Conventions are fun. Especially book conventions. I have been attending them since 2013 and haven’t stopped since. They’re great because you get the opportunity to see some of your favorites in person and you’re in a room full of people who love to read. While I have had tons of fun attending book conventions, it is not hard to point out there are also some major problems, particularly regarding diversity.
There are tons of diverse authors out there writing great books but when it comes to book conventions, that isn’t being reflected. Just to give you an example, I will be going to a book convention soon and as I looked at the author lineup, I realized that out of the 80 authors in attendance, maybe about one or two was a person of color. That is highly upsetting.
Don’t misunderstand me, there are some book conventions out there trying to do better with including more authors of color on their roster but in 2022 we shouldn’t be having such a hard time seeing more representation. Is it a matter of not knowing who those authors are? Or is it just not doing the research? Whatever the reason, it’s a problem. Thankfully, there is someone out there working to change that with The Rom Con a diverse book convention heading to California.
Our goal is to celebrate the romance genre and to amplify the voices in it which have been historically underrepresented. The Rom Con aims to be more than an event but a space to facilitate professional and personal connections, and to build thriving communities for authors and readers alike.
The Rom Con which was specifically created to recognize a more diverse set of authors is being hosted by Steamy Lit and her co-organizer @cookie.the.bookee. Just to give you some background, Steamy Lit is a Latina-owned online romance bookstore founded by Latinx Book Influencer Mel Gill. The convention is set to be held in Anaheim California in 2023 and I am beyond excited about it.
Time and time again I’ve gone to book conventions and found myself looking around and wondering where the authors of color are. I know they exist because I read and love their books. Unfortunately, we don’t see them enough. Not only that, but we also don’t see enough new authors being recognized and given the chance to attend a signing so that they can show the world they exist. I always say the book world is a two-way street because we can’t have all these great big authors out there who don’t want to do their part to uplift some new ones or ones who are authors of color.
The great thing about the Rom Con event is that the diversity doesn’t just extend to race. It’s also going to highlight authors from the LGBTQ+ community. The lineup of all the authors set to attend is slowly being rolled out as we speak and from what we’ve been told there are going to be over 100. That’s huge. A book convention held in my home state of California is long overdue so I’m looking forward to this.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with stepping out of your comfort zone and learning about new authors. That’s why I think this event will be so great. Do I love seeing the familiar faces I know and love? Of course. But, once upon a time, they too were unknown authors. I’m excited to learn about all of the ones I wasn’t familiar with until now.
Here’s just a few names that have been released for The Rom Con thus far:
- Kimberly Lemming
- Sierra Simone
- A.H. Cunningham
- Andie J. Christopher
- Katrina Jackson
- Christina Lauren
- Hannah Bonam-Young
- Kaye Rockwell
- Adriana Herrera
- Ofelia Martinez
- Alexandria Bellefleur
- Denise Williams
- Falon Ballard
- Sherelle Green
- Nikki Sloane
- Xio Axelrod
- Rebekah Weatherspoon
- Evie Mitchell
- Mia Heintzelman
- Chencia C. Higgins
- Alison Cochrun
- Susan Lee
- Chip Pons
- Tarah Dewitt
- Michelle Mars
- Natalie Cana
- Anita Kelly
- Chloe Liese
- Anastasia Dean
The Rom Con is already looking promising with this list which is still growing. To stay up to date on all the news we highly recommend giving The Rom Con event IG a follow as well as Steamy Lit. Right now, there is a fundraising campaign going on because we all know hosting events of this magnitude can be expensive. If you want to support in any way, check out the links on their page for more information.
Learn more about Rom Con 2023.