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I don’t know what’s going on lately, but for some reason, there have been more and more reports of Dash Con Ball Pit book events. In case you don’t know the term, it was coined after a tragically mismanaged event that happened in 2014. The event resulted in a meme of a kiddy pool filled with balls in an otherwise empty convention space. The meme and the term have since been used as a stand in for an absolute poop show of a convention.

As someone who works in the book world, I frequent book signings and conventions a few times per year. I’ve heard some horror stories about a few of these events. Attendees and vendors spend a lot of money on airfare and accommodation to attend- not to mention tickets or table fees for the conventions themselves. I don’t have cash to burn, so I’ve been meticulous about vetting any event that I plan to go to. I’m happy to say that all the events I have attended have run smoothly, and were well worth my investments. This includes new events, or ones being run by new management. If you’re curious, the bookish events I attended in the last year have included Author Nation, Norwescon, ECRW in Seattle, LitRPG Con, and Seattle Worldcon. 

So how do you know if an event is going to be great? 

Long running events, held in the same location every year, are usually a good bet. Unless something major happens, like the event being sold to a new company, you can feel pretty safe about attending. 

If the event is new, or if the management is new, check out the website. If there is no website, you might want to skip the event altogether. I’ve made exceptions for small events in my hometown. As long as the price of admission is under 25 bucks or so, the stakes won’t be very high. It’s also likely that the event is more of a community builder than a cash grab from a snake oil salesman. I would take a chance on it. In the past, I haven’t been disappointed. 

Hopefully the website has some information about the organizers of the event. If they have bios that mention other events they’ve been a part of, great! Otherwise, look for a large team. If many people are involved, you can rest assured that the event isn’t being planned by just one person. It would be a bummer if the success of an event hinged on just one responsible party who could come down with Covid during the week of the event. This happened at one event in 2024. The fact that many authors and attendees were infected by the irresponsible organizer was just the tip of the iceburg. Do a Google search for Readers Take Denver if you want to hear the extent of it.

If you are attending a book event as a professional, look for the names of any friends or colleagues featured on the event’s website or social media pages. Reach out to them and mention your plans to attend. You may get some insight on the organizers. I did this once for a signing last year. I found out that my friend was no longer attending, but their name and profile was highlighted on the website many months after they had cancelled. This was a big enough red flag for me as I was planning on traveling out of state to attend the event. Maybe that was just a glitch, but I feel that if an organizer can’t be bothered to update their website to reflect accurate information, they aren’t trying very hard.

Another thing professionals should look for are social media posts about the event. The phrase “if you book them they will come” (Wayne’s World II reference) doesn’t work in the real world. If the organizers aren’t promoting the event, they may be trying to earn a quick buck from the authors and vendors who spend hundreds of dollars for a table. 

On the other hand, there have been instances of book events being too popular. Over the summer, a large bookstore in London hosted an annual event with author signings. The event attracted way too many attendees for the amount of space and staff in the store. Some of these attendees described the event as chaotic and dangerous. Crowds of people blocked stairways and elevators, and no staff members handled crowd control. This event wasn’t new, so it’s anybody’s guess as to what happened there. Maybe corporate greed was the culprit?

The price of admission for book events can vary wildly. As far as ticket prices go, many cost a modest $15-$25 for a half-day event, or around $100 for a three day weekend. Others cost over $400 for a weekend of author signings, cocktail mixers, and a ball. Attending professionals might get a discount or might not. They may even get in free, or they may have to pay a steep price for a table or half table. This all depends on the type of event and the type of organization running it. There are a lot of fantastic book events out there. They can be a great way to discover new authors (or new readers), make friends, and have fun. Just do your research before reaching for your credit card.

Thanks for reading!

Rebecca H. Lee

You can visit my narration website at becksvoice.com

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