Tara Conrad hopes the readers at Electric City Love Con find something special among the rows of romance writers.
“We're hoping that somebody comes and meets their new favorite author,” she said.
There will be more than 100 romance authors to choose from at the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel on Saturday during the main signing event of the debut Electric City Love Con.
Tara and George Conrad are the organizers. As the big day approached this week, they said the event had sold out online, but a limited number of tickets will be available at the door.
That level of interest doesn’t surprise them.
“The romance genre is a multi-billion dollar genre,” Tara Conrad said. “The more these events happen, the more it becomes mainstream, the more people see romance as a legitimate genre.”
Tara Conrad writes romance novels herself and typically spends many weekends travelling to various signings and events to promote her books and connect with readers.
She and husband George Conrad started talking about hosting a signing closer to home two years ago. George always felt that Scranton, where they live, would be a perfect location.
“We wanted to show people that Scranton is a valid place to have an event. I grew up in Scranton, and sometimes we do take it for granted if we’re still here,” he said. “There’s a lot of authors coming back that are from around here … we have so many authors driving in for the day.”
A visible reading culture in Scranton
When the pair started planning two years ago, they did not predict that Scranton would have new independent booksellers in town by the time their event became reality.
Tara Conrad said they got in touch right away with Lost & Found Bookshop and Friendly Alien Books when they opened in downtown Scranton this year. Both businesses provided items for welcome bags.
“Lost & Found and Friendly Alien almost simultaneously opened up,” Tara said. “We wanted the local and not local readers to know they’re here, so check them out while you’re here.”
George Conrad said the return of bookstores to Scranton has helped amplify Electric City Love Con.
“We had the idea for two years and tried to convey it to everyone,” he said. “I think everybody’s getting the hint as far as what we’re trying to do. It’s exciting.”
Saturday event sold out quickly
Saturday’s signing event started as a sign-up form two years ago. Tara Conrad said around 400 authors applied when they made the form, and they narrowed them down to the 113 authors who will be appearing this weekend.
George Conrad said they are planning for around 400 attendees.
“It’s going to be all day,” he said.
VIP ticket-holders can enter the signing event at 10 a.m. Then after a 12:30 lunch break, general admission starts at 1 p.m.
The signing will be open until 5 p.m.
Along with author signings and book sales, Saturday’s event will feature vendors and flash tattoos by Electric City Tattoo.
Tara Conrad said she and George have spent plenty of time at signings like this. Over the years, they’ve learned hosting tips and come up with ideas to set Electric City Love Con apart from the rest.
“I’m friends with a lot of experienced hosts, so they’ve been huge in helping us,” she said.
Authors at Electric City Love Con will be grouped by “tropes and sub-genres,” she said.
“So if you like mafia romance, you know that they’re in that section,” she said. “Or if I want to try historical romance, they’re over here. We’re hoping that setup kind of helps everybody maneuver around a little easier.”
Each author will also be labeled with their “pepper level,” which signifies how explicitly their romantic scenes are written.
“It usually goes from one to five, one being sweet, closed door, nothing explicit on the pages,” Tara Conrad said. “All the way up to five (being) super explicit, everything’s on the page.”
The Lackawanna County Library System will also be on hand at Love Con to sign people up for a library card. Tara Conrad asked all of the authors attending to donate a book to the library to build up the romance section.
Before the main event on Saturday, three authors are hosting VIP dinners on Friday night. There will also be a “Romance on the Run” Amazing Race-style scavenger hunt during Scranton’s First Friday Art Walk.
“We thought it'd be nice for everybody to get out in the city and see what Scranton has to offer,” George Conrad said.
Romance in the mainstream
Tara Conrad has been writing and publishing dark romance novels for about four years. In that time, she’s seen the romance genre step into the spotlight of popular culture.
STOP AND SEE SARAH
WVIA's Sarah Scinto will be at Electric City Love Con gathering live recommendations for WVIA's Bookmarks. Stop by, say hi, and tell us about a book you loved!
“It was very liberating … it gave us all almost permission to read, write and to enjoy stuff that’s in these books,” she said. “I think it’s been very empowering, and being a part of that, especially as a woman, it’s an honor to write books and know that people are feeling that way.”
Even when book sales decline, demand for romance novels and romantic fiction stays steady. According to Publisher’s Weekly in 2022, print sales in the romance genre went up by 52%.
Tara Conrad’s first book, “Her Surrender,” was the thesis for her Master of Fine Arts degree.
“I thought, that’s the only thing. That’s the book and now we’re done,” she said.
Then she started hearing from readers and “Her Surrender” became the first book in a 10 book series.
“To have people read that and say, ‘no, I see myself in that person, can you write another book for that?’ It’s been life-changing,” she said. “I never imagined this.”
George Conrad said the busy hall on Saturday will show how much readers have embraced the romance genre in recent years.
“It’s going to be busy and just proof that there is room on the shelf for everybody there,” he said.
“And if there’s no more room on that shelf, you just put another shelf up and get more books.”
