By Scott Lorenz
Westwind Book Marketing
If you’re an author, you owe it to yourself to check out this list of book festivals and fairs that authors could attend for 2026. 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.
Upcoming Book Fairs and Festivals
For more upcoming book events check out C-SPAN2 at: https://www.c-span.org/bookTv/ and click on the Book Fairs tab. For more information about book events and book marketing visit https://westwindbookmarketing.com/.
Savannah Book Festival, February 5-8, 2026, Savannah, GA. The Savannah Book Festival has been around since 2008. It offers live streaming sessions with leading authors. https://www.savannahbookfestival.org/
AWP Conference and Bookfair, March 4-7, 2026, Baltimore, MD. At the AWP Conference and Bookfair, you’ll find hundreds of authors, publishers, and exhibitors. There will be panel discussions and a keynote speaker. https://www.awpwriter.org/AWP/AWP/Conference-Bookfair/Overview.aspx
Saints and Sinners Literary Festival, March 27-29, 2026, New Orleans, LA. Created in 2003, the Saints and Sinners Literary Festival help educate the community on HIV/AIDS. It brings together writers, thinkers, and spokespeople. https://www.sasfest.org/
American Library Association Annual Conference, June 25-29, 2026, Chicago. Join them for top-quality education and best practices; featured thought leaders; and special programming for library professionals looking to further develop their libraries, careers, and communities! https://2026.alaannual.org/
Writers at Woody Point, August 18-23, 2026, Woody Point, Newfoundland. Writers at Woody Point is firmly rooted in Newfoundland literature, attracting both writers from abroad and those nurtured here at home. During the festival, writers and musicians connect with their audience in intimate venues, over dinner and drinks, or on a hike into the pristine hills, and soak up the area’s own creative talent at exhibits of art and crafts, musical performances and impromptu after-hours celebrations that combine jam sessions, dancing and lots of laughter. https://www.writersatwoodypoint.com/
Bookmarks 21st Annual Festival of Books & Authors, September 28, 2026, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Bookmarks connects people and books through its annual festival, which has been around for over 17 years. https://bookmarksnc.org/festival
The South Dakota Festival of Books, September 2026, Brookings, SD. It connects more than 4,000 attendees and more than 50 noteworthy authors, scholars, and publishers. https://sdhumanities.org/festival-of-books/
Decatur Book Festival, October 2-3, 2026, Decatur, GA. This is the largest independent book festival in the country. Over the years, over 1000 authors and hundreds of thousands of people have attended this event in downtown Decatur. https://decaturbookfestival.com/
The Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair, October 24-25, 2026, Seattle, WA. The Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair features exhibitors from the U.S., Canada, and Europe. https://www.seattlebookfair.com/
The Texas Book Festival, November 14-15, 2026, Austin, TX. Founded in 1955, this festival includes over 275 authors as well as over 100 exhibitors. https://texasbookfestival.org/
The Bottom Line: Take a break from your pen and attend one of these top book fairs and festivals. You won’t regret it!
Take a break from your #pen and attend one of these top #bookfairs and #bookfestivals. You won’t regret it! Click to tweet this article to your friends and followers! 𝕏About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz
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://WestwindBookMarketing.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 www.BookTitleGenerator.net.
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