The first LoveLetter Convention (LLC), named after the LoveLetter Magazine which sadly no longer exists, took place in 2012. International and national romance authors met with fans for panels, workshops, Q&As and Meet&Greets in Berlin. An overwhelming success: German fans were able to personally meet with their favorite authors, discuss their love for all things books, and hear from publishing house representatives about their new programmes. There is usually also a big signing event with lots of free books on Sunday afternoon, so that’s a big draw for readers, too.
I have attended the LLC as both a reader and a speaker, and found it to be a well-run and very popular event. Readers love to be able to actually meet their favorite authors face-to-face, ask questions and get their books signed (many bring books from home, too). But they are also open to finding new-to-them authors on panels and during readings.
The event takes place annually, usually in May. The dates for the 2019 LoveLetter Convention are June 01 and 02, 2019. However, the LoveLetter Academy, newly founded in 2018, will precede it on May 30 and 31. It’s an event for business professionals only, so no fans allowed. What is it about? To quote from the website www.loveletteracademy.com:
Our aim is to bring together publishing staff, published and unpublished authors, and insiders from the industry, and to provide 
opportunities to learn and gain inspiration from each other.
The event will be the perfect occasion for establishing close contacts, networking and embarking on joint projects, and there will be workshops, lectures and seminars packed with tips and information to help with a successful career.
We also want to facilitate better understanding of an oft-misunderstood genre – as a way to stimulate reader enthusiasm for new titles, authors and publishers.
The event will be restricted to professionals and will be limited to 100 participants.
If you are interested in attending the 2019 LLC, you need to submit an application. The preliminary deadline for propsals is August 31, so you might need to contact the event organizers right away if you are interested. They accept both traditionally published and indie authors. However, the costs for attending authors should be taken into account. You can find out more about that here, were you can also register for the event.
I’ll be in Berlin as a speaker again, so feel free to ask me if you would like to know more about my experience there.
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