Libraries and bookstores are an integral part of the reading community, and they’re a great way to reach people who might otherwise never find your books. Librarians and booksellers are your friends, and like you, they love engaging with delighted and excited readers. That said, they are also bombarded with sales pitches and author requests. They want to support your book. You just have to make it easy and give them a reason why it belongs on their shelves. Misha Stone (Reader Services Librarian, Seattle Public Library) and Paula J. Gallagher (Adult and Community Engagement Specialist, Baltimore County Public Library) will join SFWA’s favorite genre booksellers to ensure participants develop tools to successfully partner with libraries and bookstores. At the end of the session, participants will understand how to successfully pitch collaborations with bookstores and librarians. In break out sessions, participants will get feedback on outreach emails to bookstores and libraries.

Read more about Seminar 2.3 The Business of Writing: Working with Bookstores and Libraries

Horror and dark fantasy are having a real time to shine in middle grade and young adult fiction—but we all know the love of scary transcends age. Check out this discussion of how to make the story scary. What tricks and tips do authors use? How do they know it’s scary enough—or when it might be too scary? Whether an author is amplifying suspense, giving gothic flair, or just plain spilling blood across the floor, attendees are sure to shiver hearing these authors share their experience of writing scary.

With the support of SFWA’s MG/YA Committee, we are proud to host a conversation between Tracey Baptiste, Rob Costello, Gabrielle K. Byrne, and Scott Edelman.

Read more about Panel 2.5 It’s a Scream: Writing Horror Across the Ages

Office hours scheduled by appointment.

Read more about Office Hours -D-

Ever moderated a panel where some of your panelists were seasoned pros and others were just getting started? What should panelists do to optimize their time on a bigger platform? Is there a difference in presentation style for peer-based and reader-facing industry events? And how can moderators and panelists support each other better, to provide a thrilling and memorable experience wherever they may roam in the genre? Join Day Al-Mohamed, Joyce Reynolds Ward, and Fran Wilde for a rich conversation with seasoned presenters from a range of promotions contexts, and take your panel game to the next level!

Read more about Panel 2.4 How to Give Good Panel

Join Jennifer Hudak for an “out of this world” experience – or, at least, a much needed meditative pause, with SFF flair.

Read more about Meditation Station (Wellness Activity)

Join us for a very exciting announcement about the 2026 Nebulas!

Read more about SECRET NEBULA ANNOUNCEMENT

Read more about Keynote: Grand Masters Nicola Griffith and Lois McMaster Bujold, with SFWA President Kate Ristau

Where does “the poetic” begin and end? What differentiates a prose poem from flash fiction? And why are we so hung up on dividing lines in genre in the first place – and not on the power of hybrid storytelling? In this panel, members of SFWA’s Poetry Committee are in conversation with a dynamic creator of flash and other experimental SFF forms, to explore the liminal in speculative writing – and to encourage fellow writers to make full use of whatever medium best reflects the idea they wish to convey.

Join Wendy Van Camp, as she moderates a chat between Mary Soon Lee, Brian U. Garrison, Gwynne Garfinkle, and Jennifer Hudak.

Read more about Panel 2.3 Poetry, Flash, & the Power of Hybrid Storytelling

Office hours scheduled by appointment.

Read more about Office Hours -C-

In an age of portents, how could we resist? Join BrightFlame and Lane Smith for a rich conversation about how and why to incorporate Tarot concepts into your speculative storytelling. What does a structure, an art form, and a ritual like Tarot do for your worldbuilding? How does it empower and how can it be inflected to improve and imperil? This conversation will be followed by a breakout room activity that allows participants (limited sign-up!) to get deeper into the nuances of the form.

Read more about Seminar 2.2 Tarot Need-to-Knows for Writers (with Bonus Breakout-Room Chats and Readings!)