Frequently Asked Questions about the Application Process Frequently Asked Questions Authors Publishers What if I write in multiple genres? You are welcome to sell books from different genres at the event. However, for the purposes of the selection process, please select only one genre on your application, and send only one book in that genre for review. Can I submit more than one book for review? No. While we encourage you to sell multiple books you have written at the festival, we only have the capacity for our jury to review one book. Please select a book that has been published in the last 5 years and represents your best work. If you send in multiple books, we will select only one to review. Do you accept self-published books? Yes! We judge all books by the same standards and criteria regardless of whether they are self or traditionally published. Do you accept ebooks or digital books? No. Since this is an in-person event, we require authors to have physical copies of their books to sell. If you will have physical copies to sell by February 27th, but will not have the physical book by the September 31st deadline, email info@williamsburgbookfestival.org to ask about special consideration. My book isn't printed yet, but will be by February 27th, can I still apply? We must have a book to jury. Ask your publisher if it is possible to get an advanced copy. If that isn't possible, contact info@williamsburgbookfestival.org. We will make decisions on a case by case basis. Can I sell things other than books? You must have prior permission to sell non-book items. We will only allow the sale of obvious companion products. For example, if your children's book has a plush toy accompanyment, or if your book is about magic and you have themed taro cards. We don't allow unconnected sales, like you happen to also make jewelry, or you want to sell your brother's wife's homemade jams. What are my chances? Last year, we accepted 31% of authors who applied. While we wish we could accept everyone, we are limited by the space available. We do our best to have all genres represented in proportion to the interest our attendees express for each genre, so acceptance rates within genres may vary. What is attendance like? Last year we had approximately 600 attendees throughout the day. In a survey of exhibiting authors who attended last year, 97% indicated that they sold books, and 85% of attendees reported purchasing at least one book. What if I accept, but later find out I can’t attend? If you have been accepted and paid your table fee, you will be eligible for a refund up until January 31, 2027. After that date, it is usually too late for someone from the waiting list to make arrangements to attend in your place, which is why we can not refund your table fee. Should I opt for a full or a half table? We recommend half tables for authors who only have one book to sell. If you have more than that at a half table, it often looks cluttered and unappealing to attendees. How big are the tables? We are required to use the tables provided by the facility. Unfortunately, these tables are on the smaller side. They are 5 feet by 30 inches. Half tables are 2.5 feet by 30 inches. Do I have to be there the whole time? The event is February 27th from 10am - 4pm. You may begin setting up as early as 8am, but we ask that you do not leave until 4pm. You are welcome to take breaks during the day to eat lunch or attend one of the events. If you chose to leave your table, consider having a “be back @” sign, or bring a friend or family member to watch your table. We will also have volunteers who will be happy to watch your table for up to 15 minutes at a time. Can I bring large banners? The facility does not allow any signs to be hung/taped on walls. For safety reasons, they also will not allow free-standing banners that could be a tripping hazard in walk-ways. You are welcome to have signage that will stand on the table itself, but it should not exceed 7 feet in height as measured from the floor. Do I need to Collect Sales Tax? Yes. Virginia State Law requires you to collect sales tax on physical goods sold. This guide from the Virginia Department of Taxation can help you figure out how to put this in practice and what tax froms you might need to fill out with your taxes. Why are you charging an application fee? We typically receive a large number of applications, which takes commitment and time for our jurors to review. We want to ensure that they are only reviewing authors who have demonstrated serious commitment to attending. We have reduced our table fees by $5 from last year, so that essentially, the cost to attend remains the same if you are accepted. What are the table fees used for? Table fees help to cover the cost to rent the facilities, advertise to the local and regional community, and small honorariums for key speakers who help draw in a larger audience. What if my question wasn’t answered here? Email info@williamsburgbookfestival.org and we will provide you with an answer. If the question is a common one, we will update this FAQ list.

Application for the 2027 Williamsburg Book Festival

Thank you for applying You will be notified if you are accepted or waitlisted by December 1st 2026. Have Questions? Contact Us.

The Williamsburg Book Festival's mission is to promote and support the art of literary composition in the Williamsburg area and expose writers to the reading public. Our free event includes authors from various genres, speakers, illustrators, and publishers from Virginia and beyond. The Williamsburg Book Festival Join us on February 27th, 2027! Our annual family-friendly event brings together a dynamic mix of authors, poets, speakers, illustrators, and publishers from Virginia and beyond. Apply to exhibit starting August 1st. Learn more Our Mission At the Williamsburg Book Festival, our mission is to celebrate and support the art of literary composition while connecting authors with the reading public. Exhibit Share your stories in a vibrant literary community Experience Connect with passionate readers and uncover exciting new creative voices Support Empower authors and readers: contribute to help support the love of reading What to Expect The Williamsburg Book Festival features a diverse lineup of authors, engaging speakers, and Virginia's Poet Laureate, along with our annual Student Writing Contest that celebrates the next generation of writers. Authors, Speakers, Poets, Workshops, Student Writing Contest Festival Flashbacks 1/1 Bookmark this! The Williamsburg Book Festival has been one of my favorite events for many years. It’s the place real book-people go to mingle, learn, and read from the best Williamsburg has to offer. Perhaps what makes this festival one of the greatest is that the community comes out to support the authors and festival with warmth and energy that brings me back year after year. —Tj O’Connor, award winning author of The Hemingway Deception and The Dead Detective Casefiles We Are authors readers publishers writers dreamers creatives book lovers poets students ...

Our sponsors help our festival happen! Sponsor us and help support the Williamsburg literary community. Let’s Foster Literacy Together Sponsorship is the heartbeat of the Festival. Your partnership helps us keep the festival free and accessible to the community while creating meaningful opportunities for authors to connect with readers. Together, we celebrate literature, encourage lifelong learning, and strengthen our community through the shared love of books. Signature Sponsorships Volunteer T-shirt Sponsor Your logo appears on the official WBF Volunteer t-shirt worn by the 35+ volunteers at the event. $1,000 Yard Sign Sponsor Your logo will be on our festival yard signs, displayed around Williamsburg the week before the event. $1,000 Adults Micro-Fiction Contest Sponsor Funds cash prizes and winner certificates. You'll be publicly recognized as a sponsor, and welcome to help present awards or emcee the reading. $350 Writing Workshop Sponsor Funds one workshop preparing low-income students for the Youth Writing Contest, removing cost as a barrier to a first-time entry. $100 Participant Bag Sponsor Place a flyer, coupon, or item in every participant's festival bag. ~600 people $350 Sponsor a Session of the Day $100 / session Put your name on a featured session. Sponsor one or several: PANEL DISCUSSION Start a Book Club That Lasts LIVE BOOTH Write Your Family's Next Story Right Now PERFORMANCE & JUDGING Live Judging: The Great Micro Fiction Challenge KEYNOTE TALK AI & The Future of Reading, Writing & Creativity MIXER Swap Books, Find a Book Club, Talk Books PANEL DISCUSSION Inside Publishing Today In-Kind Donations Welcome What we need most: Printing services (programs, signage, handouts) Door prizes for attendees Coffee & tea for exhibiting authors Courtesy water, or plastic cups/bottles Wagons for load-in/load-out Promotion & Visibility All sponsors are featured in our festival promotional materials, our website & ads placed in local publications.The festival poster and handout will promote sponsors to event attendees. Posters will be displayed at local businesses in addition to the festival location. Reserve your sponsorship today. Sponsorships are limited and assigned on a first-confirmed basis. Fill out the form below or email us at I nfo@williamsburgbookfestival.org Contact Us

Thank You For Applying You're not done yet! Postmark or drop off your book before September 30th, 2026 Mail Williamsburg Book Festival PO Box 114 Williamsburg, VA 23187 Drop Off Turn the Page Bookstore 5707 Richmond Road Suite 40 Williamsburg, VA 23188 If you have not received an email confirming that we have your book within two weeks of dropping it off or mailing, please contact info@williamsburgbookfestival.org. Successful applicants will be invited to attend by December 1st, 2026

Check out the full event schedule for the festival! Festival Schedule

Contact the Williamsburg Book Festival with any questions or concerns. Contact Us Submit Thank you! We will get back to you as soon as possible!

Read more about the 70+ authors who will be exhibiting at the festival Exhibiting Authors T.J. O'Connor Caroline Crocker Sandy Hope Stewart George WB Scott Allison Gunn Taylor Hartley Karen Marginot Caterina Novelliere Bill Ayres Nicole Glover A.D. Stone Larry Walsh Patricia Bradby Moore N.M. Opperman Ginny Brock Michael Eging Laura C.Rader Elizabeth Duncan-Hawker Jenn Bouchard Sonny Hudson Michael Gryboski Patsy Asuncion Leslie Eva Tayloe Cindy L. Freeman Loralee Clark Teresa Inge Sally Stiles Robert Archibald D. L. Farrar Ron Peterson, Jr Ellen Butler Tim Holland Melissa Face Thomas Guay Thomas M. Wing Chris Register Bradley Harper T.S. Arther Mark Piggott Christy Landers Tallamy John Conlee Luz Schweig William R Hogan Catherine Clark Felts Tabitha Mann Sarah Newland Hugh Lessig Patti Gaustad Procopi Cindy Chisholm Juanita P. Graham Heather Buchanan Jess Renae Sherer Jim Meisner Jr. Heidi Hartwiger Peter Stipe Chris Whitlatch Lesley O'Brien S.J. Lee Tommy Kerper Michael Stephens Nan Carlton L.E. DeLano Leslie Lautenslager Alicia Swain Heather Brown Barrett Jacqueline T. Johnson Aminta Colón Heather Mullaly Randy Ellefson J.S. Furlong S.K. Ehra Elaine Honeycutt

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Information regarding our 2025 Festival. Find out what to expect and look forward to. What Can I Expect at the Event? Book Fair 70+ Nationally & regionally renowned authors Thriller, Poetry, Self-Help, Children's Books, Romance, Fantasy, Horror, Sci-fi, Mystery & more! Publishers' Alley Virginia publishing companies display their books and host their authors and editors. For the aspiring author, submission guidelines will be available for each publishing house. Poets Laureate of Virginia A special presentation from the Poetry Society of Virginia. Workshops & Presentations Workshops, panels, and presentations take place throughout the day. Focused on both readers and writers, the workshops and presentations illuminate library resources for book clubs, the craft of writing, the music of poetry, and the mechanics of the book industry.