If Only I Was Closer to LA

RT Booklovers

Tomorrow, or today depending on when you’re reading this, over 400 authors and book enthusiasts will converge on the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Resort in Los Angeles as the RT Booklovers Convention officially opens. It is going to be such a beautiful sight and I totally wish I was there.  Just imagine waking up tomorrow morning and knowing you’ll be able to stumble across a couple of authors just by going down the elevators or looking over at the other table during breakfast.  I’m getting green with envy just thinking about it.  I mean, check out the list of authors who will be there.

Sadly, for those who are in similar position as I am, the cost of the conference may be a bit much so you may not be there.  At $490 for the entire event, it’s a bit steep (although you do get to leave with a massive load of books), especially once you think of air fare.  However, for those residents of the greater Los Angeles area (and anyone who is willing to drive the distance), hitting up the RT Booklovers Convention for just a day is not only completely possible, but I highly recommend it. The convention offers day passes that allow you to get into anything that occurs between 9:30a and 6pm.  Although honestly, that’s when all the panels and author signings tend to occur, so you’re not missing much after 6pm.  A day at the RT Booklovers Convention would make a great day trip, and even better, they lowered their prices from last year.  A single day pass is only $99 (good for either Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday).

Now, I wouldn’t say the RT Booklovers Convention is totally teen friendly, however this year the convention is spotlighting a lot of teen authors and have quite a few events geared towards the young adult crowd.  Most of these events are all on the same day and the convention is also offering a special pass just for this day.  Saturday is Teen Day and if that’s all you want to go for, which includes the Massive Book Fair, the workshops and the party, then it’s simply $25 per teen and $40 for two adults.  Considering the price for a day pass for everyone else, that’s a really good deal.  Now I’m assuming the teen pass only gets you into the teen events, but that could still be worth it. Honestly, as far as Saturday goes, the Massive Book Signing is really the only thing that caught my attention this past year.  I’m not sure what all is planned for this year, but for $25 I would be willing to stop by.

That’s the thing though, if you’re only going for one day, which day is worth it? There are a ton of events going on and the schedule can be a little overwhelming. If you want to go for the panel discussions, then I would suggest figuring out which days has the most panels you would be interested in.

That’s the one thing you really have to figure out – look at the schedule and see if there is something you really want to go to. Like I said, the day passes are a little steep, but it can be totally worth it if you use them to their full potential – hit everything that is planned for that day since it’s all open (with a few exceptions or so I’m told).

If you do want to purchase a day pass, it is recommended to do it sooner rather than the day of.  This is mainly so the RT staff will know to have enough chairs for everyone, plus it’s an easy way for you to schedule what events you want to go to.  You can purchase a day pass by calling 800.989.8816 x12 or registration desk inside the Westin Bonaventure (213.624.1000) to inquire about convention check in.

Yes!  There are events open to the public and you don’t have to be attending the conference to go.  On Saturday (11a – 2p), there is the Massive Book Fair that includes over 300 authors who will be signing books for 3 hours.

Columbus BooksigningMeet over 300 authors who will be autographing their latest bestsellers. You may also bring favorite books from your keeper shelf and get them autographed.

You will meet some of the hottest cover models in the industry as well as all of the Mr. Romance Contestants who will be competing in the Mr. Romance Pageant at 5pm on Saturday.

Enter to win dozens of prizes provided by authors and publishers and take home lots of FREE promotional materials including bookmarks, buttons, magnets and much more.

Be among the thousands of fans who turn out for these Book events of the year. Admission is included in your full convention registration fee. Those of you coming for the event can pay admission at the door ($5.00).

For those bringing collectibles and “keeper” books, we will clearly label the books for you, so as not to mistake them for new books!

This event is open to the public for a small fee of $5.00 at the door. All registered attendees will enter 15 minutes prior to the public opening.

Side note, that image is from the Massive Book Fair in Columbus and I’m still trying to figure out if I’m in there somewhere. The one thing to remember is to make sure you bring plenty of tote bags or a cart. We’re talking a lot of authors all in one place, so bring those books from home. If there’s an author that you want to meet and don’t have a book, Barnes & Noble will be on-site (bring your membership card if you have it, they won’t be able to look up your number), so you may end up with even more books to bring home. Just remember to get your own books clearly labeled before going into the signing.

One more thing, I know a lot of authors put limits on how many books they’ll sign at store appearances (as a way of getting people through the line faster), but the convention has not put a limit on how many books can be signed. One thing to remember, the more books you have one author sign means the less time you have to go hunt up other authors.  My suggestion – I wouldn’t bring more than 1-2 books per author because you may end up with more once you get there.  Plus, have you made a list of who you want to see?

2010 MrRomance Jamie UngaroAlso on Saturday (5p – 7p) is the Mr. Romance Cover Model Competition and only costs $15 to get into.

Can there be that many gorgeous guys in one place? Who will the next Mr. Romance be? Come help us choose the lucky guy who will win a cover shoot with romance giant Dorchester Publishing.

Regardless of all of the events, just swinging by the hotel may be worth the trip as well.  Just by loitering around in the halls (especially the bar), you’ll be more than able to meet all of your favorite authors.  The bar is the place to be seen and to find who you want to stalk…errr look for.  So even if you can’t make it for the convention, there are still a few chances to run into your favorite authors.  But if you’re going to take the time to be there, you might as well grab a pass and sit in on a panel or two.  I’ve heard some panels give away books to it’s attendees.  Just a thought.

The 28th annual RT BOOKLOVERS Convention takes place Wednesday, April 6th – Sunday, April 10th. Day passes are available to purchase by calling 800.989.8816 x12 or walk-ins are welcome daily beginning at 8:30am at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Resort, 404 South Figueroa Street in Los Angeles (213.624.1000). Go to the registration desk inside the Westin Bonaventure to inquire about convention check in.

About Jackie 3282 Articles
I am a 30-something SAHM with two adorable boys and a supportive husband who is very tolerant of my reading addiction. I love to read and easily go through about a dozen books a month – well I did before I had kids. Now, not so much. After my first son was born, I began to take my hobby of reviewing a little more serious and started Literary Escapism to help with my sanity. I love to discuss the fabulous novels I’ve read and meeting all the wonderful people in the book blogging community has been amazing.

1 Comment

  1. Won’t be attending the con. I will be stopping by to meet a few friends there for drinks, but that’s only because I live in the LA area, lol.

    <3,
    -J

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