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Publishers/Agents/Authors
Click for a video of our festival!
Saturday,
March 16, 2013 from 10 a.m. – 4
p.m.
Harborside Event Center &
Centennial Park,
Fort Myers, Florida
www.ReadFest.org
The Southwest Florida
Reading Festival:
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Is a
free community event presented by
the public library system
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Promotes reading, literacy and library services
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Typically draws about 18,000 people
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Has excellent television, radio and print media
support (local CBS affiliate, local public
radio, local daily news, etc.)
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Is an award winner: Golden Image Award/Florida
Public Relations Assn.; Best Promotional
Campaign/Florida Festivals & Events Assn.
Authors are contracted for:
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Attendance at
An Evening with the Authors
reception and dinner on Friday, March 15 (no
speaking required)
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One or more presentations on Saturday, March 16
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Autographing session immediately following
presentation(s)
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Author stages are: inside the event center in
rooms that seat up to 500 people, and in tented
venues in Centennial Park, along the scenic
riverfront in downtown Fort Myers. A sound
system is provided.
Typical presentation format at Festival:
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30 minutes for informal presentation; 15 minutes
for Q&A
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Some will be panels of like genre (no more than
2 authors on a panel)
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Some may have a moderator or will be set up in
an interview style, if desired
Author Accommodations: The Reading Festival will
provide:
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Reservations at the host
Hotel Indigo in the beautiful River District
of Fort Myers. Two nights are covered
by the festival; additional nights at our group
rate can be arranged but are at the author’s
expense.
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Ground transportation arrangements to and from:
Southwest Florida International Airport
(RSW),
the
Evening with the Authors dinner; the
Festival on Saturday.
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The Festival provides dinner on Friday night,
and breakfast and lunch at the Festival on
Saturday.
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A destination location, making it easy for
attendees to bring their families and "stay and
play" with them before or after the Festival.
Books Sales:
The Festival contracts
with Books a Million to provide books sales the day
of the event.
Author Comments:
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“I thought it turned out very well, and
I was impressed by the festival--as I
told my publicist. And Fort Myers and
surrounds are really pretty charming. As
was the weather!” - Erik Larson, 2012
“This was a terrific event … thanks so
much for having me… my best to all”
- Michael Palmer, 2012
“Thank you for inviting me! What an
amazing festival and I’m so impressed
with the organization and
professionalism. I can’t remember a
festival or conference where I felt so
taken care of and appreciated. It was a
treat to meet so many library patrons,
readers and book lovers.”
- Alex Kava, 2012
“This had to be
the best organized, most pleasant and
thoughtfully run event Debbie and I have
every attended. I was so appreciative of
all the time and effort that went into.
Everyone was so cordial and made
everything just effortless. The only
hard part was having to say goodbye to
so many old friends and new...and
leaving Hotel Indigo! Thanks so much…”
- Nancy Holder, 2012
“I've done a lot of book gigs, and I
have to say, you folks have been
terrific!”
- Michele Albion, 2011
“Wow! What a festival you put
on! Many, many thanks to you and all the
people of the Lee County Library System
for including me. I enjoyed myself
immensely…and was thrilled to be part of
it. Now, I know for sure that the
Southwest Florida Book Festival is one
of the best in the country. My one
regret is that my event in Boca Raton on
Friday and the drive across the state
got me in too late for the Authors
dinner….I heard good things about that
too.”
- Mary Jane Clark, 2011
“THANK YOU so much for inviting
me to the event! I had a WONDERFUL time!
Thank you for allowing my family to come
to the dinner on Friday night. They
LOVED meeting their favorite authors (as
did I). So great to meet the
Pinkalicious fans from Florida, nice to
meet so many of them! I hope you invite
me back again”
- Victoria Kann, 2011
“Thank you for an absolutely
lovely event! I completely enjoyed the
experience, and had some terrific,
really memorable moments talking to
young readers, festival
volunteers/staff, and fellow authors.
Brava, brava on a job brilliantly well
done!”
- Cynthia Leitich Smith, 2011
“It was my pleasure to be part
of the Southwest Florida Reading
Festival.The audience was large and
enthusiastic for both talks and both
book signings, and I really enjoyed the
whole Festival. FYI, I'm recommending to
my publicist at Grand Central Publishing
that they consider this event for other
GCP authors.”
- Nelson DeMille, 2011
“I had a lovely time as I always
do and I was, as always, impressed at
how well organized it was and how
smoothly everything proceeded... If you
enjoyed it half as much as I did, you
had a great time, too.”
- Prudy Taylor Board, 2011
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“I had a great time!! You put on
a wonderful festival!”
- Sara Shepard, 2011
“I want you to all know that I
LOVED the festival; it was one of the
best events I’ve ever attended! Thank
you all for inviting, escorting, helping
me and for putting on such an
educational and fun event. I really
enjoyed myself.”
- Lisa Jackson, 2010
“Fabulous,
fabulous, fabulous! I had a *blast; Florida
librarians ROCK. Thanks so much for including
me!”
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Lauren Myracle, 2010
“Thanks
for inviting me. Wonderful festival and
everything was so well run and organized. Pat
yourself on the back.(I'm impressed).”
–
James Grippando, 2010
“This
is one of the best events I have ever attended.
I wouldn't change a thing. PERFECTION-PLUS.”
–
Lee Bennett Hopkins, 2010
“I've
been to many book festivals before, and this was
one of the best organized and thought-out I've
ever attended.”
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Tess Gerristen, 2009
“I
thought it was a great, wonderfully organized
event, and I had a terrific time. I would not
hesitate to recommend attending to any of my
colleagues. Thanks again for inviting me.”
–
David Liss, 2009
“I
have done a large number of festivals over the
years, so I think I speak from good experience.
Yours was very well run, very well organized,
and most importantly, very well attended. Good
job! Thank you for inviting me.”
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Jeff Shaara, 2009
“I
want to make sure you know how grateful I am to
have been included in the SW FL Reading
Festival. It was fun, and it did something good
for reading and for the community.”
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Susan Vreeland, 2008
“Spending
nearly all my time writing, I have to pick and
choose my outing carefully. I’m so happy to have
made it to Fort Myers. Your Festival was a
fabulous event, and countless other authors told
me the same this weekend.”
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Tony Abbott, 2008
“The
festival was incredible! A fabulous day, great
people...I had a wonderful time and can't thank
you all enough for inviting me. Everything was
perfect.”
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Carla Neggers, 2008
“I
wanted to take a moment to thank you for
inviting me to the event and to say what a great
event it is! … From beginning until departure,
it was clear that much time, thought, passion
and a lot of hard work went into every aspect of
the event.”
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Robert Hicks, 2007
“I
enjoyed coming and please ask me again.”
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Steve Berry, 2006 |
Link to Past Authors:
If you participate at the Southwest Florida Festival you
will be in fine company. See the list of past authors
here.
Festival
Contacts:
Lee County Library System
2345 Union Street,
Fort Myers, FL 33901
www.ReadFest.org
Author Selection Committee
(adult authors)
Jessica Girlando
239-533-4413
JGirlando@leegov.com
Author Selection Committee
(adult authors)
Julie Pierce
239-533-4610
JPierce@leegov.com
Author Selection Committee
(teen &
children’s authors)
Kristy Kilfoyle
239-533-4004
KKilfoyle@leegov.com
Festival Coordinator
Margie Byers
239-533-4826
mbyers@leegov.com
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