Geoff Habiger's Blog - Posts Tagged "conventions"
Musings After A Con
That's a Comic Con, not some scam that I was running.
Just finished the Albuquerque Comic Con this past weekend and I had a blast. Maybe you think that means I sold a bunch of books, raking in the dough. Well, I did sell books (and I'll be honest, I'd have loved to sell more than I did - what author doesn't!), but that was what made the con a blast for me. (It helped, but it wasn't the main reason. Maybe not even the second reason.)
For me the con was a blast because I got to meet so many great people. Everybody I spoke to, whether those coming to my booth, or the other vendors around me, was having a great time and really enjoying themselves. People that I pitched my books to almost always bought one of my books, sometimes both! But everybody I spoke to loved the ideas for the books, remarked on how unique the stories sounded, and were intrigued by what I had written. That to me was the best thing about the weekend, being able to interact with so many people and create new fans for my work.
The other fun thing for me was to meet the other authors who were there. By the end of the weekend I had traded many of my books for theirs (the barter system is alive and well among vendors!) and I hope I have made some new friends. It is fun to talk craft with fellow authors, and to give and take advice about writing, marketing, publishing, and basically what it means to be an author today. I wish the best to the authors I met and I hope you enjoy the books I traded with you. I know I am looking forward to reading what I got.
So overall it was a fun and amazing weekend. Even when things were slow at the booth it was just great to people watch and see everybody who had come to the con. There were some amazing cosplay outfits by young and old, and it was always fun to see them (even if on many of them I had no idea who they were supposed to be). I am definitely looking forward to my next convention (which is just over a month away).
Just finished the Albuquerque Comic Con this past weekend and I had a blast. Maybe you think that means I sold a bunch of books, raking in the dough. Well, I did sell books (and I'll be honest, I'd have loved to sell more than I did - what author doesn't!), but that was what made the con a blast for me. (It helped, but it wasn't the main reason. Maybe not even the second reason.)
For me the con was a blast because I got to meet so many great people. Everybody I spoke to, whether those coming to my booth, or the other vendors around me, was having a great time and really enjoying themselves. People that I pitched my books to almost always bought one of my books, sometimes both! But everybody I spoke to loved the ideas for the books, remarked on how unique the stories sounded, and were intrigued by what I had written. That to me was the best thing about the weekend, being able to interact with so many people and create new fans for my work.
The other fun thing for me was to meet the other authors who were there. By the end of the weekend I had traded many of my books for theirs (the barter system is alive and well among vendors!) and I hope I have made some new friends. It is fun to talk craft with fellow authors, and to give and take advice about writing, marketing, publishing, and basically what it means to be an author today. I wish the best to the authors I met and I hope you enjoy the books I traded with you. I know I am looking forward to reading what I got.
So overall it was a fun and amazing weekend. Even when things were slow at the booth it was just great to people watch and see everybody who had come to the con. There were some amazing cosplay outfits by young and old, and it was always fun to see them (even if on many of them I had no idea who they were supposed to be). I am definitely looking forward to my next convention (which is just over a month away).
Musings After A Con (Part 2)
(Note - still not a scam I'm running.)
Coy and I just finished up at Planet Comicon in Kansas City last weekend. As usual we had a great time meeting everybody who bought our books (a huge THANK YOU to all of you), meeting some great fellow authors (A.E. Lowan we mean you!), and generally just having a blast talking to everybody that we could at the Con. Geoff got to meet Bill Amend (of Foxtrot fame), which was very cool, and generally we had a great weekend.
That's one of the great things about going to a Con - whether it be comics, or games, or any shared experience. Meeting all the other great people there, both attendees and the other exhibitors. In this case we were blessed to be placed next to A.E. Lowan (Jennifer and Jessica), and during the slow parts of the day, when everybody was waiting in line to meet Jason Mamoa or Alice Cooper, we got the chance to chat and talk about writing, publishing, world-building, and just geeking out. And that's one of the things I love the best about attending events is networking with other exhibitors. I always manage to learn something from my fellow exhibitors - whether it's a new product, a new way to pitch your stuff, or just cool and fun things. Plus it is a way to make life-long friends. I have friends that I made at paleontology conferences over 20 years ago who I still chat with on Facebook and Twitter. And I have new friends that I just made at cons this year.
So where's this heading? Honestly, I think I'm just rambling now, but if I was to sum everything up it would be that when attending a Comic Con, or a writing conference, or author event, or whatever where there are a bunch of other authors you should never look at your fellow exhibitors/authors as competition. Sure, you are all trying to grab the limited attention (and even more limited dollars) of the people that have come to the event, but you will come out farther ahead if you see your fellow vendors as collaborators rather than competition. You'll build long-lasting relationships that way, which will prove to lead to greater sales opportunities. Since meeting A.E. Lowan in KC and Zachry Wheeler in Albuquerque at the two cons I attended this year I've been blessed to have them help spread the word about my books (Unremarkable and Wrath of the Fury Blade), as I've helped spread the word about theirs (Faerie Rising and Transient). It's a vicious, dog-eat-dog world out there, so its always best to have some friends at your side.
Coy and I just finished up at Planet Comicon in Kansas City last weekend. As usual we had a great time meeting everybody who bought our books (a huge THANK YOU to all of you), meeting some great fellow authors (A.E. Lowan we mean you!), and generally just having a blast talking to everybody that we could at the Con. Geoff got to meet Bill Amend (of Foxtrot fame), which was very cool, and generally we had a great weekend.
That's one of the great things about going to a Con - whether it be comics, or games, or any shared experience. Meeting all the other great people there, both attendees and the other exhibitors. In this case we were blessed to be placed next to A.E. Lowan (Jennifer and Jessica), and during the slow parts of the day, when everybody was waiting in line to meet Jason Mamoa or Alice Cooper, we got the chance to chat and talk about writing, publishing, world-building, and just geeking out. And that's one of the things I love the best about attending events is networking with other exhibitors. I always manage to learn something from my fellow exhibitors - whether it's a new product, a new way to pitch your stuff, or just cool and fun things. Plus it is a way to make life-long friends. I have friends that I made at paleontology conferences over 20 years ago who I still chat with on Facebook and Twitter. And I have new friends that I just made at cons this year.
So where's this heading? Honestly, I think I'm just rambling now, but if I was to sum everything up it would be that when attending a Comic Con, or a writing conference, or author event, or whatever where there are a bunch of other authors you should never look at your fellow exhibitors/authors as competition. Sure, you are all trying to grab the limited attention (and even more limited dollars) of the people that have come to the event, but you will come out farther ahead if you see your fellow vendors as collaborators rather than competition. You'll build long-lasting relationships that way, which will prove to lead to greater sales opportunities. Since meeting A.E. Lowan in KC and Zachry Wheeler in Albuquerque at the two cons I attended this year I've been blessed to have them help spread the word about my books (Unremarkable and Wrath of the Fury Blade), as I've helped spread the word about theirs (Faerie Rising and Transient). It's a vicious, dog-eat-dog world out there, so its always best to have some friends at your side.
