Convention Time!

Just because you don't have a big name or a current book doesn't mean you don't get invited to cons. It does mean you get invited to small, regional ones that don't pay guests, and that's fine.

Science fiction cons have only recently started including writers for young people in their rosters, anyway, though a big chunk of the speculative fiction field has always "really" been YA, in the sense of being read by young people and written for folks whose minds are still growing. More people are bringing their kids to cons these days, and despite a certain amount of moaning about the aging of the fandom that I've been hearing for 20 years, I've never been to one that didn't have a lot of teens and college students. You can count on the college students in Austin, certainly. If you're ever invited to one, I say go. It's fun, you connect with people, have a chance to expand your audience, and there's always indy booksellers and cool t-shirts in the dealer's room.

Anyway, I'll be at Armadillocon in Austin this weekend. We leave tomorrow, in time to catch some evening panels. I'm on a few panels on Saturday - apparently I also have a signing at 10 and a reading at 5, which I didn't think I'd signed up for, but whatever. I've done enough school visits to roll with the punches. (Note to self; bring box of books in case none of the dealers has any of mine - nothing feels stupider than showing up for a signing, and nobody being able to buy any books.) Sunday we'll attend another panel or two, hit the dealer's room one last time, and come home. So either no Garage Sale, or a late one. Probably none, as I expect to be tired and shaky. There's this post-con letdown period I have to go through, during which everything I've said and done for the last 48 hours suddenly seems oppressively embarrassing, and all I want to do is hole up and recover.

Today is all about packing for the con. Box of books, con-appropriate clothing (will it be too warm or too cold this time? It's always one or the other.), emergency food, budget, business cards, freeze some emergency water bottles for the cooler. What else?