Organizers Seek Authors, Artists, Book Vendors, Literary Professionals For Spring Outdoor Book Festival

NEWS RELEASE

  FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

  For more info contact: Tonya Dalhaus, BooksByTheBayFest@gmail.com,

850-270-­8806

ORGANIZERS SEEK AUTHORS, LITERARY PROFESSIONALS

FOR SPRING OUTDOOR BOOK FESTIVAL

PENSACOLA, FLA. Oct. 20, 2023. Books By the Bay, a new outdoor book festival sponsored by nonprofit Emerald Coast Writers, is seeking authors, poets, editors, graphic designers, cover artists, illustrators, agents, literary professionals, and new and used book vendors to participate in its inaugural 2024 festival. The one-day, free event is slated for March 23 at Pensacola’s Museum Plaza, 300 S. Tarragona St., behind the Pensacola Museum of History.

Books By the Bay’s planning committee is also seeking proposals from literary professionals who would like to speak at the festival. The event focuses on literary appreciation and will feature a wide range of genres from children’s books to memoirs, romance to steampunk, and nonfiction to historical fiction, even graphic novels, says Books By the Bay Coordinator Tonya Dalhaus. The day’s events will include author signings, book sales, author panels, and writer’s workshops. Attendees will have the opportunity to interact with local authors, national bestselling authors, literary experts, and characters in costume. Professional exhibitor booths, vendor, and author tent spaces range from $75 to $175 with early bird discounts ending Dec. 15, 2023.  Local authors may rent one-hour time slots in the local authors’ tent sponsored by Emerald Coast Writers. ECW members pay $5 and nonmembers $10 for their hour of selling and signing their books. Participants have until Jan. 31, 2024, to secure space.

“The author spaces and exhibitor spots are priced really reasonably,” says Dalhaus. “Book festival spaces like these in neighboring states cost around $750 and up, but since this is a new event, we want to encourage participation with prices reasonable for our area.” Books By the Bay is offering local businesses and nonprofits four levels of sponsorship: Trilogy, Novel, Chapter, and Page with promotional benefits ranging from signage to t-shirt recognition.

For information about volunteering, acquiring space or participating as an author or literary professional or sponsor, contact Dalhaus via email BooksByTheBayFest@gmail.com or by phone at 850-270-8806, or visit the website www.booksbythebay.org or follow on Facebook at Books By the Bay.

Books By the Bay is sponsored by Emerald Coast Writers, Inc. (formerly West Florida Literary Federation (WFLF) which began in 1986 when a group of literary-minded residents worked with twelve community groups to found WFLF. The group’s mission has been to bring people together who are interested in the literary heritage of the region, and to promote literary efforts through programs, workshops, awards, publications, and related activities. In 1987, WFLF was incorporated by the State of Florida as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The group rebranded as Emerald Coast Writers, Inc. ­in 2023.