We hope you are enjoying your Black History Month and, if you reside in one of the states where temperatures have reached record lows, we hope you are staying safe and warm.

If you're an author and plan to register for 2015 NBBF (Oct. 22-24) with a vendor table, early bird registration for the 2015 NBBF expires at midnight, Feb. 28, 2015. A $50.00 deposit by Feb. 28th secures an author table and the final balance of $200 isn't due until July 31st. After Feb. 28th, a deposit of $100 is required and the table cost increases to $300.00 total. To register, visit the NBBF web site.
http://www.nationalblackbookfestival.com/exhibitors.htm

We are in the planning stages of 2015 NBBF and have some exciting new additions to announce. First, we plan to repeat the Book Club Meet and Greet for 2015, which was a big hit for the authors and book clubs that participated. It will take place on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Noon and is open only to participating authors and registered book clubs. Breakfast on Friday and Saturday is included for participating authors as part of their table registration fee.

Second, we've added a POWER LUNCH on Friday (Oct. 23) for the purpose of providing published and aspiring authors information about book industry trends and developments. This will be a ticketed event and is not included with author table registration, but authors and their guests receive a discount. Malika Adero, former VP and Senior Editor of Simon & Schuster, will be the guest speaker for the Power Lunch. Malaika has spent more than 30 years in the book publishing industry, and will provide valuable insights into trends in the industry and what authors need to do to succeed with their book projects. Here's a recent Publishers Weekly article about her.

Third, we'll have several FREE seminars on Friday (Oct. 23) for participating and aspiring authors on topics ranging from memoir writing, to book marketing, to success with social media. This means that, in addition to selling books at the Festival, authors will learn how to more successfully promote and sell their books throughout the year.

Book clubs that plan to attend 2015 NBBF should register by sending an email to bookclub@nationalblackbookfestival.com. Book club registration is FREE and your club's name is listed on the NBBF website so authors will know that your club members will be attending. If your club would like to participate in the Book Club Meet and Greet, registration for that is separate and you will receive an email in early September to obtain your registration information. The Meet and Greet includes a maximum of 10 book clubs.

Several of the featured authors for 2015 have already been confirmed. Confirmed authors for this year's NBBF are as follows, and we have more to come: