Jenna Black considers herself a part-time rock star.

The Philadelphia native and Duke alum spends most of the year quietly living and writing paranormal romance and fantasy fiction in North Carolina. But at annual literary industry functions, she gets a taste of fame.

This week the novelist, along with more than 400 other authors and thousands of avid readers, is attending the RT Booklovers Convention at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The event runs from Wednesday through Sunday; Saturday includes a Giant Book Fair Extravaganza, where writers of all genres sign their books.

Here, Black channels her inner rock star, meeting readers at registration, various seminars and in line at the hotel Starbucks.

“There’s a built-in audience at RT. Fans come up to you gushing about your work,” she said. “And I really do enjoy the gushing.”

Black said the book signing is her favorite aspect of the convention, partly because it differs from those at major retailers.

“At Barnes & Noble signings, maybe a couple of your friends show up, or maybe there are a few people of the street. Generally it’s very restrained,” she said. “Here, you can easily sell out, and there’s this great energy. It makes you feel like a rock star.”

Award-winning romance and humor author Christie Craig leads a similar lifestyle of partly famous and partly anonymous.

“I tell people we writers are bi; you’re an extrovert and an introvert,” she said. “We want to be famous. Then when this conference is over, we go back to our caves and slam the doors shut for months because we’ve spent all our people skills on the event.” 

RT – short for the RT BOOKreviews Magazine, a magazine dedicated to the literary industry –is a unique experience for writers like Black and Craig. For five days, they mingle with readers, colleagues, booksellers, publishers, editors and literary agents.

“[Black and I] work closely with each other throughout the year, but we probably only see each other about twice a year at conferences like this,” said Black’s agent, Miriam Kriss of the Irene Goodwin Literay Agency. “Writing is a very solitary thing, and this is an opportunity to meet up with others who understand exactly what you’re going through.”

The convention – now in its 28th installment – has evolved from a niche romantic fiction event to a cross-genre symposium featuring interactive workshops, meet and greets, celebrity author appearances and literary-themed parties. Wednesday kicks the nighttime festivities off with a Bollywood-themed Ellora's Cave Fantasy Party.

This year, some of the big wig attendees include: bestselling authors Dean Koontz, Catherine Coulter and Heather Graham; editors from publishing houses like HarperCollins, Penguin and Harlequin; and agents from Bradford Literary Agency, Knight Agency and Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency. Book genres represented range from historical fiction to romance, fantasy to sci-fi and graphic novels to comics.

“It’s not a vacation, but more like a rejuvenation of the creative spirit because you’re around all these other creative types,” Black said.

But even though the structure and stability of the literary industry is in flux with major book superstores like Borders filing for bankruptcy and closing hundreds of outlets, the atmosphere at this year’s event remains relatively positive.

“All my publishers – I’m with Penguin, Harlequin and Walker – are cautiously optimistic,” said young adult novelist Tracy Wolff. “You get the doom and gloom predictions about the digital age, but it’s interesting because with E-books, our work is still getting in the hands of people.”

Part of 2011's focus is dedicated to the rise of E-books and web marketing. Panels like “How to Sell 100,000 Self-Published E-books Online” and “The Seven Secrets To E-Book Self-Publishing Success” are geared toward aspiring, entrepreneurial writers.

The emphasis on digital coincides with the overall theme. This year, RT is honoring the late Walter Zacharius, founder of Kensington Books and Zebra Romances. He was one of the first in the literary biz to embrace the digital revolution.

In addition to the concentration on new media, RT has implemented a new program: two-hour, hands-on workshops from editors and agents who will give tips on breaking into the business.

But outside of the panels, RT is about connecting the business and networking with companionship and pleasure. Craig said the conference is one of the best locations for an author to go for publicity… And enjoyment.

“RT is so much fun,” she said. “It’s that place you come and you can do the business side of it, but it’s that place where you get to connect with the readers and booksellers.”

Black, too, enjoys the camaraderie.

“Being here is an interesting combination of being really energized and really exhausted at the same time,” she said. “I have no self control, so I will stay downstairs and talk until my eyes are glazing over. And then I’ll come the next day and do the same thing. By the time I get home I will be a zombie.”

Craig adds that it is great to show her readers that writers are not so different.

“People think that authors are glamorous, living in grand places,” she said. “It’s not true. I get up every day in my T-shirt that I slept in – you know, bra is optional – and I go in to my computer room.”

But here, she said, you get to dress up and show off.

“We put on our make up, put on our new clothes that we buy for the once a year occasion, and then we actually become the rock star,” Craig said. “We meet everyone, and nothing makes me happier.”

The RT Booklovers Convention will continue at the Westin (404 South Figueroa St.) through Sunday, April 10. For a complete schedule, click here.

Reach Holly here.