fiction

Publishing Conferences and Book Fairs in 2025

Start marking the calendar with conferences and book fairs of interest to indie authors and publishers.

IBPA Publishing University: This year’s three-day conference will take place May 15–17, 2025 at the Intercontinental Saint Paul Riverfront in Saint Paul, MN. It will feature hands-on sessions, workshops, and other educational opportunities for independent, hybrid, and author publishers, as well as university and association presses. The Independent Book Publishers Association is in the process of finalizing the schedule. To find out more, check https://www.publishinguniversity.org/.

 U.S. Book Show: Formerly known as Book Expo America (BEA), this conference takes place in May 2025.  No details posted yet on the website but sign up for further information at https://usbookshow.com/.

Looking to sell books at book fairs? Connect with readers? Here’s a few ideas for the Pacific Northwest:

Get Lit! Festival, April 10-13, 2025; Spokane, Washington. The state’s “longest-running annual literary festival” (as per organizers) offers four days of readings, writing workshops, craft classes, panel discussions, literary happy hours, virtual events, and a book fair. Find more information at https://inside.ewu.edu/getlit/.

Worldcon 2025, August 13-17, 2025; Seattle, Washington. A giant international science fiction and fantasy convention that shifts cities every year, Worldcon is coming to Seattle. Applications for dealer tables and for author participation in panels are currently being accepted at https://seattlein2025.org/.

Portland Book Festival, November 8, 2025; Portland, Oregon. Run by Literary Arts, this festival offers spaces for authors to meet readers and sell books. Sign up for information at https://literary-arts.org/about/programs/portland-book-festival/.

We’ll be adding information on other book festivals and conferences as these become available. Staging an event of interest to indie authors and publishers? Send us the information at bpnwnews at aol.com.

Bainbridge Island Book Festival Launched

The owner of Eagle Harbor Bookstore, several Bainbridge Island authors, and enthusiastic readers have launched the Bainbridge Book Festival. The inaugural event takes place this October.

Nicola Yoon, the New York Times bestselling author of One of Our Kind, will be the keynote speaker at the Launch Party, October 4, at the Stan Pocock Legacy Rowing Center. Tickets, which support the nonprofit festival, will be $125 and include a copy of One of Our Kind. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.bainbridgebookfestival.org/.

The remainder of the Bainbridge Book Festival will take place October 5, 10am to 4pm.

Festival Saturday author events are free and open to all. These talks will take place at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art (auditorium), the Bainbridge Island Senior/Community Center, and the Stan Pocock Legacy Rowing Center. The full list of participating authors can be seen here: https://www.bainbridgebookfestival.org/2024-festival/festival-saturday/.

Further information about the festival can be found at https://www.bainbridgebookfestival.org/. Bainbridge Island is located in the Puget Sound and can be reached from the mainland by bridge on the Kitsap County side and by ferry from Seattle, WA.

Thank you to Eagle Harbor Bookstore for the information on the festival. Screenshot from festival website. Have an event of interest to independent publishers and indie authors? Send it to bpnwnewnews at aol.com.