Author Application
2023 application will be available from January 4 – May 15, 2023.
The 42nd annual Kentucky Book Festival will occur at Joseph-Beth Booksellers in Lexington, KY on October 21, 2023, including up to 150 authors. Additional weekday festival programs are to be determined.
Author participation in the 2023 Kentucky Book Festival will be by invitation only AFTER an author application form has been submitted through our website and reviewed by the festival committee. The committee will choose authors and titles from those received by the submission deadline (midnight on May 15). Incomplete forms will not be reviewed, and online submissions are required. Please read the submission guidelines below closely.
Due to limited funds, authors who apply independently and are invited to participate are responsible for their own travel and expenses related to attending the event. Review the festival’s anti-harassment policy here.
Important Dates*:
January 4, 2023: Applications open
May 15, 2022: Deadline for applications (midnight)
June 1 – July 2023: Author invitations issued via mail or email
July 15, 2023: Deadline for invited authors to confirm participation
October 21, 2023: Kentucky Book Festival at Joseph-Beth Booksellers from 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM Eastern.
*subject to change
Submission Guidelines:
- Only ONE title can be submitted as the featured title (can be forthcoming title); all other titles will be considered backlist.
- The submitted/featured title should be published from July 1, 2022 onward.
- Submitted title should be in publication and available to order by September 15, 2023.
- Textbooks and other technical guides/manuals will not be considered.
- Self-published books will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Submitted materials cannot be returned and become property of Kentucky Humanities/the Kentucky Book Festival.
- Complete application includes mailing a copy of the book to the address below (or sending via email if finished copies are not available)
To complete your application, fill out an Application form below and mail ONE COPY of a finished book or ARC (or a sample chapter if book is in pre-production) to:
Kentucky Humanities
attn. Kentucky Book Festival
206 E. Maxwell St.
Lexington, KY 40508
Note: Digital ARCs are acceptable if a physical book copy is not available and can be emailed to the Director. We are unable to return submitted materials. Incomplete forms will not be reviewed.
Book Information & Order Guidelines
Submitted books should be available to Joseph-Beth Booksellers through standard purchasing procedures*, which include:
– The book must be 100% returnable
– The book must be eligible for a full discount (at least a standard 40% trade discount)
– The book must have an ISBN and a bar code
Joseph-Beth will, in partnership with the Kentucky Book Festival, determine the titles and quantities for each author accepted to the book festival (and festival events, if applicable). *Please note: ALL applications are considered. If Joseph-Beth is unable to order an individual author’s books through their normal ordering channels and under the terms outlined above, the author will be contacted to provide books for the event.
If invited to participate in the Kentucky Book Festival, some authors may be invited to do a reading or participate in a panel discussion. For more information, read the Frequently Asked Questions section below.