Any indie author serious about selling books must understand the importance of marketing—and that includes attending book fairs, literary festivals, and writers’ conferences. At these events, authors can meet fans, network, make personal connections, and market their work to wider audiences. What follows is a selective list of some of the relevant conferences and fairs happening around the world in 2015. Conferences and shows with a focus on self-publishing have been marked with an asterisk.

January

Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con
Where: New Orleans
When: Jan. 9–11

*Digital Book World Conference & Expo
Where: New York
When: Jan. 13–15

Wizard World Portland Comic Con
Where: Portland, Ore.
When: Jan. 23–25

International Cairo Book Fair
Where: Cairo
When: Jan. 28–Feb. 12

Angoulême International Comics Festival
Where: Angoulême, France
When: Jan. 29–Feb. 1

*ALA Midwinter Meeting
Where: Chicago
When: Jan. 30–Feb. 3

February

*Indie Author Conference & Pitchapalooza
Where: Phoenix, Ariz.
When: TBD

Minsk International Book Trade Fair
Where: Minsk, Belarus
When: Feb. 11–15

Taipei International Book Exhibition
Where: Taipei, Taiwan
When: Feb. 11–16

*The Annual Genre-LA Writers Conference
Where: Van Nuys, Calif.
When: TBD

San Miguel Writers Conference
Where: San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
When: Feb. 11–15

*San Francisco Writers Conference
Where: San Francisco
When: Feb. 12–15

Feria Internacional del Libro La Habana
Where: Havana
When: Feb. 12–22

New Delhi World Book Fair
Where: New Delhi
When: Feb. 14–22

Vilnius Book Fair
Where: Vilnius, Lithuania
When: Feb. 19–22

Brussels Book Fair
Where: Brussels
When: Feb. 26-Mar. 2

*SleuthFest
Where: Deerfield Beach, Fla.
When: Feb. 26–Mar. 1

*London Author Fair
Where: London
When: TBD

March

Dublin Book Festival
Where: Dublin
When: TBD

*EPICon
Where: San Antonio, Tex.
When: Mar. 12–14

Leipzig Book Fair
Where: Leipzig, Germany
When: Mar. 12–15

*South by Southwest
Where: Austin, Tex.
When: Mar. 13–22

*Unicorn Writers Conference
Where: Purchase, N.Y.
When: Mar. 14

Paris Book Fair (Salon du Livre)
Where: Paris
When: Mar. 20–23

*PubSense Summit
Where: Charleston, S.C.
When: Mar. 22–24

Bangkok International Book Fair
Where: Bangkok
When: Mar. 27–Apr. 6

Bologna Children’s Book Fair
Where: Bologna, Italy
When: Mar. 30–Apr. 2

April

*Norwescon
Where: SeaTac, Wash.
When: Apr. 2–5

WonderCon Anaheim
Where: Anaheim, Calif.
When: Apr. 3–5

*Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP)
Where: Minneapolis
When: Apr. 8–11

Québec International Book Fair
Where: Québec City, Canada
When: Apr. 8–12

*London Book Fair
Where: London
When: Apr. 14–16

*IndieReCon
Where: Online
When: Apr. 16–18

Bogota International Book Fair
Where: Bogota, Colombia
When: Apr. 22–May 4

Budapest International Book Festival
Where: Budapest, Hungary
When: Apr. 23–26

Buenos Aires International Book Fair
Where: Buenos Aires, Argentina
When: Apr. 23–May 11

*2014 Redwood Writers Conference
Where: Santa Rosa, Calif.
When: TBD

Geneva International Book and Press Fair
Where: Geneva, Switzerland
When: Apr. 29–May 3

May

Kauai Writers Conference
Where: Kauai, Hawaii
When: May 1-3

*Nonfiction Writers Conference
Where: Online
When: May 6–8

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
Where: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
When: May 7–13

Thessaloniki Book Fair
Where: Thessaloniki, Greece
When: May 7–10

*The Self-Publishing Conference
Where: Leicester, England
When: May 9

Turin International Book Fair
Where: Turin, Italy
When: May 14–18

Idaho Writers & Readers Rendezvous
Where: Boise, Idaho
When: May 14–16

Prague International Book Fair and Literary Festival Book World
Where: Prague, Czech Republic
When: May 14–17

Warsaw International Book Fair
Where: Warsaw, Poland
When: May 14–17

St. Petersburg International Book Salon
Where: St. Petersburg, Russia
When: May 21–24

*BookExpo America (BEA)
Where: New York
When: May 27–May 29

*BookCon
Where: New York
When: May 30–31

*uPublishU at BEA
Where: New York
When: May 30

June

*The Santa Barbara Writers Conference
Where: Santa Barbara, Calif.
When: June 7–12

Cape Town Book Fair
Where: Cape Town, South Africa
When: June 19–21

Seoul International Book Fair
Where: Seoul, South Korea
When: TBD

Wizard World Sacramento Comic Con
Where: Sacramento, Calif.
When: June 19–21

*ALA Annual Conference
Where: San Francisco
When: June 25–30

*The Writers’ League of Texas 2013 Agents & Editors Conference
Where: Austin, Tex.
When: June 26–28

July

Tokyo International Book Fair
Where: Tokyo
When: July 1–4

*ThrillerFest X
Where: New York
When: July 7–11

*Comic-Con International
Where: San Diego, Calif.
When: July 9–12

Hong Kong Book Fair
Where: Hong Kong
When: July 15–21

*Writer’s Digest Conference
Where: New York
When: July 31–Aug. 2

August

Travel Writers & Photographers Conference
Where: Corte Madera, Calif.
When: Aug. 13–16

Beijing International Book Fair
Where: Beijing, China
When: Aug. 26–30

September

DragonCon
Where: Atlanta, Ga.
When: Sept. 4–7

*Kentucky Women Writers Conference
Where: Lexington, Ky.
When: Sept. 11–12

*RomCon
Where: Denver, Colo.
When: Sept. 23–27

Moscow International Book Fair
Where: Moscow
When: Sept. 2–6

Göteborg Book Fair
Where: Göteborg, Sweden
When: Sept. 24–27

*Chicago Writers Conference
Where: Chicago, Ill.
When: TBD

October

Liber International Book Fair
Where: Barcelona, Spain
When: TBD

Alternative Press Expo
Where: San Francisco
When: TBD

New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association Fall Conference
Where: Somerset, N.J.
When: Oct. 2-4

*New York Comic Con
Where: New York
When: Oct. 8–11

*Frankfurt Book Fair
Where: Frankfurt, Germany
When: Oct. 14–18

Gourmand International World Cookbook Fair
Where: Frankfurt, Germany (In conjunction with Frankfurt Book Fair)
When: Oct. 14–18

Helsinki Book Fair
Where: Helsinki, Finland
When: Oct. 22–25

Belgrade Book Fair
Where: Belgrade, Serbia
When: Oct. 25–Nov. 1

November

Sharjah World Book Fair
Where: Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
When: Nov. 4–14

*Self-Publishing Book Expo
Where: New York
When: TBD

Istanbul Book Fair
Where: Istanbul, Turkey
When: Nov. 7–15

Montreal Book Fair
Where: Montreal, Canada
When: TBD

International Fair of Intellectual Literature Non/Fiction
Where: Moscow
When: Nov. 25–29

Guadalajara International Book Fair
Where: Guadalajara, Mexico
When: Nov. 28–Dec. 6


Basel Book Fair
Where: Basel, Switzerland
When: TBD