Industry Spotlight - The Bookfest

INDUSTRY SPOTLIGHT

Meet Your New Bookish Buddies at The BookFest®

Do you want to hangout with fellow bibliophiles? Would you like to discover new reads? Want to meet your new favorite authors? Then become a BookFester and check out the always-free to attend livestream event which happens every spring and fall.

The next BookFest is October 22nd and 23rd and streams from The BookFest website. No evites, passwords, or fees, just kick back with a cuppa and watch the fun. Chat with other booklovers and the speakers in the chatrooms. The BookFest streams through the Books That Make You YouTube channel and you can watch natively there, or on Facebook and other social media platforms.

The BookFest features Panels, Conversations, Live Author Chats, the winners of the recent BookFest Awards, the epic Big Bundle of Books Giveaway, and all BookFesters – meaning everyone who signs up on the website – receive a Virtual Gift Bag at the end of The BookFest.

THE BOOKFEST FALL 2022’S THEME

The BookFest Fall 2022 has a spooky, autumnal theme. It is presented by the Horror Writers Association (HWA) and Bookstagrammers. Several HWA writers will join the Live Author Chats on Saturday night, October 22nd. They have poems in the Horror Writers Association’s Poetry Showcase Vol IX, edited by Angela Yuriko Smith, and will read their poetry, tell scary stories, and chat with the audience. The Live Author Chats are hosted by A.G. Billig and Herbie Pilato.

DAY ONE OF THE BOOKFEST GEARED TOWARD READERS

Highlights to look forward to on Day One of The BookFest, which is geared toward readers, is the opening keynote by Beatrice Adenodi, author of Mindless Behaviors: Breaking Through Unseen Barriers. Philip Fracassi, who The New York Times calls, “terrifically scary,” will be in Conversation. Plus, there are panels about climate change-themed books; science fiction, fantasy and dark fiction; a Conversation with author and speaker Neil Bockoven, PhD.; and what promises to be an insightful and poignant panel with experts discussing book bannings and challenges in the US.

DAY TWO OF THE BOOKFEST LEANS TOWARD WRITING COMMUNITY

Day Two of The BookFest, which always leans over to writers – and let’s face it, many of us who read also dream of writing one day – kicks off with an opening keynote from Karla Olson of Patagonia Books. In Conversation is Angela Bole from the Independent Book Publishers Association (and soon-to-be with Firebrand Technologies). New York Times best-selling author David L. Robbins and Katharine Sands from the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency return for a BookFest favorite: The Critiki Bar, which has the duo delivering page one manuscript critiques.

The legal eagles of the publishing and entertainment world also speak on a panel to answer common questions about the legal aspects of becoming an author. The BookFest organizational design team talk about building an author platform. Other segments show how authors can land TV deals, make valuable connections, submit to anthologies, and effectively write historical fiction. THE BOOKFEST SPEAKERS INCLUDE AUTHORS, CELEBRITIES, JOURNALISTS AND LEADERS IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY

The BookFest features an array of literary speakers which has included: Mitch Albom; Mark Coker; Cheryl Willis Hudson; Wade Hudson; Sarah Kendzior; Jonathan Maberry; Lisa Morton; James Rollins; Michael Shermer; Mark K. Shriver; Dennis E. Taylor; Danny Trejo; Helene Wecker; and more.

WHY THE BOOKFEST BACKSTORY IS LIKE STONE SOUP

HOW TO BECOME A BOOKFESTER

The BookFest launched May 2020 at a time when lockdown forced many live events to be cancelled. The backstory is much like the classic Stone Soup as folks from the reading and writing community came together to contribute to the success of The BookFest. The BookFest is produced by Black Château Enterprises and presented in part by Books That Make You. All three were founded by Desireé Duffy. She, along with head of Operations David Duffy, and associate Dr Raye Mitchell, were honored to speak about the success of The BookFest livestream at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Las Vegas Convention in 2022. In just a few short years The BookFest has grown to be a global phenomenon and is attended virtually by people around the world. It’s been recognized with a Webby Awards nomination in 2021, a gold award from the Muse Creative Awards in 2020, and a silver award from the w3 Awards in 2020.

To become a BookFester subscribe to receive email alerts on The BookFest website: https:// TheBookFest.com and click Sign Up Now. You will also receive a free Virtual Gift Bag with freebies, downloads, and exclusive offers. Also, enter the Big Bundle of Books Giveaway for a chance to win books and prizes.

BIOS FOR THE BOOKFEST CREATORS:

BIO FOR DESIREÉ DUFFY Desireé Duffy is the Founder of Black Château, a marketing and public relations agency; Books That Make You, a Webby Award-winning a multimedia brand that promotes books and authors through its website, podcast, and radio show;

and The BookFest®, a biannual online event that brings together booklovers from around the world.

Duffy is an advocate for spreading stories. Her expansive marketing, event production, broadcast, and public relations background, mixed with her passion for storytelling, led her to found the multiaward-winning, full-service marketing and public relations firm Black Château in 2016, Books That Make You in 2018, and The BookFest® in 2020.

Duffy hosts and is the executive producer for the Books That Make You Show and is a speaker on topics such as branding; marketing; digital and traditional media; livestreaming technology; diversity, equity and inclusion; and public relations.

BIO FOR DAVE DUFFY

Dave Duffy is the Head of Operations Black Château and The BookFest®. He skillfully masters the intersection between technology and operations. He is a data expert who puts the numbers behind the strategies and promotions of the company and spearheads advertising, social media, and self-publishing initiatives for the companies.

Dave’s background in entertainment, retail, and digital cinema includes professional experience working for entertainment and videogame companies like Cinedigm and GameRush. A skilled website designer and developer, he is also talented at audio/video production, photography, editing, graphic art, and digital media.

BIO FOR BREE SWIDER Bree Swider oversees marketing communication and manages client projects for Black Château and organizes the social media team and the Big Bundle of Books Giveaway for The BookFest. Having acquired a degree in paralegal studies from College of the Canyons in Santa Clarita, California, Bree gained valuable experience from her past positions as a paralegal and administrative assistant before joining the Black Château team.

BIO FOR BRIAN BOSCH Brian Bosch started teaching HTML and managing technical support back in the mid-to late-1990’s, when working for one of the earliest internet startup companies. He later spent several years traveling the globe, helping ISPs and global companies get interconnected. He has traveled to over 40 countries and has conducted business in most of them. Brian has worked in product marketing and has consulted for companies like Verizon, MCI, UUNet and CompuServe. Brian created The BookFest website and its underlying database. His support in managing the platform and providing technical assistance helps makes The BookFest recognized as a leader in livestream bookish events.