These authors were sold a romantic conference. Instead, they obtained the FYRE festival for the world of books

Imagine you wear your clothes to the finest fictional football, just to find yourself standing on the concrete floor of a huge conference hall, just decorated with rose petals.

Welcome to the Lives Book Festival. What has been described as a romantic conference Lotktok for independent authors and book lovers is now comparing it by floundering necklace events like Guess a festival and DashkkkonAfter a flood of social media publications, the attendees painted a picture of a confusing and disappointing event.

Some authors say they exceed thousands of dollars after the transfer of transportation and goods books to Baltimore, Maryland, of the event, which was held from 2 to 3 May at the Baltimore Conference Center, and the inability to recover costs.

The festival was supposed to include the “ideal event for the formation of more friends of books” on the organizer’s Archer Management, and it includes the hall of sellers, paintings, content creation room, Meetups CosPlay and a competition, as well as a fictional football for those who bought VIP tickets at $ 250 each.

But although many authors say they were said to have 500 tickets were sold, they reported their reception with fewer guests of authors and a barren conference hall instead of the promised ball.

Perci Jay, who writes romance and imagination books, called “Willy Wonka experience but with books”, in Tiktok, referring to the 2024 Glasgow event that caused a stir after the location of the realistic warehouse in the upgrading of AI’s images used to announce it.

“I went out for this,” the author, from Texas, He said. “I planned to become pregnant about this event like a clown.”

The organizer apologizes for the event issues

Grace Wilus, organizer behind Archer Management, post Video statement Through the TIKTOK page of the events planning company on the weekend, she apologizes for the ball “has not been prepared according to the standards.”

“If you want to recover money, please contact me and I will make you update immediately,” she said.

Archer Management, also known as Archer Fantasy Events, apologized for the entire event and stated that the recovered amounts are being treated automatically.

After confirming the receipt of the CBC News request for comment, Artcher shared a new statement on Tiktok on Tuesday evening. He did not respond to other requests to comment.

“We take full responsibility for the way in which AML was dealt with,” the last of which is statement Read, with Remix from Nirvana’s smells like teen spirit Play in the background.

“We are recovering for every present, author and seller. We also cancel all our future events and we will treat the recovered amounts for those who are.”

Inside the Fyre of Romantasy Festival

Through several Tiktok posts, the authors and the attendees claim that this event has problems from the beginning. Issues ranged from the panels that started late to the authors who are not given the promised spoils and bags that are not delivered.

One painting was made on audio books with members of the committee and the attendees, all of whom are sitting On the carpet – There were no chairs for the painting, as the narrator Carmen Sinel said in A. Post Goulet.

More than 100 authors, sellers and AudiBook narrators have been listed on Archer Management. The authors paid US table fees worth $ 150, while the tickets of the attendees ranged from $ 50 to $ 250, as the most batch layer only provides fantasy entrance.

Jay said in Tijk: Jay said in Tijook: Jay said in Tijk: Jay said in Tijk: Jay said in Tijk: Jay said in Tijook: Jay said in Tijook: Jay said in Tijk only about 30 people through the sellers hall on the first day. Although the first day was exclusive to VIP ticket holders, the second day was not more preoccupied, according to Jay, who estimated the presence of about 80 guests. The promised “Content Creation Chamber” was an empty conference hall, and was closed on Saturday.

But the greatest disappointment to attend was the imagination.

A largely empty gray room

The attendees found themselves cut off Huge gray roomBarren, except for some long tables with fake rose petals scattered above. There was a cash bar, a small table with desserts and one Bluetooth amplifier supported on a chair to play music – away from the opening that was promised by the price.

The author Stephanie Combs said in Tiktok postAdding that she felt bad for the people who flew.

One of the influencers invited to this event, Azthia Bookwyrm, said on Tiktok that she had traveled from Spain to attend.

For the author Calista Neth, the ball was the last straw.

In a series of Tiktoks, she said she was invited 18 months ago as a distinctive author of this event. The organizer promised to put these authors at the nearby Hilton Hotel, but Neth said that this had been changed just a few days before the event to The Days Inn via the street.

Indie authors expect some business risks when attending personal agreements, Neith He said on Tijok. Only after the ball, I felt that she had to share her experience online, and apologize to those who bought tickets to the event after she announced that she would be there.

She said: “In order for readers to spend on the money on an event, and this ball was forced, and he had to walk in that, and this is unacceptable.”

“As an author, all we have is the confidence of readers.”

“We did not sell much of anything.”

The popularity of the “romantic” sub -type, along with online societies such as Booktok, means more of these agreements that appear to provide opportunities for independent authors to meet their peers and readers personally. But the authors must print their own books in the hope that they will make enough sales to make it worth it.

“When you are an Indian author, you pay the price of everything yourself, and only if you are doing events like this, can you finally recover the cost,” said Jay.

“People are thousands of dollars of debt due to the false lies, promises and mismanagement.”

The minimum sales of authors such as Caitlin Burkhart, which is published under the name Ca Burkhart.

She said, “We have brought physical copies to this event, and we did not sell much of anything, really.” On the truth. Just a few days ago, she was enthusiastic about the times when she was recording books during the event.

But the festival kept at least one promise: strengthening friendships. The authors have gathered since then To enhance the work of their peers Who presented the event.

“I wish it was a meeting, not something driven, we all lost money,” said Burkhardt.