I'm looking forward to attending Pi-con 6 in Enfield CT this weekend. We've never attended this con before, but it looks like fun. For many years my hubby and I attended United Fan Con in Springfield MA until that convention became defunct. What a shame! We really miss it. UFC was one of our all-time favorite cons: small, friendly, with a large, loyal following, and a lot of fun guests. Oh, well.
Now I've learned about another con, one we never heard of before: Anthocon, to be held in Portsmouth NH in Nov. It appears to be aimed primarily at writing/publishing professionals: writers, editors, artists. publishers, etc.---even more specific than Readercon. Most cons are aimed at a broader spectrum: book lovers, fans of TV shows, comic and anime fans, and so forth. Some are aimed at specific fandoms or genres: Star Trek, Star Wars, Twilight, etc.
While hubby and I used to attend cons simply for the fun of it, to meet and talk with other fans and media guests, get the latest news on our favorite shows, books, and movies, now we have to look at attending cons as more business-oriented. Our aim is to familiarize fans of SF&F with my name and my books. Not an easy task as there are thousands upon thousands of related books/authors. Besides achieving name regognition, it's always good, no matter what profession you're in, to make connections!
Will write again after Pi-con and give you a review.
MRTighe
Showing posts with label Readercon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Readercon. Show all posts
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
A Fun Con Was Had By All!
I've already blogged about Readercon 22's programmed events, so here's more about the extracurricular activities. Thursday p.m., after we checked into the hotel and unpacked our bags, we went out to eat at Legal Seafoods. Hadn't been there in four years because the last time we went we hadn't been happy with the place. But since our favorite restaurant, Dandelion Green, had closed, we didn't have a lot of choice. Fortunately, we were pleasantly surprised. Both the food and the service had improved markedly, enough so that I'd have no compunctions about going back.
We depended on Room Service for breakfasts since it's fast and easy. Con events usually get started by ten so there's not a lot of time to waste in the a.m.s. Friday afternoon we had lunch at Johnny Rocket's in the Mall---one of our favorite places. The atmosphere is retro with red leather booths and counter-seating. I love their root beer floats---they bring me right back to my childhood.
Back at the con, we brought a box of my books down to the bookshop and dropped it off at the Broad Universe table, then were promptly kicked out of there because the book shop wasn't open yet---that's a tragedy when you are as addicted to books as hubby and I are. ( Of course we were right back in there as soon as the place officially opened! )
That night we ate dinner at the hotel's Pub---excellent food and drink. We attended the Meet-the-Pros Party for a short time, but it's not really our thing, then back up to the room for a good night's sleep. Saturday was tons of fun with several good panels, lots of book-buying; hubby took a break to visit the local comic book store. He has a vast collection and is a bit of an expert on the subject of comics and graphic novels. In the afternoon we ate lunch at the Pub, then took a side trip to Barnes and Noble to buy yet more books! We topped off the night by attending the Bad Prose Contest, then had a late dinner at the Pub.
Sunday, the last day of the con, was more relaxed. After enjoying a latte and capuccino in the room, we packed up our stuff and checked out by eleven. We wandered around the hotel grounds, exploring, sat on the patio between the indoor and outdoor pools, just people-watching and relaxing. After a spot of lunch in the Pub, we took one last look around the book shop before it closed, then headed for home. Unfortunately, hubby was scheduled to work at the theatre, and it was Harry Potter weekend !
All in all, we had a lovely time and are already looking forward to Readercon 23.
MRTighe
We depended on Room Service for breakfasts since it's fast and easy. Con events usually get started by ten so there's not a lot of time to waste in the a.m.s. Friday afternoon we had lunch at Johnny Rocket's in the Mall---one of our favorite places. The atmosphere is retro with red leather booths and counter-seating. I love their root beer floats---they bring me right back to my childhood.
Back at the con, we brought a box of my books down to the bookshop and dropped it off at the Broad Universe table, then were promptly kicked out of there because the book shop wasn't open yet---that's a tragedy when you are as addicted to books as hubby and I are. ( Of course we were right back in there as soon as the place officially opened! )
That night we ate dinner at the hotel's Pub---excellent food and drink. We attended the Meet-the-Pros Party for a short time, but it's not really our thing, then back up to the room for a good night's sleep. Saturday was tons of fun with several good panels, lots of book-buying; hubby took a break to visit the local comic book store. He has a vast collection and is a bit of an expert on the subject of comics and graphic novels. In the afternoon we ate lunch at the Pub, then took a side trip to Barnes and Noble to buy yet more books! We topped off the night by attending the Bad Prose Contest, then had a late dinner at the Pub.
Sunday, the last day of the con, was more relaxed. After enjoying a latte and capuccino in the room, we packed up our stuff and checked out by eleven. We wandered around the hotel grounds, exploring, sat on the patio between the indoor and outdoor pools, just people-watching and relaxing. After a spot of lunch in the Pub, we took one last look around the book shop before it closed, then headed for home. Unfortunately, hubby was scheduled to work at the theatre, and it was Harry Potter weekend !
All in all, we had a lovely time and are already looking forward to Readercon 23.
MRTighe
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Back to Business
Although I'm really looking forward to Readercon 22, this year it's more of a business trip, I guess you'd say. I go armed with business cards and postcards imprinted with an image of the cover of Judgment on Tartarus on one side and the back cover blurb on the reverse. I'm hoping to sell a few copies of my book at the Broad Universe table. The book dealers' room is one of the highlights of the con.
Even more than selling books, I look forward to promoting my books, maybe meeting a fan or two---and making a few more. Hey, the best book in the world won't sell unless people hear about it. So in addition to being a writer I now have to be a marketer and PR person!
The folks who attend this convention are authors, editors, publishers, booksellers, and collectors. We have the love of books in common, and in particular we love genre books such as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and the increasing number of cross-genre books now coming out. If you can't get to a con near you, the next best place is a bookstore.
Keep on reading,
MRTighe
Even more than selling books, I look forward to promoting my books, maybe meeting a fan or two---and making a few more. Hey, the best book in the world won't sell unless people hear about it. So in addition to being a writer I now have to be a marketer and PR person!
The folks who attend this convention are authors, editors, publishers, booksellers, and collectors. We have the love of books in common, and in particular we love genre books such as science fiction, fantasy, horror, and the increasing number of cross-genre books now coming out. If you can't get to a con near you, the next best place is a bookstore.
Keep on reading,
MRTighe
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