Read Me First!

This form is for authors applying to present at FoCo Book Fest (book talks, panels, readings, workshops, etc.).

• Presenting authors should also plan on a table in the book fair area to sell and sign books: submit a separate Table Application to reserve one. These are two independent tracks.
• You may opt in to having The Crowded Bookshelf handle your book sales: coordinate that directly with them prior to the event.
• Submitting this application does not guarantee acceptance or a specific format, time slot, or session type.

Wanted: Youth Creator Workshops

We're especially looking for workshops built for young creators: hands-on making, live demos, and activities where kids and teens leave with something they made themselves. Think zine-making, comics and character design, storytelling games, bookbinding, illustration demos, and more. If that's you, choose Workshop as your presentation type and tell us about capacity, materials, and any help you'd need.

2027 Theme: Handed Down

Handed Down is an invitation to explore what passes from one generation to the next: family stories, recipes, languages, land, grudges, and the books that shaped us. We're looking for talks, panels, and workshops that show how stories carry inheritance: what we keep, what we change, what we refuse, and what we hope to leave behind. Every genre has a lineage, from the worlds fantasy writers inherit to the monsters horror keeps reinventing.

Want to participate at FoCo Book Fest?

If you’re interested in participating in FoCo Book Fest as a presenting author (book talk, panel, reading, etc.), please use this application.

Key dates

• Application opens: October 2026
• First-round approvals begin: on or after 2/21/2027
• Waitlist entries accepted until: 4/8/2027

You can edit or withdraw your application any time before it is approved or rejected. Applicants not approved during the first round will be placed on the waitlist. We’ll do our best to provide as much notice as possible and will reach out before approving your application.

Questions or accessibility accommodations: Hello@FoCoBookFest.org

Participating author social media template: https://bit.ly/FCBF2027Template