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TBOWT 022 – Fandom Fest 2012 – All about FandomFest 2012 and fan conferences with literary tracks in general
The Business of Writing Today Podcast: Where savvy writers go to make their books, their business.
Web site: http://tbowt.com
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JOIN US AT THE BUSINESS OF WRITING SUMMIT 2012
LOUISVILLE KY
http://businessofwritingsummit.com
We love to hear your comments and questions. Call us at:
855-675-6225 or
e-mail us at:
“I don’t mind dying, I just don’t want to be there when it happens.”
Woody Allen
Great writer movies: Wonder Boys, and Midnight in Paris
Peggy and Larry talk about the 2012 fan con Fandom Fest
http://fandomfestblog.com/guests/literary-guests
What is it?
A conference attended by and designed for sci-fi fans
How does it differ from a traditional writer’s conference?
- Attended by fans instead of writers (for the most part)
- Low entry fee under $50 dollars to attend
- Has film stars available for autographs
- People dressed in costumes mimicking their favorite fantasy character
- Workshop and presentations designed for the avid reader of sci fi and not just about the craft of writing or book promotion
- Includes a literary track but the LT is not the main focus of the event
- Dozens of vendors selling everything from t-shirts to rubber eyeballs, to steam punk clothes to books
Here are some of the presenting authors that we met and networked with at Fandom Fest. Many of these writers have written multiple books in the sci fi, vampire, zombie, fantasy, steam punk, and epic fantasy genres.
Jackie Gamber
Michael Williams will be at the summit
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Williams
Stephen Zimmer
http://www.stephenzimmer.com/documents/films_and_books.html
Blackwyrm Publishing
David Blalock, Author
Stephen Saus
Alan Lewis
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5325459.D_Alan_Lewis?auto_login_attempted=true
We attended several presentations and panels in the literary track, which this year, was outstanding. The literary track was developed by Stephen Zimmer, epic fantasy author.
Here is a short list of some of the classes/panels available. For those of you who have never attended a fan con, a panel is a group of three to seven people made up of authors, bloggers, peer readers, critiques, publishers and/or agents that come together to share their experiences and expertise on a specific topic.
Some of the many Classes and Panels:
How to be a Panelist
Make the Most out of a Convention or Book Fair
Common Elements of a Publishing Contract
The World of Audio Books
Zombie Apocalypse
Self-Publishing
101 Ideas in an Hour
Elements of a Compelling YA
Exploring Genres: Epic Fantasy
I Love the Craft of Lovecraft
Building Your Author Platform
To get the most form a fan con, be prepared to give a presentation, or be a panelist if you are published. Networking is also a crucial part of attending any writing event. Be sure to meet as many people as you can, and attend as many presentations as possible. Bring lots of business cards and book marks or other advertising material. If you are interested in being a vendor or selling your books, contact the organizers early. You will have to purchase a vendor table. The cost is usually around $75 so be sure you can sell a few books to make sure you can break even or make money at the event. If you become a presenter or decide to be a vendor, be sure to take a signup sheet to your table or event to capture the names and email addresses of the attendees.
One of the presenters, Steven Saus talked about scams for authors. He referenced two websites which work on uncovering author scams:
http://www.sfwa.org/for-authors/writer-beware/alerts/
The vendor room or rooms is filled with vendors selling everything from rubber eyeballs, to steam punk clothing, to books and t-shirts.
What the best way to leverage a fan con?
- Be friendly, attend various panels, and offer to be a speaker on a panel, moderate a panel or do a presentation at the event.
- If you have a published book, purchase a vendor table and sell books
- Pass out business cards or brochures to people you meet
Overall Peggy and Larry give Fandom Fest 2012 a thumb’s up. See you next year at Fandom Fest 2013?
Peggy and Larry talk about the The Business of Writing Today Summit 2012.
Tons of great classes. This is a writer’s conference like no other. Here we focus on helping you make the most of your book, how to market yourself, and ingenious ways to build your platform, grow your readership, and promote your book. No matter where you are in the process of writing, promoting and selling your book there are great classes here for you. Talk with writers who have done it!
Seating is limited ….reserve your seat now!
August 11-12, 2012
www.businessofwritingsummit.com
We love to hear your comments, please leave us your -voicemail: 855-675-6225
e-mail us at
