You can still have a great event without a famous author.  Here are some ways to find an author who will come to the library for little or no cost to you. More>

• Check an online directory of California authors to find one who lives near your library: Poets & Writers: www.pw.org/directory -- go to “advanced search.”  Includes almost 7,000 contemporary authors..

  Check sites specializing in California authors, who have lists of authors’ websites:
  California Authors.com: http://californiaauthors.com/directory.shtml
  California Readers.com: http://californiareaders.org/websites/author_a_b.htm

  Check websites of booksellers organizations to see who’s going to be in your neighborhood: 
  Northern California Independent Booksellers Association (NCIBA)
  http://www.nciba.com/
  Click on “Author Events.” 

  Southern California Booksellers Association (SCBA)
  http://www.scbabooks.org/home.html
  Click on “California Bookstore Events.” (http://cae.socalbooks.com) 

  PMA, the Independent Book Publishers Association
  http://www.pma-online.org/
  e-mail: info@pma-online.org
  * An entire section devoted to librarians: http://www.pma-online.org/librarians.cfm. 
  *PMA Authors’ Roadshow is a directory of PMA members’ authors who are available for book signings, lectures, demonstrations and other events at your location. You can view these listings either by date or location, and you'll be able to contact the publisher or author directly to arrange a booking: http://www.pma-online.org/authorroad.cfm

  Authors @ Your Library: a searchable author database from the Association of American Publishers http://www.authorsatyourlibrary.org/ 
  It is free to register with this service, but there is a 24-hour delay before your authorization arrives and you can search the database.
  Advice from publishers on arranging and preparing for an author visit is at: http://www.authorsatyourlibrary.org/resources.php

  Northern California Publishers & Authors (NCPA)
  http://www.norcalpa.org/index.shtml
  Contact information for independent publishers and nonfiction authors:  http://www.norcalpa.org/speakers/speakers.shtml. 

  Friends of Libraries U.S.A.
  http://www.folusa.org/
  Publishing Committee representative who can help arrange a visit:
  800-9FOLUSA (800-936-5872). 

Many publishers will work with you to schedule author visits. More>

• Here are two examples:

  University of California Press http://www.ucpress.edu/
  Request specific authors at askpublicity@ucpress.edu or
  (510) 642-1302. Online Author Events Calendar: http://www.ucpress.edu/php/calendar/week.php. Searchable by date and topic.

  Vintage Books/Anchor Books (Random House) publishes a quarterly list of author events around the country: www.randomhouse.com or email Russell Perreault, director of publicity, at rperreault@randomhouse.com.

Don’t forget about independent presses, who may be delighted to work with libraries to promote their up-and-coming authors. More>

• Santa Monica Press
  http://www.santamonicapress.com/index.html
  Features: Profiles of authors available for events are available at http://www.santamonicapress.com/publicity/. To arrange a book signing or other appearance, call the publicity department at 310-230-7759.
                       
  Heyday Books, Berkeley-based publisher of works on California’s history, natural history, arts and literature: http://www.heydaybooks.com/ To ask about an author visit, email: events@heydaybooks.com or contact Heyday’s director of education and outreach, Anissa Paulsen: anissa@heydaybooks.com.
  
  Lee & Low, multicultural children’s books: http://leeandlow.com School and library author events: Jennifer Stevens at 888-320-3190 or jstevens@leeandlow.com

  Angel City Press: http://angelcitypress.com or email Jim Schneeweis: JSchneeweis@angelcitypress.com