Wow! We are two days away from the second annual Gay Romance Northwest Meet-Up at the Seattle Public Library on September 20!

We want to provide some up-front info for attendees wondering about the event, especially if it’s their first time. Below is some frequently asked questions (and also please feel free to share your own questions in the comments!)

Can I buy tickets online still? Yes. You can purchase a conference pass for $25 at Brown Paper Tickets.

For all tickets purchased before Friday at 5pm, we’ll have a name tag printed for you at registration. Tickets purchased after that, we will have a blank name tag to fill in.

Can I buy a ticket at registration? Yes, you can purchase a ticket for $25 at registration. Cash, check, or credit cards are accepted.

When does the library open? It opens at 10am. If you are planning on joining the morning sessions, especially the first writing session at 10:15am, we recommend arriving at 10am.

What is the dress code? Seattle is suuuuuuuuper casual, so it’s wear what you want. Most of the conference is in the Seattle Public Library, which is also a pretty casual place.

Are there activities before Saturday? Yes! As listed in our program schedule, we have a couple meet-ups and a book store reading on Friday night, September 19.

• 5pm – 6:45pm: Meet-up at Flowers Bar (corner of 43^rd and University Way NE)
• 7pm – 8:30pm: Reading at the University Book Store with E.E Ottoman, Jordan Castillo Price, Radclyffe, and Rick R. Reed. (4326 University Way NE, Seatte, WA 98105, half black from Flowers bar)
• 8:30pm – 10:30pm: Meet-Up at The District Lounge (4507 Brooklyn Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98127, a block and a half from the University Book Store.)

We hope you can join us for the book store reading and meet-ups! It should be a fun time. 🙂

What times do things start on Saturday?

It depends on what you’re planning on doing:

Writer Sessions: The first set start at 10:15am. The second set start at 11:10am. Check out the Writer Sessions for descriptions of the program. These are all on the 4^th floor of the library.

*Writer session attendees should go directly to the 4^th floor and skip registration until later. The elevator is SLOW so it’s better to go to the sessions first.

Visit the 4^th floor info table to grab a simple name tag to use for the morning.

Reader Meet-Up: This starts from 10:30am and will go to 11:45am in the Microsoft Auditorium (first floor.) We recommend arriving earlier to register and also, so you can start perusing all the free books we have to give away!

Author Pitch Sessions: These will go from 10:30am – 12pm. Pitch sessions with the seven attending publishers are by appointment. (Make an appointment)

Afternoon registration: Is from 12pm – 1pm at the Microsoft Auditorium. After 1pm, the main doors close and the main programming starts.

Because registration is within the auditorium where programming will be occurring, we strongly recommend arriving before 1pm so you don’t have to come in via the side door.

Main Conference Programming: 1pm – 5pm in the Microsoft Auditorium. There will be ten minute breaks before the end of each hour. At these break times, the main doors will be open. (See Programming Schedule)

Book Festival: 5:30pm – 8pm at the Hotel Monaco (across the street from the library at 1101 4^th Ave. The festival is downstairs in the Paris Ballroom.

The festival is FREE to enter, so come and enjoy!

1^st Bus going to After Party: 7pm in front of the Hotel Monaco

2^nd Bus going to the After Party: 8pm in front of the Hotel Monaco

After Party: 8pm – 11:00pm – Rendezvous Bar/Jewelbox Theater (2322 2^nd Ave NE, Seattle WA 98121, Belltown area, around 20 blocks from the Monaco.)

“5 Minutes in Heaven” Readings – 8:30pm – 10:00pm at the Jewelbox Theater. (The theater is in the Rendezvous Bar.

The authors reading at the After Party are:

• Amelia Gormley
• David Holly
• Z.A. Maxfield
• Kate McLachlan
• Charlie Richards
• Jeffrey Ricker
• Tara Spears
• Lou Sylvre
• Jay Vaughn
• L.A. Witt

And that’s the end of the day! 😀

What should I expect at the free book festival after the conference?

The book fest will feature:

• 50 LGBTQ romance authors to meet and chat with (See author list)
• The University Book Store will be selling books by attending authors
• Book Fest Bingo – with chances to win gift certificates to the University Book Store table
• Loads of free author swag!
• Free appetizers
• A cash bar (For real- it’s cash only.)

What can I expect at the After Party?

The after party will be a very casual setting where attendees can decompress from the day, order food and drinks, chat, and also check out the short readings in the theater.

Where do I pick up my swag bag? You can pick it up at registration.

I hear there will be free books at the conference? Yep! We have loads of free books that you can just grab and take with you. Enjoy!

Is there still a book drive for Gay City going on? Yep! We are also gathering book donations for the Gay City LGBTQ library. Every book donated will get a raffle ticket, and a chance to win some prizes! Books can be donated at the Gay City table at the conference and book festival.

Where can I park? The Seattle Library has parking all day for $7, but it ends at 7pm. Downtown also has some nearby lots. Street parking becomes free after 8pm.

What other questions could we answer? Let us know! 😀