Writing a novel and reading one are generally considered solitary activities, but at BookCon it’s the common thread that brought 25,000 attendees together.
There were 250 authors and 260 exhibitors from across the country spread out on three floors of the Jacob Javits Center for the two-day event.
Johanne Vidola flew from Charlotte, North Carolina to be at BookCon in New York City. She says she feels like reading got extremely popular during the pandemic. In an effort to connect with others, waves of book reviews and live reactions to scenes in popular novels popped up on social media.
“It's been so cool to see people on social media and things like that. I mean, I don't have a Bookstagram, but I follow a lot of book influencers, so it's been really cool to see them,” Vidola said.
Rhode Island-based author, Carrissa Broadbent, said she got her start through social media in 2022. Her bestselling "Crowns of Nyaxia" romance and fantasy series picked up traction on Instagram, known by fans as “Bookstagram” and TikTok, referred to as “BookTok” by readers.
“I feel like it made reading so much more of a communal activity,” Broadbent said. “Even aside from conventions like this, where people are getting together in person, there's so much discussion about books, like people wanting to share things like rebinds that they do or artwork. It just became so much more of a communal kind of fandom activity and it's really amazing to see.”
Salem, Massachusetts author Codie Crowley said she likes that social media posts can lead readers to her work, so fans can meet her in person.
“I do work in Salem, which really helps because we have so many visitors come to Salem and a lot of them see my posts online. They come in and they meet me and they have their books and I get to sign them. So I get to meet a lot of people that way and it's really cool,” Crowley said.
New England outdoors influences storytelling
Another aspect of the writing process authors discussed at the convention is what it takes to build the world they imagine.
For Carrissa Broadbent, she said being outdoors in Rhode Island and writing in nature sparks her creativity.
“A couple of days ago, I stepped outside and I was like, ‘oh, I just feel so much more creative.’ Like, you step outside and look at the ocean and feel the sunlight. I think that nature is just such a big part of how so many authors get inspired and we have such beautiful nature,” Broadbent said.
That’s also true for Amherst author Cassandra Clare, known for her bestselling series The Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices Trilogy. Clare said the natural landscapes in western Massachusetts have some influence in her stories, particularly in her upcoming novel, “The Last King of Faerie.”
“So, I live on a pond that has a waterfall. And so I've now experienced this waterfall in all of its different seasons. You know, when it's covered in ice, in the summer when it's pouring over, when it's spring and there's flowers around it. And so I incorporated that waterfall into something she could [my character] can see from her window to mark the passing of seasons,” Clare said. “Because that's how I mark the passing of seasons.”
Fellow Amherst author, Holly Black, said the folkloric elements of living in western Massachusetts have inspired her work.
Black is best known for the Folk of the Air Series, including The Cruel Prince, which many readers brought with them for her to sign. She said her latest novels Book of Night and Thief of Night are set in western Massachusetts.
“It's just a mention, but there were these people who you could hire to bring goats to mow your lawn,” Black said. “My friend tried to hire them to bring the goats to mow her lawn. But they were told that the goats wouldn't cross a bridge, which is like the most weird and kind of folkloric thing I could imagine. So, those non-complying, lawn mowing goats made it into the book.”
And New Hampshire author Jodi Picoult has often used the setting of New England towns to explore complex issues in her novels. She deems herself a “New Hampshire girl” and said she is most drawn to the New Englander’s commitment to community.
“Not many places have what we still have in New England, which is a town center, right? So, it's a post office, a church, a school, right? I love that whatever it is about New Englanders, they've worked really hard to preserve that mom and pop feeling you, that center, that central community feeling. I just don't think there's another place in America like it,” Picoult said.
Missteps and successes
This was BookCon’s first year back and some readers have taken to Instagram and TikTok to complain about overcrowding, long lines that wrapped around booths, limited exclusive book drops (also known as advanced readers’ copies), and a lack of accessibility for disabled folks. Organizers admit there were some missteps.
Kristina Rogers is the vice president of Reedpop, the company that owns BookCon. She said her list of complaints is “very long.”
“We're definitely looking at ways that we can improve and work together with brands and publishers on the floor to make sure that these lines and drops and exclusives are held in a safe way,” Rogers said.
While these New England authors had lots of fans to see and panels to participate in, they kept their cool, navigating the convention’s first run back. Being able to meet with their readers, they say, is the best part of their job.
And they reminded us why we read books in the first place. The shared desire to connect.