Here’s what typical fans say who have gone and go again:
- Meet my favorite author.
- Learn about potentially new favorite authors.
- Get free books.
- Buy books.
- Get author autographs.
- Enjoy learning about various genres, trends, and lots of crime fiction fun topics by sitting in on panel discussions and Q&A sessions.
- Enjoy informal conversations with authors and fellow crime fiction fans in hotel bar, lobby, and lounge areas.
- Meet new friends from around the country who love crime fiction books like I do and to catch up with old friends met at previous conferences.
- Enjoy fun activities that have a crime fiction theme.
- Travel to a new or favorite city area to include some site-seeing.
- It’s all fun! Going on your own or going with a fellow mystery pal.
Five Reasons to Go to a Mystery Conference. (A short video by an enthusiastic author and fan. I’ve never heard of her before, but I can totally agree with all of her 5 points.)
Examples of what different people have experienced at mystery conferences:
- George Easter, editor of Deadly Pleasures, has attended Bouchercon for many years and puts a major premium on renewed friendships and talking with friends who he trusts to give him a good recommendation for the latest crop of mysteries. Read his “report” of going to the Bouchercon 2022 event.
- Khristopher Zgorski, another superfan book blogger and reviewer, describes his 2015 experience at Malice Domestic.
- “Cheryl” on Goodreads started a thread about what she experienced at Bouchercon 2009. Read it here.
- Ali Karim, UK superfan, and an editor at Shots Crime and Thriller E-Zine, described his first Bouchercon experience in 2003. Later Ali became involved in helping to organize subsequent Bouchercon events.
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