Randee Dawn

Brooklyn Books & Booze, the monthly reading series at Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room in Industry City, Brooklyn, has expanded!

Join us on September 19 for our second-ever Author Book Fair, where we’ll feature more than 30 small press and indie authors and publishers selling their books — plus panels throughout the day, an agent pitching session, and more!

Here’s everything you’ll want to know about Brooklyn Books & Booze’s Author Book Fair 2: The Bookening!

When?

September 19, 2026
11am-5pm

Where?

Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room
86 34th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Subway: D train to 36th Avenue, then about a 4 minute walk.
(This venue is inside what’s known as Industry City, a series of former industrial work spaces turned into food, drink and shopping venues. See this map for assistance, as it can be confusing the first time you go.)

Cost?

Free, and all ages are welcome — but RSVP here so we can get excited that you’re joining us!

Attending Authors and Publishers

Tabled authors slated to attend (subject to change): Steven Van Patten, Marc Abbott, Denise Tapscott, Kirk Johnson, Nick Kaufmann, John Foster, Hildy Silverman, Russ Colchamiro, Aaron Rosenberg, Priscilla Oliveras, Liz Alterman, Cythia Seupel, Lara Frater, Kirsten Kashock, Barbara Krasnoff, Terence Taylor, Crissa-Jean Chappell, Tyler C. Gore, David Winner, Keith R.A. DeCandido, Ian Randal Strock, Eskay Kabba, M.M. Devoe/Pen Parentis, C.S.E. Cooney, Carlos Hernandez, Sarah Branson, Michael A. Ventrella, Karen Heuler, Fran Hawthorne, Lara Elena Donnelly/Homeward Books, Alex Shvartsman, Su J. Sokol/Flame Arrow Publishing, Randee Dawn

Panel Schedule

Authors will be selling their books all day, but here is the panel schedule to be held in the Presentation Room at the back of Barrow’s Intense. Get there early to grab a seat!

Panelists Alex Shvartsman, David Bushman, Ed Zuckerman, Nicholas Kaufmann, M.E. Weisberger, Elena Stokes

Noon – 12:45pm
Hilarity 101: How to Write Humor for People Who Don’t Think They’re All That Funny (Alex Shvartsman, author)
Humor can be one of the hardest genres to write in. Find out from hilarious author Alex Shvartsman how to be genuinely funny without making enemies – or going over your readers’ heads. Learn how to inject basic humor into your writing – even if you don’t think of yourself as a funny writer!

1pm – 1:45pm
How To Profit (or Try To) from Real-Life Crimes (Without Being a Criminal) (David Bushman and Ed Zuckerman, authors)
Real-life crimes are terrible for the victims, profitable (sometimes) for the perpetrators, and a potential gold mine for writers. Emmy-winning TV scriptwriter and author Ed Zuckerman (Law & Order and Law & Order: SVU) and true-crime author David Bushman (New York’s Coldest Cases: Ten Unsolved Murders That Rocked the Empire State) discuss legal, ethical, and practical challenges they’ve confronted while mining this field.

2pm – 2:45pm
Dawn of the Cicada Sex Zombies (M.B. Weisberger and Nicholas Kaufmann, authors)
Zombies are real, ancient, and more common than you realize. Join Mindy Weisberger (Rise of the Zombie Bugs) and author Nicholas Kaufmann (co-host of the Spooky Science Lab podcast) discussing the fascinating, horrifying world of fungi, viruses, worms and insects that that turn bugs into zombies. How does it work, what do zombified insects do, and how do zombie bugs compare to the zombies we know and love in movies and TV?

3pm – 3:45pm
Do YOU need a publicist? Tips and tricks for the best way to collaborate in publicizing your book (Elena Stokes & Brianna Robinson, Wunderkind PR)
Many authors hire publicists — do you need one? With nearly three decades of experience in publishing, Elena Stokes (Wunderkind PR founder, former director of publicity at Macmillan for Tor/Forge/TorTeen/Starscape) and Brianna Robinson (Wunderkind publicity director) give pointers for hiring outside publicists and how to make the most out of your experience.

4pm – 5pm
5 Min Speed Pitch Sessions
Christina Zobel, Claire Draper, Hannah Teachout, James Farner (agents) and publisher Lee Matthew Goldberg
Got a manuscript you’re ready to send into the world? Your next step might just be an agent! Get ready to pitch your big idea at four expert agents and one horror fiction publisher – but you’ve only got 5 minutes to do so!

Sign-ups for the pitch session are open to the first 10 people to sign up at the link HERE. You must be present when called for your session or you will be skipped. There will be more sign-up sheets for additional pitches on the day, and they will be available as of 11am. You may sign up for additional agents at that time. The panel may run beyond 5pm, depending on the interest of any individual agent or publisher.

Got questions? Shoot organizer Randee Dawn with a message. Want to be on our mailing list to be contacted next time? Sign up here (approximately two messages per month).