Saturday, July 26

When I See Me™ BIPOC Children's Book Fair 2025

Created to pique children’s curiosity, boost their confidence, and enhance their ability to connect with the world around them.

By Pen of the Writer

Date and time

Saturday, July 26 · 11am - 4pm EDT

Location

Dayton Metro Library - West Branch

300 Abbey Avenue Dayton, OH 45417

Refund Policy

No Refunds

Agenda

11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Author Signings

Guests will have the opportunity to interact with amazing authors and purchase their books featuring Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) children. These talented writers will sign copies of thei...

11:30 AM - 3:30 PM

POWER Kids

Young readers will be encouraged to dream big at the Imagination Station. Children can read books and participate in the following activities: The Magic of Emotionsville Adventures in Feelings with l...

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Representation Matters: Writing for BIPOC Children

Children need to see themselves reflected in the stories they read. This need is especially true for children of color. According to research conducted by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, only...

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Duck, Duck, Goose: The Basics of Publishing Children’s Books

No more going around in circles trying to figure out how to publish your children’s book. Whether you’re struggling to finish, tired of fighting with illustrators, or want to avoid the pitfalls of pu...

2:30 PM - 3:30 PM

Seek-n-Find the Perfect Illustrator

Having to seek-n-find the perfect illustrator for your children’s book can be downright frustrating. Moreover, if you don’t understand the components of an effective illustration agreement, you can g...

About this event

Children need to see themselves reflected in the stories they read. This need is especially true for children of color. According to research conducted by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC), only 39% of children’s books published in 2022 featured Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) children as the main character. In 2018, BIPOC representation was only 23%.

In an effort to bridge the gap, When I See Me™ BIPOC Children’s Book Fair was created to pique children’s curiosity, boost their confidence, and enhance their ability to connect with the world around them by featuring books with characters that look like them.

The event is Saturday, July 26, 2025 in Dayton, Ohio. The day includes

Author signings
Fun activities that encourage reading and writing
Giveaways
Panel discussions for aspiring children’s book authors
And more!

Donate to A Book in Every Bag to ensure each attending child leaves with a book of their choice from one of our particpating authors. Visit bit.ly/WhenISeeMe for details.

Interested in sponsoring or advertising? Contact us at info@penofthewriter.com or 888.802.1802 for details.

For updates and announcements, join the Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/wheniseeme

Author Details

Set-up begins at 10:00 AM EST. Tables must be completely set-up by 10:45 AM. The book fair starts promptly at 11:00 AM.

Your registration includes:

One participant badge
One uncovered table and two chairs
One lunch
Listing in the When I See Me™ program book, which is full-color and 8.5" x 11".
Online presence at WhenISeeMe.com
Tons of proven strategies to help you promote your book and sell more copies
Corporate marketing including social media, postcards, radio, and TV

NOTE: One author per table

Registration is a two-phase process:

Reserve your table using this EventBrite form
Provide your contact and book information using a Google form. The link is provided in the welcome email from info@penofthewriter.com.

Once registration is complete, you'll receive a confirmation email from info@penofthewriter.com with details about set-up, panelist opportunities, and participating in the POWER Kids area.

Join us on Facebook at facebook.com/groups/wheniseeme

Follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/penofthewriter

Follow us on Linkedin at linkedin.com/in/penofthewriter

Follow us on Instagram at instagram.com/penofthewriter

Foow us on Twitter at twitter.com/penofthewriter

No refunds

Frequently asked questions

What is the refund policy for authors?

Upon registration, we work to promote your attendance with custom infographics, social shares, and more. As a result, we do not offer refunds. If you are unable to attend this year and provide a 60-day notice, we will gladly transfer half of your registration to next year.

I'm an author and cannot attend in person. Do you have a way for me to connect with readers?

Yes! We have two promotional options to get your books in front of children, educators, and advocates. 1. An ad in the full-color program book that will be distributed to guests, shared on social media, and archived online. 2. Include 100 promotional items in the WISM bags given to little ones.

How can I financially support this event?

We need assistance to ensure that every attending child receives a book of their choice. You can donate here https://gofund.me/f7d1e032 or email us at info@penofthewriter.com (WISM Funding in the subject line) for the sponsor schedule or call 888.802.1802. Thank you.

Can I bring children to the book fair?

Absolutely! We will have fun activities for children in the POWER Kids area. They can choose books with characters that look like them, speak with the authors, and more. We're working hard to confirm sponsors so that attending children leave with a book, a bag, and passion for reading.

What is the cost to attend as a parent, teacher, or child advocate?

Nothing. When I See Me™ BIPOC Children's Book Fair is free and open to the public.

Is the venue wheelchair accessible?

Yes.

Organized by

Pen of the Writer

Pen of the Writer serves professional speakers and experts to magnify and monetize their message by publishing quality books.

With mentoring, events and book publishing, we guide you to leverage your expertise while saving thousands of dollars, hours of research and tons of frustration.

http://penofthewriter.com

http://queenvpublishing.com

http://thingsicanbe.com

http://wheniseeme.com

http://thegoodyboxbook.com