The BookFest

Name

The BookFest

Legal name

LA BookFest

Website

https://thebookfest.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Virtual Literary Events

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events without Facilities (711320), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional & Certification Expos Organizers (THAHABAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Publishing & Submission Prep Workshops (Query Letters, Agents, Journals) (EDAMAMAI)

Keywords

• Virtual book festival
• Book awards program
• Manuscript critique service
• Literary livestream event
• Author pitching platform

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. BookFest Awards Submissions: Authors pay submission fees to enter their books in the BookFest Awards competition. The awards feature multiple tiers with optional purchases of certificates, trophies, and stickers for winners. Early bird pricing was offered with discount codes.
2. Manuscript Critique Services: Authors can submit their manuscripts for professional critique, receiving detailed feedback and guidance on their writing for a fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The BookFest hosts free biannual virtual livestream book festivals (spring and fall) featuring panel discussions, author conversations, live author chats, and the BookFest Awards ceremony. The company sells BookFest Awards submission entries (with optional trophy, certificate, and sticker add-ons) and paid manuscript critique services through its Critiki-Bar program. Sponsorship and Virtual Booth placements provide additional revenue from literary brands and organizations.

Product overview

The BookFest is a virtual literary event platform that operates as a unified ecosystem combining a biannual livestream festival with complementary services. The core offering is The BookFest Livestream Event (the main virtual book festival featuring author talks, panels, and programming), supplemented by The BookFest Awards (book awards program), Critiki-Bar (manuscript critique sessions), Virtual Booths (sponsor showcase), The Pitching Room (author-agent matching platform), Virtual Gift Bag (digital swag), and giveaways. The platform serves readers, writers, and publishing professionals through free online access via YouTube and social media streaming.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The BookFest Livestream Event A free biannual virtual livestream book festival (spring and fall) featuring panel discussions, author conversations, live author chats, and literary programming across topics including storytelling, publishing, audiobooks, media, and marketing, streamed globally via YouTube and Facebook.
• The BookFest Awards A paid book awards program honoring outstanding books and authors across multiple genre and category levels (first place, second place, third place, honorable mention), with optional add-on purchases for certificates, trophies, and stickers, announced during The BookFest livestream events.
• Critiki-Bar Manuscript Critique A paid manuscript critique session featuring two-sided assessment from both business and craft perspectives, where literary agents and bestselling authors critique the first page of writers' submitted manuscripts during The BookFest.
• The Pitching Room An online submission platform where writers can submit manuscript pitches to be matched with literary agents and publishing decision-makers, with the option to also request consideration for Critiki-Bar or Brave New Writer sessions.
• Virtual Booths Digital sponsor booth pages displayed during The BookFest events, mirroring physical festival booths by allowing literary brands, sponsors, and authors to showcase books, services, and offers to attendees.
• Big Bundle of Books Giveaway A prize giveaway program featuring books from participating authors, including the Big Bundle of Books Giveaway (co-presented with Books That Make You and OwlCrate) and the Children's Book Giveaway drawn from award submissions.

Quantifiable outcome

• First BookFest Awards received 364 book submissions
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Abundantly SocialcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 October 2025Abundantly Social supports The BookFest Fall 2025 as a literary organization partner, contributing to the event's programming and audience reach.
• Draft2DigitalcoreTechnology or Integration · 25 October 2025Draft2Digital supports The BookFest Fall 2025 as a literary organization partner, providing publishing platform expertise for authors participating in the event.
• Geek Girl PublishingcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 October 2025Geek Girl Publishing supports The BookFest Fall 2025 as a literary organization partner, bringing diversity in genre publishing to the event.
• PlottrcoreTechnology or Integration · 25 October 2025Plottr supports The BookFest Fall 2025 as a literary organization partner, providing writing software tools for authors at the event.
• Horror Writers Association (HWA)flagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023The Horror Writers Association served as a presenting sponsor for The BookFest Fall 2022, bringing a spooky and autumnal theme to the event. The partnership helped showcase horror and thriller programming during the livestream.
• BookinfluencersflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023Bookinfluencers serves as a presenting sponsor, connecting literary influencers around the world with new books and authors. The platform helps promote The BookFest to its network of book influencers.
• The Relatable Voice MagazinecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023The Relatable Voice Magazine, under Relatable Media, provides a Special BookFest Edition of its April Issue as part of the strategic alliance, including articles by BookFest authors and highlights of The BookFest Awards.
• Relatable MediacoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023Relatable Media entered a strategic alliance with The BookFest to provide special editions of The Relatable Voice Magazine and support promotional efforts.
• Book Award ProcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023Book Award Pro, which helps authors win awards and attract readers with story marketing, is a contributor to The BookFest Virtual Gift Bag and supporter of the event.
• Book RiotcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023Book Riot, a leading book-related media platform, supports The BookFest as part of its network of literary organizations helping promote the event.
• Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023IBPA supports The BookFest as part of its mission to help independent publishers and authors, providing programming assistance and audience reach.
• OwlCratecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023OwlCrate, a subscription service for young adult books, co-presents the Big Bundle of Books Giveaway with Books That Make You.
• EveryLibraryminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023EveryLibrary, which supports funding, advocacy, and fighting censorship for libraries nationwide, is a supporter of The BookFest.
• The Skeptics SocietyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023The Skeptics Society, publisher of Skeptic Magazine, supports The BookFest and has participated in programming discussions.
• Writers and Publishers Network (WPN)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023Writers and Publishers Network supports The BookFest as part of its network of literary organizations.
• Just Us BooksminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2023Just Us Books, focused on African American literature, supports The BookFest as part of its mission to promote diverse voices.
• Black Château EnterprisescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2020Black Château Enterprises is the producer of The BookFest, responsible for organizing and producing the virtual literary event. Founded by Desireé Duffy, Black Château is an award-winning marketing and public relations firm specializing in promoting authors, books, and creative individuals.
• Books That Make YoucoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 May 2020Books That Make You is the presenting sponsor of The BookFest and provides the YouTube channel for event streaming. It is a multi-media brand under the Black Château Enterprises family that promotes books and authors through its award-winning website, podcast, and radio show.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• BookishFirst: Digital book-discovery and reader-engagement platform where readers earn ARCs and publishers run campaigns; comparable in the virtual book discovery and reader/author funnel category, but distinct from The BookFest's event-centric model.\n\n.
• BookBub: Digital book discovery and marketing platform serving authors and publishers with promotions, advertising, and partner deals. Adjacent competitor in the author-services and book-discovery space, though not an event organizer.\n\n.
• Book Riot: Large book-media network producing podcasts, newsletters, virtual events, and reading recommendations; a Core-tier partner of The BookFest. Comparably positioned in the online literary community space, with deeper always-on content infrastructure.\n\n.

Direct peers

• Hay Festival: Global literary festival running multi-city, multi-week programming featuring author conversations, panels, and live-streamed events. Highly comparable programming mix to The BookFest, with growing virtual/distributed presence.\n\n.
• BookExpo (formerly BookCon): Historically the principal U.S. book industry trade and consumer event with author panels, award recognition, and digital extensions. Closest in format to The BookFest, though executed primarily in-person before its 2020 suspension.\n\n.

Broad incumbents

• Frankfurt Book Fair: The world's largest book trade fair, combining exhibitor halls, rights trading, conferences, and an emerging digital program (Frankfurt Rights). Directly analogous to The BookFest as a major book-industry event organizer, though much larger scale and in-person-centric.\n\n.
• Publishers Weekly: Flagship U.S. book trade publication producing reviews, news, awards coverage, and industry events such as BookExpo. Adjacent to The BookFest as a book-industry information and event organizer with strong publishing trade authority.\n\n.
• Writer's Digest: Long-running writer-focused media brand running the Writer's Digest Writing Competition, virtual conferences, workshops, and conferences. Comparable to The BookFest on writer-education content and book-award programs, with much larger scale and longer history.\n\n.
• London Book Fair: Major annual book trade exhibition with rights trading, conference programming, and digital/online engagement options. Closest direct functional analog to The BookFest as a book industry event organizer operating at much larger scale.\n\n.

Regional players

• Brooklyn Book Festival: Annual multi-venue literary festival in New York featuring author panels, book giveaways, and emerging digital components. Functionally comparable event format; primarily regional in-person with growing online programming.\n\n.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BooksThatMakeYou
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBookFestAdventure
• Instagraminstagram.com/the_bookfest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The BookFest