CAMP 2016: Books & Browse

By Joanne Bamberger, Books & Browse Coordinator

Calling all JAWS authors, deadline Aug. 15!

Are you always on the lookout for ways to promote your recent book project or ways to connect with other authors? The JAWS Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP) is the perfect place to do that!

We authors know that promoting and selling the books we’ve written can be a full-time job, but the JAWS sisterhood can help you with that during our annual Books & Browse event. During this popular session, CAMPers can buy books by JAWS authors, meet the authors and chat with them about their latest work.

This year, Books & Browse is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 29, from 6  to 7 p.m. at the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center in Roanoke, Va. Historically, JAWS CAMP has hundreds of attendees, which means you could potentially sell enough books to cover part of your early-bird registration fee (deadline for early bird registration is June 30).

I speak from experience when I say that joining Books & Browse is worth your while. I participated two years ago when JAWS CAMP was in Palm Springs, Calif. Not only did I sell a good number of copies of my first book, but I also met a variety of JAWS members I might not have met otherwise and am still in touch with them today.  In addition, during Books & Browse I also found some contributors and advisers for my current book, “Love Her, Love Her Not: The Hillary Paradox.” A valuable lesson learned not just from attending CAMP, but also for being part of Books & Browse? You never know whether the next person who buys your book or just stops to ask you about it might turn into an important networking moment.

So, if you’d like to have one or more of your books featured during this CAMP session, please let us know by Aug. 15 by emailing us at . Make sure you include Books & Browse: YOUR FIRST & LAST NAME in the subject line. Once approved, we’ll need 150 words containing your bio and book(s) description, along with a high-resolution headshot for the CAMP printed and online programs.

In anticipation of your questions, here are some answers:

• You must be a JAWS member to have your book(s) on display during Books & Browse. If you’re not yet a member, please consider joining! This is a great way to get your work noticed by women journalists from around the country.

• JAWS CAMP registration is required to participate in Books & Browse.

• You’ll be responsible for getting your book(s) to the hotel no later than Oct. 26 and returning any unsold books. (Hopefully you won’t have any left!)

• Plan to have a minimum of 20 books on hand. When Jill Abramson attended JAWS CAMP, she sold more than 50 copies of her book, “The Puppy Diaries: Raising a Dog Named Scout.”

• You set the price for your book and JAWS will handle transactions using Square, leaving you free to sign and chat.

• Historically, authors donate a percentage of book sales to JAWS.  A check will be mailed to you within a week of the event. Square’s 3 percent credit card processing will be deducted.

If you have any questions not answered here, please contact Roxanne Foster or me at .

Don’t forget to register soon and book your room to take advantage of the JAWS discounted rate of $159 a night at the Hotel Roanoke!