisa Manterfield is the award-winning author of five novels, two works of non-fiction, and five non-fiction eBooks. As a developmental editor and book coach, she has guided many writers through the process of drafting, revising, and publishing a novel or memoir. She teaches writing and publishing through Stanford Continuing Studies and in her small group workshops. Her superpower is coaxing writers to "The End."
Ally May
Writer/Director
Award-winning writer and director Ally May is celebrated for crafting emotionally rich stories and gripping narratives that have earned accolades at top film festivals worldwide. She is currently developing Backscatter, a supernatural thriller. With a passion for storytelling that inspires and connects, Ally brings her distinctive voice to the intersection of cinema and writing, captivating audiences around the globe.
Robert McAdams
Student 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.
Laurie McLean
Director Emeritus, Agent, Fuse Literary Agency
Fuse Literary's founding partner Laurie McLean has 20+ years under her belt as a literary agent. She represents adult genre fiction including romance, fantasy, mysteries, suspense, thrillers and science fiction, as well as middle grade and young adult children’s books. If you write what she reps, query her at laurie@fuseliterary.com and put “SFWC Request” in the subject line. Find out more at FuseLiterary.com.
Susie Meserve
Creative Coach for Writers
Susie Meserve is an author, educator, and creative mind-body coach for moms who create. She helps writers and artist moms build embodied creative practices so they can thrive. Susie is also the author of the poetry collection Little Prayers and poems and essays that have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and many literary journals and anthologies. She regularly teaches generative, inspirational writing classes open to everyone. Learn more at susiemeserve.com.
Stefanie Molina-Santos
Agent at Ladderbird Literary Agency
Stefanie joined Ladderbird Literary Agency in April 2021 and is hungry for new MG and Adult work. She loves gutsy contemporary and grounded fantasy, horror, and mystery with a strong sense of adventure. In Adult, she’s specifically seeking cozy mysteries, grounded fantasy, and romantic suspense helmed by BIPOC protagonists. Stefanie only works with authors from underrepresented communities, primarily BIPOC authors.
James Moorer
Agent, One Moorer, LLC & Dark Anthem Press
James Moorer is an accomplished entrepreneur, filmmaker, literary manager, screenwriter, producer, and best-selling author. He owns Dark Anthem Press, an indie publishing company that specializes in horror, fantasy, mystery, and gothic noir.
Tisha Morris
Lawyer
Tisha Morris, Esq. is the founder of Legacy Arts Law PC, dedicated to helping artists and creatives build and protect their legacies in entertainment and publishing. Tisha is also the host of The Entertainment Business Podcast, where the creative life meets the business of entertainment, turning dreams into reality. When not practicing law, she works on her next creative pursuit—becoming a legal thriller novelist.
O'Cyrus
Author, Poet, & Publisher
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.
Rob Osler
Author
Rob Osler is the USA Today Bestselling Author of THE CASE OF THE MISSING MAID (Publisher’s Weekly Starred Review) and THE CASE OF THE MURDERED MUCKRAKER. His Perry Winkle Whodunits appear exclusively in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Rob's work has won the Anthony, Left Coast Crime, and Mystery Writers of America Robert L. Fish Award, as well as being an MWA Edgar Award Finalist. He lives in California.
Natalie Obando
Agent, Ladderbird 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.
Julia Park Tracey
Acquiring Editor, Sibylline Press
Julia Park Tracey is an award-winning journalist, editor, and author of several books. Inspired by a mysterious train receipt in her family’s scrapbook, she researched her Orphan Train roots and wrote The Bereaved about her found relatives. She is the Acquisitions Editrix at Sibylline Press. She was the Poet Laureate in Alameda, CA., and currently reads and writes fiction and poetry in the mid-Sierras.
Thien Pham
Graphic Novelist & Educator
Thien Pham is a graphic novelist and educator based in Oakland, CA. He is the author and illustrator of the graphic novel Family Style, a memoir about his family's immigration to America, told through the lens of food. Family Style was a finalist for the ALA YALSA Excellence in Non-Fiction award and won an Eisner award for Best Memoir Graphic Novel.
Nicola Pittam
Acquiring Editor, Dark Anthem Press & One Anthem Press
Nicola Pittam is a British journalist, award winning author and screenwriter. She has published 4 best selling books and her scripts have placed in such contests as the Bitch List, The Grey List’s Top 40 Writers Over 40 in Hollywood, Shore Scripts, Atlanta Film Festival, LA International Screenplay Awards, Table Read My Screenplay & Austin Film Festival. She is also the COO and Acquisition Agent for Dark Anthem Press
Eli Potter
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.
Rosie J. Pova
Author
Rosie J. Pova is a multi-published, award-winning children's book author, writing coach, and speaker. Her works include Sunday Rain (The New York Times), The School of Failure (Readers’ Favorite silver medal), and Sally's Musical Tale (2025). Through her mentorship programs at Picture Book Author Academy she helps aspiring authors master the craft, break into traditional publishing, and thrive.
Elisabeth (Lissa) Provost
Managing Director, Board President
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 Director of the San Francisco Writers Conference.
Peg Alford Pursell
Publisher, Why There Are Words Press
Peg Alford Pursell is an award-winning author, editor, and the founding publisher of Why There Are Words (WTAW) Press, dedicated to discovering and publishing exceptional books of prose. She understands the writing, editing, and publishing process intimately, not just as an editor but as an award-winning book author.
Mary Rakow, Ph.D.
Author, Indie Editor (fiction, non-fiction, flash fiction, memoir)
Rakow’s editing practice built by word of mouth and returning clients for 18 years. Harvard graduate, Lannan Literary Fellow (75k).
-“Mary sets a level of excellence, in life and writing, that is extraordinary.” D. R.
-Her philosophy: "When we write the story ONLY we can write, we change the world. Because every single act of hope changes the entire planet."
For help with your next steps visit marrakow.com
Mae Respicio
Author
Mae Respicio is the author of 20+ books for young readers, including nonfiction for the educational market and middle grade novels. Her novels have received an APALA Honor Award, been named an NPR Best Book, appeared on many state-reading and "best books" lists, and received praise from The New York Times. Out next: Every Single Splendor (Random House/2026) and a sparkly new TBA series (Penguin Workshop/2027).
Abby Reyes
Author
Abby Reyes is a long-time advocate for human rights and community climate solutions. In Truth Demands: A Memoir of Murder, Oil Wars, & the Rise of Climate Justice, Abby traces the personal and political aftermath of the 1999 murders of 3 land rights defenders in Colombia—her partner among them. It’s a story about love, resistance, growing up, and what can become possible as we transform collective grief into action.
Jordan Rosenfeld
Author, Fiction Track Coordinator
Jordan Rosenfeld is author of the novels Fallout, Women in Red, and Forged in Grace and 7 books on the craft of writing, including The Sound of Story: Developing Voice and Tone in Writing and the bestselling Make a Scene and How to Write a Page Turner. She's also a freelance editor and writing coach and keeps the popular Substack about midlife and writing, Writing In the Pause.
Penny Sansevieri
Author
Penny C. Sansevieri, is a powerhouse in the publishing industry. As the Founder and CEO of Author Marketing Experts, Inc., she has revolutionized book marketing, shaping the careers of authors and guiding them to bestseller status. She's known for her cutting-edge Amazon campaigns and innovative strategies that catapult exceptional books onto bestseller lists. She is also the author of 24 books.
Deborah Santana
Author, Activist
Deborah Santana is an author, business manager, and activist for peace and social justice. Her non-profit, Do A Little, serves women and girls. In 2005, her memoir: Space Between the Stars was published and she edited the anthology: All the Women in My Family Sing in 2018. She holds a Master of Arts in Philosophy and Religion with a Concentration in Women’s Spirituality. She is a Lead Investor in the Courage Museum.
Nina Schuyler
Author
Nina Schuyler’s nonfiction book, How to Write Stunning Sentences: Second Edition, was published in January 2026. Her story collection, In This Ravishing World, won the W.S. Porter Prize and the Prism Prize for Climate Literature. Her novel, Afterword, won the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for Science Fiction and Literary. She teaches for Stanford Continuing Studies.
Radhika Sharma
Freelance Editor, Creative Writing Instructor, & Author
Radhika Sharma is the author of Parikrama: a collection of short stories and Mangoes for Monkeys, a novel. She teaches at the UCLA Extension's Writers' Program and is currently at work on a novel, memoir and collection of poems.
Marlene Sharp
Author
Marlene Sharp is an entertainment multi-hyphenate who hails from New Orleans but is now a (San Fernando) Valley girl. Marlene is top dawg at Pink Poodle Productions, where she writes, produces, and promotes creative projects from multiple clients, such as the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), Autism in Entertainment, and Spectrum Laboratory. She has an MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University.
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 the Chairman & Co-founder of Zilker Media, an award-winning PR & Brand Strategy agency, author of The Authority Advantage: Building Thought Leadership Focused on Impact, Not Ego and a 15 year veteran of the SFWC. He speaks around the world, from Forbes to SXSW, on how to accelerate trust & make a bigger impact.
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.
Jon Sindell
Author
Jon Sindell writes novels, short stories, flash fiction, essays, and humor (often intentionally). He teaches and gardens and hosts the longtime lit-and-music series Rolling Writers in San Francisco.
Lissa Soep
Author
Dr. Lissa Soep is an award-winning writer, editor, and scholar who explores the ways that we love and learn, lose and find one another through language, and how our words serve and betray us when we need them the most. Combining memoir and philosophy, her fifth book, Other People’s Words (2024), received widespread coverage. She is senior editor at Vox Media, edit lead on Language Please, and founded Bonus Chapter.
Laura Stanfill
Acquiring Editor, Forest Avenue Press
Laura Stanfill is the author of IMAGINE A DOOR, a feel-good book about publishing, and the publisher of Forest Avenue Press, a traditional publishing house that specializes in whimsical literary fiction and the occasional memoir. She is a graduate of the Yale Publishing Course and Vassar College. She wishes on independent bookstores like stars from her home in Portland, Oregon.
Renee Swindle
Author
Renee Swindle is the author of Shake Down the Stars, A Pinch of Ooh La La, and Please Please Please, an Essence Magazine bestseller. Her latest novel, Francine's Spectacular Crash and Burn, was included in Net Galley's We Are Bookish as a top 25 must-read by Black authors for 2025, Publisher Weekly's BuzzBooks best of Spring/Summer 25, and listed as "best of raucous reads featuring messy heroines" by Goodreads.
Kristen Tate
Freelance Fiction 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 writes a regular newsletter full of craft advice and encouragement for authors.
Kristen Tatroe
Independent Editor
Kristen Tatroe is a freelance editor and instructional designer who has been involved in publishing and education for over twenty years. She enjoys working as a developmental editor and copy editor for publishers and indie authors, with a focus on fiction, memoir, and cookbooks. Kristen believes a successful author-editor relationships is not just about moving commas—it's about adding to your skillset as an author.
Wendy Tokunaga
Freelance Editor & Author
Wendy Tokunaga is a novelist, developmental editor, writing instructor 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 (January 2026). She holds an MFA from Univ of San Francisco and teaches for Stanford’s Novel Writing Certificate Program.
Pamela Turner
Author
Pamela S. Turner is the award-winning author of 12 books for children and young adults, including the American Library Association Notable books HOW TO BUILD A HUMAN, GORILLA DOCTORS, and THE FROG SCIENTIST, as well as the YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction finalist SAMURAI RISING. Her most recent book, COMET CHASER, won a Golden Kite Honor from the Society for Children's Writers and Illustrators.
Paige Velasquez Budde
CEO & Brand Strategist
Paige Velasquez Budde is a veteran marketer, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker. She is a co-founding partner and the CEO of Zilker Media, an award-winning Austin-based agency that builds trusted brands and the author of The Strategic Business Influencer: Building a Brand With a Small Budget. Paige has spoken to organizations such as TedX, EY, JPMorgan Chase, Harvard Medical School and The University of Texas.
Christine Walker
Author
Christine Walker is an artist and the author of “Tap Dancing at the Bluebird” (novel) and “A Painter’s Garden: Cultivating the Creative Life” (memoir). She has an MFA in Writing and Literature from Bennington, an MA in Creative Arts Interdisciplinary, and a BFA. She consults in strategic visioning, teaches writing, and is authoring a book about her “Nine Ways to Mastery” approach (Sibylline Press, 2027).
Lyzette Wanzer
Author
Lyzette Wanzer’s work appears in over thirty literary journals, books, and magazines. Library Journal named her book, TRAUMA, TRESSES, & TRUTH: Untangling Our Hair Through Personal Narratives (Chicago Review Press), a Top 10 Best Social Sciences Book. Publishers Weekly featured the book in Fall 2022. Lyzette is a contributor to Lyric Essay as Resistance: Truth From the Margins (Wayne State University Press).
Brooke Warner
Acquiring Editor, 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.
Bruce Wawrzyniak
Publicist
Running the agency Now Hear This, Inc., Bruce Wawrzyniak is a longtime publicist. He has been helping authors from throughout the United States for many years now, and is also an active speaker at writers conferences, from Las Vegas to Illinois to Atlanta to Tampa and a repeat presenter at the San Francisco Writers Conference. His background in PR includes having worked in the Olympic Movement – including serving as Chief Press Officer at two Summer Olympics – as well as having served as VP/Public Relations at the League office for the National Lacrosse League. Plus, he worked in the PR department for a National Hockey League team. Bruce also did freelance work for three different full-service agencies. In the summer of 2025, he was chosen as a Member of the Recording Academy, plus he is a member of the American Marketing Association, the Social Media Marketing Society, and The Podcast Academy. He has been podcasting every week since February 2014 and in Fall 2025 flexed his publicist skills to get his show mentioned in PEOPLE Magazine and twice in Parade Magazine. Find more about his agency at www.NowHearThis.net.
Monica Wesolowska
Author & Freelance 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.
Natasha Yim
Author, Independent Editor (fiction, nonfiction, personal essay/memoir)
Natasha Yim is the author of 11 picture books and one board book. Her latest book, Luna and the Case of the Missing Mooncakes was released by Charlesbridge Publishing on August 12, 2025. She has also written for the children’s magazines “Highlights for Children”, “Faces”, “Appleseeds”, and “Muse”. Natasha grew up in Malaysia, Singapore, and Hong Kong and loves to write about people from around the world.
Paul Zeidman
Screenwriter & 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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