Writing, Self-Publishing, Book Marketing

The Harlem Book Fair celebration kicks off Friday, July 18 and concludes Sunday, July 20 at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York. But the main event, the huge outdoor book fair festival, will be held on Saturday, July 19, from 11 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on West 135th Street between Lenox Avenue and Frederick Douglass Boulevard.

If you live in the area, or are up for a weekend getaway, I’ve heard that this is one event you’ll be sorry to miss. Authors, publishers, speakers, musicians and booklovers galore will flood the streets for a marathon of books and culture.

Publishers big and small will be in attendance, representing themselves and their authors. Self-published authors selling their own books will set up booths, hawking their story with bells on. Vendors slinging food and other trinkets will be in the mix, but mostly, there will be books – and lots of them.

But the Harlem Book Fair is more than a book fair, really; it’s a cultural event and celebration. It was born from the success of QBR The Black Book Review which, since 1992, has been the leader, innovator and reliable source for what is current in black books.

From this success, the Harlem Book Fair started 10 years ago as a community event and forum for African American readers to discover and celebrate African American history and culture through books. It has since become the largest African American dedicated book event in the nation, drawing more than 50,000 people.

This year is no different, with an even larger turn out expected. And attendees won’t find a shortage of things to do. Events are scheduled to take place throughout the day (click here to download a full schedule from their Web site).

Panels and presentations include a huge range of topics, including a welcome by event founder Max Rodriguez introducing leaders in 40 years of African American Publishing, interviews with established authors, discussions on civil rights and politics, financial tips in publishing, book marketing, genre specific topics and more. And let’s not forget the author readings and musical performances sounding throughout the fair.

Representatives from Wordclay’s parent company, Author Solutions Inc., (including yours truly) will be in attendance to help announce the launch of HBF Publishers, a publishing house providing a unique and simple opportunity for African American authors to share their stories with the world.

HBF Publishers is backed with years of publishing experience, development and innovation through its use of ASI’s publishing software and platform. And, they provide their community of authors immediately access a growing and profitable African American reading market, cultivated over years by QBR The Black Book Review and the Harlem Book Fair.

Look for HBF Publishers online very soon, launching officially at the Harlem Book Fair. And if you’re in the New York City area, I’ll see you at the Fair!

-Angie