How do you set up a table at a Con?

I discuss and demonstrate how I set up a 8 foot table at GeekGirlCon 2016 then show off a few items which I got at the convention last weekend.

Geekgirlcon’s mission is to celebrate and honor the legacy of women contributing to science and technology; comics, arts, and literature; and game play and game design by connecting geeky women worldwide and creating community to foster continued growth of women in geek culture.

I know in the video, I promised a link on the Murder She Tote: I’m sorry, I was a dork and lost the dang card. I’m afraid it fell behind my file cabinet since it was sitting on it. As soon as I find it, I’ll post the link.

Common Author Questions Episode #3: How Do You Pack for Cons?

In this episode of Common Author Questions,I answer Nikki F’s question: How do you pack for a con? I go over how to estimate sales, how to pack product and other topics about tabling a convention.

As promised in the video, I am adding links to more information about running a table at a convention that I blogged about on my ZB Publications Blog:
This is a list of every item I bring.
https://zbpublications.wordpress.com/…
And this post is all about the importance of checklists so I don’t forget to do anything important before the convention.
https://zbpublications.wordpress.com/…

My RadCon Schedule

RadCon “The big Con with the Small Con feel” is a Science-Fiction Convention held annually in Pasco, Washington. They cater to all genres within the SciFi community and have a variety of panels, gaming, films, artist alley and more.

Note: This year I will just be attending on Saturday.

 

Sat Feb 13 10:00:am	Sat Feb 13 11:00:am	Evaluating Writing Critiques
2203		So you’ve had a manuscript critiqued and you’re trying to decipher the feedback. Some people say one thing. Some people have quote rules. How do you tell the good advice from the bad? This panel will discuss how to keep the advice that benefits your writing while ignoring the bad.
Bruce Taylor Elizabeth Guizzetti Mark Ferrari S. A. Bolich Shannon Page Tom Gondolfi

 

Sat Feb 13 3:00:pm	Sat Feb 13 4:00:pm	Webcomic Construction
2201		Webcomics can look easy to do, but jumping in blind can sometimes result in cramped pages, aborted plots, difficult file sizes, and a lot of frustration. This is for the people who want a webcomic, but are stuck on where to begin. Meg James will discuss tips for planning, scripting, and other technical aspects of creating your webcomic.
Elizabeth Guizzetti Kenneth Siefring L James Meg James

 

Sat Feb 13 6:00:pm	Sat Feb 13 6:30:pm	Elizabeth Guizzetti
Reading (2211)		Elizabeth Guizzetti reads from The Light Side of the Moon
Elizabeth Guizzetti

RustyCon Schedule

Held at the Seatac Hilton, Rustycon is an annual science fiction and fantasy convention with a smaller, relaxed intimate feel. They have multi–track programming in writing, gaming, films and media. They also have a dealer’s room, art show, and a hospitality room for the general membership. If you’re looking for the convention experience without the crowds of ECCC or the pressure of Norwescon, you’ll LOVE Rustycon.

Hope to see you there!

Fri Jan 15 4:00 – 5:00 pm
What I Would Have Liked to Know? Emerald D 2016
Tips from old pros. What we really would have liked to know when we started out. Things that we would have liked to have someone tell us 30 years that would have made a world of difference to where we are now.

Panelists: Elizabeth Guizzetti, Jeremy Zimmerman, Randy Henderson

6:00 – 6:30:pm
Elizabeth Guizzetti Reading from The Light Side of the Moon

Sat Jan 16 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Craft: Writing Non-Traditional Story Arcs Emerald D 2016
Did you see that episode of Sherlock where John got married and it seemed like a pointless clip show until everything came together? How about the one where Picard’s Enterprise got stuck in a time loop? Fiction doesn’t necessarily move in a fully linear order. Come discuss the less-well-traveled plotting techniques with local authors.
Panelists: Cheryce Clayton, Elizabeth Guizzetti, John Lovett, Michael Ehart

3:00 – 4:00pm
Critique Groups and Meetups Emerald D 2016
How do you find a decent meetup or critique group? What should you look for in a group? Are there red flags to watch for?

Panelists: Elizabeth Guizzetti, Grant T. Riddell, Manny Frishberg, Tom D Wright

5:00 – 6:00 pm
Vulnerability Via Writing Emerald D 2016
The act of writing makes us vulnerable. Intentionally facing our truest fears and deepest pain can give our stories dimension, meaning, and purpose. While writing can be therapeutic, how much is giving too much of ourselves? How can our work be informed by life experiences, without necessarily being autobiographical? And once the words are on the page, how and why would we let them go? Come prepared to look at writing in a new way.
Panelists: April Daniels, Elizabeth Guizzetti, Sienna Saint-Cyr, Tom D Wright

6:00 – 7:00:pm
Designing Technology for Dystopian Futures Emerald D 2016
Learn how authors design future technology for science fiction and Utopian/Dystopian futures using their imaginations, current tech and new inventions.
Elizabeth Guizzetti, Greg Hallock, Jean Johnson, Mike Birch

Sun Jan 17 10:00 – 11:00 am The Craft of Word Creation & Word Choice
Emerald D 2016
Linguistics is more than the creation of a language. It’s also word choice, dialect, accents, and culture. What’s really modern, and when should you invent words? (Will include Janine’s embarrassing story of adding Shakespearean English to a video game world. Why would she do such a thing? Find out and watch her blush.) Join us as we look at how and why to make a new language, and why you might just want to use an existing one!
Panelists: Alma Alexander, Elizabeth Guizzetti, Janine A. Southard, and Raven Oak

12:00 – 1:00:pm Favorite Female SF/F Authors–New & Old Emerald D
With the change in publishing, access to books has grown exponentially like never before. In a sea of books, how does one discover new female authors? Join us as we discuss our favorites, new and old, and how female writers continue to pave the way for the next generation. Come find out who’s missing from your collection!
Elizabeth Guizzetti, Janine A. Southard, John (JA) Pitts, Michael Ehart

I’m going to Sasquan (Worldcon!)

Sasquan in Spokane WA, is the 2015 Worldcon, an annual gathering of science fiction and fantasy fans August 19 – 23rd. Hundreds of authors, editors, publishers, artists, scientists, game designers, and other creators and intellectual leaders will participate–including me!

I will be running a table in the dealer’s room.

My RustyCon Speaking Schedule!

So my first convention of the year is: 

Held in Seatac, Rustycon is an annual science fiction and fantasy convention with a smaller, relaxed intimate feel. They have multi–track programming in writing, gaming, films and media. They also have a dealer’s room, art show, and a hospitality room for the general membership.

Here’s a photo of me and Bruce from Rustycon 2014. I’m the human.

If you’re looking for the convention experience without the crowds of ECCC or the pressure of Norwescon, you’ll LOVE Rustycon.

I hope to see you there.

Friday 1/16

2:00 pm
Sexy or Sexualized
Mercer B

When does the depiction of a heroine stop being sexy and become sexualized?

I will be presenting along with Jon Del Arroz and Michael Suiter

Saturday 1/17 

11:00 am
World Building in Sci-Fi and Fantasy or How to Avoid the Infodump
Orcas B

Too much information and the story bogs down, but too little and the reader is left lost. Writers want to deliver an enthralling alternate world, but how do we do that gracefully? Experts share the details that make a world great, and ways to sneak in the brick and mortar of world-building.

I will be presenting with Verna Mckinnon, Thomas Gondolfi, Tom D Wright with Rick Hipps Moderating

12:00 Noon
Designing Character Backgrounds
Orcas B

When you read, do you fall in love with a story or a character? By designing your characters, major and minor, you shape the story they’re going to carry. But how do you bring them to life? And how much obsessing is too much? Do you really need to know their favorite food, color, and dessert topping? Learn how to design a character.

I will be presenting with A. Maire Dinsmore, Rick Hipps, and Todd Tepper

Sunday 1/18

9:00 am
How do I Finish???

You have the story, the big climax.. how do you end it??  A lot of beginning writers (and some pros) have problems with that.  Come get some ideas.

I will be presenting with Will Mcdermott, Verna Mckinnon, and Rick Hipps

11:00 am
Independent Publishing 
Orcas B

Independent publishing has taken off, especially with the recent rise of the hybrid-author, who is willing to sell work traditionally but not afraid to self-publish and promote. From ebooks to POD, which stories benefit from independent publishing and how do you get them ready? Bring your questions about editing, Kickstarter, cover art, sales price, and marketing.

I will be presenting with Jennifer Brozek Dustin Gross and Thomas Gondola

On my way to Norwescon!

So tomorrow I’ll be on my way to Norwescon I”ll be in the Writer’s Row primarily promoting Other Systems, but I’ll have copies of Out for Souls&Cookies and Faminelands. I’ll have bookmarks and buttons to hand out, so come on by!

Norwescon is held at the Doubletree by Hilton Seattle Airport April 17–20 2014 and one of the largest Pacific Northwest’s Science Fiction and Fantasy Conventions. If you like science Fiction and Fantasy novels, anime, costuming, art, gaming, check it out.

This year’s theme is Elegance and Entropy and the Guests of Honor Include: elegance and Entropy

Writer: Michael Moorcock
Artist: Robert Gould
Special: Seanan McGuire
Science: Catherine S. Plesko
Costuming: Anima! X
Publisher: 47 North

ECCC here we come…

We will be at Booth 505 at Emerald City Comic Con this weekend. ECCC is the premier comic book and pop culture convention in the pacific northwest!  If you are looking for us, we are exhibiting under my name: Elizabeth Guizzetti.

 

Here is what you will fine at our booth:

Out for Souls & Cookies 5 will debut this weekend and we have copies of all the back issues including the Christmas Special.

We also have paperback copies of Other Systems and all three issues of Faminelands.

We will be giving away swag. We will be having a huge giveaway at our booth.  You can win everything from sketches to postcard sets to books.

Aubry Andersen will be in my booth representing Fuzzy Hedgehog Press selling paperback copies of  The Winter and The Spring as well as Zachary Bonelli’s novel Voyage: Embarkation

We hope to see you there!

Be My Valentine, Second Annual Poetry Night and Radcon are coming!

This week will be super busy for me.  I have two author events and hope to see you!

For Seattle readers, I will be reading at Be My Valentine, Second Annual Poetry Night at Barnes & Noble.

Writing Group, Performance, Author Reading
Calling all romantics, all writers, all poets! Bring your own writing or a love poem by a favorite author and join us at our Second Annual, Be My Valentine Poetry Night. If you are a fan of the Spoken Word, this is the night to celebrate love!

Thursday February 13, 2014 7:00 PM
Downtown
Pacific Place, 600 Pine St Suite 107, Seattle, WA 98101, 206-264-0156

Then on Saturday, I’ll be off for RadCon “The big Con with the Small Con feel”

RadCon is a Science-Fiction Convention held annually in Pasco, Washington. They cater to all genres of the SciFi community.

Who wants to see my schedule?

SATURDAY

Sat Feb 15 12:00:pm	Sat Feb 15 12:30:pm	Elizabeth Guizzetti
2209		Now I know what I am going to be reading. Chapter 7 from Other Systems and Chapter 3 from The Light Side of the Moon
Elizabeth Guizzetti

 

Sat Feb 15 12:30:pm	Sat Feb 15 1:30:pm	Women in Comics
2205		Our comic professionals share the underground history of women in comics!
Roberta Gregory and Elizabeth Guizzetti

 

Sat Feb 15 4:00:pm	Sat Feb 15 5:30:pm	Dropping The World
2203		You have a great world! It’s filled with lively characters, detailed scenery, and complex economic systems. How do you ease audience into this world without overwhelming them with data in the first chapter? Our experts will discuss and share tricks to avoiding the world-building data dump of writing.
S.A.Bolich, Voss Foster, Elizabeth Guizzetti, Peter Jones, and Kay Kenyon

 

Sat Feb 15 5:30:pm	Sat Feb 15 6:30:pm	Griping About Grammar
2205		Love it, hate it, but you can’t live without it! Or can you? How much of a part does grammar play in reader’s experience with a story? Does it really matter? Or will you lose readers to poor grammar? Join our writers and editors as they debate over the importance of grammar! Warning, some knowledge of proper grammar may be learned during this discussion.
John Dalmas, Elizabeth Guizzetti,  Andrea Howe, and Kamila Miller

SUNDAY

Sun Feb 16 11:00:am	Sun Feb 16 12:30:pm	Getting into the mind of the Religious Fanatic
2203		Uber villain or bit player, what are they like? Are there any useful generalizations? Are they likely to be suicidal and does that depend on the religion or the person?
Luna Flesher, Elizabeth Guizzetti, Guy Letourneau, and Rhiannon Louve,

Never Give up, Never Surrender–my opinion of how to behave at a book event

Never give up, Never surrender is a line from the film Galaxy Quest,  That is how I look at how to behave at an author event.

The truth is being an author is hard. Anyone who tells you different is lying or selling you a book about how to be a best-selling author.

For myself, events are a great way to make contacts and sales. If you have any chance to sell your book at a event– no matter how small– you need to have a “never give up” attitude.

If you want to make sales, you can’t give up. You can’t complain. Too often, I see people editing, playing on their phones, reading or a variety of other activities. When at an author event, your job is to inform people about your book and network. Hopefully, with a maniacal smile plastered on your face.

I was at an event recently that a good number of folks gave up, you could tell, they didn’t get up on their feet. They were focused on their laptops and phones–not the customers. They read within their booth. The reason that doesn’t work is the moment one gives up, bitterness creeps in. They start slouching, frowning. They seem unapproachable.

Here is my advice:

1) Act excited. Remember what I said about smiling above? Do that. . Some people say, just be yourself, be genuine. However, many authors are introverts. Many authors get nervous with public speaking. Even if you don’t feel it, even if you are scared, you should act friendly. Eventually it will feel more natural.

Here is me dressed as an elf at ECCC 2010 (debut of Faminelands #2) Our booth babe, Matt, is in the background.

1.a) If like me you get a nervous tummy, know where the bathroom is, in regards to your booth/table. Never wait. Just put a sign up on your table and go.

1.b) Drink lots of water and eat fruit or what will ever make you have a happy tummy.

2) Don’t be late and don’t leave early. Empty tables look bad.

3) Be kind to all.  Not becauce they bought your book. I don’t care if they buy my books or not.  Be kind to children. Be kind to their parents.  Thank the sponsors/organizers of the event.

4) If your budget allows, purchase a few books that interest you. Remember, it’s a hard world out there.

4a) Don’t go over budget for any event, no matter how much you want to be supportive to your new friends. You will see them again.

4b) Never assume that just because you bought someone’s book that they have the budget for your book–even if they are making sales. You don’t know what they are going through. Sometimes, my budget is focused on purchasing Christmas or Birthday Presents, sometimes I’m scrapping money together for my next run of comics and need every dollar. If I am interested in your book, I will buy your book. As I said, I will see you again.

5) Set Goals, make it a game. Challenge yourself.

Good Luck, my friends!