Albany Book Festival – UAlbany – 9/23/23

Reading (and Writing) is Fundamental – the Albany Book Festival at UAlbany, 9/23/23 by Dean Giagni.

I always find it heartening and inspiring seeing the gym busy and packed with people on holidays. These people would be there regularly if they could and they’ve chosen a holiday or a vacation day where they’re supposed to want to do nothing, to do the difficult task of working out. It shows how many people are passionate about their health and well-being.

I felt a similar vibe at the Albany Book Festival at UAlbany on Saturday. We all hear the stereotype that people are dumbing down, the smart phone is shortening attention spans; but the big buzzing crowd of authors and their readers told a different story. Now in its sixth year, the book show; presented by the New York State Writers Institute, brings a big slate of well-known authors from the national and international scene to speak about their works solo and in panel discussions, together with local authors, both emerging and established. Many of the names in the line-up for speakers were celebrities like Susan Faludi author of Backlash: The Undeclared War on American Women, New Yorker contributor Howard Fishman, Jai Chakrabarti, National Jewish Book Award winner and Jennifer Haigh who’s 2023 Mercy Street was called the best book of the year by The Washington Post, The New Yorker and The Boston Globe.

But the majority of the teeming auditorium space was devoted to local authors and their books with 57 authors packed into the adult room; grown-ups writing for grown-ups. On the lower level, ten children’s book authors; with a 14-year-old Shreya Sharath being the youngest creator. She has written her first book, a fantasy adventure for 10- to 12-year-olds; a demographic she spoke of knowingly.

Being a self-published or smaller author is being a small business person. And being creative extends to your promotion and finding your audience. All the authors I spoke to emphasized the importance of taking your book outside its traditional role in the market and cross promotion. Many children’s authors have educational backgrounds and have positioned their books to be used for education in classrooms, either to impart societal and cultural lessons in the book, or to teach students the actual mechanics of making a book, constructing a story and how to complete a project. Janine De Tillo Cammarata author of two book series for children and YA said, “I had a lot more success (getting my work out there) when I worked with teachers than with parents.”

In the main room, Shana W. Gourdine of Troy straddles the Adult / Children’s book fence. She had started with books of her own poetry then progressed and created an inspirational, motivational book for children. She also agreed getting her book into schools expanded her reach, starting with something as simple as reading her book in her own kids’ classrooms for parent reading events. She also creates motivational seminars for adults using her poetry books as vision guides to expand her market.

Self-publishing is undergoing a continual revolution presently, allowing authors of all technical skill levels to participate in all phases. Many writers are technically savvy, creating their own packaging and managing the production process. Others are not as tech minded or just uninterested in dividing their energy by being heavily involved in the minutiae of publishing. Paul E. Calarco is a busy social science professor at Hudson Valley Community College. He wanted to just write and was perfectly happy to let a publishing assisting business do the heavy lifting. He had final say in every decision from copy to cover, formatting his book, creating art for the book jacket but working with a service allowed him to keep all the messy potential creative distractions under the hood. As he sat as his author table, he was doing what he wanted to do as a writer – reviewing proofs of his next work.

Also represented were organizations to help writers help themselves. The Hudson Valley Writers Guild stresses they are not just confined to the Hudson Valley. They’re a nonprofit dedicated to supporting the efforts of writers in all genres by sponsoring readings, workshops and by hosting events like open mics, poetry slams and spoken word events. They provide valuable resources emerging authors can use and maintain the largest calendar of literary events, news and listings in the Northeast through their extensive website. They also publish three literary and art magazines of poetry and prose. There is a small fee to join but the benefits and resources they offer are invaluable to the smaller creator.

If you missed this event, the Albany Book Festival website contains many valuable links to resources for readers and authors and also inspiration for those aspiring to create.