These authors were sold a romantasy convention. Instead, they got the Fyre Festival of the book world

Imagine getting dressed up successful your finest for a fantasy-themed ball, lone to find yourself lasting connected the factual level of a massive, astir bare normal hall, decorated lone with a few rose petals. 

Welcome to A Million Lives Book Festival. What was billed arsenic a romantasy BookTok convention for indie authors and publication fans is present being compared to infamous lawsuit flops like Fyre Festival and DashCon, aft a flood of societal media posts from attendees painted a representation of a confusing and disappointing event.   

Some authors accidental they're retired thousands of dollars aft carting books and merchandise to Baltimore, Md., for the event, which was held May 2 to 3 astatine the Baltimore Convention Center, and not being capable to recoup the costs. 

Pitched arsenic "the cleanable lawsuit to marque much bookish friends" on organizer Archer Management's website, the festival was expected to see a vendor hall, panels, a contented instauration room, cosplay meetups and a competition, arsenic good arsenic a phantasy shot for those who bought VIP tickets astatine $250 US each. 

But though galore authors accidental they were told 500 tickets were sold, they reported being greeted with less guests than authors, and a barren normal hallway alternatively of the promised ball. 

Perci Jay, who writes romance and phantasy books, called it "the Willy Wonka acquisition but with books," successful a TikTok, referring to the 2024 Glasgow lawsuit that caused a disturbance aft its real-life warehouse determination failed to unrecorded up to the AI images utilized to advertise it. 

"I flew retired for this," the author, who is from Texas, said. "I planned my gestation astir this lawsuit similar a clown."

Organizer apologizes for event's issues

Grace Willows, the organizer behind Archer Management, posted a video connection done her lawsuit readying company's TikTok leafage connected the weekend, apologizing for the shot being "not acceptable up to standards."

"If you would similar a refund, delight interaction maine and I volition contented you a refund immediately," she said.

Archer Management, besides known arsenic Archer Fantasy Events, has since apologized for the full lawsuit and stated that refunds are being processed automatically. 

After confirming receipt of CBC News's petition for comment, Archer shared a caller connection connected TikTok connected Tuesday evening. It has not responded to further requests for comment.   

"We instrumentality afloat work for the mode that AML was handled," the latest connection reads, with a remix of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit playing successful the background.

"We are doing refunds for each attendee, author and vendor. We are besides canceling each of our aboriginal events and volition beryllium processing refunds for those arsenic well."

Inside the Fyre Fest of romantasy

Across galore TikTok posts, authors and attendees allege that the lawsuit had problems from the beginning. Issues ranged from panels starting precocious to authors not being fixed badges and the promised swag bags not being delivered.

One sheet connected audiobooks took spot with panelists and attendees each seated connected the carpet — determination were nary chairs designated for the panel, narrator Carmen Seantel said successful a TikTok post. 

More than 100 authors, vendors and audiobook narrators were listed arsenic attending connected Archer Management's website. Authors paid a $150 US array fee, portion tickets for attendees ranged from $50 US to $250 US, with lone the priciest tier providing entranceway to the phantasy ball. 

Only astir 30 radical came done the vendor hallway connected the archetypal day, Jay said successful her TikTok. And portion the archetypal time was exclusive to VIP summons holders, the 2nd time wasn't overmuch busier, according to Jay, who estimates astir 80 guests showed up. The promised "content instauration room" was an bare league room, and closed connected Saturday.

But the biggest disappointment for attendees was the phantasy ball. 

A mostly empty, grey room

Attendees recovered themselves stranded successful a massive, grey room, barren but for a fewer agelong tables with fake roseate petals scattered connected top. There was a currency bar, a tiny array with desserts and a azygous Bluetooth talker propped connected a seat to play euphony — acold from the opulence that the terms tag promised. 

"People showed up, dressed to impress, tried to marque the champion of it," writer Stephanie Combs said successful a TikTok post, adding that she felt atrocious for radical who had flown in.  

One influencer invited to the event, Azthia Bookwyrm, said connected TikTok that she had travelled from Spain to attend. 

For writer Kalista Neith, the shot was the past straw. 

In a bid of TikToks, she said she had been invited 18 months agone arsenic a featured writer for the event. The organizer had promised to enactment these authors up astatine a adjacent Hilton hotel, but Neith said this was changed conscionable days earlier the lawsuit to the Days Inn crossed the street. 

Indie authors expect immoderate concern hazard erstwhile attending in-person conventions, Neith said connected TikTok. It was lone aft the shot that she felt compelled to stock her acquisition online, and apologize to those who bought tickets to the lawsuit aft she had advertised that she would beryllium there. 

"For my readers to walk wealth connected an lawsuit and this ball, and having to locomotion into that, that is unacceptable," she said. 

"As an author, each we person is the readers' trust."

'We did not merchantability overmuch of anything'

The popularity of the "romantasy" sub-genre, on with online communities similar BookTok, has meant much of these conventions cropping up to supply opportunities for indie authors to conscionable their peers and readers successful person. But authors person to people their ain books successful the hopes that they'll marque capable income to marque it worthy it.  

"When you are an indie author, you wage for everything yourself upfront, and lone if you bash events similar this tin you yet recoup the cost," Jay said. 

"People are thousands of dollars successful indebtedness due to the fact that of the lies and the mendacious promises and the mismanagement."

Sales were minimal for authors similar Caitlin Burkhart, who publishes nether the sanction C.A. Burkhart. 

"We did bring carnal copies to this event, and we did not merchantability overmuch of anything, really," she said connected TikTok. Only days earlier, she had been excitedly posting the times she would beryllium signing books during the event. 

But the festival kept astatine slightest 1 promise: fostering friendships. Authors person since banded unneurotic to boost the enactment of their peers who'd tabled the event.

"I conscionable privation it was a meet-up and not a paid happening that we each mislaid wealth on," Burkhart said.