On October 27th, The Gathering Storm will be released around the world. Beginning at midnight that morning, Brandon Sanderson will kick off his month-long U.S tour. You can get the exact times and locations of each tour stop at this link.

For each one of the book tour events, Dragonmount will be recruiting approximately 4-5 Storm Leaders. Storm Leaders will get the rare opportunity to meet with Brandon and/or possibly Harriet in a casual setting before the actual book signing. Typically this will be at a nearby coffee shop, restaurant, or inside the bookstore cafe. Food and drinks will be provided, so there’s no cost to you. You’ll get the opportunity to meet with Brandon (and/or Harriet), and discuss whatever you guys like. You can also get your books signed and personalized in advance. The amount of time you’ll have to hang out will vary from city to city depending on Brandon’s schedule, but right now we’re estimating that it will be about an hour. And, of course, you’ll receive an Official Collector’s Edition 2009 Gathering Storm Tour T-shirt. (Oh yeah)

Brandon Sanderson and Harriet at the Robert Jordan Citadel Dedication (June, 2008)

In return for this opportunity, we’re going to put you to work. Each of the Storm Leaders will be asked to help document the event in different ways. Some Storm Leaders will take photos. Another will take notes and do a blog write-up for DM to share with the wider community. Some will hand out promotional material to people standing in line. If the bookstore needs help organizing lines, a Storm Leader will be there to help. If Harriet needs a glass of water, a Storm Leader will be there to take care of that. If Brandon sneezes, a Storm Leader will … nevermind. You get the idea.

Another important task for some of the Storm Leaders will be to get involved on our message boards, and on our Facebook group to help promote the event. We’ll probably ask that each “team” of Storm Leaders get together in person at the bookstore once before the event in order to work out the logistics and delegate tasks to be in charge of. You’ll be provided with a packet of more detailed guidelines once the teams are assembled.

What are you looking for in a Storm Leader?
First and foremost, we’re looking for people who are excited about this book release, and excited about meeting Brandon and Harriet. Because being a Storm Leader requires a lot of organization and initiative, we’re looking for people who are proactive and willing to work a little bit. Age isn’t a factor. In fact, we want to put teams together that have a diverse range of ages. If you have some good experience in organizing club activities, or have been a contributing member to the various online WoT communities, be sure to mention that in your application. Above all, tell us why you should get selected and why Brandon and Harriet might want to meet you.

What if I’m just a casual fan but still want to be a part of this?
No problem. You don’t have to have been a part of a WoT community staff for the last decade to get involved. As long as you’re willing to help with the tasks that need to get done, then we’ll consider you.

Who’s doing the selections?
Myself (Jason) and Jennifer Liang will be going through the applications and putting together interesting and diverse groups. We don’t accept bribes, and we hope you won’t hurt us if you’re not selected. We’re expecting a pretty big turn-out of applications. Everyone will get a fair shot. We might even save some open slots to be filled by random selection.

Okay, so how do I apply?
We are now accepting applications. To apply, fill out the web form below. You cannot apply more than once, but you can list your first and second choice of events to attend. You cannot be a Storm Leader for more than one event.

The deadline for applications is 11:59 PM (U.S. Pacific Time) on September 27th.

We will review all of the applications and offer Storm Leader positions to people within a week after the deadline. This should hopefully give you enough time to get the day/afternoon/evening off from work or other commitments.

Here are a list of the book tour events. For specific times and locations go here.

BYU Bookstore, Provo, UT (Tuesday, October 27th, Midnight)
Barnes & Noble, Charleston, SC (Tuesday, October 27th)
Borders, Chicago, IL (Wednesday, October 28th)
Books-a-Million, Baltimore, MD (Thursday, October 29th)
Barnes & Noble, Minneapolis, MN (Friday, October 30th)
West Charleston Library, Las Vegas, NV (Saturday, Oct 31st)
Tattered Cover, Denver, CO (Sunday, Nov. 1st)
Sam Weller’s Bookstore, Salt Lake City, UT (Monday, Nov. 2nd)
Borders, Washington, D.C. (Wednesday, Nov. 4th)
Harvard Coop, Boston, MA (Thursday, Nov. 5th)
Chester County Books, Philadelphia, PA (Friday, Nov. 6th)
Toadstool Book Shop, Milford, NH (Saturday, Nov. 7th)
Barnes & Noble (Union Square), NYC (Monday, Nov. 9th)
Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Lexington, KY (Tuesday, Nov. 10th)
Books & Co., Dayton, OH (Wednesday, Nov. 11th)
Norcross Cultural Arts Center, Atlanta, GA (Friday, Nov. 13th)
Borders, Dallas, TX (Saturday, Nov. 14th)
Mysterious Galaxy, San Diego, CA (Sunday, Nov. 15th)
Scottsdale Public Library, Phoenix, AZ (Monday, Nov. 16th)
Vroman’s Bookstore, Los Angeles, CA (Tuesday, Nov. 17th)
University Book Store, Seattle, WA (Wednesday, Nov. 18th)
Powell’s Books, Portland, OR (Thursday, Nov. 19th)
Bay Book Company, Half Moon Bay, CA (Friday, Nov. 20th)
Barnes & Noble, San Jose, CA (Saturday, Nov. 21st)

Storm Leader Application
If you cannot see the application form below, click here.