35 BEST THINGS ABOUT BOOKYCON 2022
THIS YEARS TOP INNOVATIVE BOOK FAIR FOR WRITERS, PUBLISHERS, SMALL BUSINESSES, AND READERS
A new and innovative concept has stormed the book publishing world: fantastically bookish virtual events delivering the community, networking and fandom that readers, authors and publishers crave!
BookyCon 2022 was a huge success. But don’t worry if you missed it, because here are the 35 Best Things About BookyCon 2022 (and why you don’t want to miss the next one!)
WHAT IS BOOKYCON?
BookyCon is a bookish event held in the metaverse – that’s right, it is 100% virtual! Whether you’re a reader or writer, plus everything in between, this is the event that brings us all together!
WHAT HAPPENED AT BOOKYCON 2022?
Authors, publishers, agents, small businesses, and readers attended the five-hour-long networking event. Friends were made, contacts were shared, and everyone agrees that it was a fun and innovative event that will change the publishing industry for the better.
Imagine if everyone had access to meet and greet their favorite authors, discover new books, and socialize, all without leaving their home! Not only was this event accessible to readers all over the world, but it was also tailored for book lovers! The multiple lounge areas, games, silent reading room, and meet-and-greets felt like everything I didn’t know I needed.
Read what CEO and co-founder Brant Menswar has to say below.
"BookyCon was an overwhelming success! We maxed out our registrations at 3000 attendees and live streamed directly to more than 350,000 book club members. Our mission at BookyCall is to build community around books. That community now includes the metaverse! The virtual platform allowed readers to see many more of their favorite authors than possible at a live in-person event. We are already planning BookyCon 2023 and are excited about pushing even more innovation in the publishing world."
- Brant Menswar
"bookycon was an awesome experience. Everything was run really well, and it was fun to get to connect with readings and aspiring authors!"
- KayLynn Flanders
35 BEST THINGS ABOUT BOOKY CON 2022
#35 The Custom Library Co.
The Custom Library Co. attended the event and even had a booth!
This amazing bookish shop features custom book boxes, prints, quotes, and a variety of downloadables.
Click HERE to see the shop.
#34 Blind Date Quest
Attendees of BookyCon 2022 hopped onto the Booky Call app to play Blind Date Quest.
Swiping on the app eventually led players to a blank screen. After swiping right, players were then matched with the “blind date” and given 20% off the book!
Books can get expensive… who doesn’t love a discount?!
#33 Bestselling Author Erica Spindler
Erica Spindler is a bestselling author of thirty thriller and suspense novels. She took to the main stage at BookyCon, where mystery fans were able to learn all about her inspiration, hobbies, and books.
She also hung out in the mystery/thriller lounge and fans were ecstatic to talk to their favorite author on a more personal level.
Check out some of her most popular books:
#32 Where's Boo? Scavenger hunt
“Boo” is the mascot for Booky Call, and he was hidden 11 times around the virtual convention space.
I was only able to find 7 Boo’s. Some were hiding on walls, in corners, and behind the booths.
#31 Bestselling Author Danielle Prescod
Author of Token Black Girl: A Memoir, Danielle Prescod sat at the non-fiction lovers’ stage and hung out with fans at the Hemingway Fireplace.
Besides being a successful writer, she also runs her own business. Her mission is to help fashion and beauty leaders with their anti-racism journey.
#30 AUSTEN FIREPLACE
One of the many casual hangout spots was the Austen Fireplace.
BookyCon 2022 guests could relax, chat with other readers, and even meet-and-greet with some amazing authors!
#29 HEMINGWAY FIREPLACE
Not far from the Austen Fireplace was the Hemingway Fireplace.
Similar in style, the Hemingway Fireplace offered a relaxing refuge from all of the excitement.
#28 Bestselling Author Christopher Rice
Christopher Rice is a bestselling author of many popular books in Romance, Mystery, and Thriller. He has published books alongside his mother, Anne Rice, who is also a bestselling author.
After enrapturing fans on the main stage, he hung out in the Romance lounge.
Check out some of Christopher Rice’s books:
#27 POETRY READINGS
In addition to hearing from a ton of incredible authors, BookyCon 2022 also brought in four poets.
Sabrina Benaim, Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre, Siaara Freeman, and Neil Hilborn graced us with live readings of their own works.
Button Poetry sponsored this part of the event. They are currently the largest provider of poetry and performance media.
#26 Swipe Right Contest
Every book featured at BookyCon was listed on the Booky Call app.
Authors had the chance to be crowned the winner if their book had the most amount of right swipes.
The winners were:
- “Service That Rocks” by Jim Knight
- “Tempest Rising” by J. Kenner
- “Code Name: Sentinel” by Sawyer Bennett
- “Dating Dr. Dil” by Nisha Sharma
- “Don’t Hate the Player” by Alexis Nedd
Click on the titles of the books to go to Amazon and see why these books garnered so much attention.
#25 Bestselling Author Kristen Proby
Kristen Proby has written over 40 stories and many of them have hit the bestsellers lists. Although mostly self-published, she also works with a division of Harper Collins -> William Morrow.
See some of her most popular books here:
#24 Independent Book Publishers Association
The Independent Book Publishers Association had its own exhibition book at BookyCon 2022.
With a rep standing by and a clickable sign to lead to their website, guests were able to easily learn more about this organization and everything they do for authors.
Click these links to see their website and social media.
#23 Bestselling Author James Dashner
You know about The Maze Runner series, right? Not only is it a very popular book series, but it is also a great movie adaptation!
After wowing fans on the main stage, he went to the Young Adult lounge and held a meet-and-greet. Having James Dashner at BookyCon 2022 was easily one of the top highlights!
#22 Book Influencer Jaysen Headley
On the Young Adult stage was Jaysen Headly.
He is the author of fun YA books such as Mythos, A Love Story for Witches, and A Home for Wizards.
Not only is he an author, but he is also a book influencer popular on Instagram and Twitter. Check out his channels for bookish news and recommendations.
Visit jaysenheadleywrites.com for more!
#20 Florida Authors and Publishers Association
As a born and raised Miami woman, the Florida Authors and Publishers Association booth really stood out to me.
Their mission is to provide high-quality resources and information to anyone interested in publishing and writing. They are a nonprofit organization, so membership prices are EXTREMELY affordable. Their networking opportunities are perfect for all aspiring writers and small bookish businesses.
#19 ROMANCE LOUNGE
So many great authors hung out in the Romance Lounge after being on the main romance stage. See the line-up below:
- Christopher Rice
- Kristen Ashley
- Lexi Blake
- Nisha Sharma
- Jennifer Probst
- Kristen Proby
- Elise Faber
- Carol Van Den Hende
- Dylan Allen
- Lana Dash
Do you recognize any of these authors? Find them on Amazon and social media to learn more about them and buy their books!
#18 YOUNG ADULT LOUNGE
The young adult lounge featured authors such as:
- Alexis Nedd
- Emelia Ares
- Lee Wind
- Jean Alicia Elster
- Sasha Alsberg
- Brittany Wang
- James Dashner
- Erin Beaty
- KayLynn Flanders
- Laura Taylor Namey
#17 MYSTERY/THRILLER LOUNGE
The mystery/ thriller genre isn’t really my “thing”. In fact, I actively avoid all media (books, shows, movies, and events) that might give me nightmares.
However, that didn’t stop me from wandering over to their lounge for a few minutes to see who was hanging out. Authors like Emily Myers, Colleen McKeegan, and Alana Sommers made appearances, which made the mystery/thriller fans very happy!
#16 FANTASY LOUNGE
The fantasy lounge is where I spent most of my time. Talking to other people who are interested in Fae, magic, and enemies-to-lovers was fulfilling to my soul.
It was also a great learning experience! The authors who ran many of the discussions shared their inspirations, writing struggles, favorite and least favorite characters, and what they plan to do next.
The authors that hung out in the fantasy lounge include Sherrilyn Kenyon, Valerie Willis, and CR Rice.
#15 Brant and Jim
Brant and Jim are the founders of Booky Call and BookyCon. They took a very active role in this event. Not only did they both make themselves available to talk with everyone, but they also led interviews and discussions.
Brant and Jim also took the time to talk to me via video chat after all of the excitement was winding down. They told me about the process of putting an event like this together – apparently, it was six months of tireless work.
We also talked about how cool it was that some top bestselling authors attended and interacted with guests.
Brant and Jim are creating an innovative experience that will launch the publishing industry into a new era. We haven’t seen groundbreaking growth like this since Kindle came out.
I am personally very excited to see what Brant and Jim are going to do next.
#14 CREATING AN AVATAR
Creating an avatar was so simple and cute! It is made up of two photos: One is a headshot of yourself, and the other is a square image of a book you are currently reading or your favorite book.
I used the Books4Movies logo as the “body” of my avatar.
My avatar did look very cute 😉
#13 Nicole and Hayley
Nicole and Haley run the social media platforms for Booky Call. Not only were they at the festival, they were also extremely active on social media.
Posts were shared, comments were responded to, and DM conversations were flowing. They managed this all while being active in the metaverse event.
I had the privilege of video chatting with Nicole at the end of the event. She is so incredibly sweet, intelligent, and helpful. Like all other staff members of Booky Call, she truly believes in this innovative and exciting concept.
#12 Bestselling Author Sherrilyn Kenyon
You probably know Sherrilyn Kenyon for her bestselling Dark Hunter series.
She was a guest author at BookyCon 2022 and I had the absolute privilege of being able to talk to her on a video call with a few other book lovers.
I asked her a ton of (probably slightly annoying) questions about her writing process, characters, and how she felt about publishing books now as opposed to thirty years ago when she first started.
Check out some of her books here:
#11 Women in Publishing Summit
The Women in Publishing Summit is the biggest event for women in the publishing industry. Like BookyCon 2022, it is a virtual event, which means anyone, from anywhere in the world, can attend.
They had a booth at BookyCon and a representative was always nearby to give out more information and network with book lovers.
The next event will be March 1-4 of 2023. There will be over 40 workshops tailored to publishers, writers, small bookish businesses, marketers, influencers, and just about everyone involved in the book industry.
Click HERE to register for the next Women in Publishing Event!
#10 AUTHOR MORGAN GAUTHIER
If you follow Books4Movies here or on Instagram, you’ve most likely seen Morgan Gauthier come up multiple times.
She is an author in the Order Of The Bookish program, and one of my closest bookish friends.
Morgan really went above and beyond by hosting the Q&A for the Fantasy Stage.
Morgan Gauthier is the author of the Wolves of Adalore series, as well as The Main Attraction and Aloha, Seattle.
#9 THE Exhibits
Along one of the back walls of the virtual convention center was a line-up of book businesses.
Each had an easy link to their website, and a representative standing nearby if you had questions or just wanted to chat.
The exhibits included:
- 4 Horseman Publications
- The Custom Library Co.
- Florida Authors and Publishers Association
- Women in Publishing Summit
- Independent Book Publishers Association
#8 The 4 Horseman Publications
4 Horsemen Publications is a mid-sized, women-owned publishing company. Their team is fully there for you through ever part of your writing, publishing, and marketing journey.
Click HERE to check out their website and read more about how they help authors!
#7 THE BAR
There were two Book Club Bars at BookyCon 2022.
These were relaxing spots where you could chat with like-minded book lovers, participate in book discussions, and play trivia!
#6 TRIVIA
Trivia? For books? At a virtual bar? This was one of the top highlights of the event! There are fewer things cooler than winning (or even losing) at book trivia.
#5 THE SILENT READING LOUNGE
The silent reading lounge offered a quiet corner for introverts who needed a little escape.
I was having so much fun wandering around and talking to people, so I didn’t feel the need to use it, but it was an amazing area!
The creators of BookyCon really did a great job of providing multiple spaces and options for all types of book lovers.
#4 CONNECTING WITH BUSINESSES
There were so many amazing bookish companies at BookyCon!
In attendance were publishers, brands, influencers, and artists… the opportunities to connect were endless. I didn’t have time to talk to most of them, but the people and companies that I did chat with will be friends and allies for a long time to come.
Networking opportunities like this don’t come around often, so if you are a bookish brand or business, you HAVE TO attend the next BookyCon!
#3 TOP NOTCH GRAPHICS AND TECHNOLOGY
The event space was so well put together that it was even better than a physical book fair or conference.
The graphics were clear and the technology was perfect.
Not once did I have any technical issues, but tech support was spread throughout the virtual conference center and on-call for anything that might have happened.
The option to video chat OR direct message anyone was very cool. Even more great was the option to ignore requests. I only had to ignore one video request because I was in the middle of eating, but I was able to chat with them later.
It was also very convenient to easily hop between rooms and lounges. With interactive schedules spread out all over the virtual conference center, all I had to do was click on a location, and my avatar would be immediately transported.
It was so much better than walking!
#2 BESTSELLING AUTHOR Jennifer L. Armentrout
Bestselling fantasy author Jennifer L. Armentrout closed the show on the main stage at BookyCon. The founders, Brant and Jim, asked her a ton of great questions about her books, and about her interests and inspirations.
Jennifer is an amazing writer and popular authors. Here are her books that you should check out now:
#1 An introverted book lovers paradise
Many of us book lovers and authors are hard-core introverts. It can be emotionally and mentally draining to attend events and fairs to promote your business, book, or even attend Q&As.
BookyCon solves every problem a book-loving introvert has ever had by being 100% virtual.
With the freedom to move between spaces, talk to whomever you want, or just relax in the silent reading corner, book lovers won’t feel stressed at this event. And what’s even better is that you can log in and out whenever you want.
Normal book fairs have long lines, loud noises, booths and stages spread so far apart, limited seating, and it can be a nuisance to leave and come back in. But we don’t have to worry about any of that with BookyCon.
This really is an introverted book lovers paradise!
HOW BOOKYCON CAN IMPROVE IN THE FUTURE...
The two things that I, personally, believe BookyCon should do better is…. be longer! And have more events!
Okay, so, not really a criticism. However, the event was five hours long, and before starting, I assumed it would feel like it was dragging on forever, but the time passed all too quickly. Like any festival and event, there are always things that you plan to do, but can never get to.
A few of the things that I missed out on include:
- trivia at the “bar”
- the silent reading lounge
- the scavenger hunt
- talking with a rep for the Florida Authors and Publishers Association
- Meeting a few of my favorite authors (there was just so much to do, I lost track of time!)
There was just so much to do, and so many amazing people to talk to, that it was difficult to fit everything in.
" BookyCon was an amazing experience, and I was honored to be the fantasy stage host. I loved being able to meet incredible authors from the comfort of my own home. Nicole Talbott and her team are the best of the best and I can't wait to attend the next one!"
- Morgan Gauthier
WHAT IS BOOKY CALL?
Booky Call is like Tinder, but for books!
Swipe right to “match” with a book, or left if it doesn’t interest you. The books that you match with will show up in your message center. There, you can learn more about it, and even buy it!
Booky Call makes shopping for books easy and exciting. And it’s free to download!