Follow these links to be a Tent Participant or for the Open House / Tour application. The Science City neighborhood application will include Science of Everyday, Science of Natural World, Science of Tomorrow and Science of You. 

Applications will be open September 3, 2024 at 5 p.m.

The Book and Author Committee of the Tucson Festival of Books works year-round to identify authors to participate as presenting authors at the festival. We strive to identify authors from a variety of subject areas and diverse genre. Panel sessions are created at the sole discretion of the Book and Author Committee.

We welcome nominations from authors, publishers, publicists and the general public. 

Criteria for nominations include:

• Book must be a recent publication (published between January 1, 2024 and February 21, 2025).
• Book must be published by a well-established publishing house or one of their imprints (self-published books, titles published by independent / boutique publishing houses, e-books, textbooks and books published outside of the United States are not eligible for consideration).
• A good fit within panels that are in the planning stages.

A nominated author, if selected to participate as a presenting author, is responsible for all travel and lodging expenses associated with attending the festival.

Nominations are now being accepted by completing the application here. Nominations will be accepted through September 6th, 2024, at 5:00pm, AZ time. 

Authors who do not fit the stated criteria may apply as an Indie Author or as an Exhibitor; Exhibitor applications will open in early September. 

If you are interested in participating as an Indie Author, please return to our website on July 10 to view the 2025 Indie Author information. Note that several Indie Authors were chosen through a juried process for presenting stages for the 2024 festival.  Indie Author self-nominations open July 10, 2024.  Please email indieauthors@tuconfestivalofbooks.org with any questions.

If you are not contacted by October 18, 2024 by a member of the Book and Author Committee you will be sent information to submit as an Indie Author.

The thirteenth Tucson Festival of Books Literary Awards is now accepting fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for the 2025 competitions.

Enter here by October 31st!

First-place winners in each category will receive $1,000, second-place $500, and third-place $250 along with full scholarships to attend the 2024 Tucson Festival of Books Masters Workshop in March following the Tucson Festival of Books. The top 50 entrants will be invited to this exclusive workshop, which features a faculty of distinguished U.S. writers. Read about last year's winners here.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

• Writers must be age 18 or older.
• $20 entry fee per submission.
• Unlimited number of entries.
• Submit up to 5 poems of any length, a short story, novel excerpt, OR a nonfiction piece or book excerpt.
• Poem submissions must be sent as a single document with appropriate page breaks (up to 5 poems per submission).
• Stories for children, academic, and "how-to" nonfiction are not accepted.
• Submissions should include genre (fiction, nonfiction, or poetry) along with title.
• Submissions must be in English and unpublished at the time of entry (with the exception of self-published work).
• The author’s name must not appear anywhere on the manuscript. Include name and contact information in the “Cover Letter” box. Manuscripts with the author's name anywhere on them will be disqualified.
• Authors retain all rights to submitted work.
• Winners and the top 50 will be notified by December 22, 2024.

Questions? For information on the literary awards and the masters workshop, contact Meg Files at masters@tucsonfestivalofbooks.org for more information.

The Tucson Festival of Books is open to exhibitors from across the country who have an interest in engaging with thousands of book lovers each year. Exhibitors are permitted to primarily sell books and book-related merchandise (appropriate for a family-oriented audience.)

Exhibitor applications are subject to committee review. 

Exhibitor applications for the 2025 Festival to be held March 15 & 16, 2025, will open September 3, 2024. If you are a new applicant (have never had a booth at the festival) join our waitlist by clicking here to be notified via email.

Previous exhibitors do not need to join the waitlist, and will be emailed using last year's contact information. 

We depend on amazing volunteers to make Tucson Festival of Books the premier book festival for authors, exhibitors and festival-goers from throughout the state and across the country. 

The positive impact on our community is due to dedicated individuals, like you, who assist in making the Festival friendly and welcoming to all who attend.

We offer over 2,000 opportunities. There is something for everyone. Please join us!  No experience necessary...just a warm smile and a helpful attitude! 

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, provide your contact information and we will send you an email when volunteer registration becomes available.

NOTE: Previous year volunteers DO NOT need to fill out this interest form, as you are already on our list to receive advance notification when Volunteer Registration opens.

Join the Waitlist Here