Veronica Roth Book Talk & Signing = Disappointment

Note: These are my thoughts and opinions alone. You have the right to have your own beliefs and may disagree with my thoughts if you see fit. 

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As a reader and a blogger I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many amazing homegrown and international authors. I’ve traveled interstate, spent hours on trains and waited in lines until my feet felt like they would drop off. And you know what? I’ve never minded. It’s been worth it. Every. Single Time. Until now.....

On Tuesday I left work early and traveled towards the city to the Seymour Centre to see Veronica Roth, an event organized by the Sydney Writers Festival as part of their YA celebrations but despite my excitement and anticipation, I found it to be such a disappointing experience.

Veronica herself was an absolute delight to hear speak. She was animated and funny and very eloquent in her answers to the questions she was asked. I can’t fault her or the interviewer Amelia Lush kept the talk fun and enjoyable....but the experience after the Q&A was what truly left me feeling disheartened. 

Having paid $20 for my ticket ($40 if you count the one for my mother who traveled with me the hour and a half on the train and who was sick as a dog) I was expecting to get my books signed. I’d logged them on the train and having seen the event was promoted by the organizers as a talk and signing afterwards I was super excited about meeting Veronica and getting my babies signed.

So in saying that, I expected there would be a line. I expected to wait. It’s the name of the game and I’ll never complain about waiting in line alongside other devoted readers to see an author. I’ve personally had some wonderful times and discussions with other fans as we excitedly waited to see our beloved author. I knew other fans would be in the same position as me and didn’t want anything more or less than them.

What disappointed me about my experience at this Seymour Centre signing was that there was an excessive number of people standing in line (for what I’m sure was HOURS) and who were told they would only be able to get ONE book signed. As I've mentioned waiting in line wasn't something I expected to be concerned about this, but I feel like this talk and signing was done very wrong and this is why.....

This was a TICKETED event, meaning SWF sold tickets and knew how many people were attending. Given the amount of people who attended, they would have known BEFOREHAND the limitations that would rise when Veronica has to sign.

I cannot commend the brave and determined fans who stood in line and dutifully waited until they were able to get their one book signed enough. Given that I still had a long train ride home and had to work the next morning I simply couldn’t stay personally which in a sense broke my heart. I was really excited to meet Veronica and as such I truly don’t feel it was fair for this event to be held the way it was.

I feel like in this instance the industry and even the publication house did fans a dishonor with this event. Instead of selling tickets to a big crowd who would then be forced to line up for their single signed book, why couldn’t a number of smaller events be held? I understand authors have time limitations and given that Veronica comes from overseas I can only imagine how much she was already scheduled to do but surely there could have been a way to avoid this occurrence.

Given that book signings are a privilege not a right, I am beyond grateful for each and every author, traditionally published or independently published who have taken the time to hold signings. Yet the disappointment I felt over this event will stay with me for some time.

Perhaps it was a money grab as I do somewhat believe it to be—perhaps it was not—but either way this Veronica Roth event was a huge disappointment for me and I feel could have been handled better from many aspects as far as I was concerned.

Though it will not stop me from attending future talks and signings in the future, I felt the need to share my thoughts with my followers and other readers about my experience. Hopefully the future events I attend with be somewhat better and not leave me so disappointed and disheartened.