Columbus Book Festival

Featured Author Book Submissions


Main Library & Topiary Park

Columbus, OH


Saturday, July 13

10 a.m.-6 p.m.


Sunday, July 14

10 a.m.-5 p.m.


Tell us all about yourself and your newest title! We're putting together a Columbus Book Festival program schedule which will feature adult and children’s programming.


There will be two days of book talks, panel discussions, presentations and book signings by YOU, national, regional and local-to-Ohio authors with a recently published book.


Eligible authors will have a book published between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024. Please review full submission and festival guidelines on the festival website before submitting your book for consideration.


Hybrid and self-published authors may apply if your book has been professionally edited, bound and is readily available to purchase through established wholesale book distributors. If your book does not meet those requirements, or has a niche audience, you may consider applying for Indie Author Alley.


Please note: Featured Authors DO NOT receive tabling space during the event. Your participation will be in one-to-two 60-minute panel discussions with a 30-minute book signing immediately following the session. Books will be sold on your behalf by the Official Festival Bookstore.


If you are an author who would like to interact (meet, sell to, and sign books) for the duration of the two-day festival, you may be interested in Indie Author Alley or Marketplace Exhibitor space.


Timeline:

Now – Dec. 2023: Book submissions accepted

Jan. 2024: Submission review and selection

Feb. – March 2024: Notification and selected author contracts sent

April 2024: Featured Author lineup announced to the public

 

Author Contact Information

 

Include a middle name or initial only if you use it professionally and it's listed on your book covers(s).

 
 

This is for internal purposes only. If you write under a pseudonym, your legal name will not be published on any public-facing documents.

 
 

Publishers/Publicists: This MUST be the author's email address. Please do not add your email address here.

 
 

Publishers/Publicists: This MUST be the author's phone number. Please do not add your phone number here.

Phone
 
 
 
 

Add links to social platforms

 
 
 

Book Information



 

Please type the name of the book title exactly as it is published. Selected authors with multiple releases within the timeframe: the festival will highlight only the title submitted.

 

Must be published between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024.

 
mm/dd/yyyy
 
 

If you have a digital advance reader copy, please provide the link. This is not required for submission/acceptance. If your book is selected, we will require a digital and/or physical ARC for the panel moderator.

 
 

A selection of traditional publishers is listed for convenience, though there are many others not included for space constraints. If your book was published by another traditional publisher, you self-published, or worked with a hybrid publisher, please select Other and write the publisher's complete name below.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Please provide a professionally written, short description of your new or forthcoming festival title that can be used on the festival website if your book is selected. 3-4 sentences max. Please do not include backlist book descriptions or biographical information.

 
 

Please provide a brief author bio that is professionally written in the third person. This text will be displayed on the festival website if your book is selected. 3-4 sentences max.

 
 

Our goal is to create a book festival to delight our diverse community of readers and meet their wide variety of reading tastes.

 
 

Required: High res book cover (jpeg or png)

Required: Professional headshot (jpeg or png)

Optional: Press kit that includes longer festival book description, full author bio and/or other promotional info about the book submitted (PDF or Word).

Drop your files here
 
 

Publisher/Publicist Contact Info

 
 
 
 
Phone
 
 

Please share publisher and imprint, if applicable.

 
 
 
 

Festival Participation

Should your book be chosen as a featured book, please let us know your availability during the festival weekend.


Reminder: Featured Authors' participation is through one-to-two 60-minute panel discussions, author talks and interactive programs like Author Speed-Chatting. Authors will have a 30-minute book signing window after each session(s).


Featured Authors DO NOT have tabling space for the duration of the festival weekend.

 

A Friday evening festival preview party at the library.

 

Schedules can change, but please try to be as accurate as possible so we know when you'd be available for a panel or program during the festival. This is an important bit of information when we start building the program schedule.


Add me to a panel or program on:

 

Should your book get selected, would you be willing to sit on more than one panel or program PER DAY? Each panel or program is a 60-minute session with a 30-minute window for book signing afterwards.

 

Authors make great moderators for their fellow authors' panel discussions. If you're comfortable leading a discussion about books other than you own, let us know.

 

Last year we hosted "Author Speed-Chatting" and "Gaming with YA Authors" as schedule add ons. This year it might be something else! If you're open to participating in programs other than traditional book talks, let us know. If you have a good idea for a program, share it in the next box.

 

This is this just our second year hosting a book festival. We want to build the best author experience possible!