My Tips For Attending an Author Event

Hi, lovely readers! This is a special post for a few reasons; 1) I hardly ever come up with ideas for discussion posts, 2) I think this will be really helpful for a lot of avid readers, 3) I haven’t found a lot of posts like this on the web. Today, I’ll be talking about tips for attending an author event/signing/panel, etc. I’ve attending a good amount of events and know what to expect and what to prepare for and I learn something new every time. I hope you learn something from this post!

Preparation

- Depending on how popular the author is or how many books he/she has written, you may want to reserve a seat in the front row. A lot of times, the whole front row is reserved but nobody shows up and they let people sit there. Arriving early is important at any author event to get a decent seat. As for questions, the authors usually pick people from all over the audience.

- Buy the Books! If you don’t own a book by the author or want another one, be sure to purchase it early because sometimes the copies run out really fast. If you’re hesitant about buying a hardcover for the semi-hefty price (I get that way sometimes), just think about how you are supporting the author and/or local bookstore providing the copies.

- Most times at signings, they have people walking around passing out sticky notes for you to write your name or a message in that you want the author to include in their signing. I don’t like fumbling around in my bag and trying to label all my books, so I just do it before I leave for the event. It’s so much easier to just write the note and stick it on the title page and have it ready for the author to sign.

- Talk to readers! I’m not a social butterfly whatsoever, so I was kind of hesitant at first to do this, but it turned out being fantastic to interact with other fans of a book series or novel, etc. Just walk around and casually mention if someone’s read the book, even if they are complete strangers. I met a couple of girls at a recent signing and we got into deep conversation about the Caster Chronicles series and the upcoming movie. It’s especially fun for me because no one in my family reads YA and I don’t have many friends that do, and I am always eager to discuss the latest books with people.

- This sort of goes along the same lines as the last tip, but you should bring some friends! I go to a lot of events by myself but it is always more fun with a friend who has also read the author’s books or wants to.

During the Event

- Bring a camera! I love taking pictures of authors when they are answering questions or having a conversation. However, if you want to take photos during the event, definitely get a seat towards the front or else you might not get good shots. Taking photos helps capture the memory of the event, which is always great!

- Ask questions! Authors love it when you ask them new or unusual questions. Just be sure that your question has a purpose. Don’t ask pointless questions; it just wastes the author’s time. Its always very fulfilling having your question answered. I know that I sometimes feel like I shouldn’t ask a question because everyone’s eyes in the audience immediately avert to you, and that is uncomfortable to me. But it is well worth it because all of the other people looking at you probably feel the same way. So go for it!

- Take Notes! This helps, especially if you are an aspiring author like myself. Whenever the author cracks a funny joke or says something that strikes you as especially significant, write it down! Over time, you can collect valuable advice from author speeches and conversations. Its simple and easy just to bring a pad of paper and a pen and jot some things down!

- If you have books to get signed, then you might want to leave the event a few minutes before the author is done speaking and when he/she is wrapping everything up/answering the last questions and stand in line. When the event is actually over (depending on the popularity of the author), the line is usually 10-20 people long.

After the Event (The Signing)

- Talk to people in line! This passes the time while you are waiting to get signed and you also learn some fascinating stuff about the readers and maybe even the book.

- Treat the authors like a regular person. This is important so that you don’t end up choking up in front of the author and wasting the short time you have to greet the author. They are rather extraordinary for writing and publishing their book, in my opinion. However, they are normal people like you or me and they like it when you talk to them casually like they are a new acquaintance/friend.

- Be Unique! Sometimes I just like my full name signed but sometimes not. If I have done an interview with an author and introduce myself at the signing, they usually include something about that in their message. You can write a special message that’s personalized on your sticky note to make it more unique.

- If you ask for a photo of the author when you are getting your book signed, they usually don’t mind. Its always a good idea to do this to share with your friends and tell them you met your favorite author!

Thanks for reading my tips and I hope they help you in your next visit to an author event!

Please let me know in the comments if you have any extra tips that I didn’t include or questions!

 

 

Discussion: Insta-Love in YA

If you are at all familiar with the Young Adult genre, then you know have heard of this. Insta-love. I don’t know if that’s what everyone calls it but it seems to describe it pretty well for me. While I haven’t read many books out of the YA genre, I know that insta-love is a lot less present in adult fiction/literary fiction, etc. I’d just like to say that even with this discussion, YA remains my favorite genre of books. But what’s up with insta-love?!

Just last week, my friend Allie, who sometimes posts on this blog, and I were browsing the shelves at her local Barnes and Noble. We were discussing what books she’s read and I want to read and so on. There were several times that I saw books that I would recommend, but I know Allie shares my dislike of insta-love, and there were so many books that had it! Even she told me I might not like some because of that. And then we got into a conversation about the irritating goblin that is insta-love, and how it sneaks its way into books that would otherwise be four or five star-worthy.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think insta-love is somehow becoming more apparent. These past few weeks, I have been careful to evaluate books before I read them to see if they have it in them, it irritates me so. What I don’t understand is why the author can’t just take their time and let a relationship grow gradually? Especially if the book is a series. As a writer myself, I can kind of understand the urgency to write down the love you know your characters will have. I always tell myself that the story will turn out amazingly better if I let the relationship between two characters grow slowly.

Insta-love, when I see it in books, always costs the book one or sometimes even two stars in the rating. I hate to do that because, in some cases, the book would be wonderful in every other way than that. I feel like in reviews, I should warn readers with big and bold text, saying “BEWARE THE INSTA-LOVE”.

The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it sounds that two people can fall in love so quickly. Sometimes I’m even taken aback by it. I was, definitely, when I finished reading Romeo and Juliet, and I found myself thinking  “Why do people think this is the best love story in history?”. It was terrible! How could they die for each other after only knowing themselves for a week or so?! How could they call that even a remotely good love story? The worst case of insta-love I’ve read so far and I hope I don’t come across anything worse.

While I know we all love reading about blossoming love in YA, why does insta-love have to happen so much?

What are your thoughts on insta-love? I would love to hear them in the comments!

 

 

Discussion: Location, Location, Location!

Something I think that people don’t realize a lot of the time is the importance of a book’s location/setting. While we read a book, we are focused mainly on the characters and their endeavors.  The question we should ask ourselves is how does the location influence the characters themselves?

Especially in Young Adult literature, I’ve noticed, the settings seem to be a little bit more strange and unique. The book I’m reading right now, On a Dark Wing by: Jordan Dane inspired this post. It takes place in different places in Alaska and the mountains and snow play a crucial part in the events. It’s strangely fascinating to me how such an inanimate thing as location can have such an effect on the people in the story.

     Locations also have a direct link to the feelings and emotions of a book, in some cases. For instance, the book Jane Eyre took place in a really bleak English countryside and moors. This reflected Jane’s personality a lot. Some things that attribute to this are so small we might not even notice it. Like, if someone is pointing out how an American flag is flapping freely in the wind. And the situation they are in has them trapped, it offers further comprehension to their emotional state and therefore, more connection to the characters.

Please let me know what you think about the locations of books in the comments!

Discussion: Tips for Reading More

If you are a blogger, or simply an avid reader, I'm sure this has been a question on your mind at one  time or another; How do we read better and more often? I have a few tips that I have found work for me and I hope they can work for you too!


1. Keep your books close.
 This just means to keep the books you are reading or just your pile of to-read books close to someplace you sit often, like your desk or your bed. That way, the books are there to tempt you and you see them every time you sit down/ get up.

2.   Every minute counts.

Using spare minutes here and there to read, I’ve found, adds up to a lot at the end of the day.  Read when you are waiting in line at the coffee shop, or while you are trying to fall asleep at night.  There are lots of other little times during the day you could use to read a few pages.

3.  Inform yourself.

The more you know about a book you are reading, the more likely you are to read it faster and enjoy it more. Reading non-spoilery reviews on books is a great way to set the mood for that book.  Or reading character/author interviews, participating in author chats and chatting on Twitter about the book.


4. Get comfortable.

Sometimes reading in an uncomfortable environment or position can cause you to want to put down what you’re reading and move somewhere else. The key is to get cozy and sit in your favorite armchair (or whatever you are comfortable sitting in) and make sure there isn’t any noise before you open that book. Chances are you will be so comfortable you won’t get distracted at all from it.

5. Discuss.

This one is even hard for me sometimes. Find someone in your family who wants to read the same book you do and discuss it as you go along. You can also join chats on Twitter and find someone interested in the book.  Book clubs are a great way to track your reading and discuss as well. There are online book clubs to get involved in as well. I will link one or two at the end of this post.

6. Schedule.

If you write a schedule to read for a certain amount of time at a designated time of day, you might be more motivated to read. The schedule doesn’t have to be set in stone. You know your reading habits better than anyone else. That will help you create a flexible schedule and hopefully be faithful to it.

Online book clubs:

Forbidden Book Club
Teen Reads

That is the last of my Tips for Reading More! I hope this helps you. In the comments, I would love to hear any of your tips you'd like to share!