So Tee and I have gone to our first convention of the season, and so the 2015 season is officially on. This year, like most years we have a pretty full on slate; in 2014 we had eight events, this year we have nine.
As much as I love conventions, that is quite a lot, and the only way to survive it is to know what you are getting yourself into, and make sure to plan.
So here are some of my tips for being a writer and surviving a con at the same time.
If you are selling your books
You might end up doing this, especially if there is not going to be a bookseller in the dealer room, so make sure that a couple of weeks before the event that you have enough stock. Exactly how many you need is up to your guesstimate. I like to look at the attendance before judging, but for example for a mid-sized con like Balticon I usually have 10-15 copies of each book. I take a few more for the first in a series or something new that just came out. If I have been to a convention in a previous year that’s a plus, since I can more accurately judge how many copies I will need. In 2015 we’re going to Steampunk Unlimited for the third year in a row, and I know I will need around 20 copies of each title for that.
A few days before the convention, make sure you have enough change with you, which might involve a quick trip to the bank. Personally, there is nothing more annoying for me when we are about to get on the road to have to stop to stand in line at a bank.
Packing
For your personal attire, make sure you have enough good clothes for the convention. Remember you’re being a professional here. However, also pack some relaxed outfits for chilling out and maybe getting a spot of exercise in at the hotel gymn. Also if you are being filmed on panels, choose outfits that will look good on panels. Here’s some ideas on that.
Make sure you have the following;
- Aspirin and some earplugs just in case the hotel gets loud at night.
- Professional looking business card. You might not think you need them, but then for sure you’ll be approached by a book blogger, an editor, or (wouldn’t this be wonderful) a screen writer.
- A way to take pictures, smartphone or camera. Photos of fans, or better still fans in cosplay make for great additions to a blogpost.
- Comfortable shoes. This is doubly important if you at a big con like San Diego ComicCon!
- Snacks. Great to carry around with you, just in case you get stuck away from the chance of a meal.
Taking care of you.
Being on at a convention all the time is tiring. As much as you are feeding of the energy of the con, you are also living in a physcial body that needs more than that, so make sure to drink plenty of water (hotels can suck the moisture right out of you with their air conditioning) and find food three times a day. It actually can take effort to remember these things.
If you have a little or a lot of an introvert personality, conventions can be particularly trying. I have a touch of the introvert now and then, so I know from experience at a certain point I will need to go back to the hotel room and just zone out. Be OK with that.
Make sure to keep up your healthy regime as well. Remember to shower and put on your best face beyond the hotel room.
Partying Hard
I would say, don’t do it, but the truth is in some cases you have to at least show up to events. Conventions are not just about panels, they are about meeting friends, fans, and in some cases editors and agents. There are specific conventions such as WorldCon and World Fantasy, where the focus isn’t on panels. It is about connecting with those people in your industry, and that means attending room parties, making small talk, and chatting in corners about deals.
Here’s where you have to be a bit circumspect. Don’t drink so much you become known as the writer that can’t hold their liquor. Enjoy yourself, but don’t end up racing to the bathroom. Every drunk writer thinks they are Hemmingway, but that is not what you’ll come across as. Far from it. Even if you have a huge beard and polydactyl cats.
In other fan run conventions, being moderate also holds true. You have panels in the morning, so bear that in mind when someone is filling your glass. Your attending as a professional, and with that badge comes some responsibility.
Being a good guest
Remember, if the convention has given you a badge, a hotel room, or a plane ticket then the agreement is you are paying it back by being a participant. Being on panels is part of the deal, and so I think is being the best guest you can be.
If people stop you in the corridor to chat, then make the time if you can. If you are on the way to another panel or meeting, then be polite about letting the person know that. Offer them another time when they can catch you. ‘I’ll be on the Women Panel at 3 today. Hope to see you there.’
Try and remember that while the interaction for you may be fleeting, for a reader who loves your work, it could be the highlight of the con.
I should mention while there are plenty of horror stories about pushy fans, or just plain rude ones, most of my interactions with readers and listeners have been lovely. A couple of uncomfortable ones have been avoided also with the ‘I have to get a panel’ move, but I didn’t include the invitation to find me again.
Also be prepared to pose for photographs, which in most cases I go with—unless I am really flying to another event.
If people ask for a signature when they see me, I usually do it, unless there is an official signing event happening later. Then I will direct them to that, and only sign if they can’t make it. It’s a complicated little dance, but after a good few conventions most writers will get the hang of it.
If it is awkward or odd, there is always the safety of the hotel room to catch you.
Hopefully these tips will help you as we all dive into the convention season. Have fun, be safe out there, and say hi if we happen to run into each out there.