Authors and participants are voicing their disappointment following a two-day book festival held at the Baltimore Convention Center, organized by Grace Marsceau. The event drew in nearly 100 authors and had vendor tables ranging from $50 to $150. Unfortunately, many attendees experienced enough problems to leave with a disappointing experience, causing some to call the event a bust.
Marsceau framed the festival as a unique chance for creators to strut their stuff. The event struck major logistical issues right from the start. So when we received the badges for the event, they were all “shattered,” which made us question the professionalism on this festival. These problems were compounded when we found out that our initial booth map was in direct violation of fire safety codes. Because of this, we needed to flip the venue on its head.
When the festival opened on Friday, the expected crowds were conspicuously missing. Friday morning, reports were coming in that not a single registered participant had passed through the metal detectors as the event opened its doors. Our first panel discussion featured nine authors in rapid-fire succession. Yet only eight attendees came, emphasizing the chasm between our ideal world and the reality.
The front desk staff informed one author that Marsceau’s credit card, intended to cover costs for the event space, had been declined. This disconcerting discovery contributed to the mounting list of grievances regarding the arrangement of the festival. On Saturday, pandemonium ensued when the hands-on content room unexpectedly closed. This “mechanical failure” took a real toll on the experience for the thousands of attendees.
On top of adding to the misfortune, the DJ that was meant to perform during the festival was hospitalized with no replacement in place. People were understandably disappointed in their investment in what was billed as a world-class literary festival. These unexpected issues soon soured their optimism.
Sarah Zane, who participated in the festival, stated, “But I did not expect things to be so visibly wrong.” She was understandably bummed out, sharing her disappointment that “It’s one thing to take a loss because this event turned out to be a bust. It’s another to lose for not providing value to my readers. Their trust is all I got now.”
One of those invited authors, Susan Alexander, wrote about her fears of speaking up as a debunker in the literary space. She continued, “Especially as a debut author, it is so intimidating to speak up. You’re worried about getting blackballed from other conferences.
In a failed attempt to clean up the damage from the event, Marsceau later sent out an official apology to participants. “Hi everyone, I want to issue a formal apology,” she stated in a message sent to festival attendees. In her testimony, she alleged that she sold 603 tickets. She promised that refunds would be completed by month’s end.
Despite these reassurances, many writers are understandably doubtful that they will receive any money returned. Kalista Neith, a featured author at this year’s festival, was given a $1,000 payment for her participation and covered hotel accommodations while in attendance. These positive gains appear to be the rule. The benefits are the exceptions.