FOR VIRTUAL AUTHORS ONLY

If you would like to provide swag for the event you can mail it to:
Heather Brooks
The Write Women Network
324 Main St.
PO Box 1652
Laurel, MD 20707

We will put your swag at the INFO BOOTH during the Saturday event. Left over swag may be used for giveaways. We cannot return leftover swag.
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Please note, it's hard to give everybody an update as to if I got their swag or not. I will post updates here on this blog entry as the list updates. I may not post the day I get your swag, but I will post evry four or five days if swag keeps arriving.

One of the things we would like to do to help promote the event is to suggest people who already may own one of your books to come get it signed. If for some reason this is disagreeable to you, please let us know as soon as possible as we will be starting that campaign soon.

Below is a list of who has filled out the bookstore participation form. 

THE DEADLINE FOR THIS HAS PASSED!

​LIST UPDATED 9/12/23 9:45pm

A.A.Sanchez
A.K. Hughey
Alexandra Grace
Beth Sorensen
Blair Hampton
Brittany Wilson
C. L. Holliday-Firmin 
Cardyn Brooks & C. X Brooks
Carliss Maddox
Carrie S. Boone
Cecelia Dowdy
Cherease Richardson
Cheryl Woodruff Brooks
Ciara L. Hill
Dee Bowden
Dr. Monica Hawkins
Dr. Taiye Ayoola Adedeji 
Eden Appiah-Kubi
Felicia Campbell
Golden Angel
J.Ember Hintz / Jessica Hintz
J.k Divia 
J.S. Living
Jacqueline P. Walker
Jacy Sellers and Nicole D'Arcangelo
Jamila Romero
Jeaniene Frost
Jessica Dall
Jodaea
K. McCoy
K.M. Bishop
Kai Jae
Kait Disney-Leugers
Karen Janowsky 
Katherine G Newcomer
Katie Eagan Schenck
Keisha Juanita 
Khushi T. Saha
krystle westary
L.T. Kodzo
Latrell R. Morris
Laurisa Brandt
Leslye Penelope
LJ Smith /LaFrieda Smith
Madison Castle
Mallory Wanless
Maria Secoy
Maria Vale
Mariah Ankenman
Mary E Jung
Meg Edson
Melissa Boyd
Michelle Matteson
N. D. Jones
Naeemah Staggs
Rebecca Laxton
Robin Burgess
Sandra Dee
Sarah Birnbach
Simki Kuznick
Stephanie K. Clemens
Susan Williamson
Tisa Melton
Tyauna Bruce
Victoria Noe
Selena Haskins 
Karen Janowsky 
Tisa Melton
Danielle Spencer
Beck Erixson
Liv Macy
Rebecca Cassidy
L. E. DeLano
Mary K. Tilghman
Selena Haskins
D D Hopkins/Diana Owens
Elodie Nowodazkij
H.L. Brooks

UPDATE! I did skip some lines and I appreciate nobody taking it personally. I've added the ones I missed and did a double cross check by hand with a highlighter. I'm human, we're a small crew of just a couple of people and we've grown a lot. We will make mistakes. I hope that the double-checking is comforting and affirming to you that we are doing our best to make sure you have an amazing experience. BELOW IS THE UPDATED TABLE LISTING. In the near future there will be listing adding a column for those who have paid for space for an assistant and chair counts. Maybe next week.
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Hello All! This post is related to SATURDAY 10/14 the author tabling & reader event in Bowie at the Comfort Inn. 

Below is what I have organized for FULL tables and HALF tables. At this point all I am doing is counting table capacity to prepare for the floorplan. I don't bother to work on the floorplan until all of this is finalized because it changes too much otherwise which is wasted hours.

**PLEASE NOTE**
The GENRE note is really just so I can organize the tables and keep like genres with like as much as possible. It's not an official listing of your genre, it won't be listed anywhere in this manner - the genres came from me reading your bios and if I couldn't tell your genre from your bio I went to your website. If I've listed your genre as women's fiction and you consider yourself fantasy or hot romance or non-fic - please let me know that. Or if it's way off in some way. Otherwise, it's just to try and make sure your neighbor is a similar genre where possible. 

IF YOUR NAME IS NOT ON THIS LIST FOR A TABLE FOR SATURDAY AND YOU PAID YOUR INVOICE DO NOT DISPAIR - I probably just made a mistake. It's a lot of names and lines. We're a small crew. That's why I do these double-checks. Please let me know ASAP if you're supposed to be on this table list or I have you down for the wrong kind of space.

VIRTUAL AUTHORS
After the deadline closes on 8/15 I will be putting up the final listings on the website.

REGARDING SUNDAY'S AUTHOR-FOCUSED EVENT
There has been a little confusion - Sunday is not a tabling event. You come for a luncheon, networking, and seminars - it's for authors, not readers. Those who signed up to do presentations - as soon as we have closed registration on 8/15 I will get to work on the presentation schedule and luncheon info. Thank you!

In order to ensure we make the most ticket sales possible it's vital you post about the event and tell friends, family - even those who don't read your genre, about the event and ask them to consider supporting the event. Many genres will be present and there is likely to be something there for them, or somebody they want to buy a gift for. 

Below are some images you can save and share. Some have a blank space for you to drop your own image into the graphic.

If you've been a past participant of TWWBF then you know we love swag. It's little prezzies to remind people who you are and what you've got to offer. We are doing a little re-vamp of how we handle swag this year. In the past we collected all of it via mail, took it took the facility, and pre-stuffed the bags the weeks before the event. For our first few years it was perfect and not too hard, but with the way we've grown it's become a very heavy lift, so we're gonna switch up to having authors and vendors keep their swag at the table, and do a game of getting people to go to your table and get your swag from you. This isn't a new technique or unique - many festivals do this. We just were smaller and the other way worked pretty well at first. As always, we try to evolve and change as we grow to keep things scalable and sustainable. Even though we've grown we are still a very small team of three and this way I think will work better.

This is going to work better for us because we don't have to find volunteers, coordinate a weekend to do it, as well as store and sort everything, confirm swag as it comes, coordinate pickups etc.

It's going to work better for you because you won't have to pay shipping or otherwise find a way to get swag to us. Previously we needed a promised amount of swag, but this way you can provide less swag than 50 to 100 pieces. Plus, doing it this way with so many genres present, your swag will likely be collected by somebody who is into your genre.

When planning what swag to bring, keep table space in your mind, and how you're going to display it.

DO I HAVE TO BRING SWAG?
Absolutely not, but we think it's a good idea and make sure your info is on the swag. We have gotten beautiful bookmarks and other swag with no name on it for the attendees to look back on and find the author!

WHAT KIND OF SWAG SHOULD I BRING?
Popular Swag
Bookmarks (flat printed, or mini magnetic), fridge magnets, candy, pens, stickers, pencils

Popular & Fun
Buttons with graphics or words, keychains, can koozies, free story downloads, little booklets with mini stories or the first chapter of one of your books - this is great for pushing a specific book!

Other Unique Swag We've Seen
Cellphone stands, fancy bookmarks (gem encrusted, ribbons with charms, etc.), cute coin purses, hot cocoa kits, tea kits, charms, favor sized soap with custom stickers, travel candles, lip gloss, chokers, necklaces, small character posters, character cards, mini-tools

It's great to go to Etsy and check out all the unique wedding favors - many could translate into book swag. 

You can get your official TWWBF 2023 Merch at our merch store! 
There are tees available designating Author, Editor, and Publisher. Even one with just the event name and graphic.

The tees come in a variety of colors, sizes, and styles - including a dress for authors, crop tops, slouchy comfy tees, and a sweatshirt version too!

We'll have other fun merch roll out too, stuff that's bookish and writerly and fun. But for book fest participation, please look into one of the tees for the day of the event. Please note it takes them a few weeks to get merch out since it's print-on-demand. Best to order sooner rather than later!

If you are a tabling author on Saturday October 14th you might have some questions about your setup. We've answered all your burning questions below.

HOW MANY BOOKS SHOULD I BRING?
​We get this question a lot. We can't tell you how many books you will sell, so we can't tell you how many to bring, other than there being a practical physical limit. We also can't predict know how many attendees we will have and how many tickets we will sell. We wish we knew because it would make us more relaxed! If you're asking this question likely you're fairly new to conventions and fests as a tabler. What we can tell you is this:

If you do not already have a fanbase, don't bring a  lot of books with you because you probably won't sell a lot.  THIS is your chance to start BUILDING a fanbase! Bring a small amount of books and bring postcards or business cards and swag. Be ready to talk about your books. Be ready to give out your cards. If you sell a book ask if they want it signed. Talk about your next book. Tell people where they can find you in person and online.

Folks with a fanbase and who are new to conventions - please consider what your best known work is, what you are newly releasing - bring swag and cards and plenty of info for continuing to build up your fanbase.

DO I NEED TO BRING A TABLE OR CHAIRS?
No - please do not bring a table or chairs. DO bring tablecloths and other display items.

AM I SELLING BOOKS I PROVIDE OR IS A VENDOR PROVIDING THEM?
You provide your own books, swag, etc. We don't have a third-party vendor or bookstore doing that.

WIFI
Yes, there will be wifi, but it's always good to have a backup plan.

PLEASE NOTE - the tables at the hotel are not as deep as some standard 6 foot tables - even though they are 6 feet long. Please keep in mind the table size, especially If you are sharing a table.