Saturday, November 12, 2011

Saturday Discussions (4): Author Events



So I totally forgot that today was Saturday (OOPS).  Anyway, this week Amber and I are discussing how we feel about author events.  I have a couple takes on different types of events. 

I haven’t been to many signings… I can actually count them on one hand.  I love small bookstore signings.  They allow for a Q&A session, small readings from the author, and at least a little bit of conversation with the author(s) at the event.  The event I went to at my local B&N featured three authors, Sara Shepard (The Lying Game), Sarah Mlynowski (Ten Things We Did and Probably Shouldn’t Have), and Maureen Johnson (13 Little Blue Envelopes).  It was great to be able to hear an excerpt from each author’s book, get a little Q&A from each, and then get to talk to each one down the line while they signed the books.  It was definitely one of the most fun trips to the bookstore.  











The only other author event I’ve been to was the National Book Festival in Washington, DC this year.  I went with the hopes of meeting only 3 authors (of the hundred or so that were there).  I was only able to meet 2 of the three because of the massive lines.  Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments series), had a line that ended up being 3 lines next to each other and backed up farther than any other line I saw while there (other than maybe Sarah Dessen’s).  I stood in Cassandra’s line for about 45 minutes (each author was only signing for an hour), then proceeded to run to Lauren Myracle’s line, which had thankfully gotten down to almost no one by the time I got there. 

I wasn’t a big fan of the book fest because it was so crowded and there wasn’t a lot of time to talk to the authors.  I didn’t even get to see Sarah Dessen because of the insane lines at the event.  Smaller events are definitely more my cup of tea.  I think I’m going to try to find more of them in my area, but I do plan to go to BEA in June of 2012.  I feel like I need to see some other big conventions to see how they work, and to plan to meet up with other bloggers when I go.  I went with one of my friends to both of the events I went to, and I didn’t meet anyone new.  I hope at BEA I’ll be able to meet some more people :) (as long as I save up the money for me & my mom to go).

How do you feel about author events?

3 comments:

  1. I'm going to BEA 2012 too little sister! We will definitely have to meet up if you ended up going. I must, I must, I must!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'll be there as long as I can get the money to take me & my mom (she has to rent the hotel room cuz I won't be 21 yet lol) & if I bring her she can stand in lines for me :) (must convince her to go) lol

    ReplyDelete

I love comments! They make me super happy, I read all of them and try to respond to most of them!

This is now an award free blog, I'm super flattered to be chosen for awards, but I can't find time to complete the requirements to pass them on. Thanks!