Mom always used to say…. “Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it!” And it’s true. I asked the community of authors, poets, editors, publishers, agents, and assorted experts and volunteers to help me … and now I am awash in data. It’s a nice problem to have.

I wanted to thank, first off, the leadership of the San Francisco Writers Conference, #SFWC, for being so supportive and answering my emails when they were all swamped with work. You really embody the spirit of generosity that my research is documenting (in that formal, dry, academic sort of way).

Second, I want to thank the volunteers for leading the way with giving me survey responses to express their feelings about the SFWC. No surprise–they love it. But that’s a gross generalization. They love it in many dozens of unique ways. My challenge, in writing this thesis, is to capture all that is good and help others emulate and perpetuate this important work.

Of course, nothing is perfect, and some of the feedback I have (a very small amount, but still….) expresses frustration over thwarted ambitions, such as hoping to meet an agent that had gone missing at the last moment. Alas, the conference can’t be successful in all aspects. But I do think that there is a lot to commend, and there are so many good-hearted, talented, and caring people, that it’s hard to know where to begin.

I will be sharing my findings in a more concise way as I unpack them. But after all the fussing I did, to get people to participate, I didn’t want to just disappear into my data anlaysis. I am on deadline to produce a credible thesis, and it’s challenging. But I will do my best to do right by all those who helped me.

You know who you are, but I’ll be sharing more soon.

Special thanks are due to Laurie, Linda, Lissa, Barbara, and Michael for spending time sharing the wisdom of their experience. They are my heros and heroines.

Thank you all. I’ll be sharing what I learn as soon as I can.