Authors After Dark: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

TICKETS, PARTIES & FIELDTRIPS #AADNOLA

Hello Attendees!

So we are just about into feb and wow are things really trucking along well! Authors have been finalizing things, Schedules have been slowly coming together and we are 92% sold out of the con! I’m SO PLEASED about this, thank you everyone who is attending.

So we have lots to do this coming month, and I know you guys can’t wait to hear what’s going on… so I figured I would give ya all the skinny.

So since there’s so much going on, and certain events are going to be limited attendance, we are going to put “tickets” up on the website. These tickets will be for ALL the events (except Panels) so we can get a clearer head count of who is deciding to do what at the con (and it also helps us plan for next year as well!)

These are the events you will have to get “tickets” for:

Cursed N Blood Affair with Melissa Schroeder

Karaoke With Jennifer Armintrout and Resplendence Publishing

Late Night sweets with Jeaniene Frost and Pamela Palmer

Workshop: Worldbuilding with Kristen Painter

Workshop: Direct Your Book: Theatrical Techniques to a Blockbuster Novel with Leanna Renee Hieber

Worshop: Under the hood: Writers reveal their five favorite craft tricks! With Carolyn Crane and friends

Workshop: #romancekills With Erin Kellison and friends

Echoes of New Orleans Masquerade Ball

Wicked Bliss Chocolate Indulgence with Sophie Oak and Shayla Black

Roaring 20’s Event with Secret Cravings Publishing

Saturday reception with Samhain Publishing

Author Pub Crawl with 12 authors/ 12 bars!

ALL Fieldtrips with authors: Erin McCarthy, Suzanne Johnson, Adrian Phoenix, Jaye Wells, Kelly Keaton and others

Please be aware that tickets are FREE, you just need to go and Grab one on the site so you will be counted as attending that event. Also, Not all tickets will go up at the same time, so as to be fair. We will be sending out a NEWSLETTER via all registered attendees on what days the tickets go up. THE ONLY WAY YOU WILL KNOW ABOUT EVENTS IS IF YOU ARE REGISTERED!!!! (so that means, if you are on the fence about registering, get your tookus in gear, cuz we will not and cannot hold spots for anyone- registered or NOT.)

Some events will have 400 available spots, some will have as low as 10, so be vigilant! We will put the High number events up soon, but the lower number ones will not go up till we have hit 98% registered! So get those registrations in!

Thursday, January 26, 2012

HELP WANTED FOR #AADNOLA

Wanted: Social Media and Media liaison for Authors After Dark

As AAD grows by literally leaps and bounds, we are now in need of a media liaison that will allow Stella to focus on the con, while ensuring her things are not going awry.

Duties to include but not limited to:

v Updating Twitter both before and during the convention

v Monitoring the forum for questions and new attendees

v Monitoring the blog for questions and comments

v Re-tweeting info about AAD

v Tweeting AAD Featured Author Spotlights and posting summary of spotlights to AAD blog monthly

v Monitoring AAD Facebook Page for questions and comments

v Fielding requests for interviews for staff

v Correspondence with TV/ Radio for city we are in

v Correspondence with specialty groups and events

v Liaison to visiting media at the convention proper

v Working with Hotel to ensure visiting media is taken care of

v Working with host city CVB for leads and scheduling

v On-site escort and liaison for visiting media during the Authors After Dark Convention

Applicants must have a sunny disposition, good people, organizational and networking skills and above all, TIME to devote to this. This is a full time endeavor, and the applicant must be online often to work this.

Applicant will work closely with Stella through the year till August, and at the con will be in charge of the visiting media (host city TV/ Radio/ Print). Applicant will be the face of Authors After Dark’s PR department for the next 2 years (NOLA and SAVANNAH).

Compensation: Perks package negotiable. AAD is non profit and no monetary compensation will change hands. Present your wish list for compensation during application.

All interested applicants: Letter of intent, including experience, hours online a day, number of hours a week you can devote to this endeavor, any pertinent credentials and compensation package.

Position starts Feb 20^th and runs till the end of Savannah 2013’s Event.

All applicants will be reviewed ASAP and a decision will be made soon after.

Contact: Stella Price- blueflamesabove@yahoo.com before Feb 3^rd.

I have received a few questions about this posting since it went up so I figured I would amend the listing so that all questions so far asked would be addressed:

Ideally we would like a blogger or reader to do this that has no ties to any other company in the industry or author because we feel only an impartial person can do this job in the spirit that AAD is intended.
YES, we are willing to train for this year, and YES perks would start for this year.
We would prefer a person that is not part of any other con's staff for this position, as AAD is a full time event and we cannot have split loyalties (split loyalties, at least in My (Stella's) experience lead to someone's important business being put on the back burner. You are either 100% committed to this endeavor, or your not.)
If you already work for a publisher, please do not offer your services. While its flattering, and awesome, it just wouldn't work. Publisher should ALWAYS come first and we respect that.
NO, I am not looking for someone that is an assistant, putting the work off on their own staff. This position is for ONE PERSON that is committed to doing the job and working with myself, and the AAD staff.

Thanks everyone!

Sunday, January 15, 2012

the #AADNOLA final push contest

So we are in the home stretch! AAD is VERY close to selling out, and we would like that to happen sooner rather then later. We had originally thought to do this contest in Feb, but with less then 71 spots left, we figured now was the time!

So welcome to the final push contest!

Here’s the deal:

Between today, January 15 and Feb 15^th, One month, we hope to acquire a SOLD OUT on our Event Brite page and start a waitlist. So we have come up with one HELL of a contest to get the job done.

So starting today, everyone that registered will get entered in to win one of our fabulous prizes—with TWO entries. (Note: all people already attending are entered to win as well… Authors, bloggers, book club people are industry).

Winners will be chosen at the Welcome event At AAD NOLA and announced therein.

So what can you win?

Grand Prize:

Registration for AAD Savannah 2013 (MoC MaryJanice Davidson)(does not include room or travel)

Other prizes include:

1 hour drinks with Leanna Renee Hieber for you and 2 of your friends

1 hour drinks or Coffee with Yasmine Galenorn

A prize basket of books from Jade Lee/ Kathy Lyons

2 Autographed Books by Lacie Nation

Breakfast with Stella and Audra Price at Café Du Monde

A gift package from PJ Schnyder

And others!

So get your registration in! that’s all you have to do! Spread the word and good luck to everyone!

Friday, January 13, 2012

News From the Front: AAD's 2013 Master of Ceremonies!

So I know everyone has been really excited about NOLA, I am too, and all the planning is coming along nicely, so nicely that of course we have started doing prelims for the 2013 event... and wanted to unveil a sneak peek to you today!

So who is ready?

AAD 2013 will be held in Savannah, GA On August 15-18th 2013 at the Savannah Riverfront Marriott (Which we have amazing rates for including Cheap rates for EVERY suite in the hotel!). They are offering us some lovely perks including 10% of all spa treatments and early check in. We will talk more about the hotel and the awesome it is giving us soon though, so stay tuned.

Now... about that Master of Ceremonies...

The 2013 Authors After Dark Master of Ceremonies is none other than

MaryJanice Davidson!!!

We are SO excited to have MJD as our MoC (giggle) for 2013 and cant wait to talk about the awesome we are planning for Savannah! So? Who is excited?????

(ooh and just a little FYI: The Savannah board of tourism is coming to AAD NOLA on sunday to get you guys pumped for Savannah, order raffle prizes and Savannah goodie bags!)

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

AAD hotel room updates

OK, in trying to keep everyone abreast of the events hotel issues, I figured I would give you guys the heads up on the hotel. We are close to selling out. heres the deal:

We have 107 spots left open for AAD NOLA in registrations.

In reservations we have this amount of rooms (by Day) available:

8/5: 2
8/6: 0
8/7: 0
8/8: 10
8/9: 61
8/10: 61
8/11: 61
8/12: 38
8/13: 17
8/14: 0
5/15: 0

Now what is left are ALL KINGS. This means that 2 people in one room will need to share a bed (and kings frankly are HUGE, I sleep in one and don't even realize Joe is in bed with me LOL). The reason for this is that the hotel only has kings LEFT in the hotel at all. We have sold out of Doubles.

So this means you NEED to get your room reservations in ASAP, and contact me with issues. Also, if you are reading this, and you HAVE reserved a double, only have 2 people and don't mind sleeping in a king, please email me ASAP. I can guarantee your "sacrifice" will be noted and rewarded. All kings will get a roll away if needed as well.

AAD Reading Challenge!

the lovely Midnyte Reader has set up a LOVELY AAD Reader Challenge all on her own! its been amazing to see people jump on board for this, and we wanted to give YOU the option to do it as well... So heres the deal...

In anticipation of Authors After Dark 2012 in New Orleans, I created the AAD 2012 Reading Challenge. The goal of this challenge is to let readers, whether you are going to AAD 2012 or not, get better acquainted with some of the authors who will be attending this event.

Sometimes I go to conferences that feature authors who I am unfamiliar with. Then, when I read their books later I want to kick myself for not reading their work sooner, so I could have talked to them about their stories, gotten a book signed or just gushed properly.

I asked Stella Price, the organizer of Authors After Dark if there would be any issues with me hosting this challenge and she not only gave me the green light and is very supportive, but asked the AAD 2012 website designer Robin from RLD Design to to make me a button! Thank you Stella and Robin!

Guidelines:
•Although AAD 2012 takes place in August, this challenge will run from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
•Books must be read and reviewed in 2012.
•You can join at anytime during the year.
•Anyone can join (not just book bloggers).

To Join:
•Write a post about this challenge on your blog with a link back to this post.
•Include a list of the AAD 2012 books you hope to read in 2012. You can check out the authors on the AAD 2012 website HERE. (Then click on the authors link.) Please note that your list is not written in stone! You can change it at anytime.
•Grab the button and add it to your post or sidebar.
•Sign up on Mr. Linky below. Please enter the link to the AAD 2012 Challenge post on your blog, not your main blog page. (If you link to your main blog page, unfortunately it will be deleted.) If you do not have a blog, you can just sign up.

To post a review:
• This is just the sign up page, not where you will link up your reviews. To link up your Authors After Dark 2012 Reading Challenge reviews click HERE. When you write your review it would be great if you could mention that it is part of the AAD 2012 Reading Challenge.
•If you don't have a blog: You can link to Goodreads, Amazon, Shelfari, etc. OR, instead of linking to a review you can leave a comment below with your thoughts.

To find out more about Authors After Dark 2012 visit their website!

Check out Midnyte Reader on her blog and join up... and SHHH! not only is this an awesome challenge, but you could maybe get some sweet prizes from AAD itself for participating...

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

December Featured Author Spotlights