Last week, I had the opportunity to go to a really awesome author event (recap coming tomorrow). The only thing is that I probably would not have gone if it hadn’t been so close to where I live. So I guess the what I really wanted to discuss today is how you decide if you want to go to an author event and what are your deal breakers when deciding to go to one.
Love Them or Hate Them?
Personally, I love going to author events, even if they are for authors I have never heard of before (as long as they write YA, if not forget I said that). I think author events are great to learn more about how books came to be and generally the authors talk about really interesting things. Plus, most of the time there will be a book signing included, and who doesn’t like signed (and personalized) books? That being said, I do know people who don’t like going to author events. I think they just don’t like the wait it takes to get the books signed and the fact that there really isn’t that much time to really sit and chat with the authors… usually they do most of the talking, but other than that I have no idea why they don’t like it.
Favorite Authors
I’m a bit more likely to go to an event promoting the book(s) of my favorite authors than an event that I haven’t really read any of the books being promoted. For example, I went to an Ally Carter event last year that was like a 45 minute drive away compared to the 15 minute drive it took to get to the event I went to last week where I haven’t read a single book written by any one of the five authors present.
Day of the Event
For me, this is the most important factor when it comes to deciding whether to attend an event or not. What day is it on? If it’s on a weekend, I’ll be more willing to spend the time to persuade my mom to drive me to a bookstore 45 minutes away. If it’s on a weekday, I might as well save my breath… school, homework, and grades do not mix well with bookish events in her mind. However, that being said, if the venue is only 15 minutes away…
Cost
This one is a big one. I’ve always wanted to go to Comic Con and even BEA, but for those you have to pay to get in. Not to mention those require train tickets (or a 3 hour car ride) to get to. Forget it, there is no way I can convince my mom to let me go there… my grades aren’t that great. But a free event (minus the cost for books, of course), sign me up!
Distance Away
I think I pretty much covered this in all the other categories. This is pretty much the deal breaker for me. I’m way more likely to go to an event close for a more unknown author than an event far away for a more popular author. It’s not just because I’m lazy (because I’m that too), but also because at this age, I still have to rely on others to get me places. I can’t drive. Biking and walking are not options when the venue is more than a mile away. I can’t blame my parents for not wanting to take me somewhere far away for a event, which they are not even remotely interested in and have to wait there for at least an hour so they can take me home.
Why do you go to author events?
How do you pick and choose?
What are your deal breakers?
I don’t go to book related events, author or otherwise. I’m an introvert and hate crowds 😛 I love reading, but I don’t have any interest in pursuing it further than the actual book and then my blog. Meeting an author doesn’t interest me at all (weird, I know!).
I’m generally an introvert too, but sometimes I think it’s fun to be able to interact with fellow book worms face to face.
Thanks for always stopping by (and commenting)! 😀
I’ve traveled to a few author events for the fun of it, but for the most part I stick to the local ones within my city. Of course I don’t think I’ve gone to any this year but that’s another story. I’m lucky to live in near big city that tends to host a lot of authors individually and in big groups. Sometimes I’ve attended even if I didn’t want the book signed just to hear them speak.
Lucky! I wish I lived close enough to a city a lot of authors love to visit. I don’t always go to events to get books signed, but I still think that’s a plus. For some reason, I love author signatures.
Thanks for stopping by Julie! 🙂
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I went to my first ever book events this past week – plural because I went to three! And I love them! At each there were several authors – some I knew, some I didn’t. I found that it didn’t really matter, though, it was just a blast to be around authors and to chat with fellow bookworms. I do agree, the costly ones are a bit harder to go to, but I think its worth it, if all the other factors (timing, authors involved, etc) line up, since they can be tons of fun too. Great post!
I’m glad you enjoyed all the events! Author events are definitely worth it, as much as a pain they can be to get to.
Thanks for stopping by Berls! 🙂
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