Date: May 31, 2025
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Location: Shepard Garden & Arts Center (Sacramento, California)
Unfortunately, we were unable to participate at first Sacramento Book Festival last year because it took place on the same day as the Bay Area Book Festival to which we had already committed. So we eagerly looked forward to participating this year, having heard how successful the first Sacramento Book Festival was.
Author Brian C. E. Buhl
We were not disappointed.
Let me begin by saying that the Sacramento Book Festival 2025 was the most efficient and trouble-free event in we have ever participated. Communication from the organizers before the event was frequent and clear. Every inquiry we made was responded to within 24 hours or less—usually much, much less.
On the day of the event, signs and volunteers made it clear where vendors were to enter and park for unloading. A lot of events don’t do this. (I’m looking at you, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.) It would have been nice if the off-site parking available afterward was a bit closer—particularly with the unseasonably hot weather—but nearby parking is almost always a challenge at venues of this kind, so I can’t blame the event organizers for that—or the unexpected heat!.
Since we had applied very early for a space, we were extremely fortunate to have our space indoors. Our Graveside Press team were not so lucky and ended up with a location outdoors on the patio … in the 103° heat.
Publisher Steven Radecki and Acquisitions Editor Melissa M. Buhl
The entire venue was completely packed with attendees from opening to closing, with sincere readers ready to buy. Even with a very limited number of our titles available for sale there, our sales exceeded those that we had with our entire catalog the previous month at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books—a much larger two-day event.
Representing Water Dragon Publishing, we had Brian C.E. Buhl, Melissa M. Buhl (also pulling double duty representing Cupid’s Arrow Publishing), Vanessa MacLaren-Wray, and Steven Radecki. Kelley York and Hannah Rebekah Graves took the heat for Graveside Press.
Thank you to everyone who showed up to support us and purchase our books. Thank you to the authors who spent their Saturday with us. And huge congratulations to the organizers of the Sacramento Book Festival 2025 for pulling off such an amazing event.
We look forward to be there next year!
We were happy to have you there!
If you’re interested in reading about the event organizer’s perspective: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com/point-of-view-what-i-learned-at-the-book-festival/