The YallWest virtual book festival took place this past weekend! Typically held each spring in Santa Monica, California, things looked a little different this year (#Covid-19), and the YallWest team decided to move the festivities and panels online. The event was dubbed “Yall Stay Home” (clever, right?!).
I’m incredibly impressed with the way the YallWest team was able to turn things around at such short notice. When stay-at-home orders went into effect, the team pulled out all the stops to maintain the spirit of the event and provide a virtual platform for authors and readers to connect, with “giveaways, contests, signed book deliveries, and two full days of panels with more than 70 bestselling and award-winning authors.”
This was especially exciting for me, as I would not have been able to attend had the event not been virtual (I live on the east coast!). Of course, I understand why the change in plans may have been disappointing for the people who were looking forward to gathering together in-person and meeting authors and fellow book-lovers face-to-face. But it’s really inspiring to me how so many industries – publishing & the reading community included – have stepped up to adapt.
So, thank you YallWest! Well done. Each of the panels I attended were awesome. Today I’m sharing my notes and takeaways from the panels I joined. Hope it’s helpful to you! *I believe the panels were recorded, and will be made available at a later date if you missed one or would like to rewatch. 😉
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