Attending Cons for Fun and Profit

Time to start a new adventure.

This weekend I’m attending a con. I’ll be there among the cosplayers and conventioneers, finding my way among the tables, hunting for books and writers and artists I want to support.

The con will challenge me. I’m an introvert, and large groups of people rarely appeal to me. They drain my energy, and the bigger the crowd, usually the worse it is for me.

Then again, I attended this same con two years ago and had an absolute blast. I met a lot of writers and artists I’m eager to see again. I want to plunk down my cash to help support them.

Ah, but this year is different. I’m not just a con-goer. I’ll be sitting behind a table myself.

I won’t be hawking my own wares. I honestly don’t have the right mix of books out yet to make such a venture worth it. Instead, I get to help another author who’s a pro at selling at cons. I’m there to learn from her and support her. (As I’ve not asked permission to share who this amazing woman is, I won’t talk specifics about her this week. Maybe next week, as I share what I’ve learned?)

And maybe you caught it in the last paragraph: I’m there to learn. I’m not going to have fun. I’m not going to cheer on cosplayers. I’m going to the con to learn how to better sell books in that particular environment.

That’s not to say I won’t cheer on cosplayers. I’m hoping to come back with a lot of great stories. It may surprise you, but I’m also expecting to have fun.

But those things aren’t the goals.

I’ll say it again and again: Being an author is work. Part of work is learning. So, it’s time for me to go to school. What can I learn from this author? How can I apply these lessons to myself?

And it’s important for you as a writer to continue learning. Maybe it’s getting apprenticed to a more experienced author to learn marketing. Maybe you need to master some grammar issues, or how to construct stories that are more than plot. Perhaps you need to fine-tune how you select covers. But keep learning! Learning will only help you become a better writer and a better author. For me, right now, that means going to a con!

And next week, I’ll report on what I’ve learned!