Roz MacLaren

Everything seemed to conspire to get me to go to this year’s Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC). I already had the trip to London booked for the week before the convention, so it was simply a matter of staying for the weekend. When the chance came up to have a stand at the convention and join other independent authors, I knew I couldn’t turn it down. Here are my highlights from my London trip – and ten years of YALC.

Novel research

Two of my sci-fi standalone novels are set in London, so it made sense to use the trip for research purposes. One of my characters sees London for the very first time and these are the places she goes.

Getting to YALC

As this was my first time at YALC, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

I opted to get to YALC by train. The venue has its own train station, called Kensington (Olympia) and getting there was quite easy. I would recommend downloading the Transport For London (TfL) app and using that to plan your journey – it makes life a lot easier. Also, shout out to the very helpful member of staff at the underground who saw me looking lost opposite a map and asked if I needed help! (I did.)

Once I got out at Kensington Olympia, I could see the venue immediately. For a big event like YALC and London Comicon, some of the roads were closed and there were helpful members of staff telling me exactly where to go and what to do. (Good job, as I ended up wandering the wrong way.)

As soon as I was in there, I got my bag checked in airport style security. I took a suitcase with me (containing all the items I needed to set up my stand). I also brought with me an empty water bottle, as I’d read you can get it filled up somewhere but I never located the place to fill it up. In the end, I got an eight pack of Highland Spring water bottles and drank them. I would definitely recommend bringing water with you in the first instance. The venue gets very hot (even for a chilly person like me!) and hydration is key.

The very first indie author zone at YALC

Thanks to the efforts of Helen at LiterallyPR, the tenth YALC was the first one to see a dedicated indie author zone. Independent authors from multiple countries came together to share their books and create their stalls. We had authors from the United States, France, Denmark, Scotland and England!

Having a stand was brilliant as it meant I had a base to leave bags and coats and somewhere to sit if I wanted ten minutes decompression. I would recommend, if you’re an introvert, that you take time to give yourself a breather. The venue is packed and can feel a little overwhelming. So find a quiet place for a snack and perhaps a read before you go back into the (very friendly) fray.

What I picked up

It wasn’t all about selling books. I also came back with three fabulous books and an incredible amount of merch from various amazing stalls.

I’ll do a more detailed blog post on all the merch I picked up later, but I will say setting it out for a photograph took absolutely ages!

The fun doesn’t stop

Just a reminder that our YALC debrief is happening tomorrow (Friday 22 November) at 12:00pm and there’s still time to get yourself a ticket. I’m not sure how many of us are going to make it, but we are excited to see you there!

And, of course, YALC itself will be happening again next year! The dates have already been announced; will you be coming this time?

The Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC) spans two days – so Sunday saw me head back to Olympia again.

Getting back to YALC

My day started later this time (no 6am rise was needed as my hotel was just a fifteen-minute walk away from the venue!) I was also a lot more relaxed as I knew the lay of the land and where I was going.

After a stressful visit to Tesco where my Clubcard app refused to work until I’d updated it and restarted the phone, I made it to Olympia.

Meeting other vendors

As I had no stand today and my only commitment was attending the panel at 16:00, I wanted to use my day to meet and chat with the other exhibitors there. I worked my way down both sides of the enormous hall and had so many uplifting chats.

Everyone was so friendly and professional. I also got the chance to meet lots of presses, from the compact and niche to some of the Big Five. Everyone freely gave of their time to answer my questions and give me some top tips. I met with quite a few people on various editorial teams to ask their advice and talk all things publishing. I’d definitely recommend doing the same if you’re a writer and want to look towards getting traditionally published.

Attending workshops

There were so many workshops I wanted to attend on Sunday. Fortunately, none of them clashed!

My top tip if you’re planning on attending a YALC workshop is set an alarm on your phone! It’s very easy when you’re there to lose track of time. I didn’t see a clock (there probably was a massive one – I just didn’t notice!) and when you’re in the middle of conversations, you’re not looking at your phone or watch. Several times, time got away from me and I nearly missed a workshop I’d been looking forward to!

Joining the second panel

Around five people came to the second panel, as opposed to around twenty-five on the first one. Sunday was definitely the quieter day. This meant the panel was a lot more conversational and intimate, and we were able to get through any and all questions the audience had.

After the panel, it was very late in the afternoon and everyone was starting to pack up and go home, so I did the same thing.

It’s hard to believe YALC is over. It felt so immersive, it was a bit strange to emerge outside into the real world. However, we’re keeping the convention vibes going a little longer. And you can too. Here’s how.

Post-YALC chat

LiterallyPR, the driving force behind the #InspiringIndies zone, are organising a post-YALC chat. It will be held online and anyone is welcome to register and join. We can’t wait to debrief.

Join us on Friday 22 November at 12:00pm.

Did you attend YALC this year? What was your favourite memory? If you didn’t make it, do you think you’d like to? Let me know in the comments.

The weekend saw me going out of my comfort zone at the Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC). I had my own stand in the #InspiringIndies zone and I went on two panels discussing all things indie author related – both firsts for me!

Here’s what I learned as an indie author with my very first stand at YALC.

State the obvious

I made this mistake and I won’t again. I would have sold a lot more books and received a lot more footfall at my stand if I had created a sign that said something like “Meet the author!” or “Get your book signed here!” I didn’t make it clear if I was a book seller, a book publisher, an author or something else entirely.

My advice would be have a clear, visible sign that allows people to quickly see who you are and what you’re doing. That way, they’ll know that they can come up to you, meet the person who wrote the books they’re looking at and get you to sign and personalise their book.

Turn one of your books over

You might be thinking “Why on earth would I put one of my books upside down?” But there are two reasons I chose to do this.

Firstly, people are tactile. They love to pick things up and touch them and turn them over. By placing one book cover-up and the other cover-down, it gave them a reason to pick up the book, turn it over, check it out and have a look.

Secondly, it meant the synopsis was clearly on show and could be easily read.

Soak up knowledge

Even though I’m a natural introvert, I went out my way to meet, greet and chat. This meant I could ask questions and get a tremendous amount of knowledge. For example, I met with a lovely author called Jacqueline Silvester who came over to my stand and generously shared her knowledge with me. She’d had a stand at YALC before and told me what had worked for her and what hadn’t. It gave me some really helpful insights into how to get the most from my two days there.

Take every opportunity

When I was sixteen, someone gave me the advice of “Take every opportunity.” It was many years before I figured out exactly what that meant and how I could apply it. Essentially, I take it to mean “Don’t let shyness/fear/self-doubt/worry stop you from grasping the opportunities that come your way.”

For example, even though I hate public speaking, I said “Yes” to going on a panel and discussing all things indie author related. I believe going out my comfort zone is good for me (even if it doesn’t feel that way!)

If you get the opportunity to get involved in something, other than your own stand, at YALC, take that chance. It might be a way to indirectly promote your author brand. It might help you make new friends. It might help you grow your community. You never know where a new opportunity might lead.

Film and photograph as much as you can

This is precious content you can use across your socials and blog – not just for the two days of YALC itself, but after that.

Use your socials to promote other people and tag them too. Photograph others’ stands and connect with them on their platforms. This helps you grow your community and gain brand visibility – and it gives them a plug too!

Be proactive

Another indie author who had a stand with me saw people waiting in line for author signings and approached them to give them some of her merch! I thought this was a great idea – not only did it give them something to read and stopped them being bored while they waited, it got her brand out there. She was proactive, polite and professional – and from what I saw got lots of lovely responses. Whether you want to be overt or subtle about promoting your brand, being proactive means you’ll find ways to maximise your two days at YALC.

If your an author who has been to YALC, what would your top tips be? Or, if you’re a reader who loves to attend, what would you like to see from an author’s stand?

After an action-packed day, the 2024 Young Adult Literature Convention (YALC) is officially halfway over! It’s been a lovely, welcoming experience. Having people come over because they’d heard about Venom and Blaze was incredible.

Getting to YALC

My day started at 6am, even though I’d laid out all my items the night before and was fully prepped. I caught the train from where I was staying to Earls Court, where it was simple and easy to catch a direct train to Kensington Olympia.

I arrived early, so the train was quiet. However, the queue for YALC was much longer than I expected. I had done my research beforehand and most of what I heard and read suggested it wasn’t a long wait. Based on my experience, I’d recommend getting there around half an hour early.

Immediately after getting inside, I opened my bag up for a quick search. This took around five minutes and then I joined the large queue for YALC.

London Comicon is held in the same area. There are two different queues for YALC and Comicon, as each has a different entrance. YALC is held upstairs.

The #InspiringIndies zone

Our #InspiringIndies zone is located in a large corner space, near the author signing zones. My books are on sale there, and it was lovely to meet and sign several copies for readers.

Later in the afternoon, I had my own stand.

Because spiders are a common theme in the book, I sourced an enormous curtain of cobwebs and some plastic spiders. As YALC is quite soon after Hallowe’en, these were easy to get hold of.

My stand included:

• free bookmarks! I have bookmarks for the first three books in the series and it was lovely to give these away to anyone who wanted them.
• free stickers! I had some stickers made up especially to commemorate my appearance at YALC.
• a trailer showcasing my YA series, The Mirrordom Legends, introducing the first book in the series and letting people know how they can win themselves a copy of Fable and Legend when it comes out in December.
• flyers
• the books themselves! My handwriting got progressively worse as the day wore on, but I signed and personalised several copies of Venom and Blaze and it was so lovely to meet and chat with YA readers.

Along with the other indie authors in the zone, we also had our own panel where we discussed all things indie. Chaired by Helen of LiterallyPR, we explored topics like marketing yourself, earning money from being an indie author and our top tips and advice for other aspiring authors.

Missed it? Come and see us tomorrow (Sunday 17 November) at 16:00, as we’ll be holding a second panel.

YALC – as a reader

I was a YA reader before I was an author, so going through the various stands and zones was very exciting. I found so much in the way of lovely merch to keep as souvenirs and books on my TBR that I couldn’t turn down the chance to buy. Whilst I was very good today and limited myself to two purchases, I will be doing the rounds again tomorrow when I have slightly more time to spare (I won’t be having a stall tomorrow) and I’m sure my bank balance is already cowering in dismay.

The venue shuts down at 18:00 and that was when I dismantled my stand and went back to my hotel for a well-earned rest.

Heading to YALC tomorrow? Come and find me. I’ll be periodically popping in to the #InspiringIndies zone where I’ll be signing the remainder of my books.

I know what you’re thinking: YALC isn’t even over yet and we’re talking about a Post-YALC chat!

While we’re all hyped up and excited about what the weekend will bring, I did want to invite everyone to the online debrief panel that LiterallyPR are organising. (For those that don’t know, LiterallyPR is the amazing PR organisation behind the #InspiringIndies zone.)

Myself and several other indie authors who are going to be at YALC will be chatting all things indie, reliving our best memories of YALC and potentially getting ourselves excited for next year…!

We’d love you to join us online.

YALC – or the Young Adult Literature Convention – is happening THIS WEEKEND. On 16 and 17 November, I’ll be appearing at the convention (where you can say hi, grab a selfie, get a signed book and chat to me.)

Here’s what to expect from the day:

Saturday 16 November

10:00-10:45 – I will be part of a panel of amazing authors talking all things indie. This event is held in the Industry Arena and you’ll get the chance to hear from independent and self-published authors, and ask any questions of your own. So, if you’re wondering if going indie is the right path for you, now’s your chance to find out!

15:15-18:00 – I will have my very own stand in the #InspiringIndies zone. I’ll be giving away fab merch. I’ve created three different sets of bookmarks (one for Venom and Blaze, Fable and Legend and City and Shadow).

You can also collect some free limited-edition stickers to commemorate the YALC weekend.

Hourly giveaways

Finally, I am giving away a very limited-edition tote bag. This giveaway is being done as part of the LiterallyPR Giveaway schedule, which happens on the hour, every hour. So get yourself over to the #InspiringIndies zone every hour and be in with a chance to win something fabulous. I’ve had a cheeky look at the prize list and there are some amazing giveaways from other indie authors and from LiterallyPR themselves. So definitely come and see us and pick something cool up to commemorate your weekend.

Someone will be chosen at random to be the lucky winner.

My giveaways will be run at 16:00 on the Saturday, where you can snag a signed copy of Venom and Blaze plus my limited-edition YALC tote bag.

Sunday 17 November

On the Sunday, my giveaway slot will be at 14:00, where you can win two signed copies of Venom and Blaze.

16:00-16:45 – I will be joining the panel in the Industry Arena again for anyone who missed the first slot. Once again, we’ll be talking all things indie, so be sure to come down and chat with us.

YALC sale

Venom and Blaze will be on sale at a special price for YALC. You can pick up signed copies of my books from the #InspiringIndies zone and you will be able to either pay them by card or me by cash. This will take place across both days on the weekend.

Competition

I’m running my own competition for the weekend for a chance to win a signed copy of my upcoming novel, Fable and Legend. You must be happy supplying me with a UK-based address to send the prize.

All you need to do is:

• follow me on Instagram
• snap a photo of my stand. Post it to Instagram and make sure to tag me.

I’ll announce winners on Instagram live on the following Saturday.

(Please note: Fable and Legend‘s release date is still TBC, so there may be a delay in receiving your prize. Be sure to read the trigger warnings first.)

Post-YALC panel

I’ll also be appearing at an online panel following YALC. This will take place on Friday 22 November from 12:00-13:00 and it promises to be a ton of fun. You’re warmly invited to register and join us. We can’t wait to see you!

I also want to give a shoutout to some of the amazing authors I’ve connected with already. April Grace, author of The Steel Princess, is incredibly lovely and I can’t wait to meet her in person. Roxan Burley, author of The Equal Rise Series, is amazingly friendly (and both she and I have muscle memory that means we get each other’s names wrong – Roz and Rox!) and I can’t wait to meet her in person too! Finally, Helen of LiterallyPR who has brought us all together and made this possible. Helen is an absolute force of nature and her energy and enthusiasm is infectious.

Phew! I think that’s everything. Can’t wait to see you there.