2010 Author Submission Guidelines

The 2010 SC Book Festival will be held February 26-February 28, 2010, at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center in Columbia, SC. With over 6000 people annually participating in our audiences, the festival is the state’s premier literary event. Please see our hospitality page for information about Author accomodations.

We will begin accepting submissions for the 2010 SC Book Festival on March 15, 2009. 

Author selection for the SC Book Festival runs from March 2009 through November 1, 2009. Suggested authors will be considered as presenters for panels and readings; for book signings in the Book Signing Area; and for other special events occurring throughout the three days of festival activities.

The SC Book Festival uses the following criteria for evaluating author submissions:

  • A hard copy (or an Advance Reader's Copy) of the author’s book with a brief synopsis and press kit must be submitted by the publisher.

  • Authors selected will be deemed to be of wide interest to the general public.

  • Preference is given to authors with new books or significant reprints scheduled for publication between January 2009 and February 2010.

  • The selection committee chooses as diverse a group as possible regarding subject of publication, targeted age level (adult, teen, juvenile), ethnic origin of author, and popularity of the book (best seller vs. academia).

  • Festival programming includes, but is not limited to, the following sub-categories: Southern story, mystery, thriller, historical fiction, biographies, cooking, literary, regional, romance, children’s and young adult, and graphic novels.

Self-published authors and other authors not selected as part of the presentation panels are encouraged to participate in the festival as exhibitors. Please see Exhibitor Page

Your work will be reviewed by the Author Selection Committee who selects from more than 1000 titles submitted each year from major publishers.

Due to the high volume of submissions, the SC Book Festival will respond only to submissions that have been selected and accepted as a part of the presentation programming. If you have submitted but haven't heard from us yet, don't despair! Author selection is a lengthy process, and the majority of selections have not been made. Books and materials submitted become property of the South Carolina Book Festival and will not be returned. The submission of materials does not guarantee selection.

Author selection runs from March 2009 through November 1, 2010 and is subject to be closed earlier based on the availability of our limited presentation slots. Notification may be received anywhere between these dates.

Please submit your suggestions to:

SC Book Festival Author Selection

Mailing address:

P.O. Box 5287

Columbia, SC 29250

Physical address:

2711 Middleburg Drive, Suite 308

Columbia, SC 29204

Fax: 803-771-2487

Email: bookfest@schumanities.org