FAQs
- What happened to the offers for Authors, Narrators, Vendors, Ticket Holders, The Next Dark Star Contestants and Volunteers? The offers expired on July 15th. If you did not accept the offer and are due a refund for your original ticket or table fee, that will be refunded to you soon. If you would like to come to the party, you still can! Just purchase any tickets through our shop, and book your hotel through the room block! (Click here to see the original offers)
- For the offers…how does the hotel credit work? You should book your hotel room for as many nights you plan to stay through the hotel block as per normal. We will supply the hotel with a list of who has accepted the offer and how many room nights to credit each person (we will get this information from you when you fill in the appropriate form). Upon checkout, the hotel will apply the credit to your final bill. You will be credited $169 a night for each room night that you are eligible for via the offer.
- What if I don’t qualify for any of the offers? Can I still come? ABSOLUTELY! We want this to be a joyous occasion with as many book/audiobook loving people as possible! All you have to do is book your room through the room block and purchase a reception ticket (if you want to come to that). Commemorative T-shirts can be purchased up to July 31st. Narrators and Authors can also buy entrance into workshops or the seminar. See the hotel and shop links at the bottom of the page!
- How is this Party different than what you were offering with the Convention? Well, obviously, this is no longer an actual book signing convention and the associated events such as the Novella and Gala were also canceled. In all honesty, we were on the hook to fill the hotel rooms, so instead of just paying for them but not getting to enjoy the time with friends in New Orleans, we decided to pare it down and just have a party. BUT…the hotel wanted a little more structure, so we added on some workshops and seminars for narrators and authors, and decided to also host a welcome reception for everyone on Thursday night. Oh!…and a PJ Party with Troy on Friday night, how could we forget that!
- What else are you handling for people who decide to come down for this Party? We want everyone to understand that besides the structured events listed in the question above, the rest of the weekend will be LOOSE. Meaning, you should look at this as a fun vacation to an amazingly fun city with your tribe. We will help facilitate a few things like organizing a Bar Crawl or setting up a Ghost Tour…but we will not be dictating your schedule unless you want to join in these facilitated events.
- What if I have ADA concerns or safety concerns? Please contact the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel directly if you have any concerns. We will obviously take these things into consideration for the planned hotel events, but given that a good chunk of the time is now more of a personal vacation, we ask that you take responsibility for ensuring that you have appropriate accommodations for your needs directly with the hotel. As for facilitated events (bar crawl, ghost tour, Sazarac tour, etc.) we also ask that you take responsibility to ensure your accommodations are set before joining in.
- What is the curriculum of the Narrator Workshops and Author Seminar? Please visit the Workshop/Seminar page for details.
- I have food allergies…will you have food I can eat? If you have severe allergies, please let us know via the form, and we will take that into consideration for the Reception on Thursday. Food at the reception will have ingredients listed out. Other than that event, we are not providing food. Please speak directly to the hotel if you have additional concerns about the food they serve.
- Does the hotel offer free wi-fi? Certain common areas on the main floor have complimentary wi-fi. However, in order to get free wi-fi in your room, you need to be a Marriott Bonvoy member. If you are not already a member you can sign up for free at www.joinmarriottbonvoy.com. Bonvoy members can also enjoy free mobile check-in and mobile (keyless) room entry.
- What other amenities does the Sheraton New Orleans have? Please visit the Hotel Information page for more details.
- I still have questions…is there someone I can speak to? Yes! Please email us at info@darkstarcon.com and we will be happy to talk through any issues or concerns with you!
- Is there a list of which Authors and Narrators will be hanging out? As Authors or Narrators join, AND if they give permission to list their names, we will add them to website.
- Who is eligible for the Offers? The following are eligible for the offer:
- Individuals who purchased Dark Star Con ticket (Essential, VIP or VIP+)
- Narrators, Authors or Vendors who paid for their Dark Star Con table fee.
- The Next Dark Star competition contestants. This includes anyone who initially signed up but never actually submitted a video. Contestants, please refer to the offer chart to see your level and what you are being offered.
- How do I know what I am being offered? Please refer to the offer chart to see you specific offer.
- When is the deadline to accept the offer? The deadline in July 15th, 2024.
- I had officially volunteered for Dark Star ’24…do I get anything? YES! We DO have a gift for you…ONE comped room night AND a commemorative T-shirt! Email info@darkstarcon.com and let us know that you’d like to join us! And don’t forget tell us your T-shirt size! (Note: “Officially Volunteered” means that you received emails from TDD@darkstarromance.com acknowledging you as a volunteer.)
- For the offers…how does the hotel credit work? You should book your hotel room for as many nights you plan to stay through the hotel block as per normal. We will supply the hotel with a list of who has accepted the offer and how many room nights to credit each person (we will get this information from you when you fill in the appropriate form). Upon checkout, the hotel will apply the credit to your final bill. You will be credited $169 a night for each room night that you are eligible for via the offer.
- What if I don’t qualify for any of the offers? Can I still come? ABSOLUTELY! We want this to be a joyous occasion with as many book/audiobook loving people as possible! All you have to do is book your room through the room block and purchase a reception ticket (if you want to come to that). Commemorative T-shirts can be purchased up to July 31st. Narrators and Authors can also buy entrance into workshops or the seminar. See the hotel and shop links at the bottom of the page!
- How is this Party different than what you were offering with the Convention? Well, obviously, this is no longer an actual book signing convention and the associated events such as the Novella and Gala were also canceled. In all honesty, we were on the hook to fill the hotel rooms, so instead of just paying for them but not getting to enjoy the time with friends in New Orleans, we decided to pare it down and just have a party. BUT…the hotel wanted a little more structure, so we added on some workshops and seminars for narrators and authors, and decided to also host a welcome reception for everyone on Thursday night. Oh!…and a PJ Party with Troy on Friday night, how could we forget that!
- What else are you handling for people who decide to come down for this Party? We want everyone to understand that besides the structured events listed in the question above, the rest of the weekend will be LOOSE. Meaning, you should look at this as a fun vacation to an amazingly fun city with your tribe. We will help facilitate a few things like organizing a Bar Crawl or setting up a Ghost Tour…but we will not be dictating your schedule unless you want to join in these facilitated events.
- What if I have ADA concerns or safety concerns? Please contact the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel directly if you have any concerns. We will obviously take these things into consideration for the planned hotel events, but given that a good chunk of the time is now more of a personal vacation, we ask that you take responsibility for ensuring that you have appropriate accommodations for your needs directly with the hotel. As for facilitated events (bar crawl, ghost tour, Sazarac tour, etc.) we also ask that you take responsibility to ensure your accommodations are set before joining in.
- What if I want to room with another ticket/table holder? The easiest way in this scenario is for one of you to take advantage of the offer….and the other to get a refund for their ticket & purchase a reception ticket from our shop (if they want to attend that!). BUT, if you have a unique scenario and want to talk to someone on the Dark Star Team directly, please email info@darkstarcon.com.
- I bought several tickets, how do I tell you what I want to do with each ticket? When you fill out the form, you will be asked to account for each ticket you purchased. So you can say you want to get a refund for some, while others you can trade in for this deal.
- I bought my tickets via the payment plan (Affirm) and have not fully paid for my ticket yet. Am I eligible for the offer? Yes, you are eligible, but you also must continue to pay Affirm until you have paid for your ticket in full.
- I am an Narrator/Author/Vendor…I was originally planning to bring an assistant…do they get this offer too? Unfortunately, no. The offer is for one person per table to take advantage of the offer. Your assistant can either bunk with you or purchase their own room. They can also purchase a ticket to the reception if they would like to attend that as well.
- What is the curriculum of the Narrator Workshops and Author Seminar? Please visit the Workshop/Seminar page for details.
- I have food allergies…will you have food I can eat? If you have severe allergies, please let us know via the form, and we will take that into consideration for the Reception on Thursday. Food at the reception will have ingredients listed out. Other than that event, we are not providing food. Please speak directly to the hotel if you have additional concerns about the food they serve.
- Does the hotel offer free wi-fi? Certain common areas on the main floor have complimentary wi-fi. However, in order to get free wi-fi in your room, you need to be a Marriott Bonvoy member. If you are not already a member you can sign up for free at www.joinmarriottbonvoy.com. Bonvoy members can also enjoy free mobile check-in and mobile (keyless) room entry.
- What other amenities does the Sheraton New Orleans have? Please visit the Hotel Information page for more details.
- I still have questions before I make my decision…is there someone I can speak to? Yes! Please email us at info@darkstarcon.com and we will be happy to talk through any issues or concerns with you!
- Is there a list of which Authors and Narrators will be hanging out? As Authors or Narrators join, AND if they give permission to list their names, we will add them to website.
Need to Purchase Additional Items?
Visit our shop to purchase additional reception tickets, or admission to Narrator Workshops or the Author Seminar.
….and Don’t Forget to Book Your Room!