The ink will barely be dry on nine books making their debut at the Tucson Festival of Books.
A cadre of authors will introduce their mid-March releases — historic nonfiction, mysteries and thrillers, and predictions of a technology-led dystopia — during the literary-palooza set for March 12-13 on the University of Arizona campus.
The family-oriented mega-event gathers an estimated 400 authors who take part in panel discussions, workshops, book signings and other activities. About 100,000 book lovers are expected to attend the two-day community fest that is a fundraiser for literacy organizations.
For authors, especially those with new books, festival participation is expected to boost book sales without being overly promotional.
“I think book festivals are a wonderful development and a terrific alternative to bookstore events,” says Chris Pavone, author of “The Travelers.”
“Launching a book into the world is an immense challenge — there are so many books published every week, so many demands for readers’ attention — and I think it’s important for authors to engage in nearly anything that helps people notice a book.
“But a lot of book promotion seems to me so clearly promotional, and I don’t think readers enjoy being the subjects of authors’ naked self-promotion; I sure don’t,” says Pavone. “And this is one of my favorite things about book festivals: It’s the experience itself that’s at the forefront.”
Importantly, the book festival is the opportunity for authors to meet, interact and connect with fans and colleagues.
“The festival has a reputation among readers and writers for being one of the pre-eminent gatherings celebrating the written word throughout the country,” says Jeffery Deaver, who will introduce “The Steel Kiss.”
“The festival attracts a huge number of attendees, and my philosophy of writing is that it is important for authors and their readers to connect in person, so that we may best understand if our books are speaking to them in the way we intend,” says Deaver. “I’m looking forward to meeting some of these readers of mine — and perhaps enticing a few more to see what my books are all about.”
Making connections is on the top of several writers’ agendas.
“During the panels I’m on, and then, during my downtime, when I have the opportunity to simply walk around the festival, chatting with people who love books as much as I do about my new release, I am provided with a wonderfully unique platform to connect with potential readers in a way nothing else could,” says Amy Hatvany, author of “Somewhere Out There.”
“And connection is why I write in the first place, hoping that the stories I craft might somehow touch another person’s heart and make them feel a little less alone.
“I am so looking forward to again sit on panels with other writers whom I admire so much, jointly answering the questions that our audience will pose, exploring our different writing processes, and talking about our characters and the worlds they inhabit as though they were as real as ours,” says Hatvany.
Likewise Pavone says, “Writing is a solitary occupation; we don’t really have any colleagues. So it’s fun to be in an environment with other people who do what I do.”
The authors are readers, too, and plan to participate as festival-goers.
“I too am a reader and I’ve been spending time some making the difficult decisions about whom I want to hear speak,” says Deaver. “It’s a tough choice, as there are so many wonderful presenters.”
What’s “important to me (and many authors) is being around so many people who still read and love books and take the time to come to a festival that’s only about the written word. That is very heartening for an author in this day and age,” says Lisa Lutz, author of “The Passenger.”
Lutz says she’ll probably buy too many books to fit in her suitcase.
“The air seems to take on a different quality when you gather a group of book lovers into a room and we start talking — I can’t wait to do it!” Hatvany said.
The authors are scheduled for several events during the book festival. The nine authors are scheduled to give a sneak peek of their books during Hot off the Press, an invitation-only event before the festival starts Saturday morning.
Find the authors’ biographies and the events in which they will be participating at tucsonfestivalofbooks.org
