Word for Word Publishing Panel, Featuring Special Guests Jane Friedman and Laura Stanfill

Word for Word, Featuring Special Guest Courtney Milan

Word for Word is proud to welcome award-winning author Courtney Milan. Ms. Milan began her career with a starred review in Publisher's Weekly and has never looked back. A self-publishing pioneer, she has gone on to become one of the top-selling and best-reviewed Romance authors writing today. Her bestselling historical romances are known for their wit, characterization, and plot. Ms. Milan's background in law—she clerked for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor—has made her a leading authority on copyright, contracts, and intellectual property. She has been a steadfast champion of author rights, as well as a staunch advocate for women and diversity in publishing.

Word for Word Publishing Panel, Featuring Special Guests Jane Friedman and Laura Stanfill

For this year's Publishing Panel, Word for Word is proud to welcome two industry experts! Jane Friedman needs no introduction to aspiring writers. Her book "The Business of Becoming a Writer" is used as a class text in the Online MFA and in many other degree programs. Her long-running newsletter "The Bottom Line" provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals. In 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World. Laura Stanfill is an author, editor and the publisher of Forest Avenue Press. Her book "A Writer’s Guide to Unlocking Your Story, Choosing a Publishing Path and Honoring Your Creative Journey" appeared in 2025.

Field Notes with Adriane Clark

Arts administrator and SNHU alum Adriane Clark shares how a communication degree, a creative writing program she discovered later in life, and a willingness to stay curious opened doors to career opportunities she never knew existed. She makes the case that, especially now, being a generalist who can connect across fields and adapt what you know to what a role needs is one of the most powerful things you can be.

Wireside Chat, Featuring Special Guest Melissa Marr

Wireside Chat is thrilled to welcome back Online MFA instructor and bestselling author Melissa Marr! Melissa's most recent novel, Greta Gets the Girl, was published in January from Bramble, the romance imprint of TOR. Her novel A Treason of Magic, publishing in June, is a Regency-era fantasy and the first in a duology. Join us for a wide-ranging discussion about crossing genres, writing comic books, and what MFA students need to know about today's volatile publishing landscape.

History Speaker Series with Elisabeth Davis

In this History Speaker Series event, Dr. Elisabeth Davis discusses her book, Catholic Sisters, Narratives of Authority, and the Native American Boarding Schools, 1847-1918 [https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/catholic-sisters-narratives-of-authority-and-the-native-american-boarding-schools-18471918-9781666952520/], and her upcoming book on Laura Ingalls Wilder, the community around Wilder and her family, and what that story says about the development of the American West.