So I had heard about this year’s Book Con situation between a fan and Tracy Deonn on Book Tok, and I have some thoughts.
For those who don’t know, this girl who is pretty well known on Book Tok, she posted a video of her interacting with Tracy Deonn, and the girl was explaining (pretty nervously) how much of a fan she was, how nervous she was, and she had asked Tracy a question. The fan handed Tracy what looked like a blank sheet of paper. To which, I don’t think Tracy had heard her clearly, so she interrupted the fan and asked her what she should sign, about the blank paper. And that was when this online uproar against Tracy started. The fan then took it a step further to post another video (then deleted) about having the worst experience meeting her favorite author.
My thing is, I understand Tracy Deonn’s point of view the most. As an author who has done a few signings early in my career, it’s difficult to get people (let alone hundreds) to come to your booth and be excited for your book to be signed. It’s awesome to get that one-on-one time with your fans about your work, and put faces to names who love your work so much.
However…
Signings are either really good or really draining. Imagine, you’re an author who has to not only get up super early before everyone else to set up your table, make sure you eat breakfast or lunch, get your mind, body and soul right before meeting a bunch of fans all at the same time. People are screaming your name, you have less than five minutes to keep the line moving because you want to get to everyone who came to see you. Squeezing in a picture? Good luck! Sometimes you won’t have time for that. You’re sitting in a booth all day; yes, you can leave, wander around to other booths, chat with some authors. But for the most part, it’s just you, your fans and the books. ALL. DAY.
It’s exhausting! After a while, some of the faces start to blur and look the same. So sorry if I don’t want to smile at everyone that crosses my path. I’m happy to see them, but dangit I’m tired!
Also, I get the feeling that the fan who posted the video knew what she was doing. She knew that posting a short clip of Tracy Deonn —frowning, confused at signing a blank paper, cutting her off from sharing her feelings—was going to stir up the internet to spread hate. She knew that sharing the video would have the haters attack her with no context, because that’s how people are. Mean, nasty, disgusting, cruel, racist, mysoginistic. It’s no wonder that most authors check out of social media entirely and let their teams handle that. It’s too much!
However…
I do think there is a lesson to be learned from all of this. Give authors some grace. You don’t know what they’re going through. Le’s just say that Tracy was deliberately rude to the girl. Does that mean she deserved to have sent d**** threats and nasty comments about her? Absolutely not!! No, just say you had a bad experience and keep it pushing. It also doesn’t help that Tracy cancelled some of her later signings after this happened.
Authors owe you nothing but their best work. It shouldn’t have to come with the price of their mental wellbeing.
Comment below! What do you think of this situation with Tracy Deonn and the fan at Book Con?
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Thanks for reading,
I had seen some discourse over “author behavior” but didn’t know what it was about, but this just seems silly.
Also I am kind of in favor of people getting cut off from gushing since the one time I went to BookCon I didn’t even get to see an author I was in line for because she spent too long talking to all the people first in line that the rest of us were told time was up and to get lost. After I bought a required book for the signing that I didn’t even get to have signed! Like I know everyone was to go on for twenty minutes to these authors, but unfortunately there is a line of other people, as well.
Hi Briana! 🙂 I’m so sorry that happened to you and on your first trip to Book Con. I’ve never been to Book Con before, but I can only imagine how hard it is to not to see your favorite author and get their book signed, staying in line for hours!
Also the whole thing does seem silly. I hate that hate is being spread towards Tracy for something she had no control over.
Yes! The author wasn’t even rude! People will get upset about anything apparently . . .
Exactly!