In which I rant about author conferences
Two years ago, Jackie talked me into going to RT 2012 with her. (Yeah, that was a really hard sell. Go meet my favorite authors and hang out with fellow book lovers? Sold in .2 seconds!) It was everything I dreamed of and more! I got to ride in an elevator with Larissa Ione within an hour of arriving at the hotel. I screamed bloody murder when I saw Kimberly Derting. (Not because I think she’s secretly a serial killer after reading her terrifying books, but because I love her so freaking much.) Nalini Singh took my author-interviewing-virginity (her joke, not mine, though I still use it and laugh). So, so, so many other awesome things happened that week that I knew I found my crack. I had to go to every author/reader conference ever!
Unfortunately, I’m not a billionaire. Sucks, right? (FYI, I am looking for a very attractive billionaire man to marry, who won’t mind my spending all of his money on books and stalking authors. If you know of one, or on the off chance that you are a hot billionaire, call me.)
But with my limited funds, I did manage to make it to a few other cons. In order, I’ve been to RT in 2012, Authors After Dark in 2012, Olde City New Blood in 2013 (which has since been renamed to Coastal Magic), Lori Foster’s Reader & Author Annual Get Together in 2013, RomCon in 2013 and back to RT in 2014 (a couple months ago). Yeah, it kind of sounds like a lot, but really, to my crack addled mind, it’s not nearly enough. There are so many other authors that I haven’t met yet. There are so many bloggers I want to meet in person (instead of on Twitter). There are editors and publicists and cover artists and readers and anyone who loves books as much as I do. I want to meet all of you! I want all of us to be friends! (Seriously, can we all be friends? It’s hard to find friends in real life.)
There have been aspects of each and every conference that I’ve gone to that I’ve absolutely loved. (Nalini, I’m looking at you! And, you know, other people too.) And there have been aspects that I didn’t like so much. But that’s bound to happen because I have opinions, and not everyone has the same opinions. Plus, it’s kind of hard for me (as an attendee) to demand that all of my favorite authors show up. But, my absolute favorite part of each and every single con was being able to just hang out with my favorite authors.
Like the time that Karina Cooper, Delilah S. Dawson and I frolicked in the Atlantic Ocean for ten minutes before we thought we saw a shark, while Chelsea from Vampire Book Club watched us. (Not in a stalkery way. She was actually being really smart because that water was FRIGID. Probably because it was the middle of February.) Or the time that I got to hang out with Darynda Jones and a couple other friends in her hotel room. Apparently we were being too loud, because the man in the next room yelled at us, saying we were keeping him from getting it up. We gave him a Lauren Dane book and said we hoped that that would help. Or the time that I got Tessa Bailey to sign my panties in the middle of a bar. (No, I wasn’t wearing them prior to that. And I do have photographic evidence of this occurrence.) Basically, what I love about going to these conferences, isn’t always about the panels or the signings. (Though, that is where I fangirl the hardest.) What I love most is being able to hang out with my favorite authors. Of being able to get to know the person behind the story.
Can you see where I’m going with this? I’ll give you a hint — what I call a light-bulb moment, others (aka my mother) might call insanity.
Yes, dear friends, I had the absolutely brilliant idea to CREATE MY OWN CON!
Cue the WHEEEEEEE-ing and SQUEEEEEEEE-ing.
Am I insane? Have of gone off the deep end? Quite possibly. But who cares?! I’m riding high, feeding my addictions. (It’s probably better if you don’t mention that to my mother. She already thinks I’m crazy for doing this. Let’s not add fuel to her flame.)
Reading Until Dawn Con (RUDC) is my very own author/reader conference!! It will be in Denver, Colorado, October 8 – 11, 2015. (So, more than a year away.) And all my favorite authors are invited! Yeah, okay, other 
authors can come too. How else am I supposed to meet new authors? Basically, everyone is invited. I’m going to do an Oprah and say, “You’re invited. You’re invited. You and you and you! You’re all invited!”
No, I won’t be giving away cars at my con. I will be giving away hugs to anyone who wants one, though. And books. Hopefully, lots and lots of books. (If I can get them from the publishers.)
Back to RUDC, unfortunately, not everyone can come. I want to keep it small and intimate. There will be 300 people max. 50 featured authors, 15 featured bloggers, and 235 readers/everyone else. While I would love, love, love to have a million people come, that’s not possible. One, I don’t think I could find a hotel big enough. Two, RT does that and it’s so overwhelming that I barely have time to say hi to my favorite authors, let alone fangirl and stalk them all week. With only 225 readers, you won’t have to ninja fight off other readers for time with your favorite author. (Just, don’t ask. I’ve done some things…)
But what will make RUDC stand out from every other author/reader conference out there is there will be no panels on writing, editing, agent-getting, nada. I know figuring out what brand of yoga pants you can wear for an entire week without changing/washing (because of deadlines) and not look like a hobo is very important. Or finding out that your favorite author will cry into a tub of nutella while eating it by the spoonful because she thinks her rough draft is the worst thing ever written in the history of the world. Hearing that will make you realize that she’s just like you and you guys can be soul-mates. But do you have the courage to walk up to that table and tell her so? Yeah, didn’t think so. That table at panels can be somewhat intimidating because it’s a literal and figurative barrier between you and the authors.
So, no panels at RUDC. No intimidation! No barriers! Instead, authors and readers are going to get down and dirty together. Er. Well, authors and readers are going to sit at the same table and play games together. We’re going to play games and go to parties and hang out and just have loads of fun. I have several ideas already, including one for book clubs. So if you are in a book club, make sure to tell all your members about RUDC!
Sound amazing? Well, it will be. There isn’t much info up on my official site yet, because I’m busy doing all the hard work behind the scenes. But things are happening, I swear! (Mostly, it’s me sending emails then hitting refresh on my inbox every 5 seconds, hoping I get a response. Yeah. Except for that one time that I got to call one of my favorite authors on the PHONE. I had to give myself multiple pep talks before hand, and I still fangirled the entire conversation.) I will be updating the site with hotel and registration information as soon as I can. In the meantime, please feel free to stalk me on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest. (I already spend way too much time on Pinterest. And now I have a brand new account to fill up with book stuff! Squee!)
If you are interested in becoming a featured author, please fill out this form.
If you are interested in becoming a featured blogger, please fill out this form.
If you are a publisher and want to get in on this action (hosting a party/event; giving me books to giveaway; or whatnot) please email me at readinguntildawncon(at)gmail(dot)com.
If you are a reader and want to tell me that I’m brilliant, you can use any of these social media links – Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest – or use the comment box below. Or you can email me. I’m not picky. *grin*
So, that’s my super awesome, exciting news. What do you think? Can you make it? Can we be best friends? Or, at the very least, hang out on Twitter together?
P.S. I have so many people to thank already, and we’re still more than a year out. But I do want to give a special shout-out to my amazingly wonderful graphic designer, Leila, who created my beautiful logo with my very vague, very unhelpful descriptions of what I wanted.
P.P.S. I found this meme and realized maybe I’m fangirling wrong. What do you think? *grin*
