Here is Matt and me at ECCC 10 (I am dressed as an elf for the debut of Faminelands #2)

First of all, until you have actually exhibited at a convention, you do not understand the stress factor. There is a major difference between attending a con and exhibiting at one. If you are an Exhibitor at a major con, you probably filled in your paperwork six months to a year prior. You are probably nervous, excited. Part 1 is going to go over mental preparation of being an Exhibitor, next week in Part 2 I will write out how to pack for a con.

Here is free extra tip: At most cons, you get 2-4 free badges for the con (at Norwescon I only get one!) Friends and family assume that you get as many as you want  or free or discounted parking …be clear with people. You can not just bring in random people. It gets really expensive really fast.

Ok, so here we go:

1) Goals. People have different equations to come up with a good sales goal. Here is a really basic one: The cost of the con (including travel expenses) X days the sales floor is open = sales goal. Hopefully your inventory is priced fairly enough to sell, but high enough for you to turn a profit, by using a basic formula for sales goal.

Another formula is 5% of estimated attendance X the average cost of your product line.

While for all our cons we have a sales goal, generally Maria and I also try to look at it also as a marketing vehicle. So we also have marketing goals. This year we will be having out sample chapters of Other Systems. I need to hand out to prospective readers–not just every random passing stranger. We hope this will lead to sales, but I won’t really know until I get my first royalty check.  Still I am going to try to hand out 1500 sample chapters over Emerald City Comicon and Norwescon to science fiction fans.

2) Preparation for soul crushing and uplifting comments.

Prepare for positive and negative comments.  I will never understand why anyone who has no interest in what I am doing approaches my booth, but they do. There will be snotty jerks who think what I am doing is completely redundant and derivative because Famine Lands is about elves. It sucks when I have to hear why my artwork is all wrong or I am no talent hack–but that’s part of the gig. When someone says something rude, have a few polite comments ready.

If I can throw in a joke and still come off classy I might, but most of the time I just say ”Well, art is subjective, perhaps you might enjoy Wayfarer’s Moon. They do a fantasy comic which has highly detailed realistic artwork. Almost a European Style” (Or pick out another comic that the person might like. Usually it’s one of my friends created–since this person is obviously not going to buy from me maybe I can help a friend get a sale.)

Another part of the gig which ends up just as soul crushing is sometimes people will tell me that “oh I borrowed [insert one of my titles] from their brother-in-law and I really like it.” They will spend twenty minutes at my booth telling me how much they loved Famine Lands, but  no they are not interested in Lure or Out For Souls and Cookies–or even the next issue of Faminelands.  I know people mean well, but it deflates the ego pretty quickly after spending all this time with someone and realizing they have probably really not read your book. They were just bored and wanted to kill a few minutes before the next panel.

On the bright side, prepare for people to love your work. Some of those folks can’t afford it, but will give you a nice complement anyway. Some will probably purchase your work. When people give you a compliment learn to look them in the eyes and say, “Thank you, I really appreciate that.”

3) Preparation for on the spot interviews

More than once, I got an interview specifically I said yes and I am ready now. Have some stock answers about the kinds of writing/artwork you do. Inspirations. Basic bio. Practice with a mirror or with a webcam.

4) Basic Rules for your booth space.

Here is Maria at Emerald City 2011. See how happy she is? She knows I am going to buy her breakfast, lunch and dinner over the next three days.

Your helper buddies might think you are going over the top by having booth rules. More than one of my friends backed out once they realized I looked at this as work. More than one backed out once they realized this was hard core sales for three days. However I also have had plenty of people who were happy that I laid down a few ground rules.

Here are a few examples of some of the rules in my booth: No Swearing in the Booth.

No Complaining. (When you get frustrated, just let me know and you can take a break)

Always try to make eye contact and smile with the customers.

Learn the basic pitch for each book and if someone asks a question that you don’t know the answer to, please just reply. “I don’t know, let me get Elizabeth.”

On the same token: do something nice for your helper buddies. The ones that work hard are worth their weight in gold.

5) Prepare a basic Pitch for each title. Now some people complain that having a pitch means  I am “selling” my book. You know correct. I am selling my books, there is no purpose to spend $800 on a booth at a con, if we aren’t going to try to sell. I also consider the pitch a basic took of informing the customer what the book is about. I know within fifteen seconds if they are interested in hearing more or not.  More than once as soon as I uttered the word “demon” for Out for Souls&Cookies, we have had people frown and move away. We also have had people laugh or make a joke when I finish with “As you may or may not be aware, Hell has no retirement plan.” If they are interested, I will finish my pitch, if not, I will ask if they what kind of comics they like and either suggest something else on my table or suggest a friend’s comic that might be to their taste. If they try to run, I let them go. If they try to steal a book once my back is turned, Maria chases them down. (Yes, this has happened.)

 Next week, I’ll discuss what to have in your booth for a weekend convention…

Answer: Nope, Indy comics are a grand adventure, but they will never make me rich and famous and probably not make you rich and famous either. The only reason to do an indy project is the level of artistic control on the project. If you want money, go through traditional chanels.

Misconception #2: I wrote a graphic novel, now where is my movie contract?

Answer: See my answer for the previous statement. If you want to make a movies, why are you making graphic novels?

Misconception #3: I will fight against prejudice when writing/selling my books. Or if I don’t then men will face prejudice when writing/selling books.

Answer: Nope. Indy Comics is a tight community. Every other artist and writer–male, female, or transgendered–I’ve run into has been encouraging and friendly.

The only “sexism” I have ever ran into is whiny people telling me that sexism keeps them from creating their opus. People probably won’t like to hear this, but women who want to do comics but are too chicken to pick up a pencil say, “There is a male bias.”  And from the cowardly men I have heard, “It’s easier for you because you’re a woman.” That’s BS.

It is the other person’s problem if they don’t like 30-something white women. Not mine. I draw my books, I let my artwork and writing speak for me. I make sales, because I have a good pitch and not afraid to use it!

Misconception #4: Conventions are one big party.

Sorry, folks, but I am working my butt off. They are fun so don’t get me wrong, but ever tried to spend three to five days: selling, sketching, and informing people about four different titles while trying to be funny, charming, but at the same time not bragging about the books where you have placed your very heart and soul? Welcome to my world.

My advice to have a great con: ABC: Always Be Closing and Always Bring Cookies. Also wear comfortable shoes and stand on an anti-stress mat.

Misconception #5: I don’t work. I goof off and write a few words a day and call it good. This misconception is also known as the “myth of the magic artist”

Sorry folks, but there is only one way to finish a graphic novel or anything for that matter. Work on it each day. Rework what needs to be changed. Redo that ugly panel. I work 40 hours a week as my minimum.  On a week of a major con, I work sixty to eighty hours. I don’t regret this. I love the work. I love holding the artwork in my hand and knowing that I created it. It is very rewarding, but there is no magic bullet or magic artist.

Here is a photo of me  at ECCC 2011, right before opening bell, opening day. Taken by Maria. I know it’s opening day by what I am wearing, and pre-opening bell because no one is in the hallway. You can see my 2011 catalogue by the banners behind me.

Blog: craighallam.wordpress.com
Twitter: @craighallam84
Email: craighallam@live.com

Not Before Bed: http://www.amazon.com/Not-Before-Bed-ebook/dp/B0050O835K

Other than back tracking briefly on the forest service road put on some snow chains and waiting for a half hour so a few big trucks could pass and pack down the snow, and then headed the rest of the way up to the trail head with the car. We had no problems what so ever.

We decided to skip the lower easier cave, and headed through the upper caves. Since Emily and I had done them before, they went faster than I expected. We climbed up and walked back in the snow. We saw no one else. The mountain trail was empty except a bunny trail and bear tracks. Snow was coming down pretty hard, but it was powder, not ice. Emily and I had done the caves and the trail back before, but I was being careful watching for the markings on the way back since the trail was under eight inches of snow. Except for a few slips in the powder (I saw a root under the snow, turned around to tell them to be careful and tripped over it) we had absolutely no problems.

We got back to the car, cleared off the snow, and headed back down the mountain. Once again, no problems.

Now that same weekend, my hiking buddy’s friend headed out to snowshoe with two other women. Though they made it safely to the trailhead, they felt it was unsafe for three women to snowshoe because “no one else was there.” They saw no footprints, no evidence of other people and instead of going on an adventure, they went home. Maybe they were smarter, maybe not. I don’t know them well enough to say.

Sure, we were taking a calculated risk, but anyone who hikes in Washington State should understand that there is risk involved. Male or female it doesn’t matter. Being a group of women is irrelevant as long as the parties involved are careful and carry the ten essentials. If anything we are more careful, because we knew we were alone. Of course, because we were being careful, no one got hurt. Nor did anyone overexert themselves physically. We had a fantastic day.

Here is a picture of me, my sister Emily is emerging from the Ape Cave’s exit, behind me.

Oh and if anyone is wondering what ten essentials I am referring to, they are: Water, Food, extra clothing, map, compass (and the skill to use it), sunglasses, sun screen, first aid kit, flashlight (in this case plus extra lights since we were in a cave), matches and fire-starter. Additional useful items: especially on a winter hike: Emergency blanket, A packet of orange kool-aid. If you ever do get lost, you can use it to stain the snow as a marker to help people find you. Neon orange is not a color found in nature during the winter in the alpine regions of Washington State. Whistle and little compact mirror to use as signaling devices.

Also if anyone is curious about the rest of my gear: I’m wearing: wicking base layer, wicking long johns, two shirts, pants, rain jacket, scarf (to protect me from the icy cold drips off the ceiling of the cave), wool socks.
I’m a throw back in my choice of winter boots: personally, I like leather, not lined with gortex or any other synthetic. I’ve been wearing the same pair for ten years. I also like wearing two pairs of gloves. A pair of thin liners plus wool fingerless over them.

Please discuss why you write about the theme of the consistency of family love even through dysfunction:

I think the indestructibility of familial love can be somewhat of an illusion. In Rose’s Will, Rose, the matriarch, has no understanding of familial love. People belong to her like possessions. She either controls them or makes them disappear, forcing her children, Ricky and Glory, to choose between two equally dysfunctional outcomes. They each make a different choice, which drastically affects their lives. But only one of them faces the question: If I must pretend to be someone I’m not to receive love, is it really love?

Since Rose’s Will is a semi-auto biographical: Do you have a little brother and is he embarrassed to be portrayed as Ricky?

Yes, I do have a younger brother, and I was a little nervous about his reaction, but I sent him pieces of the manuscript as I was writing it, and he has been nothing but supportive. Much of the content happened exactly as I wrote it, but I really tried to give him a voice that expressed and validated what he was going through at the time. In fact, some of the scenes written in his voice were more difficult for me to write than for him to read, because it forced me to face some negative things about myself from his perspective.

How does Claire feel about being in the novel? Your adult childern? Did they have the chance to vet the manuscript? I’m nervous about asking about your mother, but since I don’t know what is true and false, feel free to elaborate on any part of the story or how your life inspired the story you wish.

My partner has mixed feelings about being in the novel. She is a much more private person than I am, but she gives me a lot of room to be who I am and after twenty-two years together, she’s accustomed herself to the fact that “who I am” includes her.  My children were thrilled to be the prototype for my characters; my niece and nephew actually changed their names on Facebook to match their character names; and my mother and most of my relatives were dead before Rose’s Will was released.  I took some creative liberty, but not much. When you have a dysfunctional family there’s a fair amount of deliciously juicy gossip that’s so crazy, you just can’t make that stuff up.

What is your next book is going to be about?

I have two books in varying stages of completion. The one that’s further along is the product of spending the entire month of November 2010 in my writing cave taking the Nanowrimo (National Novel Writing Month) challenge – complete a 50,000 word novel in only thirty days. Writing at that level of intensity, I didn’t know what the book was about until it was done and I discovered that I’m obsessed with authenticity. The extent to which people keep secrets and tell lies has devastating effects on individuals, in relationships, and on society as a whole.  The book will follow a group of friends, whose lives are in turmoil as a result of deceit.

I’ve also started a humorous, non-fiction, handbook documenting my five years in hell as a property manager for an eight-unit investment property in a very bad neighborhood. It will be for people who want to purchase cheap investment property in this depressed market and think it’s a good idea to manage it themselves.

You can buy Rose’s Will from the following links:

BUY ROSE’S WILL for KINDLE
BUY ROSE’S WILL for NOOK
BUY ROSE’S WILL Rose’s Will directly from the publisher: 48fourteen.com” href=”http://48fourteen.com/catalog/roses-will”> ALL OTHER DEVICES (PDF, MOBI, EPUB)

My biggest goal this year is to get healthier. It’s not only about losing a little weight. I completely admit I do want to look sexier. (who doesn’t?)  The real reason is I want to go out and enjoy some of the things I used to enjoy: snowshoeing and hiking. Last fall, I had such a great time in the UK, but  there were some days that I hurt from all the walking and lugging suitcases that I did.

I need to get daily exercise, beyond the dog walking. Especially since I sit on my bum most of the day writing and drawing.

Don’t worry, I have a plan which I will now share with the world…

1) I am going to do yoga three times a week. Specifically Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 9 pm with my husband. I have the DVD’s, yoga mats, straps, and bricks. We just got to get stretching.

2) I am going to do my cross training DVD on Tuesday and Thursday since this is a bit more high impact than my husband would like, I plan to do this one while he is at work.

3) Every Free Saturday, my friend Rebecca and I are going out on a day trip around Washington State for a nice hike, snowshoe trip, spelunking, etc.

4) Sunday is a day of rest and recovery or of the day for my writing group. While it sounds like a lot of work, actually my Yoga DVDs are only 30-45 minutes long, and my cross training one is 20 minutes. The Saturday day trip is the reward.

Now lets just hope this works!

Last night, we  rang in the new year with some wonderful friends up at my neighbor’s house. My contribution was a bottle of Citron Absolute, Bean Dip, Brandy balls and Peanut-butter blossoms. Almost everything–except for the liquor–came from my pantry.

The brandy balls were my own creation after my neighbor needed just a 1/2 cup of brandy for caramel sauce. The liquor store was out of small airline bottles so we ended up with the next smallest bottle (approximately 2 cups.) We were talking about other things, I could do to help use up some of the brandy.

And I remembered in my Betty Crocker’s Christmas Cookbook, there is a recipe for Bourbon balls that even says you can substitute brandy for the bourbon. Well, I didn’t have any of the other things Betty Crocker asked for, so I substituted the whole recipe using the Betty Crocker ratios with marvelous results.

Note: because they are not cooked, they do have a strong boozy flavor and no alcohol is burned off. Definitely not for kids!

Here we go,

3 cups of cookie/candy crumbs. I used leftover gingerbread cookies that were going stale, leftover pie crust baked and dusted with cinnamon, some sugar cookies, other odds and ends of chocolate, crumbled in my blender on the “shred speed.”

(Now the BC Bourbon ball recipe calls for cocoa, but I didn’t bother with that since I added some chocolate flavored things when I was creating my crumbs.)

Added 2 cups of powdered sugar

1/2 cup of walnuts also finely ground in my blender

Then stirred in

1/2 cup of brandy

1/2 cup of something sticky. (B C’s  says light corn syrup, I didn’t have any in the house and since the idea is to use up stuff I had, I used honey.)

Mix well. You will end up with a sticky mixture.

Dust hands with powdered sugar and roll mixture into one inch balls. (For any new candy makers: the dusting of your hand in powdered sugar helps the ball form to itself and not to your hands. Same concept as dusting a rolling-pin with flour)

Roll balls in a mix of white sugar and cinnamon

Cover and put them in the fridge for at least over night. The longer they sit the better the flavors meld.

My husband who is not a fan of hard alcohol was also not a fan of the candy, but the other seven people who tried them last night all loved them and two people asked for the recipe which is why I am posting it this morning.

Now on to my New Year’s resolution of world domination!!! Opps, did I say that last part aloud?

Sometimes things are easy to modify or just needed a few lines to clarify points.Or even just delete a detail that doesn’t add to the story. That’s not a problem. I am not the type of writer to think every word is golden, so I have no issue with changing things. However, there were a few lines that my editor  was utterly confused about what I was trying to say.

So I struggled and fought and went back to these comments again and again.  Sometimes I tried to answer the editor’s comment with a replying comment and as I type out the answer I found the solution, but there were five important lines, I just could not see how to change.

Finally last night in my writing group, I asked for help with one of these tricky pieces of dialogue.

Within a minute, I had my answer. I was missing a word.  But that one word clarified the whole thought which in turn clarified the whole scene. Then I saw where I could see clean up the language.

Original : The ship’s captain is speaking. ”…Her transcripts will be sent to the New World Bank in Argent which will be sent on to my ship.”

So what was missing? The word: future. Since the ‘her’ in the sentence is presently in school, the editor and my writing group friend thought I was talking about the girl’s current transcripts, not her future ones.

First clean up: “…Her future transcripts will be sent to the New World Bank on Argent which will be sent on to my ship.”

Better, but doesn’t quite sound like character’s voice. My writing group friend suggested the word forward.

Second clean up: “…I want her future transcripts will be sent to the New World Bank on Argent which will forward them to my ship.”

We are close, but it doesn’t quite sound right yet.  But the writing group is over.

I go home and watch the last half of Deep Impact and the first half of Sixth Day with my husband before going to bed. Not are they both science fiction, but they also both have Robert Duvall in them.

This morning I wake up and see what I need to change.

Current: “…I want her future transcripts to be sent to the New World Bank on Argent. The Fleet Liaison will forward them to my ship.”

Phew! I am hoping the next five pieces of utter confusion are a bit easier to fix since I saw have seen how to fix this one, but if not, I know who to bug.

I’ve always had a problem with run-on sentences. It is the way I think. Even when I speak unrelated clauses bind together. Knowing this, when I do a copy edit  prior to sending off my manuscripts, I look for certain things.

Then/Than

Its/It’s

There/Their/They’re

The correct use of colons and semi-colons.

And I often try to separate the clauses when there is an ‘and’ or ‘but’ connecting two unrelated things, but I didn’t look out for ‘as.’

This time there is nothing wrong this time with my use of the word ‘as’, I just keep using the same sentence structure over and over again. As my poor editor discovered, there was more than one sentence with two ‘as’s in it.

However that is not what works for me. My own style is nearly a blast of action in the rough draft. I rough out an outline in a day. Primary character’s personalities are roughed out in a week. At this point, for science fiction, I begin to draw things out how I envision technology, for fantasy I begin to envision magic, etc. Basically I do world building.

By month end, I have an act. In a few months, I have my rough draft of my manuscript.

Rough Draft: Now don’t be too impressed: A whole scenes might be only described in a paragraph or two plus added dialogue and major action. Very little detail. I don’t really research in the beginning. I just go for it. Get it down. Get something down. Because until that happens, I don’t know what to research.

For the current manuscript one of the topics I looked up were: truck drivers of long distance routes. How long can a trucker driver go before legally they need to rest? How is this monitored? How much gasoline does a truck use? Is the truck cheaper than flying goods…etc. Once I have my research down, I can add realistic details which will eventually bring me into what I would consider a first draft.

First draft: I go over all the major plot points and then my characters begin to talk to me. The dialogue becomes more distinctive as I get to know them. Their actions are justified at least in their own minds. Once I start hearing all the primary and secondary characters, I know I have a solid second draft.

Second draft: Certain scenes begin to stick out as important, others fade. If I need additional or fewer POV’s this is the draft that tends to let me know that. I also do the first of many copy edits. The story feels strong, but I know better. I set it aside for six weeks (I was given that advice in Stephen King’s On Writing.) I didn’t believe it until I did set Other Systems aside.

Third Draft:  I personally am only now able to see my “little darling” chapters that don’t add to the plot or subplots. After they are cut and other more important chapters are often added to for content, then I do another copy edit. Generally, the main story is what it will be at this point. I feel it is almost good enough. Not to publish–but to show a couple of my friends who have writing backgrounds. Now I have some feedback.

I can do two things. Agree and change. Disagree and ignore. Generally, it is the former, because people always catch inconsistencies and plot holes that I missed.

4th Draft: I add or cut as instructed. Ok, it’s time to copy edit again! Its also time to listen to my manuscript. I read it aloud and make the computer read it aloud to me.

Think I am done?

Nope. Generally a few more ideas slip around in my head and I see even more plot holes. (Dang it! I thought I was an author!!!)
Ok, so on to the fifth draft and sixth which are the same steps. Read for content, read for copy. Listen to it.

However, at this point, I also begin a few other things. I write the marketing material: Synopsis, Summary, Query Letter.  I begin sending out submission packages. This process begins to stabilizes the manuscript further.

Guess what, once the manuscript sells, I’m still not done. Why? Because the publisher’s editors will also do edits. Other Systems will have at least two major edits. I am awaiting the second edit now. Personally, I don’t think that this is a bad thing. The first editor picked up some things and the second editor picked up on totally different things. This will only make the novel stronger.

So that’s how I do write a novel, for any writers out there, what is your process?