| A | B | D | E | F | G | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Name | Title | Video Link | Website | About | |
2 | Make PAID 8-minute Appointments with Acquiring Editors and Agents - Use the time to pitch and/or consult about your project. | |||||
3 | Andy Ross | Agent - Andy Ross Literary | https://www.andyrossagency.com/ | 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. | ||
4 | BJ Robbins | Robbins Literary | https://bjrobbbinsliterary.com | BJ Robbins established her Los Angeles-based agency in 1992 after a multi-faceted career in book publishing in NY. Her clients include many bestselling and award-winning writers in both fiction and nonfiction including Stephen Graham Jones, J. Maarten Troost, James Donovan, Via Bleidner, Max Byrd, Nafisa Haji, Renee Swindle, TIm Madigan and Adam Nimoy. | ||
5 | Brenda Knight | Acquiring Editor - Books That Save Lives | https://www.booksthatsavelives.net/ | 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 2014 by the ALA, American Library Association. Knight is the author of You Should Be Writing, Random Acts of Kindness, Be a Good in the World, and Women of the Beat Generation, which won an American Book Award. She is Publisher of Books That Save Lives. | ||
6 | Briel O'Cyrus | Acquiring Editor - O'Cyrus Ink Publishing | https://www.tiktok.com/@brielocyrus | https://www.brielocyrus.com | Briel O'Cyrus is a 25-time award-winning author, poet, indie publisher, podcast host, screenwriter, indie filmmaker, voice actor, narrator, copyeditor, social media marketer, public speaker, and content creator. Additionally, he currently serves as an active duty member of the United States Air Force. He's dedicated the last 11 years in service, spending the first 9 years as a mental health paraprofessional/substance abuse counselor and the last 2 years as a finance supervisor. | |
7 | Brooke Warner | Acquiring Editor - She Writes Press | https://brookewarner.com | 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. | ||
8 | CoCo Freeman | Agent - Linda Chester Agency | https://lindachester.com/ | 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. | ||
9 | Connor Smith | Agent - Hesperides Literary | https://www.hesperidesliterary.com/ | Connor Smith is an editorial agent and founding member of Hesperides Literary. He is also the lead writer and narrative designer at Inevitable Studios for their upcoming title Always in Mind. He primarily represents speculative fiction, including magical realism, horror, and fantasy, but also literary fiction, fiction in translation, and high-platform non-fiction. | ||
10 | Ian Lendler | Agent - McKinnon Literary | https://www.mckinnonliterary.com/aboutian | Ian Lendler is the Creative Director at McKinnon Literary. He is an award-winning writer of picture books, non-fiction, and graphic novels, and he has worked in every aspect of both publishing, journalism, and film. As an editorial agent, he specializes in children's literature but is always looking for narrative non-fiction and adult fiction that emphasizes story and character. | ||
11 | James Moorer | Agent - One Moorer, LLC & Dark Anthem Press | https://onemoorer.com/ | James Moorer is an accomplished entrepreneur, publisher, filmmaker, literary manager, screenwriter, producer, and best-selling author with over 20 years of experience writing, directing, acting, and working as a voice-over artist for commercials and indie films. He recently sold the script WATCH ME, which is now is production in Rhode Island. His latest novel-to-script, BLACK BONES JONES, has been optioned and is being shopped by UTA. | ||
12 | Jason Gardner | Acquiring Editor - New World Library | https://newworldlibrary.com | Jason Gardner is editorial director at New World Library, an independent San Francisco Bay Area publisher. For nearly 30 years, he has acquired books on spirituality, philosophy, personal growth and psychology, parenting, mythology, animals and nature, and neurodiversity. Authors he has published include Eckhart Tolle, Joseph Campbell, Natalie Goldberg, Alan Watts, and Dan Millman. | ||
13 | Julia Park Tracey | Acquiring Editor - Sibylline Press | https://www.sibyllinepress.com | 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. | ||
14 | Laura Stanfill | Acquiring Editor - Forest Avenue Press | https://laurastanfill.com | 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. | ||
15 | Kelly Bergh | Agent - Lucinda Literary | https://lucindaliterary.com/about/literary-agents/ | 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. | ||
16 | Laurie Fox | Agent - Linda Chester Agency | https://lindachester.com/ | Laurie Fox is the principal at the Linda Chester Literary Agency where she's worked since 1989. A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, she has a degree in Creative Writing and Theatre and is a published novelist and poet. Laurie represents books in the areas of: literary/quality fiction including sci fi, memoir, biography, cultural history, popular culture, narrative NF, history, art and artists, science and technology. | ||
17 | Sally Ekus | Agent - Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency | https://www.ekusgroup.com/ | Sally Ekus is a Senior Literary Agent at JVNLA where she spearheads The Ekus Group, a boutique division specializing in cookbooks, prescriptive nonfiction, parent/caregiving, and body positive titles. She has been agenting for 15 years and brokered hundreds of deals with the big 5 publishers and numerous indies. She is also the writer behind the bestselling Substack newsletter, Not So Secret Agent. | ||
18 | Laurie McLean | Agent - Fuse Literary | https://www.fuseliterary.com/agents/laurie-mclean/ | 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. | ||
19 | Lindsey Smith | Agent - Speilburg Literary Agency | http://www.TheLindseySmith.com | Lindsey Smith is an author, literary agent, publisher, and bookstore owner who has worked in every corner of the publishing industry. She knows the book world inside and out and has helped more than 1,000 people publish books through both traditional and self-publishing paths. She is obsessed with true crime documentaries, dogs, and oat milk cappuccinos. | ||
20 | Lisa Kastner | Acquiring Editor - Running Wild, LLC | https://www.runningwildpublishing.com | Lisa Kastner is the Founder of Running Wild, LLC, a content creation, distribution, and licensing company. She’s been named to multiple “Best of”s. She has identified talent like Jamie Ford’s Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, and Reuben “Tihi” Hayslett’s Dark Corners. Lisa has also been mentored by such greats as the current National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize winner, Percival Everett. | ||
21 | Mary Cash | Acquiring Editor - Holiday House & Peachtree Publishing | https://holidayhouse.com | 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. | ||
22 | Michael Carr | Agent - Veritas Literary | https://www.veritasliterary.com/ | 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. | ||
23 | Nicola Pittam | Acquiring Editor - Dark Anthem Press & One Anthem Press | https://www.onemoorer.com | 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. | ||
24 | Peg Alford Pursell | Acquiring Editor - Why There Are Words Press | https://www.wtawpress.org/ | Peg Alford Pursell is the acquiring editor and publisher of Why There Are Words (WTAW) Press, a traditional publishing house dedicated to discovering and publishing exceptional books of prose. She knows the writing, editing, and publishing process intimately, not just as an editor but also as an award-winning book author. | ||
25 | Stefanie Molina-Santos | Agent - Looking Glass Literary & Media | https://www.lookingglasslit.com/stefanie-molina-santos | Stefanie is an agent at Looking Glass Literary & Media representing primarily BIPOC authors. She is a board member of Literary Agents of Change. She is currently seeking MG, YA, and adult fiction (mysteries, thrillers, cozy or atmospheric horror, grounded or cozy fantasy, and in adult, high-concept, plot-heavy romance) as well as cookbooks, baking books, and adult nonfiction that intersects with advocacy. | ||
26 | Make FREE 8-minute Consultation Appointments with Coaches | |||||
27 | Amy L. Bernstein | Book Coach & Author | https://youtube.com/shorts/jTIO5g8x8bM | https://wordfirstbookcoach.com/ | Amy L. Bernstein is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction. As a book coach, she helps nonfiction writers transform raw ideas into powerful, market-ready proposals. She also helps writers to address self-doubts and anxiety around creativity. Whether you write fiction or nonfiction, Amy offers specific strategies to advance your craft and career. Her latest book is Wrangling the Doubt Monster: Fighting Fears, Finding Inspiration. Her new novel, Tent City, is due out this spring. | |
28 | Nayely Duran | Life & Leadership Coach | https://nayelyduran.com/ | Nayely Durán is a Life & Leadership Coach, culture consultant, podcaster, and storyteller who focuses on the human behind the role. With over a decade of experience, she supports individuals as they navigate self-doubt, perfectionism, and moments of feeling stuck or uncertain. Through her work, Nayely helps people reconnect with their inner agency and step into authorship of their lives and stories. She believes that when we reclaim our inner voice, we begin to write our lives with intention. | ||
29 | Peter Dudley | Author Coach - Gray Bear Coaching | https://youtu.be/DqNwmpmkhiw | https://graybearcoaching.com/ | Peter Dudley is an author, publisher, and leadership and life coach with a diverse, 30-year professional background that sometimes made use of his engineering degree. He now runs Gray Bear Coaching LLC (graybearcoaching.com). He coaches on everything from motivation and discipline to self-publishing to the power of writing as a healing tool, and much more. Peter works with authors of narrative nonfiction, personal essay, fiction of all types, and business topics. | |
30 | Shirin Leos | Retreat Leader & Writing Mentor | shirinyimleos.com | Shirin Yim Leos has been leading writing retreats and mentoring writers for more than a dozen years. Once the Head Goose of Goosebottom Books, she is the Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning author of 21 children's books. The sale of her adult historical fiction, Of Wind and Dust, to The Dial Press last year was a Publisher's Weekly Deal of the Week, and the launch is scheduled for early 2027. Shirin likes to help writers with her perspective from both sides of the desk. | ||
31 | Sue Campbell | Mindset and Marketing Coach for Authors - Pages & Platforms | https://youtu.be/_xfaHqe9fvA | https://www.pagesandplatforms.com/ | 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. | |
32 | Susie Meserve | Creative Coach, Author & Educator | https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Ck4L7pz2WQM | https://www.susiemeserve.com | Susie Meserve is a writer, educator, musician, mother of two, and creative mind-body coach for moms who create. As a coach, she helps writer and artist moms build embodied creative practices so they can thrive. (Their children thrive, too!) As a teacher and consultant, she offers workshops, creative sprints, and generative writing classes open to all. Susie is the author of the poetry collection Little Prayers. Her poems and essays have appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and many literary journals and anthologies. | |
33 | For the VIP Experience, Make a PAID 30-minute Conference Concierge Appointment - These take place in the Seacliff Lobby & fund scholarships to the 2027 SFWC | |||||
34 | Dr. Andy Jones | Concierge | http://www.andyojones.com | 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. | ||
35 | Diane Frank | Concierge | http://dianefrank.net/ | Diane Frank is author of eight books of poems, three novels, and a photo memoir of her 400 mile trek in the Nepal Himalayas. She is also Chief Editor of Blue Light Press. While Listening to the Enigma Variations: New and Selected Poems won the 2022 Next Generation Indie Book Award for Poetry. Her new novel, Mermaids and Musicians, is an unusual love story, full of music and a plea to save the Earth. | ||
36 | Donna Levin | Concierge | https://www.donnalevin.com/ | 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. | ||
37 | Nina Amir | Concierge | https://youtu.be/3GhQAFpzZt4 | https://ninaamir.com | Nina Amir, the Inspiration to Creation Coach, is an Amazon bestselling hybrid author. She supports writers on the journey to successful authorship as an Author Coach, nonfiction developmental editor, Transformational Coach, and Certified High Performance Coach (CHPC®)—the only one working with writers. Her most recent book is Change the World One Book at a Time: Make a Positive and Meaningful Difference with Your Words, published January 2026 by Books that Save Lives. She has had 19 books on the Amazon Top 100 List and as many as six books on the Authorship bestseller list at the same time. | |
38 | Make FREE 8-minute Consultation Appointments or PAID 30-minute Manuscript Critique Appointments with Freelance Editors | |||||
39 | Allison Landa | Freelance Editor, Coach, & Author | https://youtube.com/shorts/2jPNwrUemgc | https://www.allisonlanda.com/ | Allison Landa is a freelance editor, writing coach, and author of the memoir Bearded Lady. Her work has been featured in Parents, Business Insider, The Washington Post, The Guardian US, and HuffPost, among other venues. She was shortlisted for the 2025 Santa Fe Writers Project. She edits both fiction and memoir in addition to providing curated coaching services for writers of all stripes. | |
40 | Barri Evins | Story & Industry Consultant and Film Producer | https://www.youtube.com/BigIdeasVideos | https://bigbigideas.com | Barri Evins draws on decades of industry expertise as an executive and a working producer, enabling writers to craft powerful stories and break in with insider strategies. Story, marketing, and career mentor to scripters and authors, she provides custom guidance that leads to contest wins, published books, and projects in pre-production. Through collaborative consultations, interactive seminars, and empowering mentorship, Barri helps writers realize their vision. A Contributing Senior Editor at ScriptMag, Barri writes a column, "Breaking & Entering," which has run since 2012. A Writer’s Digest contributor, she wrote a chapter for the popular Now Write! series. Her book, Creating Delicious Stories, is in the works. | |
41 | Cody Sisco | Freelance Editor, Indie Publisher, & Author | https://www.codysisco.com/editing | Cody Sisco is a freelance editor specializing in developmental editing, book coaching, and advising authors on creativity and career development. Thematically, he enjoys working with writers who grapple with dark subject matter and LGBTQ+ authors of fiction and memoir. As the executive editor of Made in L.A. Writers, he also publishes and edits short fiction. He serves as a co-chair on the Board of Directors for the Editorial Freelancers Association. | ||
42 | Connolly Bottum | Editor & Book Coach | www.ConnollyBottum.com. | Connolly Bottum is a developmental editor and book coach specializing in adult romance, YA, and MG novels, although she frequently works on adult fantasy and new adult titles as well. Prior to freelancing, she worked at HarperCollins for nearly five years, initially editing romance novels for Harlequin before later joining the editorial team for Inkyard Press, which gave her the opportunity to edit many wonderful young adult and middle grade novels. Books she edited have won awards, become Indie Next picks, and been selected for several subscription book boxes, including OwlCrate, The Bookish Box, and Beacon Book Box. | ||
43 | Dave Holt | Poetry Editor | https://chappellanddaveholt.com/home | 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 has been published in Santa Clara Review, Raven Chronicles, Spillway, and News from Native California and has won a Literary/Cultural Arts award for his book, Voyages to Ancestral Islands. His work is in several anthologies, most notably Red Indian Road West. | ||
44 | David Avallone | Freelance Editor & Writer | https://youtube.com/shorts/JUYphBfYr_w?feature=share | https://www.patreon.com/cw/DavidAvallone | David Avallone is a freelance writer and editor with forty years experience, in prose, film, television, comic books and games. Recently he’s writing on WB Animation’s BATWHEELS, writing comics for Dynamite and Image, and his latest short story was selected by John Grisham for the prestigious Best Mystery Stories of 2025 anthology. As a freelance editor, he works with writers across all mediums and genres. | |
45 | Gini Grossenbacher | Author & Freelance Editor - JGKS Press | https://youtube.com/shorts/WcfQy6kME1c | www.ginigrossenbacher.com | Bring your story to life with indie award-winning editor and coach Gini Grossenbacher, whose expertise spans historical novels, mysteries, thrillers, contemporary fiction, young adult, romance, poetry, and memoir. With decades of experience as a writing instructor and successful indie author, Gini provides tailored developmental and copyediting support to help you refine your manuscript, deepen your characters, and sharpen your plot. Whether you're polishing a historical epic or crafting a gripping thriller, Gini's keen eye and personalized coaching will elevate your writing to its fullest potential. | |
46 | Heather Lazare | Independent Editor & Publishing Consultant | https://youtu.be/oEjuNhHUtFg | https://heatherlazare.com | Heather Lazare is a developmental editor and publishing consultant who specializes in editing adult fiction, specifically: historical fiction, women’s fiction, literary fiction, contemporary romance, mysteries, and thrillers. With nearly twenty years in the publishing industry, she worked at both Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster before starting her own business. She teaches courses on publishing for Stanford Continuing Studies, and is the director and founder of the Northern California Writers’ Retreat, a juried four-times-a-year fiction retreat in Carmel Valley. | |
47 | Jodi Fodor | Indie Editor & Writing Coach | https://youtu.be/_YWcPTd-rMU | https://www.instagram.com/editor.teaches.writing/ | Jodi Fodor, MFA, has edited for many publishers & agencies, including PRH, Little Brown, SheWritesPress, Serendipity Literary, & Reedsy. She works primarily in memoir, fiction, humor, and self-help, and her services include manuscript assessment, brainstorming, developmental editing, and line editing. A former teacher, Jodi also offers coaching to writers who want to learn the craft as they develop their manuscripts. She loves exploring “what ifs” with authors and says, “Countless great ideas emerge during phone calls.” She posts helpful mini lessons for writers on Instagram. Find her at jodifodor@gmail.com | |
48 | Jordan Rosenfeld | Freelance Editor, Coach & Author | https://jordanrosenfeld.net/ | 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. She edits and coaches writers with fiction, memoir and other non-fiction such as self-help and reported stories. | ||
49 | Jude Berman | Freelance Editor & Author | https://judeberman.com/ | Jude Berman, EdD, has been a freelance editor for over three decades, providing developmental as well as copy editing and wordsmithing for fiction and nonfiction authors. She has run two small indie presses and is the author of three award-winning books of fiction, with a fourth on the way. At SFWC, she offers consultations to help authors set writing and publication goals, find the right publishing path, build a social media platform, brainstorm writing ideas, and problem solve just about anything that is writing related. | ||
50 | Karl Henwood | Freelance Editor & Violence-Writing Consultant | https://youtube.com/shorts/FjjiBz4Q2Nw | https://site-2052674-9062-4196.mystrikingly.com/ | Karl Henwood was briefly a cop in Oakland, CA, is an Iraq veteran, and has been an Armor officer on the M1 Abrams line of main battle tanks for 19 years. He’s finished two science fiction manuscripts and is currently working on a steam-tech fantasy. A professional editor, his experience working with other authors has given him a unique perspective on how to write violence, the tools used to do it, and the way humans organize around it to deepen characters, settings, and plot. Whether you need big ideas, fiddly details, or cement to plug a plot hole on topics from medieval warfare to the logistics of interplanetary invasion, he can help you get it right or beautifully wrong. | |
51 | Kristen Tate | Freelance Fiction Editor - The Blue Garret | https://youtu.be/A3YzBrwj34w | https://www.thebluegarret.com/ | 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 does developmental editing and copyediting on most fiction genres (with the exception of sci fi and most fantasy), with specialties in mystery, thriller, and historical fiction. She can also advise on publishing paths, self-publishing, and query letters. | |
52 | Kristen Tatroe | Freelance Editor | https://youtu.be/aLmOra5AO6Q | https://kristenedits.com/ | Kristen Tatroe is a developmental and copy editor who works with authors of fiction, memoir, and cookbooks. She's a graduate of the Denver Publishing Institute and holds a BA in Creative Writing (Fiction) as well as a Professional Certificate in Editing from UC Berkeley. Her membership in the top US editing associations helps her stay current with editing best practices and continue to provide authors with the support they need, whether it's developmental editing to look at plot and structure, line editing to ensure sentences are solid, or light copyediting to put commas in their correct places. | |
53 | Lisa Manterfield | Author & Freelance Editor | https://youtu.be/aJOXbuEYNnA | www.LisaManterfield.com | 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." | |
54 | Mae Respicio | Editor & Author Coach | https://www.maerespicio.com/work-with-me | Mae Respicio is an award-winning author of over 20 books for young readers. Her work has earned starred reviews, praise from The New York Times, been named an NPR Best Book, and selected for multiple state readings and “Best book” lists. She’s mentored and worked with many writers over the years, led craft workshops, and spoken on panels across the country. Whether it’s revising your first draft, polishing pages for agent submission, or navigating the publishing landscape, Mae would love to help you with your writing goals. | ||
55 | Dr. Mary Rakow | Freelance Editor & Author | https://youtu.be/SSRPtIlhn4Q | https://www.maryrakow.com/ www.thisiswhybook.com | A Harvard grad and Lannan Fellowship recepient, Mary edits literary fiction, memoir, historical fiction, cross-genre, non-fiction and flash. Her novels received outstanding reviews in The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and Harvard Divinity Bulletin. “At the first meeting, I knew it was going to be extraordinary,” D.R. “Mary is the most interesting thinker I know,” J.F. “She creates a safe environment,” B.G. “Her excitement is contagious,” M.S. “My experience was unparalleled,” N.S. | |
56 | Monica Wesolowska | Author & Freelance Editor | https://youtu.be/XfF6cXk_C-Q | www.monicawesolowska.com | Monica Wesolowska is an independent editor, teacher, and author of Holding Silvan: A Brief Life (named a "best memoir of the year" by The Boston Globe) and two children's picture books, Elbert in the Air and Leo + Lea. A working writer herself, she understands the creative process and is consistently praised by her clients for being both supportive and rigorously honest in her feedback. She specializes in memoirs, literary fiction, and children’s picture books. In addition to working one-on-one with clients, she teaches creative writing at Stanford Continuing Studies and elsewhere around the San Francisco Bay Area. | |
57 | Natasha Yim | Author & Freelance Editor | https://www.natashayim.com | 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. | ||
58 | Tanya Egan Gibson | Freelance Editor & Author | https://www.tanyaegangibson.com/ | Tanya Egan Gibson is a freelance editor, writing coach, and the author of the novel How to Buy a Love of Reading (Dutton, 2009). 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." Tanya edits all kinds of fiction for adults, teens, and tweens and is especially fond of mysteries. She is available for developmental, line, or copyediting. | ||
59 | Wendy Tokunaga | Freelance Editor & Author | https://youtu.be/lbjVnVZWfYk | https://www.wendytokunaga.com/ | 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 published by Blydyn Square Books (available February 2, 2026). She holds an MFA from University of San Francisco and teaches for Stanford’s Novel Writing Certificate Program. For editorial consults she can help you with your pitch or query letter, read pages and give feedback on your novel, and answer any of your publishing questions. | |
60 | Make PAID Portrait Appointments with Our Photographer | |||||
61 | Sari Singerman | Portrait Photographer | https://video214.com/play/BEM6skO2bV5N91FlNxdLCQ/s/dark | https://www.sariphotography.com | Sari Singerman is a professional portrait photographer with 30+ years of experience. In addition to photographing our event, she is offering 20-minute portrait sessions for $50. Your finished digital images will be $80 each with unlimited commercial use. Download your favorites from her website at sariphotography.com after the conference. Take advantage of this great deal while you're already dressed your professional best, and check this author essential off your to-do list. Meet her at her table in the Grand Foyer on the street level at your appointed time. | |
62 | Make FREE 8-minute Consultation Appointments with Publicists | |||||
63 | Bruce Wawrzyniak | Publicist - Now Hear This, Inc. | https://youtu.be/mq-Mr9VcHTI | https://now-hear-this.net/ | 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. For author clients he has gotten in-store book signings for clients as well as book reviews, plus interviews (radio, TV, magazines, YouTube shows, newspapers, online media, and podcasts), and he and his agency have handled websites and social media for their authors – in addition to other services. He started with SFWC in 2022 and has also spoken at writers conferences in Las Vegas, Atlanta, Tampa, and Illinois. | |
64 | Rusty Shelton | Chairman & Brand Strategist - Zilker Media | https://zilkermedia.com/ | Rusty Shelton is an award-winning author and book marketer who has worked with more than 40 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers. He is the co-founder and Chairman of Zilker Media, a full-service marketing & PR agency based in Austin, TX that does thought leadership-forward corporate marketing. He does one-on-one online brand audits with attendees during consultations at the conference, offering specific feedback on discoverability, your author brand and how to grow your audience moving forward. | ||
65 | Make FREE 8-minute Consultation Appointments with Self-Publishing Service Providers | |||||
66 | Joel Pitney | President - Launch My Book | https://launchmybook.com | Joel Pitney is a collaborative writer, former journalist, and the founder of Launch My Book, Inc., a book-production and promotion company that offers full self-publishing and promotional services to authors. | ||
67 | Tom Joyce | Book Designer, Photographer & Author | https://www.creativewerks.com/book-design https://www.tomdjoyce-writer.com | 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. In 2021, Tom self-published The Missing Peace, which went on to become an international award-winning novel. As a designer, he now concentrates on high-end book design for companies, clubs and individuals. | ||
68 | Make FREE 8-minute Consultation Appointments with a Literary Lawyer | |||||
69 | Tisha Morris | Entertainment & Publishing Attorney | www.legacyartslaw.com | Tisha Morris, Esq. is the founder of Legacy Arts Law, dedicated to helping creative entrepreneurs build and protect their legacies in entertainment and publishing. She is the host of The Entertainment Business Podcast and a best-selling author of five nonfiction books. When not practicing law, Tisha works on writing her first legal thriller novel while residing in Ojai, CA with her wife, poodle, and stepcat. | ||