CALL FOR AUTHORS 2024
Hosting authors and their forthcoming titles for booksellers to meet and learn about their books is an exciting element of the Heartland experience. Please read on to learn about our author placement opportunities and pitch your authors to join us in Milwaukee.
Heartland Shipping Instructions
Receiving Deadline: October 3rd
Please send event galleys for confirmed authors (author freight ONLY) to:
Valley Expo
4950 American Road
Rockford, IL 61109
**Note: if you send books directly to the hotel, it is your responsibility to plan and seek Hilton's assistance to locate them**
Events
The following events are the official opportunities to present your authors at Heartland Fall Forum. Read the list of details below and if you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out to our author placement contact, Nikita Imafidon at [email protected].
Monday, October 7
We are no longer accepting pitches for 2024's Heartland Fall Forum. We'll see you next year! Thank you.
Receiving Deadline: October 3rd
Please send event galleys for confirmed authors (author freight ONLY) to:
Valley Expo
4950 American Road
Rockford, IL 61109
**Note: if you send books directly to the hotel, it is your responsibility to plan and seek Hilton's assistance to locate them**
Events
The following events are the official opportunities to present your authors at Heartland Fall Forum. Read the list of details below and if you have questions, don't hesitate to reach out to our author placement contact, Nikita Imafidon at [email protected].
Monday, October 7
- Opening reception, 12:45-2:30 pm -- Our opening reception is an author event with a charismatic emcee presence where we will showcase the city and the authors. We will select 4-5 charismatic authors to be interviewed on stage by an event emcee followed by a book signing. Placement fee: $1,000. Requested book/galley quantity: 150
- SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY. Exhibitor-sponsored happy hour, 5:30-6:30 pm -- This event is yours to design. Work with us to showcase an individual author or a group of authors. Sponsorship fee: $3,000. Requested book/galley quantity: 150
- Show floor table signings, all day during trade show hours -- Hosting in-booth signings during the show floor hours are booked at your discretion. Use this form to submit your authors for an in-booth signing. Placement fee: $150. Suggested book/galley quantity: 75
- Marquee Author Breakfast, 8:30-9:45 am -- We creatively pair 2-3 complementary authors for a fascinating conversation that showcases contemporary literature. Placement fee: $1,750. Requested book/galley quantity: 150
- The Moveable Feast, 12:15-1:45 pm -- This is event is a wonderful tradition in which we showcase 40 authors as they visit tables of booksellers to introduce their new titles. Placement fee: $750. Requested book/galley quantity: 100
- Author-led self-care moment. Does your author have a non-fiction title about slowing down and prioritizing time for self-care and reflection? We want to learn more and build in these moments between events for attendees. Placement fee: $750. Requested book/galley quantity: 150
We are no longer accepting pitches for 2024's Heartland Fall Forum. We'll see you next year! Thank you.
Author pitch details
- Seasonality. Pitch authors with books pubbing anytime between Fall 2024 and Winter 2025.
- Submission process. Use the author pitch submission form above to submit one author at a time. We don't have a maximum number of authors you can submit, but please be judicious and pitch only those authors that are confirmed available during the dates of the show, and that you are most excited to showcase to indie booksellers.
- Exhibitor presence. All opportunities listed above are open only to publishers who are exhibiting on the show floor. Publicists may submit authors before your company registers to exhibit, but we expect all publishers to be registered exhibitors by the time we confirm authors.
- Selection process. We review authors and make our selections based on a number of factors to include diversity across publishers, titles, genres, styles and so on. We confirm authors on a rolling basis. Marquee authors will be confirmed first, so please pitch your bigger name authors ASAP.
- Representation matters. Hosting a culturally representative group of authors is one of Heartland's core values. Help us achieve this goal. Pitching a culturally diverse set of authors will increase your chances of getting multiple placements across multiple events.
- Supporting indies. We expect all authors to support indie booksellers. This means their websites need to include indie buy buttons in the form of linking to Bookshop.org and/or indie bookstores to purchase their books.