By now most bookish folk and others have heard about the inaugural A Million Lives Book Festival held at the Baltimore Convention Center last Friday and Saturday. To recap: according to participating authors and attendees many promises were made and almost all of them were broken.
As outreach director and co-organizer for The Write Women Book Fest scheduled to host its 6th event Saturday, July 19 & Sunday, July 20 of this year at the Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center in Bowie, Maryland, U.S.A., my reaction to the feedback being shared about A Million Lives is nightmarish. Even though we aren't connected to it in any way or familiar with the event organizer or her company, our completely unrelated event has felt some minor residual effects because people are worried. And that's an understandable reaction.
Even during the best of times no one wants to risk their money and other resources or waste their energy. And for too many people this is the opposite of the best of times. Yet authors are still writing, publishing and engaging with the public. Readers are still reading, buying and hyping books and their favorite authors. They're still investing their money, time and effort in attending events that feature books and authors.
In the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area the highest benchmarks for excellence in talented authors, enthusiastic readers and dynamic events that meet and exceed promises made along with stellar execution are the norm. Some examples: 20+ years of BARR (Black Authors & Readers Rock), Mahogany Books events hosted throughout the year - most recently former First Lady Michelle Obama's conversation with Ms. Tina Knowles about her memoir, Matriarch; year-round events and community engagement hosted by Loyalty Books, Charm City Romanticon, Maryland Romance Writers, Mountains Wanted Publishing events in Annapolis, all kinds of events hosted by Prince George's County Memorial Library System and Anne Arundel County Library... and one of my personal all-time favorite book events was the Popular Romance Fiction: The Literature of Hope Conference hosted at Yale University in 2023 - Ms. Beverly Jenkins, Roxane Gay, Adriana Herrera, Mary Bly (Eloisa James), the sisters who own The Ripped Bodice Bookstores, Alyssa Cole Zoomed in and so many more intellectual, academic, entrepreneurial and successful publishing industry heavyweights. This is the caliber of book events that inspire The Write Women Book Fest.
Like many self-pubbed, indie, small press and mid-list authors, the miniscule, dedicated TWWBF team works other jobs full-time and self-funds our author expenses. As authors we empathized with the disappointed A Million Lives participants who spent hundreds of dollars (or more) on travel and accommodations, pricey event venue parking for those who drove, books ordered and shipped, swag, leave taken from their reliable paycheck jobs, and anticipation for a successful experience that delivered failure. Kudos to the participating authors who listed trauma bonding with others as a plus.
The spectacular failure of the A Million Lives Book Festival has been covered by local and major media outlets in the U.S. and other countries. What if smaller successful events like The Write Women Book Fest received even a fraction of such coverage with a positive spin instead of a negative one? What if the major news outlets got inspired to observe a designated "good news only" time frame each week like V Spehar does with their Under the Desk News? Would people feel more encouraged? Would the dedicated organizers and hosts of modest community events that inspire and support creativity and making personal connections to foster and deepen a sense of human solidarity feel seen and appreciated and motivated to continue?
Who knows?
But finding out seems worth the effort.
If there's a book event or bookstore that's hosted joyful experiences that you've attended, please mention them in the comments.
I'll start: TWWBF 's first 4 years were at Marietta House Museum, a PG Parks & Rec property with a dedicated, knowledgeable team that provided all of the support we needed; they set us up to succeed, so much so that we outgrew that venue. The team at the Prince George's County Memorial Library System has also offered years of practical support and encouragement. Same with the Barnes & Noble Booksellers at the Bowie Town Center. They're our local bookstore and they invest in the success of local authors with their year-round schedule of events, store inventory and displays. EC Poetry & Prose has been with us since year one to elevate our programming with the award-winning, highly acclaimed work of their outstanding roster of talent. And shoutouts to all of the TWWBF participants past and present who embody the core reasons we've succeeded and grown every year since our first in 2019. TWWBF2023 was our first year at the Bowie Comfort Inn & Conference Center, which we chose because we knew BARR had been there for years until they outgrew it. Their team knows how to execute a successful book event. Appreciation to Michelle Fewer, host of Charm City Romanticon and a generous person who's always willing to share her proven event planning strategies with us, and previous TWWBF participating author Calla Claire who mentioned our event in such positive terms in her thoughtful video commentary about AMLBF. Kait Disney-Leugers, too! They're magnificent examples of the caliber of the authors and creatives who participate in The Write Women Book Fest.
If I didn't mention you by name, please forgive me. I appreciate you. It's 71 days until TWWBF2025 starts and my brain is already half mush.
Always wishing you good health, peace of mind & joy!
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