You've been Con'd: Author & Reader Cons 2014

Last month, I wrote a blog post about 2014 writer conferences worth checking out. This month, I decided to set my sights on some fun 2014 reader and author conventions. Many authors and fans know about the large conventions such as Comic-Con and Book Expo America, but there might be some smaller conventions that are perfect choices because of their location and cheaper registration fees. After all, what could be better than meeting your favorite author or your number one fan?

UtopYA Con: Held in Nashville, TN from June 20th-22nd, UtopYA celebrates women writers of supernatural YA and NA, and their fans. There will be book signings, parties and write-ins. Tickets start at $75.

RomCon: Held in Denver, CO from June 20th-22nd, RomCon is a big convention for fans and authors of romance. According to the convention website, RomCon is large enough to draw plenty of NYT bestselling romance authors and intimate enough for fans to engage with their favorite authors one-on-one. Registration costs $199. Indie authors might be interested in attending RomCon University on the 19th and 20th.

RT Booklovers Convention: Held in New Orleans from May 13th-18th, the Romantic Times Convention is a large romance convention celebrating all genres of romance and age groups. There are a ton of unique workshops for readers and bloggers such as the YA Spooky Sleepover and author chats, as well as craft workshops for writers. Although convention hotels are currently sold out, anyone interested can plan ahead for next year's convention in Dallas. Day passes for teens cost $30. A full convention pass costs $484.

Malice Domestic: Held in Bethesda, MD from May 2nd-4th, Malice Domestic (the name is enticing enough) is a fan-favorite convention celebrating the authors of traditional mysteries (in the spirit of Agatha Christie). Basic registration starts at $270.

Wild Wild West Convention: Held in Tucson, AZ from March 7th-9th, WWW3 celebrates Steampunk. This year, the convention and festival will be held in a western-themed town. A three-day pass starts at $59.

YA Fest: Held in Easton, PA on April 19th, YA Fest is a FREE event held at the Palmer Branch of the Easton Area Public Library. Books will be available to purchase and there's a long list of impressive YA authors in attendance including Jennifer L. Armentrout and Cyn Balog.

Authors After Dark: Held in Charlotte, NC from August 6th-10th, AAD is a convention that celebrates the reader-author relationship and focuses on romance, fantasy and horror genres. There will be a 100 featured authors. This is an adult only convention for fans 18 and older. Registration costs $240 and includes some meals at the convention.

This little list doesn't even scrape the surface of the number of conventions available to attend in 2014. If you know of a fun reader/author cons, please comment with the information. You never know which convention will be near you.