Writers! Go to Small Conventions

This post could also be titled: Brandon Sanderson, Charles E. Gannon, Myke Cole and Dark Quest Books.

An equally accurate title would be: Absolutely ZERO Cockroach Erotica.

I didn’t use the first title because maybe you’ve never heard of those names. I didn’t use the second title because no one wants to click on a link with the words “cockroach erotica” even if you guarantee that there’s none of that business going on.

Instead I choose to focus on what I got out of the small convention scene.

1. Treated like a Colleague Not a Fan

At major conventions writers and other creators of cool things are swamped with more fans than they can reasonably handle. Their job is to quickly smile, sign things, and  just survive. By all accounts it’s a fun but brutal experience for them and they can’t afford to stop and chat.

At a small indie convention like Balticon or Capclave the writers are more relaxed. They don’t have to process you like a customer service rep at an airport after a blizzard. Instead of a quick smile you get questions about your own work, and when you ask questions they listen with the assumption that you’ll be joining their ranks soon.

2. Sincere interactions with Authors and Publishers

I hate the word networking, everyone does. So yeah, I came with a prepared pitch about my work.  I didn’t have the opportunity to use my canned little speech, instead I had multiple natural interactions with authors, editors, and particularly Dark Quest Books.

They’re a small publisher, not the sort that’s going to get you into Barnes and Noble, but a legit start for speculative fiction writers. Everyone from the owner to the authors was polite and encouraging to me. On that note I want to plug my friend and fellow writing group member Day Al-Muhamed who recently coauthored and published a book through Dark Quest. I’ve only read snippets so far, but Day’s work is consistently excellent.

Baba Ali and the Clockwork Djinn. A Steampunk Faerie Tale.

3. Writing Advice

I listen to the Writing Excuses podcast, I have a savvy writing group that teaches me constantly, and I learned me real good how to grammar back in high school. Still, there’s a lot to be said for writing advice that comes face to face from actual writers.

I skipped the panels with Brandon Sanderson because they were packed and the one panel I attended with him was exactly like listening to the Writing Excuses podcast. So although he was an excellent speaker, I decided to spend some time with other authors at Balticon.

Love your podcast, love your Mistborn Series.

It’s the little tips like the one I got from erotica author Stephanie Burke. I’ve never read her work, but she has the fascinating concept of shape shifting as an alien STD. She mentioned that one of her characters shapeshifts into a cockroach and she detailed the amount of research that she had to do to write cockroach characteristics correctly. One of the other authors on the panel also has a binder of cockroach facts. Of course I’d heard before that I should research and compile information, but I don’t really have a good system for storing and retrieving my info. Listening to them discuss their fun facts about roaches really drove home the fact that EVERYTHING is research and EVERYTHING needs to be stored.

As a side note, Stephanie later assured me that none of her seventy something erotica books feature cockroach sex. Big relief. Faith in humanity restored.

Stephanie Burke. And this is her official picture from her press kit.

I also had the pleasure of sitting down with Myke Cole, author of the Military Fantasy series Shadow Ops. I never got around to asking him questions about urban fantasy and how he manages to make his magical deaths so interesting. I was too busy listening to him discuss the current state of military science fiction. Bottom line is that the military culture is changing and the fiction’s gotta change with it. Gone are the days when “soldier” meant “christian white guy aged twenty, likes guns and cars*.” It made me think about how I need to really develop some of my “tough guy” background characters.

Myke Cole, every time I say his name I use my "Action Movie Trailer" voice. It sounds better that way, try it.

4. Career Advice

In almost every panel I had the opportunity to ask questions and get long, thoughtful responses from authors and editors. Most of the information isn’t earth shattering, but it gives you a feel for what’s selling right now, who’s winning awards, and what editors are dying to read more of. There was all the usual discussion of whether or not authors should self publish, some bewailing of the fact that you need an agent nowadays, and the usual condemnation of vanity presses.

Charles E. Gannon was all around lovely. Not only was he one of the best speakers at Balticon, but when I sat down with him he seemed to be genuinely interested in helping aspiring authors break into the business. He advised me to use small publishers as a stepping stone to larger publishers rather than weeping when I get rejected by one of the Big Five*.

Charles E. Gannon who kindly stepped into the role of wise sage on the mountain.

He also spoke about career/life balance and writing amidst distractions. I asked him how he managed to write so much while raising children. He took a look at my pregnant belly and just laughed. It was the helpless, sympathetic laugh that said “you have no idea what you’re in for.”

Not exactly encouraging.

I’ll admit that I still haven’t read his books, but I put his novel Fire with Fire on my reading list, if only because he was just so dang helpful.

So writers, go to small conventions. It’s worth the bus ticket and the cost of admission. If nothing else you’ll want to be a familiar face when it’s time to start pitching your novel.

*Not the authors’ words, I’m just paraphrasing.