JENN McKINLAY: Usually when I go to conferences, they are writer centric, meaning there are workshops and panels about craft and the business of publishing, etc and so forth. RAGT - which stands for Reader & Author Get Together - is not that.
RAGT, founded nineteen years ago by New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster, is exactly what it says it is -- an annual reader and author get together described by Lori as "a fan-friendly event meant for readers, and open to everyone, readers, authors, and industry alike. The event also raises funds for many local causes."
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| Lori Foster, founder of RAGT |
Run by Lori and an amazing crew of volunteers (truly awesome people) this year the RAGT attendees raised $37,340 for Cancer Free Kids. It's impossible not to feel good about a gathering like this.
Also, there are SHENANIGANS and for those of you who know my assistant Christie Conlee, you won't be surprised to learn she was the emcee of this year's event and the chief shenaniganator as seen here in her gown and tiara in the fire truck (yes, there was a fire but it was contained quickly and no one missed a step as the party rolled on).
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| Christie, our emcee and fire department ambassador |
There were so many activities, interviews, signings, and parties (so many parties!) there truly was something for everyone in attendance. And for me, personally, it was a chance to reconnect with old friends, make new ones, and meet my readers, which is always a delight. Here are some pics to give you a sense of the event:
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| Signing with my long time bestie Lori Wilde with help from our assistant Christie Conlee. (Lori introduced me to Christie years ago). |
 The crowd! 400+ attendees!  |
| Being interviewed by Lori Foster, just an all around lovely, funny, big hearted person and a terrific writer. |
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| Meeting readers! So many readers! Delightful!!! |
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| Visitng the hilarious boardroom hosted by Priscilla Olivers, Regina Kyle, Naima Simone, and Sonali Dev (dirty doodles, I'm just saying). These are just a few of the many, many, many photos - I could go on - but I'll spare you. You're welcome! All of this to say, I hadn't been to a reader centric event before and I have decided I actually prefer it to the author centric ones. The parties were epic and I still had plenty of time to talk business with my author friends. So, how about it Reds and Readers, do you prefer writer centric conferences or reader centric ones? Can you think of any that you've attended that had a good mix of both? What do you look for in a conference as a writer or a reader? |
Since I am not a writer, the reader-writer event would be preferable. The first one I attended was RomCon 2013 in Colorado Springs. It was an enjoyable experience even if the main theme was not what I expected. I attended the 2018 RomanticTimes BookLovers Convention in Dallas, TX. Little did I know it was to be their last one. It was much larger than the first one and had options for every reader's taste. It was a wonderful experience. I recently attended another reader/author event which will remain unnamed. It could have been very good, but was terribly disorganized and left many who attended unhappy and disappointed. These events, if done like the first 2, are a good opportunity for readers and authors to interact and "get to know each other" a bit better. Authors get feedback and readers get to ask questions. They are expensive to attend for both readers and authors, but can be so worth it.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Patricia. It helps to know what you're walking into at these events! The one that shall not be named had so much potential. *sigh*
DeleteThis sounds like a delightful time. How have I not heard of this conference before?
ReplyDeleteThat's what I said! It was wonderful.
DeleteI would expect a successful conference to have a good mix of both reader and author activities, but I would think that having everyone to walk away happy would be the ultimate goal . . . .
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely.
DeleteConventions with a mix of events for authors and readers are probably the best of both worlds. However, for me personally, I think reader-centric events are probably more my speed since I'm not in the midst of trying to break in as a writer.
ReplyDeleteI liked it being reader centric much more than I thought I would.
DeleteThe mystery conferences I usually go to are Bouchercon (since 1992) and Left Coast Crime (since 2000).
ReplyDeleteBut I do remember going once to a one-day event called Men of Mystery in Irvine, California. Over 50 male crime writers did a speed-round of elevator pitches & readings. There were more one-on-one meet-&-greet at smaller tables with book giveaways and signings.
They have been running Men of Mystery for over 20 years in southern California. I checked the web site. This year's event is taking place on September 28, 2024 in Long Beach.
https://www.menofmystery.org/
I have nover heard of this one! Huh.
DeleteI’ve presented at the Women of Mystery event at the same place. A one day thing but great attendance. In fact several conferences in Southern Cal get large audiences but no chance for just hanging out
DeleteThe Men of Mystery (MoM) event I went to included lunch, so the readers did get to eat together with 1-2 authors/small table. But since the event ended at 2 or 3 pm, so there was no opportunity to socialize afterwards.
DeleteAnd I remember they compressed the MoM event as a 2-hour morning session at the 2014 Long Beach Bouchercon.
Grace, I've been going to Bouchercon a year longer than you! My first was in Pasadena in '91.
DeleteWhat a great event (and how do I get invited, LOL)! I love shenanigans AND costumes. Mix that in with meeting fans and seeing author pals and it sounds perfect. At the SINC 30th celebration our chapter held, I was SINCNE president I was able to crown each SINC and SINCNE luminary (aka goddess) with a tiara, including Hallie and Hank. I put mine on in my office if I'm having a tough writing day or need courage. It helps!
ReplyDeleteA couple of times there have been cozy author-fan meetups arranged at Bouchercon, at least one by Ellen Byron in New Orleans. The Wicked Authors made up branded paper fans to give away (did I say New Orleans?) and readers were SO excited to meet us, especially because many years the convention gives short shrift to our genre. Malice Domestic is a good mix of fans and authors, although the only costumes are hats at the tea, which I rarely attend these days.
The Kensington Cozy Cons run in the last few years by our fabulous publicist Larissa are also completely fan-based. I attended one last month in a nearby town that was well-attended (except by Jay, who was sad he couldn't make it) and loved schmoozing with readers all day.
I am jealous of the COxy COns by Kensington - they seem like a hoot!
DeleteI enjoy both, although I attend more reader conventions these days. I must admit, I've never heard of RAGT before.
ReplyDeleteI think it leans romance which is why most of us haven't heard of it. I am still playing catch up in that genre.
Deletewhat fun Jenn! Was this pitched toward romance readers and authors? My favorite reader event has to be the book festival that was run by Mystery Lovers Bookshop in Oakmont PA. All the writers were introduced to the audience and then...they shopped and shopped and chatted and shopped. It was amazing!
ReplyDeleteIt was pitched towards romance but I signed hundreds of copies of cozy mysteries so...
DeleteLucy, every time Tara and Kristy, the current owners of Mystery Lovers, turn around someone is saying, "Oh, we loved the Festival of Mystery." If they had the staff/money to bring it back, I'm sure they would.
DeleteJenn, RAGT = Romance Author's Get Together? Right?
ReplyDeleteIt looks like it was great fun. The tiaras are a nice touch for a bunch of Queens of romance.
I would consider attending a couple of writer/reader conferences a year, budget permitting. I don't really have a preference at this point since I have only attended NE Crime Bake one time. I am considering attending the big one in Denver next year.
From the Facebook fan group that follows romance narrator Shane East, I know that there are several romance writer conferences where narrators attend as well as authors, and they do workshops, too, where listeners get to swoon over their sexy voices.
One of our family friends has been involved in planning some type of fantasy conference near Boston every year and a sci-fy/fantasy writer in our family attends several conferences every year, including one last fall in Connecticut.
Because I read many different genres, but mostly have on-line relationships with mystery writers, I will probably stick with opportunities to meet them for now.
It's Reader Author Get Together because it's really geared towards readers but it does lean toward romance authors because Lori Foster is a romance writer and runs it. The Shaneacs (sp?) - LOL. I love that. I will have to look up the Boston sci fic/fantasy conference for when my cozy fantasy comes out. Fun!!!
DeleteFangirling about Sonali Dev, whose work I discovered in the last couple years!
ReplyDeleteTiaras? Shenanigans? Books and book lovers? What's not to love here?
I so agree with Lucy about the Mystery Lovers Bookshop's Festival of Books! It was grand fun. I met another Lipstick Chronicles backblogger (for the first time) for it one year, and we shared a hotel room and had the best-ever time going to the festival and hanging out with Nancy Martin and other authors from the blog. Including Louise Penny, who was one of the later participants of TLC. The owners of MLB were gracious and entertaining hosts who knew how to help authors succeed.
I did the Oakmont gathering once and loved it. Sonali Dev and I met years ago - she is one of my fave rom com/wom fic authors. Sooooo good.
DeleteThis event was one of my favorites! I did it almost every year after Malice and a fun road trip with Marcia Talley and friends. We spent the night at her house then drove the Turnpike
DeleteMarcia would be a fun road trip partner, Rhys!
DeleteJenn, I have really enjoyed Sonali's peeks into the Indian culture as it's evolved in the US, as much as the romance/relationship parts.
I agree, Karen. It has been fun reading rom coms by authors from different cultures. I have learned a lot about other cultural attitudes and mores from reading fiction.
DeleteFrom Diana: Author Reader get together sounds like fun, Jenn! I have only been to Malice Domestic, Left Coast Crime and Bouchercon. Are they writer centric or reader centric?
ReplyDeleteWhat are my favorite parts? Finding books from book bag and book room that are rarely discovered in the library or bookstores. Meeting authors. Before the pandemic, I had Oral English translators who would translate what the authors said. It meant I could lip read them instead of trying to limp read the new authors. I loved the speed dating where I got to meet the Debut Authors and learn about their books. And some of the swags were fantastic! And with the Oral interpreters, the panels were wonderful!. That was at Malice Domestic, right outside Washington DC.
Tried to get Oral interpreters for Bouchercon and Canada said they only provide sign language interpreters. At Left Coast Crime in Canada, again they only provided sign language interpreters who were actually trainees training to become interpreters. By chance, there was a lady who was a professional intepreter and she interpreted for some of the panels. I was in San Diego for the Left Coast Crime for only one day and flew home the day of the lockdown!
After the Pandemic lock down, it was sign language interpreters since we wear masks. I still wear masks most of the time. Luckily, an author friend in San Diego got Sign Language interpreters for a day at the Bouchercon. It was wonderful because I got to see the Jacqueline Winspear interview with Hank! I did let Hank know in advance about the Sign Language interpreters.
Wow! This was a long comment from me!
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DeleteDIANA: I looked at the RAGT website and schedule of events, and to me, there is a big difference between RAGT and the annual mystery conferences that you and I have attended.
DeleteRAGT 2024 DID NOT have a series of concurrent hourly panel sessions, GOH interviews, which comprises the bulk of each day's schedule at Bouchercon, Malice or LCC, followed by optional social events in the evenings. Instead, RAGT had lots of book signings, fun parties and smaller meetups to chat with authors directly.
And in recent years, I have found Bouchercon is getting too large and there is not a lot of opportunity to socialize with authors beyond the book signings following the panels. You don't really get a chance to chat with authors during the speed-dating events since you only a short time to listen to their spiel & maybe ask a question before they move on to the next table. I like the new authors breakfast since it provides a better opportunity to chat with a few debut authors.
Some conferences have gotten really big. I try to go in keeping my expectations low but then I get to befriend Eriq La Salle and it's all good.
DeleteJENN: You described the Eriq La Salle meetups at San Diego Bouchercon on JRW. They certainly were memorable, lol.
DeleteFrom Diana: Thank you, Grace and Jenn! Before I went to my first Bouchercon, I was warned by an author that it was very big! Personally Left Coast Crime and Malice Domestic are the right fit for me. I went to my first Bouchercon because it was in Canada. And San Diego because my BFF lives there. Grace, I get what you mean about opportunities at Bouchercon. To my surprise the Bouchercon in San Diego was set up differently and I wonder how it was for people in wheelchairs. The book room sales and the Hospitality room were all in the SAME big room!
DeleteJust recalled that the Hospitality Room at Bouchercon in Toronto was bigger and I remember the Book Room was one Big Room with many more authors and many more book dealers? At Bouchercon in Toronto one night after the panels, some of us got to have drinks with Jenn and Kate. I took photos. That bouchercon in Toronto was wonderful! I never got sick.
At my first Malice Domestic, I went to the new authors breakfast with the Oral interpreters and that was wonderful! Hope there will be Sign Language interpreters at the next Malice Domestic so I can go!
From Diana: Yes, I remember Eriq La Salle! I loved your story about meeting him at Bouchercon in San Diego, Jenn. When I met him, I asked him if he was the actor from St. Elsewhere or ER because I could not recall which tv show. He was patient and said he was on ER. These days I do not watch tv except for Acorn TV.
DeleteWhat I loved about New England Crimebake was how accessible all of the authors were all of the time. If I have to choose one conference, it will be one where I can hang out with authors like Edith, Jenn, Lucy and Debs for hours at a time!
DeleteFrom Diana: Thank you for the reminder, Judy! One of these days I would love to visit New England Crime Bake. Someone told me there would be captioning at that conference.
DeleteAs a reader, I seem to have learned about all these conferences in the past few years. Most of the ones I’ve been hearing about are writer centric. This reader centric one seems more my speed. Are there others?
ReplyDeleteI loved that episode of The Big Bang Theory where Amy gets a tiara!
I think there are others but they're weirdly hard to find. I just heard about ApollyCon and now I want to go to that one. I also heard it's the third and last year for Bookapalooza (Colleen Hoover's Houston event) so they come and they go.
DeleteThere have been several 1-day annual conferences in the NE USA this spring.
DeleteAnd I forgot to mention the MOTIVE mystery festival that took place in Toronto this past weekend on June 7-9. It was the third (?) year that MOTIVE has taken place. This year's event had a good mixture of US headliners (Walter Mosley, Kellye Garrett), European and Canadian authors.
https://festivalofauthors.ca/motive-2024-authors/
I loved that episode of BBT, too, Brenda.
DeleteHadn't heard of this event, but you guys look like you are having way too much fun! Are you sure it's legal? LOL - How can I find out more about future events?
ReplyDeleteI think we need a database! Yes, it was ridiculously fun!
DeleteHow fun Jenn! The pictures are great and there never are too many. I've never been to a writer's/readers workshop but now maybe I will - looks like a great time.
ReplyDeleteThere may or may not be pictures of me on a dance floor with a cupcake hat - just sayin' :)
DeleteI used to go to RT conventions. They were great for me as I won several of their awards but I never enjoyed them the way I love Malice and LCC as these people are not my crowd. I like feeling at home
ReplyDeleteI won an award at the last RT. It was fun but there was an air of sadness as it was announced to be the last during the award ceremony.
DeleteSO hilarious! You are an incredibly good sport, and you look SO happy! I keep wondering--HOW do those amazing readers pack all those costumes? (And I hope you get to take a nap soon....)
ReplyDeleteSo many memories of the Festival of Mystery! I admit to only attending once, even though it is literally right next door to me, because I wasn't part of the "scene" before that. And then it unfortunately stopped.
ReplyDeleteI love cons where I can meet readers and talk books. Then again, I love the ones where I go to learn craft and business. It all depends on my goals at the moment.
I would love watching the costumes. But I'm not much of a costume-girl myself. I could do a tiara though.
I’ve never been to any of those events. If I could afford it, I think I would prefer reader-writer events. I enjoy talking with people who like the same authors and books that I like!
ReplyDeleteDebRo
I think there's something to be said about each kind - I had an amazing time a couple tears back when Jessica Ellicott and I went to the Novelists, Inc. conference in St. Pete, Fl. It was all business, all the time, plus parties and karaoke in the evenings. I also enjoy writers-and-readers get-togethers like Bouchercon and Malice. RAGT looks like it's on a WHOLE different level, though!
ReplyDeleteYears back, although I guess it was also a couple tears back as well! :-D
DeleteJenn, that looks like a blast! And I want to know where those ladies get their fabulous costumes!
ReplyDeleteI love both, too! But there's a special thrill about meeting readers.
ReplyDelete