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When writing is your passion, getting your work successfully published is the next step. The annual San Francisco Writers Conference addresses both the craft of writing and the business of publishing in its 4-day event designed specifically to help talented writers become published authors. Attendees get to meet and learn from more than 100 best-selling authors, literary agents, publishers, editors and book marketing experts from the West Coast and New York.

The 2012 San Francisco Writers Conference will be held President's Day Weekend, February 16th-19th at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel on San Francisco's Nob Hill. Online registration and event details are available at: www.SFWriters.org.

Attendees can attend any of the 50+ information-packed concurrent sessions covering a wide-range of topics (craft, publishing, marketing); all three keynotes; on-site social events where they can mingle with presenters and fellow writers; and moderated pitch sessions where they will get honest feedback on their work. The event is suitable for writers of any genre (fiction/nonfiction/poetry, etc.) and a completed manuscript is not required to attend. An orientation and welcome session on Thursday, Feb. 16th is included for all attendees.

Publishers and editors from top traditional publishing houses include Chuck Adams (Algonquin), Jennifer Enderlin (St. Martin's), Valerie Gray (MIRA Books), Heather Lazare (Crown Trade Paperbacks), Georgia Hughes (New World Library) and Jan Johnson (Red Wheel/Weiser). "We are especially pleased to have so many editors from the major publishing houses coming to the event every year," says SFWC director and literary agent Elizabeth Pomada. Editors Chuck Sambuchino (Writer's Digest) and Elfrieda Abbe (The Writer) will also be presenters. Independent editor Alan Rinzler, who has worked with Hunter Thompson, Toni Morrison and many others, will be a keynoter. Almost all of these editors will also participate in the "Ask-A-Pro" breakout session included for all attendees.

At the San Francisco Writers Conference writers will also be able to network with leaders in self-publishing. Thanks to its proximity to the digital innovators in the Bay Area, the SFWC incorporates the latest digital publishing technology into the event. Self-publishing leaders include Mark Coker (Smashwords), Brian Felsen (BookBaby.com) and Dan Poynter (the original guru of self-publishing).

The San Francisco Writers Conference has a reputation for attracting top literary agents looking for talented new clients. This year the participating literary agents include Daniel Lazar, Jeff Kleinman, Sally van Haitsma, Gordon Warnock, Kimberley Cameron, Minju Chang, Verna Dreisbach, Michael Larsen, Elizabeth Pomada, Laurie McLean, Ted Weinstein, Ken Sherman, Peter Beren, and Katharine Sands. Links to their websites can be found on the SFWC website.

The partial list of 2012 San Francisco Writers Conference presenters also includes popular authors Lisa See (Shanghai Girls; Snow Flower and the Secret Fan), Lolly Winston (Good Grief), Ellen Sussman (French Lessons), Beth Lisick (Help Me Help Myself), Catherine Friend (Barn Boot Blues), Robert Dugoni (Murder One), Sheldon Siegel (Judgment Day), Michelle Moran (Madame Tussaud), Cara Black (Murder in Passy), Naheed Senzai, (Shooting Kabul), Kemble Scott (Sower 2.0), Monte Schulz (This Side of Jordan), Katherine Otashi, Robert San Souci (Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow), Zoe FitzGerald Carter, (Imperfect Endings), Penny Warner (How to Host a Killer Party), and Fan Wu (Beautiful As Yesterday). For a complete presenters list that is updated as presenters are added, go to: www.SFWriters.org.

2012 SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE REGISTRATION INFO:

The registration fee is $595 until December 31; $645 until Feb. 12th and $695 thereafter. (Please note the event sells out every year and seats may not be available at the door.) Included are all sessions except the optional Speed Dating for Agents ($50), a gala welcome party, two breakfasts and two elegant luncheons in the ballroom.

Attendance is limited to 325 attendees, yet there will be 100+ presenters for optimum interaction. Attendees can register on-line with a Master Card or Visa credit card at the SFWC website www.SFWriters.org or request a form by mail by writing to: San Francisco Writers Conference, 1029 Jones St., San Francisco, CA 94109.

2012 Writing Intensive Workshops are scheduled for February 16th and 20th. These classes also feature SFWC presenters and are open to non-attendees. Registration and details on these sessions will be available at www.SFWriters.org by January. These sessions are produced by the San Francisco Writers University.

The Mark Hopkins Hotel is offering a limited number of rooms at a SFWC conference rate of $179 per night based on availability. The scenic California Street cable car runs past the hotel and public parking garages are nearby for those who prefer to drive.

A limited number of San Francisco Writers Conference scholarships are available. For details click on the SCHOLARSHIP tab at: www.sfwriters.org. Anyone wishing to create a scholarship can contact SFWC Director Elizabeth Pomada at 415-673-0939. The conference is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. For more information on the San Francisco Writers Conference, go to the website at www.SFWriters.org or call 415-673-0939.