The A Million Lives Book Festival held in Baltimore faced widespread criticism after attendees arrived for a romance-fantasy event expecting a grand experience only to find a poorly executed setup resembling a concrete warehouse. First-time festival goers, including romantic fantasy author Perci Jay, were met with barren rooms and inadequate programming, prompting humor and frustration on social media. The festival, meant to promote community among book lovers, featured minimal decorations and a lack of essential amenities, leading to comparisons to infamous failed events like Fyre Fest.
Grace Willows, the event organizer, issued an apology via TikTok, acknowledging the insufficient setup and promised refunds from her company, Archer Management, by May 31. Many attendees, such as Jay, expressed disappointment not just with the event but also with their financial losses—amounting to thousands of dollars for travel and accommodations—highlighting the significant impact on independent authors who had shipped books and paid fees for tables.
Despite initially advertising various attractions, including a vendor hall and speaker panels, attendees found the reality lacking. For example, what was advertised as a “content creation room” turned out to be empty. Estimates suggest attendance was fewer than 100 people, contrary to claims of 500-600 tickets sold, leaving authors with unsold inventory and financial burdens.
Moreover, shared experiences online prompted efforts to support affected authors, emphasizing the event’s failure to deliver what was promised and claiming many people had altered their plans around this convention. Some authors reported feeling both bewildered and disheartened by the event’s execution, stressing that the financial loss for virtually all involved was considerable.
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