Monday, November 7, 2011

Random: Waiting in Lines

Have you ever stood in line for hours to get a book at midnight?

I was wondering about how many people do wait in lines for releases. My husband is waiting in line for some video game, I have no idea what the title is nor do I really care. But this got me thinking and reminiscing about midnight release parties for books. 

I worked at Borders for 4 year (may they rest in peace) and in my time there Borders hosted a few midnight release parties. Breaking Dawn which I vaguely remember and I didn't understand what all the hoopla was all about. A few other unnoticeable by me release parties that I don't even remember what the book was. Than the greatest event Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows.

I thankfully didn't work the evening shift, I worked the bright and early cafe shift starting at 6am. When we pulled up to the store we already had our first person waiting in line. I still had an hour till to open and prepare the cafe with a barrier blocking off the rest of the bookstore till 9am.

As the rest of the day progressed, more and more HP fans streamed in to wait in line. There was strips of yellow tape creating how the line would progress through the store. From the registers it went past the sci-fi section, past the fiction wall, next to the YA, bending around the staircase, snaking through the media section, past the opposite side of the stair case, past the cafe, out the Borders entrance doors, going past Joann's and around the corner.

All throughout the day people dressed as Harry or some other wizard would come to the cafe and order food and beverages while waiting in line. I was able to leave the madness that was just beginning at 3pm, but I got to hear about all the craziness that went on in the cafe and the rest of the bookstore. 

On the bookstore side activities were planned for the line waiters, the only one I remember was the great debate "Is Snape good or bad?" On the cafe side the drains were flooding and the girls were running around like crazy just to keep up with the orders and the messes.

At 11:59pm one of the book sellers stood on the counters and held up HP7 above her head for all to see. The crowd hooted and hollered and the real insanity began of paying for their books and getting home to read it.

At times I wish I could have been there at the event to laugh at everything that happened and get some great tips, but at the same time I'm glad I didn't have to work till 3am.

Have you been to any midnight release book events?
Was it worth the wait?
Would you do it again?

As much as I love books I don't think I would ever go to a midnight book release. I'll save my patiently waiting for seeing the authors.

<3Books

6 comments:

Marathon said...

I've never been before, but I've ALWAYS wanted to go to a midnight signing. I have yet to go to my first real signing actually. I'd love to start soon, though. I wish I'd been an HP fan back then so I could've tried to go. That sounds like so much fun!

- Asher (from Paranormal Indulgence)

Bookluvr Mindy said...

Totally! I was at the midnight release for several of the HP books! It was a lot of fun. My only problem was trying to get someone to join me so a couple times I took my nephew with me.

Bookluvr Mindy said...

Standing in line doesn't sound fun at all! I went to BN for each of the releases and when you walk in the door they give you a number based off of weather you pre-ordered the books or not. It was first come first serve. So there were 2 types of tickets and then they while roaming the store or participating in the activities, they would call up a group of tickets at a time. They were fun memories.

Kristina said...

@A Knight I hope you do get to go to some author signings, they are so amazing!

@Mindy Things are always more fun when you have others to join you. I always am trying to get other to join me to book signings, but I will go by myself if I have to.
I guess I just might have to go to a midnight release maybe once just to see how it is.

Fiktshun said...

Love this Random post! :)

I would only wait in line for a Midnight book release party IF the author was going to be there doing the signing. I think that happened with Cassandra Clare and Holly Black the night before they came here last spring.

I've stood in long lines for signatures before. But unless the author (or celebrity, rock star, sports figure) was there, I just wouldn't do it. And I remember the BD thing at the Border's near here. I had no idea what that book was at the time and I thought, what kids would want to go to a mall at midnight for a book signing. (And it wasn't even that, ha!)

I'd totally stand around all night for a Stephen King signing. :)

Kristina said...

@Fiktshun I agree I would so stand in line if the author was going to be there as well, that would be so cool!