The San Antonio Book Festival will present approximately 100 authors at the annual event, from Texas and beyond, whose books are published within a year of the Festival. All authors who are invited to participate will be featured in a panel or solo session; the Festival does not feature authors for book signings only.
Please read all of the following information before submitting a book for consideration to the Festival.
How is a book considered?
To be considered for the Festival, please send or have your publicist send us the following:
- Two copies of a finished book/galley/ARC/manuscript to the address below.
- A press kit with clippings and reviews
- Author bio with list of previously published titles
- Information about your ability to fund your own travel to San Antonio if your publisher is not utilizing publicity budget money to send you to the Festival.
- A completed online submission form. After reading the information and FAQs, you can submit a title at the form link below.
Please mail these items to:
San Antonio Book Festival
1201 AVENUE B – UNIT 1011
SAN ANTONIO, TX, 78215
Due to the high number of submissions received, SABF is unable to acknowledge receipt.
Incomplete submissions will not be considered. Your submission will not be considered complete until we have received all of the above materials.
When a book is selected by SABF, the Literary Director will be in contact with the publicist or author.
When should a book be submitted?
We accept submissions of books throughout the year, but preference is given to books submitted prior to FEBRUARY 1, 2024. To be considered, a book must be published within 12 months prior to the start of the Festival. Once the lineup for the Festival has been announced, we no longer accept submissions for that year’s event.
Who decides which authors are invited?
SABF’s Literary Director considers the submissions and, with the assistance of a Programming Committee of authors and writing professionals, chooses who will be invited and who will moderate. The bulk of invitations go out between the beginning of December and mid-January.
What types of books are considered?
- Fiction, including all genres such as thrillers and Westerns
- Narrative nonfiction—history, biography, memoir, and essays
- Food-related titles
- Poetry
- Children’s Literature
- Art and Architecture titles
What types of books are not considered?
SABF focuses on the promotion of literature and Texas literary culture. Books on the topics of self-improvement, how-to, or books strictly of academic or religious interest will not be considered.
We typically do not accept books published through self-publishing platforms and services. However, exceptions have been made. We welcome all author submissions that meet the below criteria:
- The book has, or will have upon publication, an EAN barcode, an ISBN, and a LCCN number.
- The title is bound, and printed copies are available, or will be available, for purchase via an established wholesaler or distributor so our partner bookstore can sell them.
- The book has been professionally edited and a marketing plan is in place.
- The author maintains an accessible website.
Questions?
Contact us: (210) 750-8951 or sabf@sabookfest.org
