BookCon made its highly anticipated return to the event calendar after six years, but fans have incredibly mixed reviews. The event happened April 18-19, 2026 at the north end of the Javits Center in New York City, and was met with challenges and expectations many felt were unmet. However, not all of the complaints are as bad as the internet would have you believe, and many report still having a great time.

The lineup boasted 280 authors over the two-day weekend, which is far more than any attendee can see in the event timeframe. Highlights included Rachel Reid of Heated Rivalry fame, Veronica Roth announcing a new alternate universe Divergent novel called The Sixth Faction, Andy Weir of Project Hail Mary fame, and Grishaverse author Leigh Bardugo. All authors spent at least some time signing books for readers, but spotlight-level authors needed a reservation to get in their line.

This is where BookCon’s first major complaints started. Tickets to those signings went fast, as is to be expected when there is a limited amount of time and human energy for such tasks, but people were outraged at not getting what they wanted. Some took issue with the VIP system, which allowed people who paid $400-900 per ticket (compared to the $60 GA ticket) to have a higher limit on reservations as well as a second attempt to get tickets to see authors they were interested in. This left many fans without any reservations and led to much negative discourse online.

Compounding the problem, some people snagged reservations for authors they had no interest in meeting, solely for the purpose of attempting to trade the ticket for something else. ReedPop, the company behind BookCon, did not allow direct transfers of these reservations, so trade attempts were often foiled by people who watched the site for dropped tickets, leading to more upset fans.

At the event, crowd control became the most pressing issue, starting first thing in the morning. Attendees who lined up outside the Javits to be among the first to enter BookCon Saturday morning did not have any signs or knowledgeable staff to direct them. Everyone started out in one line before attendees helped separate into VIP, ADA, and GA lines before staff were on-site. Those arriving Sunday morning were directed into a different system which involved facing the opposite way and waiting in different areas for entrance. The switch led to some confusion and questions why VIPs were sent to the fourth floor to line up for entrance on the third floor instead of waiting outside the door.

Vendors were split onto two floors. Author signings, indie authors, and smaller vendors were on the first floor of the building. Due to other events in the Javits at the same time, entrance to that floor was limited to one escalator, which led to a 7-10 minute line to go down. At first, it was just a mob, but staff added a stantion to help people form an orderly line. Unfortunately, not everyone abided by this simple social construct, and many were spotted going around the line and cutting off people who had been waiting.

The third floor hosted the main vendor booths, including the major publishers, well-known bookstores, Magic the Gathering, and the (bafflingly) largest booth, La Croix sparkling water. Each booth controlled their own scheduling for drops and signings, as well as managed their own lines. This led to more confusion as each booth had different rules.

ARC drops at the publisher booths became the greatest source of chaos at the event. Penguin Random House was the only booth with line space built into its design and a well-tested ticketing system. Several other publishers say they didn’t prepare either because ReedPop told them it was a small event and they didn’t think it was necessary. They also assumed there would be more space, as BookCons of the past used more of the Javits Center. However, ReedPop repeatedly said that this was only going to be in the North Javits, and 20k attendees would classify as a small event compared to their normal scale, so those excuses don’t entirely hold up.

The Saturday morning drops quickly turned chaotic, with no one clear on where lines were forming. Some lines turned violent with attendees pushing others out of the way in hopes of getting a free book. Many people reported bruises, and some had more serious injuries from the aggressive behaviors of others. The aggression also landed on people working the booths, with Sourcebooks confirming two employees were spit on, shoved, and cursed out. A rumor that a Harper Collins employee was punched were unfounded, but that employee said she was pushed hard.

Some publishers made adjustments on Sunday, with Hachette earning praise for one employee taking control and whipping lines into shape, but overall, the chaos lasted all weekend long. While all of those facts are horrific and can easily paint a negative picture of the event, elsewhere, people were having a great time.

A highlight of the event was the PJ Party Saturday night. BookCon screened the movie The Princess Diaries, but Meg Cabot was in attendance to deliver opening remarks. She told stories of the movie production and confirmed details about the upcoming third movie. She says the script is complete, the castle is rented and waiting for Anne Hathaway to be available for filming, and that as much as Chris Pine says he’s not returning, he is.

Author signings and panels ran smoothly overall. There are some reports of signing lines changing policy, but most attendees say it went smoothly and authors frequently got to at least some people in their standby lines. Some authors did not offer standby lines and held solely to their pre-ticketed cap.

My opinion:

Personally, I spent most of Sunday in autographing and panels instead of on the main vendor floor and enjoyed the experience. I’ve been to many large-scale conventions, so I don’t think it was as horrific as many of the newbies did. I also don’t subscribe to the entitlement mindset of many people who were upset that they didn’t get anything for free. There simply isn’t enough for everyone to get all of the things they want, and if you aren’t okay with that, then these kinds of events are not for you.

The ticket gets you in the door and that’s all you’re guaranteed. You are not guaranteed anything for free or discounted, signings for any particular author, time with any author, seats at any particular panel, or a place in any specific lines. Assuming you’d get any of that is on your reading comprehension level, not BookCon or any of the publishers.

Can BookCon make some improvements? Of course. Having an entrance plan from the get-go and being there before attendees is a major first step. Writing their communications in a way that attendees who don’t frequent large-scale events can understand is also an important step toward managing expectations. BookCon and publishers need to have a better understanding of expectations and line mangement plans for ARC drops as well, but calls for all ARCs to be a lottery system/ everyone to get something free are ridiculous and simply not plausible.

My main issue with the whole event is the attendee behavior. I’ve never seen such an insane level of entitlement at an event before, and I hope to never see it again. Assaulting others is never okay, and to do so over a free book is preposterous. I do not care who you are or why you did it, if you put your hands on another person at BookCon to better your chances of getting something for free, please, do not come back. Period. You are not welcome in this space.

This was the first BookCon in six years, so some bumps in the road are to be expected. I do believe ReedPop is listening and will make some changes to improve the expereince for 2027.