How does the con get authors for book signing and what not? Do the authors sign up them sleves or does the con ask them to come? Can weask them to look into getting a specific author to come?
They need to apply as per here.
Gen Con 50 is set, but "application dates for Gen Con 2018 will be posted in January".
Gen Con has a couple of programs that are author focused. Authors' Avenue is an application process that opens in January/February of the current convention year. It's designed for independent and small press publishers. The Book Signing area in the Exhibit Hall is primarily used for authors participating in our Writer's Symposium program and are scheduled through that program. There are some spots available for interested parties; our Author Guest of Honor will be doing a book signing there as well. Writer's Symposium is a curated program which recruits authors itself. And of course there are authors who are get booths on the main floor of the Exhibit Hall.
We don't ask authors to come and do signings exclusively.
Best, Jeannette LeGault Sr. Director of Event Programming Gen Con LLC