BookCon — What to Expect, Who to See, and Why It Matters for Readers

In this special episode of Lit with Lara Ashley, Lara Ashley takes you inside the world of BookCon; one of the most exciting events in the book community where readers, authors, and publishers come together.

Whether you’re planning to attend or just curious about what happens behind the scenes, this episode breaks down everything you need to know: from author panels and book signings to navigating the event like a pro and making the most of your experience.

Lara shares what she’s most excited about, how to prepare, and why events like BookCon are so important for building connection in a space that’s often experienced alone.

You’ll also hear insights pulled from the official FAQs, tips for first-time attendees, and ways to engage with the community — even if you’re not there in person.

If you’ve ever wanted to step deeper into the book world, this episode is your guide.

Grab your favorite drink, settle in, and let’s talk BookCon.

This episode was lit. ✨

Transcript

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Hey friends, and welcome back to Lit with Laura Ashley. This is your cozy corner of the internet where we talk about books, stories, and the spaces where those stories come to life. So wherever you are, getting ready for the day, walking, cleaning, or just taking a moment for yourself, go ahead and grab your favorite drink and settle in. Because today's episode is a little different and very exciting. We are talking all about BookCon. What it is, what you can expect, who you should look out for, and why events like this matter so much for readers, writers, and the entire book community. And also, I'll be there, which that makes this even more special. So let's start with the basics. BookCon is one of the biggest book and publishing events where readers, authors, publishers, and creators come together in one space. And what I love most about it is that it's not just about books, it's about connection, discovery, and access. You're in a space where authors are speaking, readers are engaging, publishers are showcasing what's next. It's like stepping inside the book world instead of just observing it from the outside. I think sometimes we underestimate how important it is to be in rooms like this. Because reading is often solitary. You read alone, you process alone, you reflect alone. But BookCon reminds you, you are a part of a community. There are people who love the same genres as you, who are excited about the same releases, and who are discovering stories the same way you are. And there's something so powerful about seeing that in real life. Now, if you're like me and you're planning to attend, or even just a little curious, here's what you can expect. There are loads of author panels. You'll see conversations with authors about their books, their writing process, their inspirations, and what's coming next. This is where you get insights you don't get from just reading the book. Book signings. This is your chance to meet authors, get your books signed, and have real conversations. And those moments, they stay with you. Then there are the publisher book booths. You'll see upcoming releases, exclusive editions, and free book drops if you're lucky. This is where you discover books you didn't even know you needed. And then, of course, the live conversations, the panels, interviews, and discussions that bring books to life in a different way. It's storytelling, but spoken. Now, let's talk about everyone's favorite thing, authors and talks. This is where you plug in names from the side. Scripted like this when you fill it in. One thing I'm especially excited about is seeing authors like insert your favorite one. One of mine is definitely the author. I know I'm gonna say his name wrong. Saman, who does the school of good and evil. He'll be there to like sign books. And I'm hoping to get a little bit of a fangirl moment and get to take pictures with him and stuff, which I know probably is not the best thing ever. Definitely cringe, but I'm so excited to see him for sure. And then, of course, another one is one of my favorites, Meg Cabot, who wrote The Princess Diaries. She is doing a panel, one of the last panels on Friday, and she'll be discussing about her inspirations, where she got it from, and why she still continues to write. Because if you're like me, you read The Princess Diaries when you were like 11 or 12, and now at 35, she's still writing. And someone like that who has such a huge fandom and such a huge will of inspiration and world building, I cannot wait to hear what she has to talk about. No one of the authors that I wanted to get uh a reservation to get to see her is Tracy Dion, who wrote the Legend Born series. So upset that I couldn't get a reservation to see her, but I hear that one of her panels is gonna be really good. Of course, Legendborn is the trilogy of some of the best world building and remakings of the King Author series. And especially coming from a black woman, I really wanted to hear her perspectives on everything. I know I'm not the only one who also didn't get it. Please comment below and tell me how excited you were to get it. And if you were somebody who got a ticket, a reservation, I secretly hate you. But please comment below when you go and let us know what you learned and discovered because I think her world building, especially from the UNC Chapel Hill University perspective, is so interesting. And I really wanted to hear more about it. So that's one of the ones I really wanted to get. But say la vie. And to me, this is where BookCon really shines. It's not just about selling books, it's about the conversations. Now, let's talk about some of the frequent answer and question section that they had. So, some of the things that I saw, what should you bring? Duh, comfortable shoes, a bag for books, duh. One I know I'm one of the people who got one of the merch, the big tote green bag that said book con on it. Because, girl, if you know you know, and let's be honest, bring your energy because this is gonna be two full days, if you got the whole weekend, of just Disney vibe version of books. This is the elite of the elite of the elite. So, girl, bring your cute tennis shoes and you might need to bring some band-aids because you might be getting some blisters, gonna be running and screaming, trying to get to your favorite author. I know I will be. Hashtag no shame. How early should you arrive? Honestly, it's earlier than you think, especially if there are authors you really want to see. I think the earlier the better. Get your Starbucks ready or whatever local coffee, which is we're gonna be in New York, so there's gonna be so many that you feel like you need to get because it's going to be a long day. I know I'm definitely gonna be one of those people that's gonna have protein bars in my water bottle bottle on deck because it's going to be in freaking sane. Do you need to plan your day? Yes, girl. But loosely, pick your must-see moments and leave room for discovery because some of the best moments are unexpected. I know I want to get there as early as possible to kind of wander around in the indie alley. There's so many amazing indie authors that I have on my bookshelf, which, if you know, you know from one of my previous episodes from the cleaning, spring cleaning episode. But girl, there's so many more that I need to find. And the indie alley, I feel like it's going to be one of those things that I'm just gonna be sipping and strolling and having a good old time, discovering and finding and spending all of my coin on new books and everything like that. So I do, of course, have my reservations, my times, you know, are very like secured, but I also left a lot of room to be able to discover some of the indie authors that will be there, the booths, some of the publishing houses and stuff, too. Because even though I'm very excited to see some of my favorite authors and talk about books upon books upon books with my, you know, book community, I also want to leave enough time to kind of discover new things. Because in that, that's the best part about being a book lover, is that there's always so many things that there's to discover and to do and everything like that. And I kind of just want to take a little stroll and have some fun before the chaos kind of starts. So I would love if everyone does does the same thing. There's so many authors that we haven't heard of too that we want to meet and greet and hear about what they do and how they got their start and their world building. I'm a big fan of world building, and I want to leave enough time to discover more things. So for me personally, attending BookCon feels like stepping into something I've been building quietly. I've been reading, recording, writing, reflecting. And now I get to be in a space where all of that exists out loud. And I'm really excited about that. I'm so excited about meeting new authors, connecting with readers, and just be present in the community because these are my people. If you're going to BookCon, let me know. If there are authors you want me to check out, panels you want me to attend, or books you want me to bring back and talk about, send them my way. This is something we can experience together and have all kinds of fun. So I'm excited about the trip and I'm excited about going to New York. New York is one of my favorite places on earth, and I'm excited to be among my people. So once again, thank you for spending time with me on Lit with Laura Ashley. Whether you're attending BookCon or just listening for from wherever you are, you are a part of this community, and that matters. I'm Laura Ashley, and this episode was so lit.