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Daily Mirror
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside the 'Fyre Festival of BookTok' as US book festival is shrouded in chaos
A book festival hosted in Baltimore, US has turned into a social media storm as authors have recounted every awful detail of the event - while many claim they were lied to by the event's organiser Traumatised authors, thousands of lost dollars and a missing DJ: welcome to the " Fyre Festival" of BookTok. Over the past weekend, hundreds of authors flocked to Baltimore to attend what should have been the perfect event for fantasy book-lovers. Instead, it transformed into something closer to a horror fic. The A Million Lives book festival was held over May 2 and 3 and set up by Archer Management for fantasy authors and their readers. 'Romantasy' is viral on TikTok, with almost one million posts falling under the hashtag, and includes novels like the bestselling book series Acotar by Sarah J. Maas. Tickets for vendors cost between $50 to $250 (£37 to £186) and promised to be the "perfect event to make bookish friends". One of its most exciting draws was that it also promised a lavender-themed ball. But over the past few days, authors have been running to social media to detail what some are describing as the 'Fyre Festival of book festivals'. Accounts depict an event hall filled with chaos, with minimal staff or identity checks and, most notably, hardly any attendees – despite false promises made by the organiser. One author, Samantha Heil, told Newsweek that there were around 40 attendees on Friday, compared to about 100 authors. Saturday only improved to about 125 people coming to the event. However, this is in stark contrast to how many tickets the owner of Archer Management promised had been sold. Authors claimed online that Grace Marceau, a writer who runs Archer Management, told them personally that between 600 to 1400 tickets had been sold. But the videos showing a near-empty convention hall tell a wildly different story. The Mirror reached out to Archer Management for comment. Stephanie Combs, author of The Stars Would Curse Us, posted a now-viral TikTok, declaring: 'I survived A Million Lives book festival. Or should we call it: a million lies.' She continued: "That is one of my dreams, bucket goal lists. I wanna be invited as an author to an event like this. Where I get to meet readers and get to connect with other authors." However, the experience she was met with was a poorly-organised mess. She explained: 'We had no badges, because they apparently shattered in transit. People were just wandering around because there was no one checking badges or wristbands. It was just very unprofessional.' It also put many authors out of pocket, as those who had travelled long distances had had to pay for both transport and accommodation. Some have even claimed to have wasted 'thousands of dollars' on the event. But the most egregious disappointment was the ball. BookTok authors dressed up in their finest romantic gowns for what they had been told was a black tie event – only to be met with an almost empty ballroom, minimal decoration and no snacks or refreshments save for some cookies. There wasn't even any music. According to one report, the DJ was hospitalised pre-event and they couldn't find a replacement. One attendee came onto TikTok to claim that a security guard had felt sorry for them so he 'brought a shower speaker from his home' that they could use. Grace Marceau took to TikTok on May 5 to apologise to the authors affected. She said, 'I do understand that the ball tonight was not set up to standards. There were a lot of issues getting set up, and it was not set up well…If you would like a refund, please contact me and I will issue a refund immediately.' However, the apology was not enough for many commenters on TikTok, who have labelled the entire event 'a scam.' She failed to address the fact that many of the events participants claimed she lied about ticket numbers. Comments also pointed out that, given the thousands of dollars some authors spent on accommodation and transport, that a refund wasn't enough to cover damages.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Romantasy festival A Million Lives slammed by authors and attendees: 'Fyre Fest of books'
Authors and attendees say they were duped over the weekend after promised romantasy book event A Million Lives broke their hearts. "It felt like Fyre Fest of book festivals," Kait Disney-Leugers, who's written several books including Love Across the Tabletop, said on TikTok. "We were told there's been over 600 tickets sold. I did not see those people. There were more authors at their booths than there were attendees, and I'm not exaggerating. It was that bad." She noted that "at every point of the last two days, everything was f---ed up, not delivered on, or just half-assed. There was no water there, even in the vending machine at the top of the stairs. Because, by the way, we were in the basement exhibit hall. Had no water. There was no swag bags for people who paid to go to this. No badges, wristbands." Her reference to the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival, where what was touted as a luxe experience ended up being full of cheese sandwiches, FEMA tents, and, yep, no water, was not a compliment. And Disney-Leugers was far from the only one with a complaint. The official description of the May 2-3 event in Baltimore from company Archer Management was hyped as "the perfect event to make more bookish friends! This event will include a vendor hall, panels, a content creation room, fandom cosplay meet ups, a cosplay competition and a ball." Tickets cost from $50 to $250 for one that included a Lavender Romance Ball. Author Stephanie Combs shared footage of her and friends dressed up and excitedly heading to the fancy fete, only to be disappointed at what looked like a minuscule number of people there. "When you gotta laugh so you don't cry," Combs captioned her post. "A million lives or a million lies? I was an attending least we looked fantastic." TikToker Azthia Bookwyrm told PEOPLE she accepted an invitation to cover the event as an influencer. But when she arrived, she found she'd been moved from the Hilton Inn near the venue to a Days Inn. She said more authors were there than readers and that the whole thing was a "huge financial loss." In fact, there were so many people upset with what they got for their money, that the company publicly apologized for the ball, the day after it took place. Over the next few days, Archer's Instagram offered additional words of regret. In one, the post read, "I wholeheartedly apologize for how the event turned out this weekend. We are currently processing refunds as fast as we can." The company projected that all refunds would be made by May 31. "We take full responsibility for the way that AML was handled," another noted. "We are doing refunds for every attendee, author, and vendor. We are also canceling all of our future events and will be processing refunds for those as well."Finally, the company listed some of the authors and vendors who participated and asked people to support them "after our mistakes this past weekend." Many of the commenters were supportive, crediting Archer Management with owning up to their error, although some still had questions. "I thought it was a good first go. The question is, what really went wrong?" Instagram's jzimansky asked. "Can we get an actual explanation? I don't necessarily care about a refund. I just want to know what really went wrong." Others commented, "Thank you for making this right for all of us" and "We all make mistakes, and it sounds like you're really trying to do the right thing. That's all we can do when we mess up!" But that didn't cut it for Rocky Road Publishing LLC: "Events like this that are not organized correctly make us rethink about wanting to attend as an author, publishing company, or just an attendee. I'm glad you are making it right, but it's still unacceptable it happened in the first place." In addition to Fyre Fest, the A Million Lives event's implosion is reminiscent of several other spectacular failures, including the September 2024 unauthorized "Bridgerton ball," which saw fans of the Netflix show outraged by the quality of a Detroit experience for which they paid $150 to $1,000, depending on the package purchased. The similarly unofficial Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow, Scotland, made headlines in March 2024. Despite the original debacle, Fyre Festival 2 was scheduled this year for May 30 to June 2 on Isla Mujeres in Mexico and eventually relocated to Playa del Carmen. Then, in April, the festival was postponed indefinitely, and founder Billy McFarland, the subject of two documentaries, put the Fyre Festival brand up for sale. "This brand is bigger than any one person and bigger than what I'm able to lead on my own. It's a movement. And it deserves a team with the scale, experience, and infrastructure to realize its potential," the convicted felon said in a statement posted on the "Own Fyre" website. Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Book festival SLAMMED as 'new Fyre Fest' after authors and attendees lose out on hundreds of dollars
A new book festival is joining the likes of the failed Glasgow Willy Wonka experience, controversial Eras Tour event, and the infamous Fyre Fest after romance authors lost money and attendees complained bitterly all over social media. A Million Lives Book Festival, a romantic fantasy book convention held at the Baltimore Convention Center over the weekend is getting slammed online for not delivering what it promised - it has since been nicknamed 'A Million Little Lies.' The festival was marketed as a convention for readers of 'romantasy,' which is one of the most popular genres on BookTok, where book lovers talk about their favorite books on TikTok. West Virginia-based author Grace Willows organized the event through her company Archer Management. It was described as 'the perfect event to make more bookish friends,' including a 'vendor hall, panels, a content creation room, fandom cosplay meet ups, a cosplay competition and a ball.' Ticket prices ranged from $50 to $250. According to Archer Management, the company is 'here to host events to help build the bookish community' and supports 'traditionally and independently published authors.' Grace's biography explains that books are her 'therapy' and have helped her meet 'so many amazing people in the bookish community.' She 'started this company' to share her love of reading 'with others and make them affordable so that anyone can attend.' However, after the event, attendees flocked to social media to complain bitterly. Many of the authors said that while they were promised up to 1,000 attendees, there were very few people (according to Reddit, about 50 to 60), and they still had to pay for their own tables to sell books. 'I barely made enough to cover my f***ing parking for two days,' author Kait Disney-Leugers, who took a day off of work to participate, claimed in a TikTok, before saying that A Million Lives 'felt like the Fyre Fest of book festivals.' Kait has since made a video about the website created to help authors who were at the event raise money to financially recover. Other TikToks, including the viral video shared by author Stephanie Combs, showcased no signage, no amenities, including the promised 'content creation room,' and a barely decorated room where the ball was supposed to be. Instead, women in lavish ball gowns looked downtrodden in a mostly empty conference room. A content creator with the username Azthia Bookwyrm shared a video of what she nicknamed the 'A Million Let Downs Book Festival,' showcasing the vendor hall devoid of guests and $10 wine in plastic cups at the at the empty fantasy ball. 'Those poor introverts finally decided to leave their houses, and this is what happens. They're never leaving their houses again,' one commenter quipped. One attendee on Reddit explained that they enjoyed meeting the authors and networking. However, they had to walk for miles to attend all of the events. When it came to the ball, they said 'the cleaning company came 15 minutes beforehand and couldn't be bothered to set up correctly.' They also explained that the music went wrong because 'the DJ was hospitalized beforehand and couldn't find a replacement,' which is why a Bluetooth speaker was used instead, which they found unacceptable for $250 VIP tickets, along with a $600 hotel, as well as $70 parking. 'Yikes. This sounds like a bookish Fyre Festival,' one commenter responded. Another confirmed, 'I was one of the signing authors there. And yes, most (if not all) you're hearing is true.' Fantasy, mystery, and romance author Hope Davis created a viral Instagram thread about her experience, writing that 'authors were charged a $150 table fee and told at some point 500-600 tickets were sold. Only about 50 people showed up.' Other TikToks, including the viral video shared by author Stephanie Combs, showcased no signage, no amenities, and a barely decorated room where the ball was supposed to be @stephdevourerofbooks When you gotta laugh so you don't cry. 😂😭 a million lives or a million lies? 😬🫣 I was an attending author…at least we looked fantastic. @Valerie Rivers @Author Sarah Zane🏳️🌈 #baltimore #amillionlivesbookfestival #amillionlies #bookball ♬ origineel geluid - Tik Toker Hope also said that there were no promised swag bags, no decorations at the ball, and no official schedule of the panels. 'I took a huge loss on the weekend but at least I sold SOMETHING. I sent most of the 100 books I ordered for this event but I can't imagine what some authors are going through right now trying to ship books back or return them because they can't take them with them,' she said. Grace later took to TikTok to apologize and promised a refund to people who asked for their money back. 'I do understand that the ball tonight was not up to standards. There were a lot of issues getting set up, and it was not set up well,' she said in the video. Grace then turned off comments.
New York Post
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
‘Romantasy' ball blasted as epic scam over false promises, sparse turnout: ‘Fyre Festival of BookTok'
A fantasy romance novel convention quickly went from Velaris to very messy. Romantasy fans — the extremely popular book genre among millennials and Gen Z women that blends fantasy fiction with smutty romance tropes — were baffled when they arrived at the A Million Lives Book Festival in Baltimore on May 2 and 3. What was promoted as an immersive gathering of hundreds of book lovers, dozens of authors and publishers, and themed entertainment quickly devolved into what is being dubbed the 'Fyre Festival of BookTok.' 3 A Million Lives Book Festival sold only around 30 tickets. TikTok/@stephdevourerofbooks Advertisement Organized by Archer Management, A Million Lives promised author panels, romantasy cosplay meet-ups, a costume contest, a content creation room, a vendor hall stocked with new releases and bookish items, and a glistening ball taken right off the pages of Sarah J. Maas. Author and attendee Stephanie Combs mockingly shared a video of her and her friends strutting through the hotel lobby wearing floor-length ball gowns. 'When you're going to a bookish fantasy-themed ball,' she wrote in a TikTok post before showing a sparsely populated convention hall with no decorations. 'And this is what you get.' Advertisement Tables at the event were shockingly empty, with some lazily thrown fake rose petals and books on them. Guests dressed for a ball of epic proportions were sadly disappointed as they idled in the room, which didn't even have the lights dimmed. 'When you gotta laugh so you don't cry,' Stephanie joked. 'A million lives or a million lies? I was an attending author…at least we looked fantastic.' Perci Jay, an author attending the event, showed off the 'absolute chaos' of the ball, which only attendees who bought the most expensive ticket had access to. The affair cost $250 and had no food, with water and drinks for purchase at a cash bar. The only music at the ball was from a small speaker a security guard had on him. Advertisement 'So yes, friends, that means the plan for this ball was for us to stand in the giant empty room, with no food, a cash bar and stand there in silence,' she said on TikTok. Authors looking to sell their books were told that around 600 tickets were sold for the event. 3 The event's music was relegated to a small speaker in the corner. TikTok/@percijay_fantasyauthor Advertisement In reality, only about 30 guests attended. Romance author Kait Disney-Leugers blasted the festival as the 'worst event' she ever attended, adding that she did not make any money at A Million Lives, a huge blow saying authors usually pay for their own tables 'I barely made enough to cover my fucking parking for two days,' Disney-Leugers said in a TikTok, adding that 'It felt like Fyre Fest of book festivals,' referring to the disastrous 2017 music festival whose ritzy advertising ended up being a multi-million dollar scam. 'Advertised as something really awesome, but the actual execution of it was horrible. We were told there were more than 610 tickets sold, I did not see those people.' 3 The event did not deliver on it's promises of a glamorous ball. An author told The Cut that the conference's promise that authors' hotel rooms were comped was not met. Grace Willows, who organized the event, reached out to the author allegedly asking her to pay for her own room at a different hotel. Willows, an author, apologized for the event — which is being compared to the woeful Willy Wonka Glasgow and the scam 'Bridgerton' ball that had stripping fairies instead of Regency waltzes across the ballroom. Advertisement 'I am wanting to issue a formal apology. I do understand that the ball tonight was not set up to standard,' she said in a TikTok video on Sunday. 'There were a lot of issues with getting set up, and it was not handled well. I'd like to apologize. If you would like a refund, please contact me and I will issue a refund immediately.' Archer Management released a statement the next day saying that all attendees will be refunded by May 31.
CBC
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
These authors were sold a romantasy convention. Instead, they got the Fyre Festival of the book world
Imagine getting dressed up in your finest for a fantasy-themed ball, only to find yourself standing on the concrete floor of a massive, nearly empty convention hall, decorated only with a few rose petals. Welcome to A Million Lives Book Festival. What was billed as a romantasy BookTok convention for indie authors and book fans is now being compared to infamous event flops like Fyre Festival and DashCon, after a flood of social media posts from attendees painted a picture of a confusing and disappointing event. Some authors say they're out thousands of dollars after carting books and merchandise to Baltimore, Md., for the event, which was held May 2 to 3 at the Baltimore Convention Center, and not being able to recoup the costs. Pitched as "the perfect event to make more bookish friends" on organizer Archer Management's website, the festival was supposed to include a vendor hall, panels, a content creation room, cosplay meetups and a competition, as well as a fantasy ball for those who bought VIP tickets at $250 US each. But although numerous authors say they were told 500 tickets were sold, they reported being greeted with fewer guests than authors, and a barren convention hall instead of the promised ball. Perci Jay, who writes romance and fantasy books, called it "the Willy Wonka experience but with books," in a TikTok, referring to the 2024 Glasgow event that caused a stir after its real-life warehouse location failed to live up to the AI images used to advertise it. "I flew out for this," the author, who is from Texas, said. "I planned my pregnancy around this event like a clown." Organizer apologizes for event's issues Grace Willows, the organizer behind Archer Management, posted a video statement through her event planning company's TikTok page on the weekend, apologizing for the ball being "not set up to standards." "If you would like a refund, please contact me and I will issue you a refund immediately," she said. Archer Management, also known as Archer Fantasy Events, has since apologized for the entire event and stated that refunds are being processed automatically. After confirming receipt of CBC News's request for comment, Archer shared a new statement on TikTok on Tuesday evening. It has not responded to further requests for comment. "We take full responsibility for the way that AML was handled," the latest statement reads, with a remix of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit playing in the background. "We are doing refunds for every attendee, author and vendor. We are also canceling all of our future events and will be processing refunds for those as well." Inside the Fyre Fest of romantasy Across numerous TikTok posts, authors and attendees allege that the event had problems from the beginning. Issues ranged from panels starting late to authors not being given badges and the promised swag bags not being delivered. One panel on audiobooks took place with panelists and attendees all seated on the carpet — there were no chairs designated for the panel, narrator Carmen Seantel said in a TikTok post. More than 100 authors, vendors and audiobook narrators were listed as attending on Archer Management's website. Authors paid a $150 US table fee, while tickets for attendees ranged from $50 US to $250 US, with only the priciest tier providing entrance to the fantasy ball. Only around 30 people came through the vendor hall on the first day, Jay said in her TikTok. And while the first day was exclusive to VIP ticket holders, the second day wasn't much busier, according to Jay, who estimates around 80 guests showed up. The promised "content creation room" was an empty conference room, and closed on Saturday. But the biggest disappointment for attendees was the fantasy ball. A largely empty, grey room Attendees found themselves stranded in a massive, grey room, barren except for a few long tables with fake rose petals scattered on top. There was a cash bar, a small table with desserts and a single Bluetooth speaker propped on a chair to play music — far from the opulence that the price tag promised. "People showed up, dressed to impress, tried to make the best of it," author Stephanie Combs said in a TikTok post, adding that she felt bad for people who had flown in. One influencer invited to the event, Azthia Bookwyrm, said on TikTok that she had travelled from Spain to attend. For author Kalista Neith, the ball was the last straw. In a series of TikToks, she said she had been invited 18 months ago as a featured author for the event. The organizer had promised to put these authors up at a nearby Hilton hotel, but Neith said this was changed just days before the event to the Days Inn across the street. Indie authors expect some business risk when attending in-person conventions, Neith said on TikTok. It was only after the ball that she felt compelled to share her experience online, and apologize to those who bought tickets to the event after she had advertised that she would be there. "For my readers to spend money on an event and this ball, and having to walk into that, that is unacceptable," she said. "As an author, all we have is the readers' trust." 'We did not sell much of anything' The popularity of the "romantasy" sub-genre, along with online communities like BookTok, has meant more of these conventions cropping up to provide opportunities for indie authors to meet their peers and readers in person. But authors have to print their own books in the hopes that they'll make enough sales to make it worth it. "When you are an indie author, you pay for everything yourself upfront, and only if you do events like this can you finally recoup the cost," Jay said. "People are thousands of dollars in debt because of the lies and the false promises and the mismanagement." Sales were minimal for authors like Caitlin Burkhart, who publishes under the name C.A. Burkhart. "We did bring physical copies to this event, and we did not sell much of anything, really," she said on TikTok. Only days earlier, she had been excitedly posting the times she would be signing books during the event. But the festival kept at least one promise: fostering friendships. Authors have since banded together to boost the work of their peers who'd tabled the event. "I just wish it was a meet-up and not a paid thing that we all lost money on," Burkhart said.
