A JOINT PROJECT BY:
SPONSORS
PROGRAMS
PANELS
Located at the 1st Floor Southwest Corner
Saturday 10:15 – 11:15 AM
You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover…unless, you know, it IS actually a book. Book covers are the tools authors use to convey genre, tone, and theme to their readers. It’s often the first impression a writer has with a reader. And it’s crucial in that make-or-break moment when that reader decides whether or not to pick up that book. An author’s commercial success hinges on having an eye-catching book cover, so what does it take to make a cover that sells?
Join young adult fantasy author Eliza Lainn, romance author and book cover whiz Shannon Myers, and model Robert Kelly as they discuss all the things that go into making a best-selling book cover!
Saturday 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
It’s a volatile world out there. With people quick to flock to social media to share their likes, dislikes, and everything in between, how does an author write about sensitive issues? And how do they connect with readers in a meaningful, personal, and powerful way to tell the story living inside them… especially when their story might not resonate with everyone?
Join the dynamite team of Dr. Bryan Hotchkins, Brandi Willis Schrieber, and Dr. Norman Shulman as they explore the act of writing these tough talks and sensitive issues in their books.
Saturday 12:45 – 1:45 PM
Could you get away with murder? For our powerhouse cohort of female authors, they do… in their books. Whether its cozy mysteries, supernatural private investigators, or retellings of famous sleuths, our panelists concoct tantalizing mysteries full of red herrings, false leads, and grand reveals.
NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Darynda Jones, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Kim Hunt Harris, and award-winning writer Will Brandon discuss the devilishly complex webs they weave to make a scintillating mystery novel.
Saturday 2:00 – 3:00 PM
There’s more than one way to tell a story. While the written word is one of the most common mediums of storytelling today, it’s not the only one. Stories can be found in the most unlikliest of places, and our panelists use the unconventional mediums to tell their tales.
Comic author and podcast superstar Lance Stanford joins hotshot Dungeons & Dragons DM (dungeon master) Justin Rivas and photographer virtuoso Jaqueline E. Smith as they explore storytelling, mediums, and narrative voice in unusual forms.
Saturday 3:15 – 4:15 PM
Between writing, querying, acquisitions, contracts, edits, proofreading, galleys, and ARCs, (just to name a few!) the publishing process can be convoluted, confusing, and quite frankly, crazy. But never fear! If you’ve ever been interested in how a story goes from an idea to a finished book, Book Puma from Blue Handle Publishing is here to demystify the process. And better yet, they have three different viewpoints for an in-depth examination!
Publisher and author Charles D’Amico chats with budding author Jordan Reed and experienced editor and author Rick Treon to dish about the ins and outs of the publishing industry.
Sunday 1:15 – 2:00 PM
Join Lubbock Public Libraries Director Stacy McKenzie as she chats with kids in the audience about their favorite books, the stories they love, and what reading means to them. Parents, make sure to have your cameras ready! This program is bound to be an adorable book-themed rendition of Kids Say the Darndest Things!
Sunday 2:30 – 3:15 PM
We all know reading broadens the mind. You know it, I know it, it is known. So it makes sense to foster a love of reading in the tweens and teens of today. From keeping an open mind, to developing empathy, and everything in between, reading fiction sets the youth of today on the path to success. But how exactly does one write a book for such an impressionable age?
Join Emmy award winning former TV news producer and author Mari Mancusi, #1 Amazon bestselling author Andrew J Brandt, and USA Today bestselling author Aileen Erin as they talk about the value, purpose, and craft of writing for such a vulnerable and raw audience.
WORKSHOPS
Located on the 1st Floor
Saturday 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Have you ever been told you’re starting your story in the wrong place, that your opening falls flat, or that your characters fail to impress? Every opening needs five components to hook an audience. Five elements that are absolutely essential to capture a reader’s attention, to lure her to the next paragraph, to the next page, and to leave her breathless. Darynda will discuss these elements, give examples from those who have used them successfully, then show you how to take what might seem impossible and conquer it like a pro. And, let’s face it, who doesn’t want to look like a pro?
About Darynda: NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA®, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier. Her books have been translated into 17 languages
Saturday 12:30 – 2:00 PM
Whether you write suspense, mystery, memoirs, or romance, one of the most important tools in a writer’s toolbox is the ability express true emotion on the page. Emotion is the glue that binds a reader to your characters and to you as an author. Laura will explain the tools you’ll need to achieve and refine this skill, including pacing, visceral responses, and expanding and contracting time. She’ll illustrate their use by breaking down examples from best-selling author’s novels.
About Laura: Laura Drake’s first novel, The Sweet Spot, was a double-finalist and then won the 2014 Romance Writers of America® RITA® award. She’s since published 11 more novels. She is a founding member of Women’s Fiction Writers Association, Writers in the Storm blog, as well as a member of Western Writers of America, and Women Writing the West.
Saturday 2:30 – 4:00 PM
Learn how to connect with readers in affordable ways. We will cover tips on issues such as podcasting, speaking events, designing programs for museums, utilizing keywords and hashtags to make your posts “sticky,” and opportunities on social media. We will give examples, discuss the mistakes we’ve made, and the things we’ve done right. You can propel your work and connect with readers without breaking the bank. Q&A will follow as time permits.
About Natalie: Natalie Bright is the author of a cookbook, a middle-grade mystery series, an easy-reader series, and (with coauthor Denise F. McAllister) a Western romance series. She blogs every Friday at Prairie Purview about the Texas Panhandle and Western history.
About Janie: Two-time SPUR Award-winner Janie Little Botkin is a retired teacher turned historical investigator and nonfiction author. The Girl Who Dared to Defy: Jane Street and the Rebel Maids of Denver, a University of Oklahoma Press release, is her newest book. Digging deep into research, she discovers personal narratives of American families with compelling stories of western women, labor radicals, miners, lawmen, and outlaws in settings rich with a history that transitions into the New West.
About Chris: Chris Mullen, author of the Rowdy series, was named the winner for Westerns in the 2020 American Fiction Awards (American Book Fest), a 2020 Best Book Finalist (American Book Fest), and a 2021 Selah Awards 3rd place Winner. He’s also won the 2019 Connie Wootton Excellence in Teacher award and believes, above all else, in living your dreams.
About Randi: Randi Samuelson-Brown writes award-winning historical fiction and has always enjoyed uncovering strange and obscure historical facts. The Dark Range Series – Brand Chaser is her newest release from Wolfpack Publishing.
Saturday 4:30 – 6:00 PM
Do you have trouble hooking readers in the first chapter or do you suffer from a saggy middle? Award-winning author Rick Treon will instruct authors of all genres and skill levels how to make their stories unputdownable. Keeping readers turning pages is part art, part science, and Rick gives an overview of both!
About Rick: Rick Treon writes about life and death in the Lone Star State. His thriller Let the Guilty Pay was nominated for the 2021 Silver Falchion Award for Best Suspense Novel, and Divided States was named a finalist in the 2021 Best Thriller Book Awards. His debut novel, Deep Background, won the PenCraft Award for Literary Excellence in Suspense. Before making up stories, he worked as a reporter and top editor for several newspapers in Texas, where he still lives and writes.
Sunday 3:30 – 5:00 PM
This session is an open discussion of poetry. JJ Chen will provide sample poems to discuss. Topics will touch upon poetry’s major elements, including story and structure.
About JJ: JJ Chen Henderson publishes fiction and poetry in literary reviews and poetry magazines. Her work appears in journals such as Poetry East, Fourteen Hills, Freshwater Review, The Pointed Circle, The Clackamas Review, and SLANT, to name a few, with more forthcoming. Henderson recently published her novel “When Stones Bloom”, a moving story of a Chinese mother and her daughter. Also an artist, she has sold more than 50 of her original paintings.
ENTERTAINMENT
CRITIQUES
Do you have a work in progress (WIP) first chapter? Looking to get feedback on it from a published author in your genre? Sign up for a 1-0n-1 critique slot, where an author will help you with polish your prose until it shines! Slots are limited, so snag yours today!
COMMUNITY PARTNERS:
AUTHORS
We’re bringing 57 authors to this year’s Lubbock Book Festival, with many of them living in Lubbock or the surrounding communities! And with genres ranging from children’s books to nonfiction, from romance to mystery, and everything in between, we’ll have something for everyone!
Darynda Jones
A. G. Howard
Gigi Cheng
Andrew J Brandt
Dr. Bryan Hotchkins
Aileen Erin
Shannon Myers
Lance Stanford
Eliza Lainn
FOURTYNINETH
James Stoddard
Mari Mancusi
A.G. Howard
Aileen Erin
Alice Liles
Andrew J Brandt
Auntie NANN
Ben Donley
Ben H. English
Brandi Willis Schrieber
Brian DiNuzzo
Bryan Hotchkins, PhD
Carrie Blair
Charles D'Amico
Chris Mullen
Dan-Dwayne Spencer
Daniel Garcia Ordaz
Darynda Jones
Dianne Smithwick-Braden
E R Bills
Eliza Lainn
FOURTYNINETH
GiGi Cheng
Jacqueline E. Smith
James Doucette
James Stoddard
Jane Little Botkin
Jared Kitchens
Jefferson Marshall
Jordan Reed
Karin McCay
Keith West
Kerry Chavez
Kim Hunt Harris
KJ Waters
Lance Stanford
Larissa Gail
Laura Drake
Linda Broday
Mahogany Latreese
Mari Mancusi
Mary Andrews
Max McNabb
M. E. Carter
Natalie Bright
Neal Abbott
Norman Shulman, PhD
Patrick Hanford
Randi Samuelson-Brown
Rick Treon
Shannon Myers
S. J. Dahlstrom
Sterling Chaney
Teddy Jones
Thomas Mooney
Thomas Nichols
Tommie McBrayer
Wendi Threlkeld
Will Brandon
Lubbock is bursting with bookish business!
OneBook LBK is a community-wide reading program of LHUCA sparking creative and meaningful discussion. Participants read the selected book and are encouraged to form groups or clubs to discuss issues and topics the book raises. Readers can register their own groups and meet independently.
ABOUT
This free, two-day long event connects authors and readers through a celebration of literacy, creativity, and stories! From the tiniest of tots to the experienced reader, from YA fiction to crime thriller (and everything in between), this festival highlights the thriving author culture deeply rooted in the South Plains!
Last year, we had over 60 authors in attendance, most of them from the West Texas area. This year, we plan to double down on that momentum by bringing you more authors, engaging panels, chummy book signings, educational writing workshops, and delightful family-fun crafts and activities.
This event also functions as a fundraiser for Literacy Lubbock’s educational programs. Our mission is to change lives through literacy, one person at a time. Please, help us fight back against Lubbock County’s 13% illiteracy rate by attending!
OUR MISSION
The Lubbock Book Festival serves to provide the citizens and visitors to Lubbock, Texas with a family-friendly event, celebrating the Arts in literature and storytelling.
VIP BADGES
They’re back! Our fan-favorite VIP Badges are back again for this year’s Lubbock Book Festival! We only have a limited number, so be sure to get yours before they’re gone!
Badges include:
- a ticket for the exclusive kick-off Prologue Party, where you can mingle with the authors
- exclusive access to the VIP Lounge at the Festival, where snacks and other goodies await
- a book of your choice by a local author
- an exclusive 2022 Limited Edition Lubbock Book Festival T-Shirt
- a free copy of the 2022 Nonthology, Lies of the Nine
- and swag from the sponsors, donors, and community partners
**all proceeds from VIP Badge sales go directly into adult education programs to teach adults how to read, learn English as a second language, or earn their GED
HOTELS
VOLUNTEER
Interested in volunteering for this year’s Lubbock Book Festival? We’d love to have you! After all, volunteers make the Lubbock Book Festival possible! Check out our volunteer opportunities below.
For this role, you’ll be working with our panel authors to set them up at their book signing station after their panels. This will include:
- Setting up the panelists’ books at the signing tables during their panels
- Directing lines of people to keep the area clear for those walking through
For this role, you’ll be monitoring the Information Table. This will include:
- Handing out maps, schedules, and event guides to attendees
- Giving authors their packets when they arrive
- Answering questions
- Checking in other volunteers
- Assisting volunteers with finding their places if staff isn’t available to do so
- Check in VIP badge holders and give them their badges & bags
For this role, you’ll be working with our panels and other programming to ensure each runs smoothly and concludes on time. This will include:
- Troubleshooting any AV issues as they arise
- Watching the time and signaling panelists when time is running low and/or ended
- Resetting chairs in the program area if they’re moved
- Keeping the area clean of trash
For this role, you’ll be helping the authors and outdoor entertainers. This will include:
- Assisting authors by watching their booth if they need to step away or attend a session
- Help direct traffic and lines of people to keep the area flowing
- Roam around and check-in on authors periodically throughout the event (offering to get them water, seeing if they need anything, etc.)
- Help deliver lunches on Saturday
- Assisting the outdoor entertainers if needed
- Checking in on entertainers periodically throughout the event (offering to get them water, seeing if they need anything, etc.)
