For the past three years, the incredible Dana Beatty and Terri M LeBlanc hosted an epic author signing event called Imagine Other Worlds with Authors (I.O.W.A). It moved from place to place, hosted tons of authors, and had a lot of success. In 2018, they asked if The Writers' Rooms would like to take it on as part of the organization. We jumped at the opportunity, and after months of hard work, we're excited to finally host the event on September 7th from 10am-4:30pm and 8th from 1:30pm-4:30pm at the Cedar Rapids Public Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
I.O.W.A is a multi-genre, multi-author two-day book signing event. This year features over 20 authors who are eager to share their books with you. You can meet the authors through literary panels, readings, signings, author speed dating, and special giveaways! Don’t forget to stop by the welcome table for a swag bag. The first 50 people on Saturday will receive a bag with a free book inside!
We have an incredible list of authors who delve into the worlds of fantasy, science fiction, romance, fiction, women's literature, humor, memoir, children's books, YA/NA, etc.:
We also provide a bunch of fun prizes that you can win both courtesy of The Writers' Rooms and the CR Public Library. Who wouldn't want a bag that makes your book look big?
The two-day event is divided up into several different activities that both patrons and authors can get excited about.
Author Signing: Come meet local Iowa authors to learn more about their books and pick up tantalizing tales for sale. Be sure to stop by every author table to have your Passport signed. Once you get as many signatures as possible, drop it off at the Welcome Table downstairs to the chance to get a prize.
The Writers' Rooms Writing Prompts and Social: Stop in the Conference Room to learn more about The Writers' Rooms, one of the hosts of I.O.W.A. Write with us using prompts provided by the Rooms and also get to know your fellow writers.
Panels: Authors will sit on a panel to share knowledge of a chosen topic. Come listen and ask questions to learn more about the writing/publishing industry. Some topics included are, "Indie Author Publishing," "The Writer Parent," "So You Wanna Be a Writer 101" and more!
Author Readings: Join the authors of I.O.W.A. as they read from their sections of their novels. Now's the time to ask questions and get to know more about the author!
Speed Dating: Authors will be seated at separate tables in Greyhound Cafe and interested readers will have a chance to talk with them in three-minute intervals. The author will begin with a short pitch of their book releases and answer questions the reader may have. When the bell rings, the readers change seats. A Saturday event only!
One thing we tried to do is make sure that none of the events (ie. panels, readings, speed dating) overlapped with each other. I know how hard it can be to want to attend multiple author readings but have to choose between them.
Want to get a first look at when the different events are happening? Stop over at the facebook event to get the latest news and let us know you're coming, check out the I.O.W.A. website page, or visit the Cedar Rapids Public Library calendar.
Today we were featured in The Little Village Magazine (thank you to Rob Cline for his kind words). We were also interviewed by the Press Citizen, which is so exciting!
The Writers' Rooms is a community-driven organization, and we couldn't exist without you. I.O.W.A. is a way for us to thank the many writers and authors who have helped us over the years and to give back to the creative community. This is a free, family-friendly, event, so be sure to bring your little ones along. We can't wait to see you! #IOWAWrites19
To learn more about I.O.W.A., visit: