Author Event 101

Hello, my book friends!  How are you doing?  Great!  Glad to hear.  This past Saturday I attended an Author Conference.  It was my first time at this conference, but NOT my first time at an Author Event.   I take for granted that I know what to bring and what to leave at home.  So if you’ve never been to an Author event here is a list of things you should consider bringing;

 

Comfy shoes and clothing – you will be on your feet for most of the day and dress in layers.  Those conference rooms do get hot.

Water – Yep.  Your mouth will get dry from all the talking you are doing!  I mean you have 101 questions to ask, right?

Cart with wheels or Bag – this is important.  Not all events are created equal.  Some events give you nice size tote bags – you are paying for them when you purchase your tickets.  Other events don’t give you a bag at all!  *GASP*  So make sure you bring something to hold your books and your author swag!

$Cash$ – Yes, some authors do take plastic, but a vast majority deal in cold hard cash!  Books usually run from $10 and up.  So hit up the ATM and get your shop on.

Phone & Charger – Of course you want to take a picture of you and your favorite author at the event!  Don’t go with a 50% battery.  Have it fully charged, girlfriend!  We’ll go with the Boy Scout motto – Always be Prepared!

Business Cards – If you are a blogger, editor, beta reader, a writer, anything book related.  Have business cards on hand and hand those puppies out.

Patience – Yes, it’s a virtue, one that was lost on me.  But I’m working on it. Generally, when you enter the conference room you go to the right and start circling the room.  There will be authors to the left and right of you.  I do the outer loop first and then head to the inner loop.  You can do it, however.

Answering Questions – A lot of the authors will ask you what you like to read.  Don’t say everything, that doesn’t help them.  List off the genre’s you love.  Romance, Dark Romance, Erotica, Suspense, etc.  This helps them guide you to the right books.  Help them, help you!

Email Address Labels – Lots of your authors will have sign-up sheets for their newsletters.  Who wants to right there names 50+ times?  Not this girl.  Get some labels and slap your email address on there.  Then you can just stick it down and be good to go!

 

I hope this helps when you go to your first Author Event!  And if you have any suggestions to add to the list, please let me know.  I always love helpful hints.