Highlights & Lowlights: Author Events / Book Signings

Highlight: Behind-the-scenes info on your favorite books. I love hearing from authors about the writing process. Kristin Cashore's process with Bitterblue was especially interesting to hear. It's always cool to learn more about how the novel came to be, plus more about the novel itself. 

Lowlight: Lines. LINES OF PEOPLE EVERYWHERE. Depending on how famous the author is, things might get a little crazy. And by a little crazy, I mean very crazy. Pushing, shoving, stepping on toes, it can get out hand and a little ridiculous (fortunately, I've experienced very little of this). 

Lowlight: No Seating. Yeah, I'll be the one standing in the back of the room awkwardly trying to hold a huge bag of books. 

Lowlight: You can't hear anything. This tends to only happen at big events, where nothing is done to ensure we can actually hear the author. Or when there's a technical issue with the microphone. 

Highlight: One-on-one time. I actually don't have much to say here. I did chat with Lauren Oliver a way back when she toured for Before I Fall, and that was fun. But even when the crowds are small, I usually have to leave early, so I normally miss out on having a quick chat with authors. But, if you can snag it, chatting with your favorite author (even for a short time) is so much fun! 

Kimberly Derting, Jessi Kirby, Suzanne Young, Sarah Ockler, Shannon Messenger, Morgan Matson

Highlight: Authors. SO MANY AUTHORS. Book signings are a chance to stalk and stare awkwardly at meet your favorite authors and some new-to-you authors. It's fun to be able to put a face and personality to a name, and especially wonderful if the event features more than one author. More authors = more fun.

Lowlight: Social awkwardness. Maybe it's just me, but I'm incredibly awkward at book signings. I usually only know one person, if I'm lucky, and I hardly ever know what to say to the author beyond YOUR BOOK IS SO AMAZING. I usually just stand quietly by them, and mumble something nice...*sighs*

Highlight: Meet other bookworms / have bookish conversations. You're already all there for the same reason, so the book is at least one conversation starter! It's nice being able to talk about the books I love with people who love them, too.

Lowlight: You forget to have an author sign your book. You see that picture with all of the authors? Yes? That is the event where I forgot to ask Morgan Matson to sign my copy of Second Chance Summer. Which I bought, in that bookstore, on that day. I became so overwhelmed with all of the authors, I didn't realize until I was home that I never actually handed it to her to sign. That's one of my many epic book blogger fail moments. *cries*

Highlight: Bookish swag. Author events are the best places to get awesome bookish swag. I attended a Gayle Forman + Jess Rothenburg + Nina LaCour + Stephanie Perkisn event back in 2012, and it was awesome. I went home with cool posters, buttons, and bookmarks! At another event, I received a tote bag. At a Leigh Bardugo event, I snagged some cool buttons! It's a nice thing that authors / publishers / bookstores sometimes do in order to reward people who come out and see the authors.

Lowlight: Q & A's, where you can't ask questions. Some Q&A's are great, but sometimes the questions are so boring and I wish they would allow a few from the audience.

Highlight: Q & A's, where you can ask questions. It's always nice when the audience can ask questions, especially since you never quite know what someone will ask.

Highlight: Finding out what the author's are writing next. And if you're super demanding lucky, they might even share a little excerpt, title, or some other secret information about their next novel.


What are some of your highlights / lowlights for author events? 

Let me know in the comments!