Jamie asked Linwood Barclay:

New authors want to get noticed. They need to build a following. One way is to go to book festivals, shows or conferences in many different cities or towns. These generally occur annually. I know you go to some. What would you consider as the can't miss book or author gathering? And is it open to new authors? Need to register? Pay $ up front etc.

Linwood Barclay With the exception of Thrillerfest in New York and the crime convention Bouchercon, which moves around, the festivals I attend are ones I've been invited to attend. But plenty of aspiring writers attend without an invitation, and if you are published, you might be asked to be on a panel. You do want, especially when starting out, to get your name out there. Just as is the case for aspiring politicians who hit every church supper and basement constituent meeting, there is a cumulative effect. Any one event may not build your name, but hitting ten or twenty may.

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