With COVID-19 restrictions lifting across the country, it may be time to check out some Book Fairs and Festivals. After writing diligently for weeks and months on end it’s time to get invigorated! Nothing does the job like meeting people who love books and write books. Check out this list of book festivals and fairs that I compiled that authors can attend for 2021. These events are an excellent way for authors to meet book buyers and reviewers, interact with fellow authors and publishers, meet your readers and find new ones too. As an author you can network with book industry leaders, locate the help you need, such as a publicist or book editor, and learn what’s new in the marketplace.

Book fairs usually want speakers. By volunteering to speak, authors not only gain great exposure but can also add that appearance to their resume and press releases. One of my author clients was a member of a panel of authors at a Southern Book Festival. I issued a press release about it and added it to her accomplishments on her bio. Not only is she a respected author but she’s now an author admired by her peers. It’s these little things that all add up in the minds of reviewers and the media when they decide who they will write about. If you want to land a panel slot or speaking gig you must plan ahead; dates for panel participants, speakers and autograph sessions are usually arranged months in advance.

For more upcoming book events check out C-SPAN2 at: https://www.BookTV.org  and click on the Book Fairs tab.  For more information about book events and book marketing visit   https://www.Book-Marketing-Expert.com.

Here’s my list of upcoming book fairs and events that are worthy of your attendance in 2021 as of the date of this publishing:

1. The RBMS Booksellers’ Showcase, June 8-10, 2021, Virtual. The RBMS Booksellers’ Showcase features a variety of exhibitors and products like original art and illustration and manuscripts. https://rbms2021.us2.pathable.com/showcase

2. American Library Association Annual Conference, June 23-29 2021, Virtual. Some 25,000 experts in the market who will help you advance your career. https://2021.alaannual.org/

3. International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) June 25-June 28, 2021, Atlanta, GA. CBA’s International Christian Retail Show Considered the best show for Christian authors according to Sara Bolme, author of Your Guide to Marketing Books in the Christian Marketplace. https://www.Marketingchristianbooks.com

4. Harlem Book Festival, July 2021 Harlem. This festival is visited by over 30,000 readers the third week of every July and viewed by millions on C-Span https://www.harlembookfair.com

5. Printers Row Lit Fest, September 11-12, 2021, Chicago. A large book fair attended by more than 150,000 book lovers. https://printersrowlitfest.org

6. The Bookmarks Festival of Books & Authors, September 25, 2021, Virtual and Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Bookmarks connects people and books through its annual festival, which has been around for over 17 years. https://www.bookmarksnc.org/festival

7. The South Dakota Festival of Books, September 30-October 3, 2021 in Brookings and Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It brings together about 4,000 attendees and more than 50 noteworthy authors, scholars, and publishers.  https://sdhumanities.org/festival-of-books/

8. The Brooklyn Book Festival, September 26- October 4, 2021, Brooklyn, NY. This festival’s mission is to “celebrate published literature and nurture a literary cultural community.” https://www.brooklynbookfestival.org

9. The Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair, October 9-10, 2021, Seattle, WA. The Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair boasts exhibitors from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. https://www.seattlebookfair.com

10. The Southern Festival of Books, October 2021, Nashville, Tennessee. This festival connects readers and writers from Tennessee and beyond. https://www.visitmusiccity.com/visitors/thingstodo/southernfestivalofbooks

11. The Texas Book Festival, late October or early November 2021, Virtual or Austin, TX. This festival was founded in 1955 and features over 250 authors as well as over 100 exhibitors. https://www.texasbookfestival.org

12. The Baltimore Book Festival, dates TBD, Baltimore, MD. The Baltimore Book Festival offers storytellers, poetry readings, panel discussions, cooking demos, live music, and more.  https://www.baltimorebookfestival.com

13. Writers at Woody Point, 2021 dates TBD, Woody Point, Newfoundland. Travel to Canada and see what creativity and talent lies across the border. https://www.writersatwoodypoint.com

14. Decatur Book Festival, 2021 dates TBD, Decatur, GA, largest independent book festival in the country. Since its launch, more than 1000 authors and hundreds of thousands of people have attended this event in downtown Decatur. https://www.decaturbookfestival.com

The Bottom Line: Authors, put down your pen and go explore the many book fairs and festivals around the country. You won’t be sorry!

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications’ book marketing approach at https://www.book-marketing-expert.com/  or contact Lorenz at scottlorenz@westwindcos.com, or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter @aBookPublicist. Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book: Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book. Buy it at: www.booktitlegenerator.net/