Get to Know Our 2025 Nebula Awards Conference Schedule!

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) is looking forward to marking this year’s diamond-year 60th Annual Nebula Awards Conference with you in Kansas City, Missouri. From June 5 to 8, you’ll find us at the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza, celebrating our finalists, special guests, and future for the genre.

Have you registered yet? The full in-person weekend, including Nebula Awards Banquet Dinner, is only $375 USD!

Here’s what we’ll be up to, whether you’re joining us in-person or online:

From June 5-8 in Kansas City, Missouri, at the Kansas City Marriott Country Club Plaza.

All times below are local to Kansas City (Central Daylight Time). Plan accordingly for online panels!

Thursday, June 5

12:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M. Visit our Book Depot throughout the conference to snag great titles by SFWA’s celebrated authors. We promise: Most of the merchandise doesn’t bite.

3:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Registration Station: Welcome to SFWA’s diamond-year 60th Anniversary Nebula Awards Conference! Please check all intergalactic devices at reception, and safely stow all anti-matter units upon re-entry.

8:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M. Welcome Reception & Volunteer Recognition: Land-based environment only! Check your multiverse coordinates for aquatic equivalents.

Friday, June 6

Our Registration Station / Help Desk runs from 8:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M., and our Hospitality Suite keeps pace from 8:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M., with refreshments on hand for humans and convincing replicants alike.

Our Silent Art Auction also runs out of the Hospitality Suite all weekend, with winners announced on Sunday morning. Almost all of this year’s items are original works, not reprints, and none (to the best of our knowledge) have been regurgitated by space whales.

The Book Depot opens at 9:00 A.M. and runs until 11:00 P.M., at which point the remaining books do get a bit bite-y, so we put them to bed for everyone’s safety.

8:00 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. – Short Story Market (Hybrid Workshop!)

The short story market is rapidly changing, and SFWA has been working on a new tool to analyze paying markets. Join us to test out the Short Story Matrix. We will discuss what writers should look for in professional markets—from payment to legalese.

Join us online and in persion to dive into the world of short story market advocacy, with Kate Ristau, John Murphy, Michael Capobianco, Anthony Eichenlaub, and Rachel Gutin!

8:00 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. – Coffee & Career (In-Person)

Here’s an opportunity for all you early birds to catch a worm! Grab a cup of coffee and join a group of experienced publishing professionals as they critique your and your colleagues’ career strategies! Conference attendees have the opportunity to submit career questions and strategies for critique. During this workshop, the professionals will answer your questions, work through the pros and cons of your strategy, and offer possible alternative solutions.

Join Becca Syme, Jonathan Brazee, Katie Spina, Christine Taylor-Butler, and Phillip Drayer Duncan to start your conference day off right!

9:30 A.M. – 10:00 A.M. – Meet & Greets! (In-Person)

Join Karen Osborne, Shannon A. Thompson, and Rosemary Claire Smith for refreshing chats about their work!

10:00 A.M. – 11:30 A.M. – The Second Person and You (In-Person)

Second person fiction is often considered “artsy” and “difficult,” but it can also produce uniquely powerful, affecting stories. Authors Rachel Swirsky (“If You Were Dinosaur, My Love”; “A Memory of Wind”) and P H Lee (“The V*mpire”; “Your Own Undoing”), plus perhaps a mystery guest, will discuss a variety approaches to writing fiction in the second-person, including but not limited to you-and-I, ultra-close interiority, and reader-as-character. They’ll cover the effects on reader experience, benefits and obstacles in the writing process, and how to elevate your second-person story game.

10:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. – Laura Greenwood (Hybrid Workshop)

“Successful Strategies for Marketing without Ads (and Other Impossibilities)”

Description: Join former marketing executive and full-time author Laura Greenwood as she presents a variety of proven strategies to market your books without PPC advertising. Whether through content marketing, newsletters, or social media, there are many ways to get your book in front of the right readers and sell, sell, sell without relying on Facebook or Amazon ads. Impossible you say? Laura will show you it’s not!

Bio: Laura Greenwood is a bestselling author of fantasy romance and urban fantasy. She’s been a full-time author for over five years and has experience in PPC advertising from her previous career as a marketing executive. She specialises in leveraging content marketing and putting processes in place that result in a constant baseline income. When she’s not writing, Laura drinks a lot of tea, tries to resist French macarons, and works towards a diploma in Egyptology.

BREAK TIME TO FEED THE SPACE WOMBATS (and everybody else)

1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. Poetry & Prose (Online)

Writers of all types have so much in common: the love of a precise word, a complex rhythm, an agonizingly well-turned phrase. Where do poetry and prose overlap, and how do they differ—most importantly, what can these writers learn from each other?

Join Moderator Vanessa MacLaren-Wray and Panelists Gwynne Garfinkle, Jordan Kurella, and Geoffreyjen Edwards for a cross-pollination extravaganza across SFF forms!

1:00 P.M. – 2:30 P.M. – Grand Master Nicola Griffith (Special Presentation, In-Person)

“A Long, Strange Trip (So Far)”

Description: Join 41st Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Nicola Griffith, in conversation with the one who knows her best, wife and fellow writer Kelley Eskridge, for a 90-minute love letter to SFF and the wild ride of a career that’s still evolving. Come listen, laugh, and AMA—in person or online—about the importance of figuring out who you are and what you want, how to get there, and the joy of finding your people.

1:30 P.M. – 2:30 P.M. – Writing in the Evolving Genre of Sci-Fi (In-Person)

As scientific breakthroughs and social shifts redefine what’s possible, today’s speculative writers are reimagining how we craft stories and futures that feel both visionary and grounded, generating bold new ideas while honoring the legacies of those who came before. This panel explores some of the most urgent questions at the heart of modern sci-fi: When does getting the science right enhance a story, and when does it weigh it down? What legal or ethical issues should sci-fi writers consider today? And how can the genre help us prepare for, or even shape, the world ahead?

Moderator Michael Solis and Panelists Mark D. Owen, Mark W. Tiedemann, and Mary G. Thompson will chart a course through these tough technical and social waters.

2:30 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. – Meet & Greets! (In-Person)

Join Curtis Chen, Brian C. E. Buhl, J.H. Fleming, Barbara E. Hill, Erin Roberts, and Michelle C. Leigh for a celebration of their work and delightful banter about the genre!

2:30 P.M. – 3:00 P.M. – Genre Wars: Mashups Instead of Knockouts (Online Edition!)

Urban Fantasy is the best genre ever! What are you even talking about? Space Opera forever! Pfft. You’re both wrong. Romance holds the largest share of the publishing market for a reason! Whatever. Epic Fantasy all the—STOP! We all have our personal preferences, both as readers and as writers. But what if instead of genre knockouts we explored genre mashups? This panel will explore the rich and vibrant spaces between genres and effective strategies for creating subgenre mashups that are greater than simply the sum of their parts.

Moderator Joyce Reynolds-Ward and Panelists Bert-Oliver Boehmer, A.D. Sui, and Suzan Palumbo take us for a high-flying ride with this first of two rich conversations on the theme. (See: Saturday, for the In-Person Round Two!)

3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. – Innovating Interaction: Indie Design and Player Choice (In-Person)

The core of any game is interaction design: how the players interact with the game to cause change. Indie game developers push the envelope, challenging expectations around mechanics and narrative choices to offer players a richer, deeper engagement with the text. In this panel, game developers discuss innovative approaches to player choice and agency, how those approaches affect narrative, and how broadening the possibilities of interaction can have real-world impacts.

Join Moderator Erin Roberts and Panelists Remy Siu, Tony Howard-Arias, Benjamin Rosenbaum, and Paul Dean for a dynamic conversation!

3:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Becca Syme (Hybrid Workshop)

“The Longevity Blueprint: Building a Career That Lasts”

Description: When you look into the future of your author career, what do you see? Do you see glistening highways paved with NYT#1 tags and dollar signs? Or do you see fans clamoring for the next book? Or do you see nothing, or worse than nothing? Plot twist. Each author has an individual pathway to a sustainable author career, and in this workshop, Becca Syme, author success coach and alignment expert, will illustrate different pathways to an author career for life, and the action steps to keep yourself in the game. No matter what’s coming.

Bio: Becca Syme (MATL) is a Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach and has individually coached more than 6000 authors at all levels. She is the author of the Quitbooks for Writers series and the popular Write Better-Faster course, and the host of the Quitcast for Writers podcast and YouTube channel. She also writes mystery novels and lives on one of the thousand lakes in Minnesota.

4:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. Meet & Greets! (In-Person)

Join William Ledbetter, Michael Gallowglas, Greg Leunig, Steven D. Brewer, and Michael Capobianco for some hearty late-afternoon discourse about their work in the genre!

4:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M. Collaboration and Building a Publishing Community (Online)

So often, we can feel alone on our publishing journeys. How do we make friends? Where do we find help and support? Let’s talk about beginnings: How and where do we find our people, especially when we may be battling distances, introversion, and/or imposter syndrome? What are the best ways to reach out to and work with each other?

Moderator CJ Lavigne and Panelists Kristin Osani, Kate Heartfield, and Christiane Knight stand ready to take you on a journey in community for the hour!

5:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Save the universe? Or maybe explore the downtown core! Your On-Site Conference Booklet will have a great run-down of tasty eats and nearby sites to get you started.

8:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M. Networking Reception (In-Person)

Set course for an evening with the stars, open to the general public! Connect and network with this year’s Nebula Award Finalists, as we celebrate their achievements in the genre, and meet a ton of other storied writers in the field!

We have a terrific roster of SFF writers converging on the space together. Don’t miss your chance to touch pen to paper with…

Chris Arnone
Steven D. Brewer
Brian Buhl
Michael Capobianco
Curtis Chen
R. R. Corvi
Phillip Drayer Duncan
Scott Edelman
J. H. Fleming
Michael Todd Gallowglas
Joe Haldeman
Christine Hanolsy
Jennifer Hudak
William Ledbetter
Gregory Leunig
Josh Mendoza
Ray Nayler
Karen Osborne
Mark D. Owen
Jennifer Povey
A. W. Prihandita
Kate Ristau
Benjamin Rosenbaum
Charles Schaefer
Michael Solis
Rachel Swirsky
Mary G Thompson
Shannon Thompson
Kagan Turner

…all of whom are up for autographs or just good chats about great reads in the genre!

We can’t wait to see you out!

Saturday, June 7

Our Hospitality Suite opens at 8:00 A.M. and runs until 2:00 P.M.

Our Registration Station / Help Desk runs from 9:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. This cut-off time provides guests with ample opportunity to settle into Airship Nebula, as it prepares for the next phase of its diamond-year voyage.

The Book Depot opens at 9:00 A.M. and runs until 11:00 P.M. If the books look a little hungry today, it’s because they’re champing at the bit for the big event this evening. They’ll probably settle down once they show up in your stack of great reads for purchase. Probably.

And don’t forget to get your bids in for the On-Site Silent Art Auction before the 11 P.M. End-of-Ceremony cut-off!

9:00 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. Never Give Up! Never Surrender! (In-Person)

Perseverance. That’s the name of the game in publishing. The odds of “going viral” are akin to winning the lottery, and it often feels like agents and publishers only know the word “no.” Not to mention the options—so many options! Do I self-publish or query? What does writing to market even mean? Will changing genres mid-career be a game changer or a game over? Decision fatigue is real, but one thing is certain—if you want to “make it,” never give up, never surrender. It’s time to discuss perseverance in publishing and how to keep going when everything’s telling you to stop.

Moderator Michael Gallowglas and Panelists Becca Syme, Brian C. E. Buhl, Scott Edelman, and Karen Osborne will help you keep the torch held high in your writing careers.

9:00 A.M. – 10:30 A.M. Coffee & Critique (In-Person)

Here’s an opportunity for all you early birds to catch a worm! Grab a cup of coffee and join a group of experienced editors as they critique your and your colleagues stories! Conference attendees have the opportunity to submit up to two pages from a WIP for either developmental or line edits. During this workshop, the editors walk participants through the edits in small groups, answering questions and working through solutions. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn techniques from editors by working through examples.

Moderator Katelyn Brehm is joined by Cody Sisco, J.H. Fleming, Barbara Hill, Aimee Ogden, and Christine Hanolsy to craft this trip down editorial lane for in-person conference attendees!

10:30 A.M. – 11:00 A.M. Meet & Greets! (In-Person)

Check out the author booths for Benjamin Rosenbaum, Mary G. Thompson, Michael Solis, Anthony Eichenlaub, Mark W. Tiedemann, and Mark D. Owen to snag some stimulating conversation and career celebration between panels!

11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Working with Editors (Online)

So, you’ve finished that story you’ve been working on for ages and… now what? What is the difference between revision and editing? What are the differences between developmental, line, and copy editing? How do you know when you’re done? How and when should you work with an editor, either on a short story in a magazine or anthology or on a book-length work? This panel aims to answer these questions and more!

Hash out all the fiddly bits with Moderator Mia V. Moss and Panelists Stewart C. Baker, Kerstin Hall, and Rachel Rosen.

11:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Genre Wars – Mashups Instead of Knockouts (In-Person Edition)

Moderator Curtis Chen and Panelists Kelsey Josephson, Nicola Griffith, and Ray Nayler guide us through this second of two rich conversations on the theme. (See: Friday, for the Online Round One!)

11:00 A.M. – 12:30 P.M. – Live Action Slush (In-Person)

Have you ever wondered what goes through the minds of slush readers? Why do some stories get picked up while others are passed over? What defines the moment that either makes or breaks a submission? In Live Action Slush, first pages are read aloud to a panel of experienced slush readers. Panelists raise their hand if and when they would pass on the piece and afterwards discuss their whys. Does your opening pack a punch? Will slush readers and agents stick with it until the end? Here’s your opportunity to find out what you can improve to make sure they keep reading. This workshop is for in-person conference attendees only.

Join Moderator Katelyn Brehm, Narrators Scott Edelman and Erin Roberts, and Panelists Erik Grove, Jennifer Hudak, Greg Leunig, and Chris Arnone for the highs and lows of the slush pile!

BREAK TIME TO FEED THE SPACE WOMBATS (and everybody else)

12:30 P.M. – 1:00 P.M. – Meet & Greets! (In-Person)

One last round of Meet & Greet before we gear up to the Nebula Awards Banquet. Join Becca Syme to share in love of the work!

1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. – Cozy Horror: It’s Not an Oxymoron! (Online)

This panel is for everyone who’s ever wanted to cuddle up to the sharp teeth and the tentacles, or take solace in the whispering dark. There is no horror without comfort. What warmth can we find amid the nightmares; how is it evolving, and what does it mean?

Join Moderator Nicole Luttrell and Panelists John Wiswell, Cat Girczyc, Eugenia Triantafyllou, and Angela Liu for a scary-ish good time deep-diving into this theme!

1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M. – Magazine Market Breakdown (In-Person)

Writing for poetry or short story? Or are novelettes or novellas your passion? Join us to discuss the changing magazine market for these SFF forms. How do we stay up to date, strengthen our submissions, and support small publishers in shifting times?

Moderator Michelle C. Leigh (Christine Bothun) and Panelists William Ledbetter, John McNeil, A. W. Prihandita, and Rosemary Claire Smith are on hand to hash out the chewy bits of short fiction and poetry with us. (Only, please refrain from nibbling on your markets!)

6:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. – Nebula Reception – (In-Person)

Airship Nebula is on its way! Check your spaceware, stow your a-temporal devices, lubricate and pontificate with other guests where applicable, and get ready to board for the main event!

7:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. Nebula Awards Banquet Dinner (In-Person)

Guests are invited to gather in a 1-G environment for a mid-flight meal before we reach our diamond-year destination. (Yes, you may devour literature while you dine, but watch out for any books that bite back!)

8:00 P.M. – 11:00 P.M. Nebula Awards Ceremony (In-Person & Online)

Here there be dragons. Er. Award finalists. And then winners! But dragons can come, too. Check out your On-Site Conference Booklet for a full list of finalists, and your Ceremony Program for the event schedule tonight!

Sunday, June 8

8:00 A.M. – 9:30 A.M. Breakfast with the Presidents (In-Person)

Six past and present presidents will converge to share lore about SFWA’s sixty years, chat about genre today, and maybe get a bite in, too!

8:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. Fueling Station

Serving carbon-based lifeforms in our Hospitality Suite.

9:00 A.M. – 12:00 P.M. The Book Depot

Feed your book habit one last time before you go!

Winners of the On-Site Silent Auction: Collect your goodies, too!

Today’s the day to check out and beam away, full-to-bursting Nebula Conference Book Bags and all. Don’t forget to thank your Flight and Ground Crews for all the fish!

* More details forthcoming as our Universal Translator works out transmissions from Airship Nebula’s final destination! All in-person panels will be streamed for attendees on other worlds!

** The wibbly-wobbly hour, where time itself might disappear amid creative conversations. Or maybe your recharge pod is calling? User’s choice!

Do you have questions about the big event, or what to feed the space wombats? Write to office@sfwa.org with any and all relevant queries!

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