BookCon Vs Nerves

BookCon is a big book convention that takes place in New York at the Javits Center (it took place in Chicago one year, so I don’t know if it will ever move!). It usually takes place the first weekend in June and tons of people go! Lots of people post about being excited for BookCon and all the fun things they plan to do. Me, I get really nervous. The kind of nervous where I wouldn’t mind if it was spontaneously cancelled. I don’t want to be completely negative, because I do end up having a good time and I do end up having a ton of fun, but I guess I want to talk about how I struggle with it.

I’m not quite sure what this post it. It’s not going to be advice on handling nerves, it’s really just me talking about my experiences and how I handle the anxiety and nervousness I get over this event. I’m definitely not complaining, since I know I’m incredibly lucky to be able to go. Just, if you feel like you shouldn’t be nervous because this is such an exciting thing, you’re definitely not alone.

So, I get nervous. New York causes me major anxiety. It’s big and it’s unknown and there’s so many people I don’t know. I stay over at a hotel since it’s too long of a commute into the city. I get homesick really easily. I miss my mom, my sister, my cats, and just being home. (My dad comes with me!) I’m an intense introvert, so all of this comes together into a lovely storm. I am much better at handling it though and I did alright this year. I might never love the city, but I know how to handle it. This means I don’t go to a lot of events Friday night. (I did go say hi to one of my friends at an event, and it was amazing to talk with her, but left before it started.) Some people go out before BookCon and some people sit in their hotel room and watch Finding Dory. Both options are cool haha.

I also get nervous about the event in general. I’m worried about missing out on lines or not getting there early enough or being overwhelmed. I know all the ARCs I’m trying to get will come out in a pretty, finished copy, I’m just working on cementing that thought. I also get worried about all the people, since their all strangers and I don’t know if they’re nice or if I’ll find everything draining. The majority of people end up being so kind and so amazing. It’s so nice to meet people in line and talk while you’re waiting!

Every year, I get overwhelmed when I first get onto the show floor and every year I am surprised that I am overwhelmed. It’s so big and even though I have a schedule, I don’t know what to do with myself. Though, I do get used to as the day goes on and I end up being fine. I honestly find it funny that I’m still surprised by this haha.

Even though the anticipation and lead up to the actual event are hard for me and despite a few bumps, I really did have a good time. I got to see a lot of my friends and they are all absolutely incredible. I got to meet some amazing authors and people in line. I also got books haha.

All this to say, if you have a hard time going to BookCon, but you go anyway, I’m proud of you. Even if you think you could have done better, you’re amazing for trying. Nerves are normal and anxiety about it is normal. I hope this post wasn’t too rambly, but it was cool to write.

Thank you for reading!