What’s the Hook?
What is it about a book festival that draws you? Is the hook the books, the authors, the discussions, the passion of the written word, the draw to discover a new favorite author and then get their autograph?
The draw for me has evolved a little over the years, though I believe the joy of books and bookish people lies at the heart of every trip I’ve made.
Oh! The Places I Have Gone!
My first book festival experience was back in 2016 at the Mississippi Book Festival a few weeks after reconnecting with my college roommate Mea Smith and confessing to one another our determination to become published authors. I added the Louisiana Book Festival to the mix in 2017 and drove a little farther to the Alabama Book Festival in 2018.
The Louisiana Book Festival is almost here again, and I’m thrilled to be attending in a new capacity this year and look forward to seeing how this experience differs from previous years.
The Things I Have Done!
Back in 2017, I attended my first Louisiana Book Festival as a starry-eyed aspiring author with a head full of dreams and a heart full of stories and a soul full of hope. I attended panels and drank in the words of the authors: Tim Gautreaux, David Armand, Jeff Zentner, Jasmine Warga, Brendan Kiely, Linda W. Jackson and Corabel Shofner.
In 2019, I attended as an almost three-book published author with a table in the exhibitors’ area. I watched the “real” authors sashay past from panel to signing table and may have sighed a little sigh of envy.
In 2023 and 2024, one of my dreams came true. I was invited to participate as a featured author and panelist to showcase Every Good Thing and One Good Thing. For the first time, I felt like others saw me as a “real” author. I met some incredible people and had the opportunity to speak about my books and characters and writing process in front of people who didn’t even know me.
Last year I got to add another role to my list and volunteer. I enjoyed introducing moderators and authors, helping attendees find the right rooms and keeping panels running on time.
The Best Is Yet to Come
This year I have the privilege of being a moderator for two panels. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be reading five new books, getting to know five new-to-me authors and preparing questions to guide the type of discussions that have inspired, taught, informed and encouraged my journey as an author over the past 10 years.
The Hook Will Get Me Every Time
Regardless of the role I get to play at a book festival—attendee, exhibitor, featured author, volunteer, moderator—I know I will be surrounded by people who share a common passion … the love of stories. That bond we share is the book festival hook for me.
Comment below and share your book festival hook. Why do you return to festivals year after year or why would you love to attend one?
Near Baton Rouge, LA?
Meet me at the capitol for the 22nd annual Louisiana Book Festival in Baton Rouge, LA, on October 31, 2026. The day will be filled with fun and books for all ages, and it’s FREE!
I will be moderating two panels:
- Shadows of the Past: Historical Novels of Tragedy, Heritage, and Resilience at 10:30 AM
- All the Lonely People: Stories from Appalachia and the Florida Gulf Coast at 2:00 PM
I’ll also be at the Authors Party in the State Library of Louisiana on October 30, 7:00–9:00 PM. Tickets are $65.