{"id":29938,"date":"2019-06-14T08:00:57","date_gmt":"2019-06-14T12:00:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?p=29938"},"modified":"2019-06-14T08:00:57","modified_gmt":"2019-06-14T12:00:57","slug":"29938","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?p=29938","title":{"rendered":"Austin Teens Report on Best \/ Worst of BookCon 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>As a bookseller, I\u2019ve attended BookExpo many times (and blogged last week about <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?p=29870\">my personal buzz book of the show<\/a>). But even though it\u2019s sort of the second half of the same event, BookCon is a whole different beast that I\u2019ve never personally experienced. This year, Maddy and Colleen from\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/BookCon6-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-29950 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/wordpress.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/BookCon6-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"333\" height=\"248\" \/><\/a>BookPeople\u2019s Teen Press Corps made the trek to New York for BookCon for the fifth time, so I asked them a few questions about what they like best and worst about the event, what\u2019s changed over the years, and what they\u2019d like to see more of next time. From<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>exciting debuts to long signing lines to sore feet\u00a0to\u00a0great swag,<b>\u00a0<\/b>it sounds like an exhilarating, slightly chaotic, book-filled weekend\u00a0to remember!<!--more--><br \/>\n<strong>So what\u2019s your history with BookCon? <\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>\u201c<\/strong>Someone I followed on tumblr had mentioned they had gone to BookCon. This was super exciting news to me as an avid reader, and I immediately asked my mom if I could go for my birthday. The convention has gotten a lot bigger. They move where things are every year, but what&#8217;s available to you has been the same: free books, getting to meet authors in booths, and autographs.\u201d \u2013 Maddy<br \/>\n<strong>\u201c<\/strong>Well, Maddy discovered BookCon when she was 12 and I was 11? I think that\u2019s how old we were.<b> <\/b>We\u2019ve been 5 times now so we consider ourselves veterans. BookCon has evolved a lot, changing the way it organizes signings and booths and giveaways and such, but the core of it remains the same\u2014to bring this huge community together [around] new books and meeting authors and fellow nerds.\u201d \u2013 Colleen<br \/>\n<strong>What does a day look like for you at the show?\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n\u201cOh my goodness, it\u2019s absolute insanity. A day starts between 6 and 7 in the morning. We wake up and grab a quick breakfast on the way to the convention center. We try to get there a couple hours early so we can be first in line to get onto the show floor. At 10 when the doors open, we rush to grab books and swag or hop in an early line for tickets or signings. It\u2019s pretty much nonstop until 4 in the afternoon when we either relax and see a panel or vote that we\u2019re tired and hungry and head out for food we haven\u2019t had since our 6 AM breakfast.\u201d \u2013 Colleen<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"text-align: center\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">MADDY &amp; COLLEEN&#8217;S BIG BOOKS OF THE SHOW<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>\n\t\t<style type=\"text\/css\">\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 {\n\t\t\t\tmargin: auto;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-item {\n\t\t\t\tfloat: left;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\n\t\t\t\ttext-align: center;\n\t\t\t\twidth: 20%;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 img {\n\t\t\t\tborder: 2px solid #cfcfcf;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {\n\t\t\t\tmargin-left: 0;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes\/media.php *\/\n\t\t<\/style>\n\t\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-29938 gallery-columns-5 gallery-size-large'><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?attachment_id=29939'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"265\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Cursed-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?attachment_id=29940'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"263\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Darkness-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?attachment_id=29941'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"265\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Frankly-in-Love-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?attachment_id=29942'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"263\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Ninth-House-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><dl class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<dt class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?attachment_id=29943'><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"264\" height=\"400\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Slay-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/dt><\/dl><br style=\"clear: both\" \/>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<strong>What was your favorite part of the\u00a0event this year?<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>\u201c<\/strong>As much as I love meeting authors, the show floor is definitely the best part. It\u2019s a very unique experience to just casually stroll from booth to booth and come out with tons of fun trinkets and books that you aren&#8217;t going to<a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/BookCon5-1.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-29949 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/wordpress.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/BookCon5-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"273\" height=\"366\" \/><\/a> throw away and that have real value to you!\u201d \u2013 Maddy<br \/>\n\u201cI liked my signings best this year, I think. I tried to go out of my way to meet new authors whose books I was really excited about. Every new author was so bubbly and nice, and I walked away from each signing with a big smile.\u201d \u2013 Colleen<br \/>\n<strong>What about your least favorite?<\/strong><br \/>\n<strong>\u201c<\/strong>The worst part was that there were more people but less stuff. Everything had a price tag, when in past years a lot has been free. The tickets are already expensive, so going and having to pay more or them running out in a snap is really disappointing.\u201d \u2013 Maddy<br \/>\n<strong>Any tips organizers or publishers should keep in mind for next year?<\/strong><br \/>\n\u201cPeople who attend BookCon can be crazy, sure, but we all respect the system and the people around us because they love what we love. In that light, we form \u201cunofficial official\u201d lines for ARC\u2019s and signings and such prior to the suggested 15 minutes before the event. Everyone respects these lines. But time and time again, the calm lines would be dismissed by staff, which only created a nervous, angry horde and resulted in people who had been waiting for hours not getting the item they so very much wanted.\u201d \u2013 Colleen<br \/>\n\u201cYeah, at some point we gave up on even trying at certain booths because they were so mismanaged.\u201d \u2013 Maddy<br \/>\n<strong>What would you love to see more \/ less of?<\/strong><br \/>\n\u201cMore debut authors being showcased. I love finding a new book from an up-and-coming author that I wouldn&#8217;t find on a normal day. They really showcased <em>Slay <\/em>at this year\u2019s BookCon, which was cool and let me know that book even existed!\u201d \u2013 Maddy<br \/>\n\u201cFewer straight bookstores. I love the small bookbox shops and book-related shops, but selling the same books I can get at a bookstore just takes up space and makes crowds.\u201d \u2013 Maddy<br \/>\n<strong><a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/BookCon2-1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-29946 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/wordpress.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/BookCon2-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"338\" height=\"254\" \/><\/a>What about the big banners that publishers spend so much money on? Do you notice what\u2019s on them?<\/strong><br \/>\n\u201cThey definitely have an impact on me. They\u2019re huge and imposing and you can\u2019t help but notice what\u2019s on them. It\u2019s the first thing you see when you walk in and the last thing you see at the end of the day.\u201d \u2013 Colleen<br \/>\n\u201cWhen you walk in, the posters are the first thing you see. They help get you excited about getting out there, and they give you a sneak peak of what you might find.\u201d \u2013 Maddy<br \/>\n<strong>And what about swag? Did you get any cool stuff?\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n&#8220;I love getting the free swag, I paid a lot for the ticket so I might as well walk away with fun, free stuff. I brought home some fun tote bags and pins and even a mini golden snitch which I love.&#8221; \u2013 Colleen<br \/>\n<strong>Do you have a &#8220;most memorable&#8221; BookCon moment to share?<\/strong><br \/>\n\u201cThe first time I met Sarah J. Maas I almost passed out I was so excited. We had been waiting in line for hours but it didn&#8217;t even matter, because I had such a huge adrenaline rush I forgot to be tired.\u201d \u2013Maddy<br \/>\n\u201cOne of my funniest moments was meeting Booksplosion. They\u2019re a group of three booktubers that I watch all the time and adore. The time I went to their meet and greet, I kind of stood awkwardly in shock while they hugged me and took crazy photos with me. I forgot basically everything I wanted to say, but they were sweet and funny and helped me smile through my nerves. Meeting Sarah J. Maas was incredible too, like Maddy said. I didn\u2019t nearly pass out then, but I definitely would now. She\u2019s like my idol.\u201d \u2013 Colleen<br \/>\n<strong>\u00a0It sounds like you had an amazing time!\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Why do you think this event is so special? <\/strong><br \/>\n\u201cThe whole atmosphere is crazy and surreal. Like you look left and <em>bam<\/em> there\u2019s Morgan Matson just taking a stroll; then you look right and it\u2019s the entire female cast of <em>A Court of Mist and Fury <\/em>in <a href=\"http:\/\/wordpress.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/BookCon1-1.jpeg\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-29945 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/wordpress.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/BookCon1-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"361\" height=\"271\" \/><\/a>cosplay. It\u2019s an incredible experience, and I highly recommend going if you ever get the chance. Bring a friend or two or pull your mom along (that\u2019s what I do\u2014just tell her she can meet a celebrity or two) and enjoy the event!\u201d \u2013 Colleen<br \/>\n\u201cThere is a reason we keep coming back every year. You are immersed in a world of books, a world we all love, and get to experience it in its most extreme and most exhilarating form. It has its flaws of course, but that doesn&#8217;t stop it from being something you look forward to year after year and miss the second it&#8217;s over. It&#8217;s totally worth it!!\u201d \u2013 Maddy<br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\nSee what else BookPeople&#8217;s Teen Press Corps has to say these days: <a href=\"http:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/?p=28894\">What Austin Teens Wish Publishers Knew<\/a><br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<strong>\u00a0<\/strong><br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Talking top titles, new trends, and chaotic lines with two enthusiastic show veterans. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29938","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29938","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29938"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29938\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29938"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29938"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.publishersweekly.com\/blogs\/shelftalker\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29938"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}