About

Written from inside the trade, for people who want in.

Author Fair Guide is a practical almanac for writers who want to visit publishers' book fairs — to meet people face to face, to see what is being published, to hear what houses are looking to sign, and to leave a sample when that is welcome.

It is published by Stewart Ferris. Stewart has published hundreds of books and written more than fifty of his own. He co-founded Summersdale Publishers, and his handbooks for writers include How to be a Writer, How to Get Published and How to Publish Your Own Book. His novels include the Ballashiels Mysteries. His books have been translated into more than a dozen languages. He has written for television (including Pokémon) and holds a PhD in Creative Writing.

The Octopus stand at the London Book Fair in 2018, during the Baltic Countries market focus, listing imprints including Summersdale — An earlier Olympia edition: Baltic Countries market focus, 2018. Summersdale, which Stewart co-founded, is on the Octopus imprint list. Photograph by Stewart Ferris.

The point of this site is not to pretend that Frankfurt is a festival for debut novelists. It is to say, plainly, how the rooms actually work, which fairs are worth the ticket, and how not to waste a smaller press's morning.

The books

The practical handbooks are in the shop, with links to Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com. The companion guides — earnings, contracts, agents, queries, marketing and prizes — are on the Upcott Studios page. Further tools and courses: stewartferris.com.

Contact

Enquiries: [email protected]

Upcott Studios.