How does TFOB select authors?
Presenting Author Nominations are Live!
We’re in your inbox today to let you know that our presenting author nominations form is live, and to answer some frequently asked questions about how Tucson Festival of Books selects authors. But first: would you please click the button below to complete our short reader survey? We appreciate you letting us into your inbox and want to make this newsletter something you always look forward to receiving.
One thing I’ve heard so far is that our supporters are curious about how this event comes together and who’s behind it all. Throughout the year, we’ll share some insider info about various aspects of how the festival comes together. We want you to feel like you know us, so on to the FAQs!
Who decides which authors present at TFOB?
The short answer is: people just like you! Tucson Festival of Books assembles a committee of local readers who specialize in the different genres and topics we feature at each festival. Many of the committee members have related career experience as librarians, book publicists, booksellers, journalists, writers, or researchers with advanced degrees in the relevant subject matter. Regardless of their background—they all love books and Tucson.
The committee’s job is to extend author invitations and envision how to create compelling panels that attendees will want to see. Of course the authors themselves, and the publicists who manage their tours, have something to do with deciding who will come as well.
How do you find out who’s on tour?
That’s where consultant Lynn Wiese Sneyd of LWS Literary Services, who has worked with TFOB since 2017, comes in. Lynn collects and reviews all the publisher catalogs and distributes their highlights among the committee members. Most importantly, while most of our committee members prefer to remain publicly anonymous so they can work together on their invitations without direct PR pressure, Lynn proactively maintains relationships with publicists at the major houses. These folks plan author tours so they have good ideas about who’s available, and they are influential in recommending participation to authors who may have never been to Tucson before.
Especially since there are no longer direct flights here from New York and other major east coast cities, Tucson’s a bit of a destination. All of you who attend as audience members or volunteers help us give these authors such a warm welcome— they always tell us you make it so worth the trip! Lynn’s work to maintain these ongoing professional relationships from year-to-year since 2017 has helped spread the great reputation Tucson Festival of Books has built among authors who have already experienced it to new authors as well.
What are the criteria for a presenting author?
The criteria for presenting authors are driven first by our desire to present the most relevant books and dynamic panels, and next by the book business itself.
First: we’re looking for books published within 15 months of the festival. Last year 60% of the books we featured were published in the 6 months leading up to the event.
Next, the committee members are tracking trends in the public’s interest in books and news. When planning their slate of invitations, the committee thinks about connections between the different authors to create electricity and energy among the panelists. It’s all geared to creating a great experience for both the authors and the attendees.
And finally: a reality check. Like most free festivals, TFOB never pays an honorarium to the author panelists. But we do commit to selling books for all of our presenting authors. To make good on that promise, the publisher of the book must have an account with our official independent bookseller, the University of Arizona Campus Store. This includes major U.S. publishing houses (for example: Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, Simon & Schuster, W.W. Norton, etc.) and their imprints, most university presses, and a few other small presses.
Independent bookstores face all kinds of pressures. During the festival, the UA Campus Store stocks over 15,000 copies of books by festival authors. Outside of the festival, space for general books is limited. The store works with partners who not only offer favorable discounts, but also returns. That’s how they make sure not to run out of the books you want at the festival!
How can authors who are published by other presses participate?
Our bookseller does not maintain accounts for authors publishing independently, with author-supported publishing services, or print-on-demand or e-publishing platforms. They do not sell books distributed exclusively through wholesalers. Since we know there are a lot of talented writers publishing this way, we have two other ways these authors can participate:
Indie authors (like
in the photo below) can submit their books for consideration to be featured at our Indie Author Pavilion, where they can interact with attendees and sell their own books directly. This is a separate application going live on July 9. Some Indie Authors may also be invited to join panels where their voice can add another dimension to a dynamic discussion.
Photo credit: James Wood. Publishers of any size or shape, author collectives, and individual authors are eligible to participate in the Festival as Exhibitors. There they can sell their full catalog of books and host author signings that we advertise in our event materials.
Self-published author Tam Chronin had her own booth at TFOB 2025. Photo credit: Jeaiza Quiñones
How can I suggest an author?
If you are a member of the public and you want to suggest an author with a book coming out this year, the best thing to do is to write that author or their representative some fan mail and recommend they include TFOB in their book promotion plans! You can provide them a link to our website if you want to be extra helpful. Of course, you can also always drop us a public comment so we know who you’re a fan of— many of our committee folks read this newsletter and our social media, too.
Meanwhile, the committee works proactively to identify a slate of presenting author invitees every year through publisher catalogs, following book press, considering sales data and chatting with authors and publicists— but with so many books published, it’s impossible to research them all. If you are an author or a publicist and want to let us know that you’d like to be invited, and you meet our presenting author criteria, please complete our nomination form. It will be open through September 1.
If you’d like to apply to be an Indie Author, we’ll have that available later this summer. And Exhibitor applications open September 2. You can sign up for our waitlist on the website.
That’s it…
Did anything about this behind-the-scenes peek surprise you? What else would you like to know?
See more photos from TFOB 2025 in this piece by Bill Finley for the Arizona Daily Star.
Please think about including audiobook narrators. This would be a big hit!
Even after being involved in the Festival as a volunteer for 5 years, I learned new things and found this column very informative. Thanks!