Sept. 23, 2023 // 10am - 4pm

Spine Indie Book Fair

Bringing readers and writers together

(Formerly known as the St. Louis Indie Book Fair)

Spine Indie Book Fair will feature over 50 authors and several publishers showcasing their works at booths along Illinois Ave., between Benton Park and Spine Indie Bookstore & Cafe. Attendees can expect a diverse range of titles spanning genres such as YA, Horror, Travel, Faith-based, Children’s, Thriller, LGBTQ+, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Historical, Literary, and many more.

In addition to the vendor booths, writers are invited to the "Pitching Hour" from 1pm – 2pm inside the bookstore. This unique opportunity allows aspiring authors to pitch their story ideas to small press publishers for potential contracts.

Spine Indie Book Fair

10am - 4pm     Outside on Illinois Avenue

50+ Authors of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry

12:30 - 1:30     Outside in Spine’s Courtyard

Kid’s Hour

Join local author and puzzler, Debbie Manber Kupfer for story time and puzzles and meet the little earth dragon who can do big things!

10:30 - 3:30     Inside Spine Indie Bookstore & Café

10:30 - 11:30

The Craft of Fiction and Nonfiction Writing

Elizabeth Donald - Author and Journalist

James Brubaker - Author and Publisher

11:30 - 12:00

The Basics of Editing and Proofreading

Ruth Thaler-Carter - an award-winning freelance writer, editor, proofreader, and desktop publisher 

12:00 - 1:00

Having Good Grammar like Edith Wharton

Lisa Ebert - Professor of English, Jefferson College

Denise Mussman - English Professor, UMSL

1:00 - 2:00

The Pitching Hour

   Writers and authors, pitch your story ideas to publishers looking for titles! 

     Amphorae Publishing Group - YA, LGTBQ+, historical fiction, local fiction, literary fiction

     Indies United Publishing House - Open except for graphic novels

     Naked Cat Publishing - Poetry and full-length fiction

     Uhuru Planet - African American nonfiction

2:00 - 2:30

Discover Your Story—in a flash

Author Jackie Dana

Tarot & oracle reader Sheeran Meatte

Using tarot cards as prompts, participants will craft spontaneous stories and poems. With the clock ticking, your subconscious will take flight, and you may be surprised by the ideas that emerge.

2:30 - 3:00

Freelance Writing as Passive Income

Stephanie Malench - A non-fiction freelance writer with over 20 years writing experience.

3:00 - 3:30

It’s Not Enough to Write a Good Book

Lisa Orban - Publisher, Indies United Publishing House

Event is free to the public.

Spine Indie Bookstore & Café is a unique bookstore catering exclusively to indie authors and publishers, an artisan café, and a small event space located at 1976-82 Arsenal St., St. Louis, MO 63118 (across from Benton Park). We currently offer over 600 titles and have retail book sales over $15,000 in our first year!

 Email spine314@gmail with any questions