Barbara Santos
Author and Marketing & Communications Director,
San Francisco Writer’s Conference
Barbara Santos is the author of three books: The Maui Onion Cookbook, Maui Tacos Cookbook and Practice Aloha. She has worked with top New York and West Coast publishers for over 20 years as co-creator of the Maui Writers Conference and is the Marketing & Communications Director of the San Francisco Writers Conference and San Francisco Writing for Change. She is an author and writer of feature articles and was a newspaper columnist and food critic in Hawaii. She was also a presenter at the 2019 San Francisco Writer’s Conference speaking on two panels, Lifestyle Writing and Nonfiction: The Art of Personal Essay.
How did you become interested in writing and specializing in cookbooks, such as The Maui Onion Cookbook, Maui Tacos Cookbook and Practice Aloha?
I write every day and can’t remember a time when I didn’t write. It was when I figured out how to read by looking at the ‘Dick & Jane’ books in kindergarten in New Jersey that I was irrevocably hooked. I was shy as a child so while I didn’t do well speaking in front of the class, I sure could write anything and everything. I wanted to write a book. Well, quite a few years later my first book was published by Celestial Arts—a division of Ten Speed Press/Random House. It was a cookbook based on recipes from the Maui Onion Festival on Maui. I had moved to Maui and was the coordinator of the festival and also the co-director of the Maui Writers Conference. So, when I met the Ten Speed publisher at the MWC, I pitched him the idea for the Maui Onion Cookbook. It is a funny but long story about how that conversation went, but in the end it was magic. That little book is on the kitchen shelves of people all over the world. How cool is that? Emeril Lagasse told me he has it in his kitchen!
When did you start to work in the marketing capacity and as Marketing, Sales, and Communications Director for the San Francisco Writers Conference?
Another long story but in brief… I met two extraordinary literary agents, Michael Larsen and Elizabeth Pomada, at the Maui Writers Conference at least 25 years ago. When I moved back to the Mainland, we met up for lunch and I soon joined them in producing the first San Francisco Writers Conference some 16 years ago. So, I’ve been with the SFWC since its inception.
Can you tell us what you like best about organizing and promoting one of the largest writer’s conferences in the world?
To be honest, the #1 reason is meeting and working with folks (especially the super stars) in the publishing industry. I’ve hung out with RL Stein and his wife, had dinner with Mitch Albom (and Heather Graham and dozens of my writing idols). I’ve BBQed in John Saul’s backyard, sat next to Ron Howard in a session, helped Carrie Fisher check into the hotel, and hung out by the pool with Carl Bernstein (SFWC Director Laurie McLean’s idol!). Ok, the organizing of an event takes months, but these moments are what I remember…not the incredible amount of work it takes to bring it all together. And some of the moments I remember are when attendees tell me how the event helped them on so many levels. It keeps me energized to make the conference even better year after year.
What types of preparations can you share about gathering authors, editors, agents and publishers? What are some of the challenges you have to face?
It is still who you know and a whole lot of schmoozing (I’m not that shy little girl anymore!). For instance, our keynoter this year, Catherine Coulter, was at the Maui Writers Conference years ago. When I saw her at the Bay Area Book Festival, we started talking about how much fun that was… and she agreed to speak at this year’s San Francisco Writers Conference event.
If you could tell your younger self anything what would it be?
Save more for retirement?! Luckily, I love what I’m doing so I’ll be working on it for the foreseeable future!
What advice can you give young aspiring writers of today?
Do the work. Don’t fall in love with your words and forget to do what it takes to get your book published. Publishing is changing and you have to keep up with it. However, it is easier than ever to become a published author.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I hope the conference is a magical for you as it is for me!
Thank you for awarding me the 2019 San Francisco Writers Conference (SFWC) Student Scholarship for High School Students, an incredible and yes even magical experience!!!
All art/photos belong to Barbara Santos and are used with her permission.