Who can apply?

Any author who has written and published a physical book professionally or independently may apply.  We like to present a mix of new and veteran authors to the Tuscarawas County community.

 

If you are a new author, this is a great first festival to attend. We give you a lot of information prior to the event to help guide you through your first experience.

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And if you are a veteran author our goal is to make the event an enjoyable experience for all of our authors with helpful staff and volunteers, and a hospitality table. After all you are our VIP's.

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When is the Deadline?

The Early Bird Pricing Deadline is January 30th, 2023. Applications must be postmarked before or on January 30th to get this reduced price.

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We only have 30 author spaces for 2023. Once all our spaces are filled applications will be closed. If you missed out on getting a table for this year's festival we can add you to a waitlist to contact in case any of our accepted authors are unable to attend.

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What Does My Table Fee Cover?

We will provide a six foot table,  and 2 folding chairs. We will have a hospitality table with snacks and beverages free to all authors and their table helpers. You will have an author profile on the Canal Town Book Festival website. You will be featured in a social media post on the Canal Town Book Festival Facebook page. You will be included in the author passport given to attendees.

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Best Decorated Table

Table fees will be returned for the best decorated table, with the committee deciding the winner. Use your table as a visual extension of the stories you tell.

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Is Table Sharing Allowed?

Yes, we do allow table sharing, however you will need to find your own table partner. You can decide how you split the cost between the two of you. If one of you is a returning author the reduced fee for returning authors will apply to your table. When you and your partner apply please send in your applications and check / checks in the same envelope, and note that you want to be table partners.

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Marketing

We market the festival to our community with posters at local businesses, newspaper and radio ads, and through social media. To further our reach and inform your unique group of fans that you will be at the festival we will be sending you social media friendly images for you to share. By sharing with your fans that you will be at the Canal Town Book Festival, you will be inviting people we may not be able to reach, who already have an interest in your work. It is always a treat for fans to meet authors they follow in person and have the opportunity to get a signed copy of their books.

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Author Profiles

All of our authors will have a detailed profile page on our website. If you are accepted the committee will email you with a list of information needed to flesh out your author profile. This information will also be used in social media posts leading up the event. Please return this information by email as soon as possible.

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Location

The Canal Town Book Festival takes place in connection with the Canal Dover Festival on Memorial Day weekend. Part of 3rd street is shut down to accommodate festival vendors, rides and entertainment. The book festival will take place on the corner of 3rd and Wooster, next to the main stage.  Authors will be housed under a large tent. There is a parking lot beside the tent where authors can park temporarily to unload their books and display for the event. Other close parking lots will be indicated for use during the day, so every author has a chance to unload close to the tent.

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Book Sales

Each author is responsible for selling their own books. Please make sure to bring change for your cash sales. Credit card is a popular method of purchase. If you bring a card reader, make sure your phone or device is charged. The festival location is downtown and has good cell coverage. Wifi is not provided. Attendance at the festival does not guarantee sales.

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Author Passport

To encourage attendees to visit each author we give attendees a passport listing each of the authors with a section on the back for authors to initial. Upon completing their passport, attendees will be entered into a special raffle.

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Raffles

To encourage attendees to purchase from our authors, each author will be given raffle tickets to hand out to each attendee who purchases from their table. Raffle prizes are provided by local businesses, sponsors, and the committee. 

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