One of the advantages of living in Nashville is being part of its vibrant arts community. You might think we’re all cowboy hats and country music, but lots of authors live here, too. 

I recently volunteered at the Southern Festival of Books, one of the oldest literary festivals in the U.S. This year’s event hosted about 175 authors and thousands of readers, who come from all over the country to talk about the written word. Swoon.

Volunteering can become a meaningful WOW! Moment. 

I was stationed in the author signing tent. In my best Chandler Bing voice, “Could I be any more excited about that assignment?” No. The answer is obviously no. Here’s what I observed:

• Authors are just people who have a passion for writing. Some looked authorly (one guy was wearing a tweed jacket) and others looked like the mom next to you in carpool line.
• Authors come in many varieties. They write mysteries. Thrillers. Sci-fi. Romance. Picture books. Middle grade. YA. Historical fiction. Memoirs. Self help. Cookbooks. You name it. They write the books that make the whole world read. They write the books. They write the books. 
• Volunteering can get you some swag. I was given a cool yellow T-shirt that said “VOLUNTEER” on the back. It made me feel official as I did my job, which was to walk up to the people in line and ask, “Do you want your book personalized?” 
• Prep work keeps the lines moving. If the person wanted their book personalized, I uncapped my Sharpie, asked for their name, and confirmed the spelling (do you know how many ways there are to spell Hailey, Hailee, Haylee, Hayley … I could go on, but I won’t).  
• People are pretty basic when it comes to personalization. I’ll admit, I was hoping someone would ask for the author to write something that would make me snicker and text my sister. Like, “To my love monkey” or “Don, put down this book and walk the dog for chrissakes.” But it was all just run-of-the-mill names. Like Haley.
• Not everyone wants their book personalized. In fact, the ratio was about 50/50, if you’re into data. If they said “no,” I tried not to raise my eyebrow and look judgy.
• A flapper isn’t just a woman from the 1920s. If the book was a hardcover, I need to flap it. “Flapping” is author-speak for moving the flap of the dust jacket to the title page, so the author doesn’t get a paper cut finding the right spot to sign. Nobody wants blood on their hands. Or their books.
• Authors can have haters. During my shift, the longest line was for a woman who writes romance novels. I overheard two women walking past the tent, noticing the long line. One remarked, “Oh, she writes those cheesy books.” I wanted to yell out, “Oh, yeah? What have you written? Where’s your line? Clearly cheese brings home the cheddar.” But of course, I didn’t. I was too busy flapping.  

Volunteering can definitely be a wow moment. Not only are you giving time to an organization that’s meaningful to you; you get to be an insider and learn something new about the world. In my case, nothing beats spending a day around others who love to write and read. And who love cheese.