Apply to be an Author or an Author/ Presenter

• We invite submissions of original, published books of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and children’s and young adult literature.
• We do not accept erotica or books containing hate speech.
• Books may be submitted by authors, illustrators, publicists, or other publishing professionals.
• We encourage submissions by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including race and ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation, class, and/or abilities.
• Authors must have a website dedicated to their work as an author to apply. We will not reply to requests to waive this requirement.
• The Louisville Book Festival seeks to highlight new work and, in most cases, will not carry your entire backlist of books.
• We are a book festival, not a fair or a market. We sell primarily books by authors and do not tend to approve the sale of other items unless the item is directly tied to the book.

Submissions for the 2024 Book Festival

• Submission Deadline: July 31, 2024
• Online Submissions: Only online submissions are accepted.
• Agents and Representatives: Agents and author representatives are encouraged to submit if they have the authors’ consent. Please let the authors know that their names have been submitted for consideration.
• Priorities: Preference is given to books released either in hardback or paperback in 2022 and up to October 2024. Books must be available for sale by October 1, 2024, in order to be considered for the 2024 Festival. E-books will not be considered.
• Book or ARC submissions: A submission will not be considered unless we have received two copies of the book or an advanced reader’s copy [ARC] by the July 31st deadline. If copies will not be available until after the July 31st deadline, you must note that in the comments box on the submission form and let us know when it will be available. Digital ARCs will not be accepted. We do not return books. All book submissions, whether accepted or not for inclusion in the Festival will be donated. Please mail 2 copies of the book you are submitting for review to: Louisville Book Festival, 104 Daventry Lane Louisville, KY 40223. 
• Multiple submissions: If you wish to submit more than one title for an author, please provide details about the additional titles in the comments field. Please do not submit multiple forms for the same author, even if the books are in different genres and published by different publishers. Provide the necessary details in the comments section. The Louisville Book Festival approves books, not authors. We do not highlight an author’s entire body of work as we seek to highlight new literary works. Please include one copy of every additional book you would like the Festival to consider carrying.
• Co-authors: If both authors wish to participate, please submit a form for each author, including separate author bios and photos.
• Series authors: Please apply to include the title of the newest book in a series as of October 2024 in the Festival. Please add the additional titles in the comment section and send one copy of each additional title you would like to have reviewed for inclusion in the festival.
• Self-published: Authors with self-published books may apply if the book has been professionally prepared and professionally edited. You will be responsible for bringing your own books to the festival. This includes books published through self-publishing platforms that offers discounts and returns. We will not accept mailed books as the festival cannot accept responsibility for transporting books or for ensuring they make it to the festival.
• Festival structure: The Festival offers additional programming in the form of panels and individual presentations. Festival organizers select the panelists and assign the venues. In some cases, book sales and signings immediately follow and are held in the same venue. Consider applying to be an author and a presenter which will offer you additional ways to highlight your work.
• Publicity and promotion: Participants and their books are promoted widely through the Festival website and printed materials; in regional and national media; and in blogs, podcasts, social media, and networking sites. The Festival will provide participants with a promotional toolkit, including a press release, Festival fact sheet, and logos. Festival participants are required to share a direct link to the Louisville Book Festival on their website and are strongly encouraged to promote their involvement on social media. The Festival has a following, but authors have their own fan base and your fans need to know how to connect with you.
• Travel and fees: The Festival provides the venue, marketing, and many other perks. In most cases, the Festival cannot pay authors and presenters to participate. Unless otherwise offered by the Festival and agreed to well in advance, authors must commit to assuming the costs of their Festival participation, including travel, meals, and lodging. At this time, there is no submission fee to apply to the Festival. There is no table fee to attend.
• Decisions: Notifications of acceptance will be provided by August 14, 2024, though we expect to provide notification much earlier than this in most cases. Apply early as we take many things into consideration for acceptance, including the number of books in any one genre. We will send notices of non-acceptance, but we do not provide guidance on the reasons for the decision. Present the best package possible for application and know that sometimes the decision comes down to too many books in one category.
• Information requested: You may wish to gather the following information in advance for the online submission of an author:
  • Author and publicist’s (if applicable) contact information
  • High-resolution photo of the author
  • High-resolution photo of the book you are seeking to highlight
  • Maximum of 40-word bio of the author. If you submit more than 40 words, the bio may be cut or not included in marketing.
  • Author’s website (required)
  • Author’s social media handles, including Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook
  • Information about whether the author is willing to do school presentations
  • For authors who wish to have a table (this includes all self-published authors) the table fee is $100 for a shared author table. There are limited solo tables available for a fee of $175.00. Please note on your application if you would like a solo table. You pay the table fee after receiving acceptance from the festival. All fees paid to the nonprofit festival are nonrefundable once paid.
• Author Advertising through the Festival (these will be available for consideration after the application period has passed):
  • Advertising in LBF Program – full page, half page, quarter page options available (rates vary)
  • Special feature in LBF Program – $75
  • Special feature on website – $50
  • Book Announcement – $50 (must provide 2 copies of book in addition to book(s) included in submission)
  • Designated Social Media Announcements – $60
  • Author interview on video – $249
• Submission Payments: Payment for additional advertising requests will open after your books are received and accepted by the Louisville Book Festival.

Application Form