Decide Your BookCon Journey
With a show as big as BookCon, it can be difficult narrowing down what programming you want to see and be a part of. Luckily for you, we have a solution…
With our Decide Your BookCon Journey page, you’ll be able to see curated lists of exhibitors, panels and happenings based on your favorite book genres. While these won’t be comprehensive offerings of all that you can find at BookCon, we hope that it is at least a good starting point for planning your weekend at the show!
Romantasy
For those that prefer a hefty dose of romance with their fantasy, check out these BookCon offerings, brought to you by Kingdom of Threads and Sourcebooks.
Exhibitors
- Kingdom of Threads, located in Hall 3 at Booth 255
Some of our favorite products of theirs:
- Sourcebooks, located in Hall 3 at Booth 421
A staff favorite read is Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube
- Darling Embers (Hall 3, Booth 561)
- The Well Red Damsel (Hall 3, Booth 407)
- M.C. Studios (Hall 3, Booth 338)
- Rosiethorns88 (Hall 1A, Booth 1418)
- Dead Wrath and Beyond (Hall 1A, Booth 1031)
Panels
- We Pledge Allegiance to Your Vibes: How to Create the Perfect Atmosphere
- Saturday, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM, Room 1A01-02
- World Building and How It Shapes the Romance in Romantasy
- Saturday, 1:45 PM – 2:45 PM, Room 1A23-24
- Romance in Fantastical Realms: A Spell-Binding Look at Love in YA Fantasy and Speculative Fiction
- Sunday, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Room 1A21-22
- Into the World of Romantasy: Exploring the Marriage Between Genres
- Sunday, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM, Room 405
Indie Authors
- O’Junea Brown at Table G-6 (Hall 1A-1B)
- Frankie Diane Mallis at Table G-13 (Hall 1A-1B)
Mystery & True Crime
For those that prefer the eeriness and intrigue of a good mystery or crime novel, check out these BookCon offerings, brought to you by Sourcebooks.
Exhibitors
- Sourcebooks, located in Hall 3 at Booth 421
Some staff favorites from Sourcebooks? The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton and The Dead Husband Cookbook by Danielle Valentine!
- Salty Girl Books (Hall 1A, Booth 1038)
- Critical Kit (Hall 1A, Booth 1142)
- Bold Strokes Books (Hall 1A, Booth 1411)
Panels
- Murder, She Wrote: Thriller Writing and the Art of Suspense
- Saturday, 12:45 PM – 1:45 PM, Room 408-410
- Killer Plots: Writing a Thriller Worth Dying For
- Sunday, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM, Room 1A23-24
- The Perfect Spot for Murder
- Sunday, 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM, Room 402
Indie Authors
- Desiree Peralta at Table C-3 (Hall 1A-1B)
- Scarlett Rosewood at Table C-12 (Hall 1A-1B)
Fantasy
For those that appreciate the escapism offered by fantasy books, check out these BookCon offerings, brought to you by World of Trash.
Exhibitors
- World of Trash, located in Hall 1A-1B at Booth 1139
Trash theme, top-tier taste. Grab glorious garbage, send FREE postcards, take a FREE copy of The Everlight Archives (a perfect subway read).
- Forest & Fawn (Hall 3, Booth 344)
- Want to join a community of readers who love fantasy just like you do? Forest & Fawn has just the retreat for that!
- Magic: The Gathering (Hall 3, Booth 429)
- Author Seanan McGuire will be appearing at the Magic: The Gathering booth for an exclusive signing! You can get a copy of their book Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos here.
- Velvet Hammer (Hall 3, Booth 340)
- The Wild Marigold (Hall 3, Booth 541)
Panels
- Give That Girl a Sword!
- Saturday, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Room 409
- The Worlds That Could Be
- Saturday, 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM, Room 408-410
- This is Going to Be Epic: A Look at High Fantasy Fiction
- Sunday, 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM, Room 408-410
- The Alchemy of YA and New Adult Fantasy
- Sunday, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM, Room 405
Indie Authors
Lia Ramirez at Table A-19 (Hall 1A-1B)
Horror
Exhibitors
- Squirrelly Stitcher (Hall 1A, Booth 1207)
- Cozy flannels featuring patches from horror media
- Midnight Factory Press (Hall 1A, Booth 1425)
- Independent comics publisher specializing in tales of horror, sci-fi, and the bizarre
- Joseph Pesavento Books (Hall 1A-1B, Booth 1404)
- Novelist and short story writer of haunting and terrifying stories
- Sigma Comics (Hall 3, Booth 464)
- Independent comics publishers creating stories to fight against the horrors of animal mistreatment
Panels
- It Was Love at First Fright
- Saturday, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Room 402
- Queer Sci-Fi & Horror Meetup
- Saturday, 3:00 PM - 3:30 PM, Room 1A23-24
- Horror as a Mirror, Horror as Escape: How Lived Experiences Shape Fictional Fears
- Saturday, 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM, Room 405
- I’m in Love with a Monster
- Saturday, 4:45 PM - 5:45 PM, Room 1A23-24
- Dancing with the Dark: Creating Atmospheric Stories with a Critical Lens in Dark Academia, Horror, and Fantasy
- Sunday, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Room 1A01-02
- Queer Horror: Then and Now
- Sunday, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM, Room 402
- Explore Hall 1A-1B where you can find indie authors specializing in horror such as Ryen Santana (Table D-16) and Beatrice Lebrun (Table A-13) as well as bookstores like The Green Dragon Bookshop (Booth 1303)
- Sunday, 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Hall 1A-1B
Queer Lit
Exhibitors
- Meloria (Hall 1A-1B, Booth 1130)
- Jewelry, armor, and accessory shop specializing in the witchy, weird, and queer
- Rainbow Crate (Hall 1A-1B, Booth 1426)
- Book subscription box that creates beautiful editions of queer books
- Indigo Maiden (Hall 1A-1B, Booth 1125)
- Queer, woman-owned sticker and gift brand blending snarky humor and radical values
- The Blank Slate Shop (Hall 1A-1B, Booth 1242)
- An independent bookstore where queer creativity, Dominican magic, and bookish passion come together
Panels
- Classic Retellings with a Modern Twist
- Saturday, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Room 1A01-02
- The Power of Storytelling: The Joy of Queer Escapism and A Celebration of Trans and NB Voices
- Saturday, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Room 1A23-24
- Never Leaving the Cottage: A Heated Rivalry Meetup
- Saturday, 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM, Room 403
- Screaming Into the Void: Why Queer Fans Turned to Fanfiction & Created a Community
- Saturday, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Room 409
- You Had Me at Hockey: A Look at One of Sports Romance’s Hottest Genres
- Sunday, 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Room 405
- Queer Bingo by Epic Reads
- Sunday, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM, Room 409
- Queer Horror: Then and Now
- Sunday, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM, Room 402
- Exploring Futures Beyond Our Own: How Sci-Fi Can Speak to Our Present
- Sunday, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Room 1A23-24
Romance
Exhibitors
- INK Games Publishing (Hall 3, Booth 411)
- Luxury special-edition romance puzzles, tarot decks, and collectible games
- Romance Writers of America (Hall 3, Booth 559)
- Nonprofit trade association enabling the networking and advocacy of romance writers
- Calli (Hall 3, Booth 211)
- Find your next book hangover cure through binge-worthy Stacks curated by top romance influencers
- Steamy Lit (Hall 3, Booth 545)
- A romance literary collective that celebrates diversity in the romance community through 3 bookstores and 2 subscriptions services.
- The Last Chapter Book Shop (Level 1, Booth 1313)
- Step into The Last Chapter Book Shop, where every romance reader finds their heart's desire!
Panels
- Explore Hall 3 where you can find vendors like Blissfully Bookish (Booth 505) and Threaded By Sabrina (Booth 303)
- Saturday, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
- Getting to Second Base and Beyond: The Winning Thrills of Sports Romance
- Saturday, 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM, Room 1A21-22
- Rewriting the Rules of Romance and Fandom
- Saturday, 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM, Room 402
- First Loves, Next Chapters: A Look at YA and New Adult Romance
- Saturday, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM, Room 1A01-02
- Explore Hall 1A-1B where you can find indie romance authors like Paulette Stout (Table G-12) and Rose Staine (Table D-10)
- Sunday, 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
- The Language of Love: Crafting Your Favorite Romance Reads
- Sunday, 12:45 PM - 1:45 PM, Room 405
- Dynamic Duos: Successful Stories of Writing Pairs
- Sunday, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Room 1A03-1A05
- Creating Swoon-Worthy Romance Across Subgenres: A Look at Setting and Tone
- Sunday, 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM, Room 1A21-22
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