The San Francisco Writers Conference will produce its 16th annual event with Laurie J. McLean as its director and a monumental move to the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero hotel. (The SFWC had been at the Mark Hopkins Hotel for the past 13 years!) The San Francisco Writers Conference is consistently ranked in the top five of writing conferences in North America and the world.¹

Laurie J. McLean is the new SFWC director following the retirement of event co-founder and co-director, Michael Larsen late last year. Since McLean is also the founder of Fuse Literary with agents across the U.S., a priority will be incorporating more ways for attendees, presenters and especially literary agents to meet in small groups and one-on-one during the San Francisco Writers Conference.

Lissa Provost, who started at the SFWC as a volunteer, was promoted to Operations Director. Marketing Director Barbara Santos, Volunteer Director Linda Lee, and Registrations Director Richard Santos will continue in their directorial rolls. 

The 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference will be held President's Day Weekend, February 14th-17th (Master Classes open to non-attendees are on Feb 14 & 18) at the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero. Participants from around the globe will find the new location, across from the Ferry Building, allows easier access to the event via ferry, bus and BART.

The San Francisco Writers Conference brings publishing industry leaders and bestselling authors to the Bay Area for its annual 4-day signature event each February. Writers—both published and aspiring—learn about craft and business in order to build their writing careers and become successfully published authors. The San Francisco Writers Conference will also offer several free events during the main conference and access to the exhibit hall as part of its outreach program. SFWC recently began offering educational classes throughout the year in conjunction with Mechanics' Institute Library. The San Francisco Writers Conference/ San Francisco Writers Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit. Event details are available at: www.SFWriters.org and www.SFWritingforChange.org

1. The Write Life named San Francisco Writers Conference #2 and the San Francisco Writing for Change conference #3. The Writer Magazine ranked the San Francisco Writers Conference #3 in the North America. https://thewritelife.com/writers-conferences/ https://www.writermag.com/2017/01/17/top-10-writing-conferences-north-america/

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SHORTER VERSION OF THIS RELEASE: 

2019 SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE February 14th-18th Hyatt Regency Embarcadero Hotel. The 16th Annual 'Celebration of Craft, Commerce and Community' for all writers offers quality interaction with 100+ literary agents, editors, publishers and bestselling authors at over 70 sessions. The SFWC Exhibit Hall and special presentations will be open to the public. The SFWC Master Classes are open to non-attendees on February 14 & 18. Updates, event details, and opt-in form for the complimentary SFWC Newsletter are available at www.SFWriters.org.

MORE ABOUT THE SAN FRANCISCO WRITERS CONFERENCE The San Francisco Writers Conference is an annual gathering that draws 100+ bestselling authors, literary agents, publishers, editors, and publishing industry professionals to the Bay Area. These presenters, from the West Coast, New York City, and beyond, come to the event looking for new talent, to share their expertise with the attendees, and do some quality networking themselves. For more information about the 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference, go to: www.SFWriters.org. Attendees have access to the 70+ information-packed concurrent sessions covering a wide-range of topics (craft, publishing business, book/author marketing, self-publishing); keynotes and plenary sessions; on-site social events where they can mingle with presenters and fellow writers; and pitch sessions where they will get honest feedback on their work. The event is suitable for writers in any genre (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, self-publishing, marketing, etc.). There will be nearly 30 literary agents at the 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference and publishers, authors and editors from top traditional publishing houses—St. Martin's Press, Penguin Random House, New World Books, Chronicle Books, Writer's Digest, and more. Traditional and self-publishing are equally valuable options for writers and the technology changes quickly. The SFWC self-publishing track keeps attendees current on trends and possibilities with panels and sessions featuring self-publishing leaders including Carla King, PBS MediaShift; Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, Angela Bole of IBPA, and Robin Cutler of Ingram Spark, plus many more. Attendance will be limited to 450 attendees and there will be more than 100 presenters for optimal interaction. REGISTRATION FEE: $895. Early discounts and scholarships are available. (Please note: This event always sells out and seats may not be available at the door.) The San Francisco Writers Conference is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization.

To learn about San Francisco Writers Conference programs and events, go to www.SFWriters.org or call 925-420-6223