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.

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.

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, 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.

Word for Word is proud to welcome New York Times bestselling author Malinda Lo. Malinda's novel Last Night at the Telegraph Club won the National Book Award, the Stonewall Book Award, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, a Printz Honor, and was an LA Times Book Prize finalist. Join us as she reads from Telegraph Club and answers questions about her writing journey!

Senior copywriter at Southwest Airlines, author, filmmaker, and self-described liberal arts poster child Lisa Johnson Mitchell shares how staying open, curious, and true to her own voice carried her from writing punny headlines in a college newspaper to a decades-long career on Madison Avenue and beyond. She makes a compelling case that liberal arts graduates are exactly what successful creative teams are looking for, due to their unique and timeless ability to think across disciplines, tell a story, and connect with an audience.

Wireside Chat proudly welcomes Online MFA alum Jessica L. Cozzi, whose YA Romance thesis novel, We've Hit Turbulence, was picked up by an agent after a SNHU Pitch Weekend and was published by Delacorte in January! Not content to rest on her laurels, Jess has already sold two more novels to Delacorte! Join us as she reads from her work and traces her path to literary success both as an author and as a publicist for William Morrow!

In this History Speaker Series event, Ryan Walker, an alumnus of Southern New Hampshire University undergraduate history program and a doctoral student at the University of Portsmouth, discusses the concept of microhistory and his recent book on Henry Breault, The Silent Service’s First Hero: The First Submariner to Receive the Medal of Honor.

SNHU Communication alum Olivia Hatley is an executive assistant at an international insurance organization whose role has grown to sit at the center of organizational communication and philanthropy efforts. She reflects on the importance of choosing a path that's true to who you are, and why aligning your gifts and values with the right program is the foundation for a career that can weather any challenge.

Wireside Chat is proud to welcome Online MFA alum Kendra Vaughan, whose thesis novel, The Plymbury Witch, has become a local bestseller around New England thanks to Kendra's powerful prose and promotional skills! Tune in to hear her read from the novel and share her secrets for self-publishing success!