Romancing the Midwest (RTM) is a romance-themed book fair and convention—a space where readers and authors come together to celebrate their love of stories.

Join us to meet authors, purchase signed books and bookish swag, create story-inspired crafts alongside like-minded readers, attend panels, participate in trivia, and more.

RTM strives to create an inclusive, immersive experience for both readers and authors.

Built for readers. Backing authors.

Chelsea Jean is a Midwest entrepreneur and author with over a decade of experience in event planning.

After organizing Booked Eau Claire, Chelsea saw the opportunity to expand and create a romance-only book convention.

After crafting the event and breathing life into it, Chelsea had some unexpected life emergencies that caused her to be unable to give this event the attention it deserved. She then reached out to another community member to run it.

Mz Rylan is a Midwest romance author with a passion for community. When Romancing the Midwest’s founder, Chelsea, approached her about running RTM, Mz was thrilled. Backed by a project management degree and a love of romance fiction and happily ever afters, she was excited to take on this new challenge.

Mz has previously organized several smaller book fairs and finds the greatest joy in watching readers and authors come together to connect over stories.

Tickets plan to go on sale May of 2026. Please check back or sign up for our newsletter for more information.

Yes! we would love for you to volunteer.

Volunteers will receive free access to the mingle events, the event space, exclusive swag and an event t shirt.

Volunteer applications are located at the bottom of this page as well as in the contact page, home page and 2027 RTM page.

Do you feel that your business is a good fit for this event? Would you like us to include your logo or give a special shout out during the event? Check our media page (link below)

We are being hosted by Monona terrace in Madison Wisconsin. There will be parking and lodging available nearby, please check back later for more information.

Please fill out the contact us form below and we will get back to your shortly.

Yes. As we are still early in the planning process, the lineup is subject to change and no formal announcements have been finalized. For the most accurate and up-to-date list of attending authors and vendors, please refer to our Attending Page.