Hey, ho, hey, ho! It's off to Balticon I go!

If you're there, too, I hope to see you!

We speak of "not judging a book but its cover," but actually we tend to evaluate lots of things by how they look, even people. An item in yesterday's GalleyCat mentioned a webite with a article on the overlap between art shows and cons, including a cool quiz on whether folks are at an art fair or comic con. It's kind of fun to do, and I cheerfully admit I was right only a little over half the time. Of course, it's also true that the art fair in question wasn't anything like, say, a Georgetown art gallery, but it was still a fun quiz.

A reminder for East Coast folks.... the price to register for Balitcon goes up at the end of February. It will go up again in April, but it sure won't get any cheaper. You can register online with a credit card.

And don't forget, with Connie Willis as the GOH, the hotel will fill up fast!

For me, the convention season won't begin until Balticon on Memorial day weekend. Worldcon (in Denver this year) doesn't start until August, and today is the first day you can book a room at the con rate. There are plenty of hotels, but if you want a room in a particular hotel, it doesn't hurt to book early. The Denvention hotel page has a list of the hotels with notations on each one as to where it is and what code to use in booking a room.

For the Hyatt, the web link didn't want to give me the right rate, but the 888 number worked fine. I'm not positive we're going, but I want to keep my options open.

I recently blogged on whether it was better to look for an agent first, or an editor. Unless you write short stories, I vote for the agent, but plenty of folks still want to go direct. And if you do write short stories, then of course you need to aim for the editor because agents don't generally handle short stories.

In a Google search for something else, I stumbled over an online article about how to meet editors at science fiction and fantasy conventions. Although it has some very good advice about networking—know the editors names before you get there, volunteer at the con to increase chances of meeting editors—I have to say I disagree with some of the specifics, such as there's "no dress code" at conventions. I've never seen a pro in costume at a con. It's an unwritten rule. Fans dress up, if they like, but pros never go beyond Hawaiian shirts or exotic shawls, or maybe tie-dye. I happen to think that if you want to be a professional, you should dress like one.

I also have to disagree with the advice to bring your m.s. and keep it in your hotel room, just in case. Think about it. Editors attend cons to have fun, to network, and to represent their houses or magazines. They won't have to time to read your story at the con, and why would they want to schlep it home? Also, they could well lose it on a plane or leave it in the hotel room. It seems to me the best thing is to bring a card, as the article recommends, give that to the editor, but don't even suggest handing over the m.s. Instead wait until you get home and then promptly send your story to the editor with a letter reminding them of the meeting. Then they've got it where they need it.

But most of all I disagree with this statement:

Use whatever tools you wish to get positive attention. If you're a pretty girl, male editors will remember your chain mail bikini. Guys are better off being a little more t-shirt-and-jeans.

Excuse me? The thing is, what will you be remembered for? Also, a lot of editors are women. Being known for wearing a chain mail bikini is not my idea of positive attention for a writer, even if she's stacked to high heaven.

My husband and I just got back from Saratoga Springs, where we attended the 2007 World Fantasy Convention. We had a great time. Saratoga Springs is a lovely town with lots of restaurants, pubs, bars, and shops—all within easy walking distance of the convention hotel. We lucked out in our room (huge, and with a refrigerator and microwave), the weather (no rain except while we were on the train), and travelling (scenic train ride, no missed connections).

I always enjoy this convention. Programming is minimal in that there are only two panels at a time, plus one or two readings. Also, they always have a dinner break so you don't have to choose between going to dinner with friends you only see at this convention and going to really interesting panels. Because there are so few panels, it's rare that panelists miss them entirely—even the Sunday morning ones. That's not true at Worldcons, where some writers have to rush from one panel to the next and finally give up. I made a point to go to a fair amount of readings. I figure they're like the free samples at Costco—why not take advantage of them. I got to hear Tom Doyle, Julie Czerneda, Nancy Kress, Scott Edelman, Carol Berg, Dennis Danvers, Victoria McManus, Peter Heck, and Jessica Day George. Quite a smorgasbord! The last two write erotica and YA respectively!

Aside from the programming and the readings, the other thing that's good are the parties. We started with John Eccker's Roundtable party, always a fun way to see folks we know from previous WFCs. And I also finally ran into ccfinlay, whom I know from online (way back on the Del Rey Online Workshop, now OWW) at a book launch party. I'd met Charlie once at a Worldcon, but that was all.

Next year WFC is in Calgary, Alberta. I know it's the World Fantasy Convention, but I'm still not sure I'm up for Alberta in November. There's a reason there are so many Canadian licence plates on cars headed south in the winter.

The World Fantasy Convention folks have posted the draft version of the program a whole ten days before the convention is due to start! That's pretty good. Of course, it's only a draft. It shows Scott Edelman having two readings. I'll have to ask him if that's true or not. Gene Wolfe has two times marked for his reading, but the second one says "Continued" so I think he must really have two time slots allotted.

Well, he's Gene Wolfe, after all.

I love this convention partly because of its networking opportunities but also because I get to see not only my fellow WGFH friends but who aren't even Easter Coasters—like Carol Berg and Brad Beaulieu, both Pikes Peak Writers Conference attendees (Carol went on to serve on the faculty). Neither one is close geographically, but WFC draws writers, editors, agents, and fans from all over the world.

Saratoga Springs, here we come!

Who would have expected a sympathetic account of the science fiction convention scene from the NY Times? I certainly wouldn't have, but then I saw this article (in the NYT travel section--don't know why that surprises me). NYT ran the article on May 4 but I only noticed it recently. It mostly describes a southern con, but it also lists several upcoming conventions in other places.

Of course, the reporter couldn't resist leading with a photo of two people dressed as satyrs. Oh, well. To balance that out, I've posted a picture of the dealers' room at Balticon.

Having had a few days to mull over my recent time at Balticon, I have to say that there are some writers who really shouldn't go to conventions. While pros go to conventions to promote their works, most of the other people fall into different groups--the book lovers, the gamers, the costumers, the media fans, and those convivial souls who just like to schmooze with like-minded folk. The dealers' room is always full of all of the above. A lot of these people go to conventions for the programming. Basically, a group of "pros" (i.e., published authors) sit behind a table and expound on a topic, which can be advice to writers (e.g., how to get an agent, how to write action scenes), what are the best/worst/most underappreciated works of a given set (e.g., fantasy books of the 20th century, the works of Robert Heinlein, etc.), some scientific conundrum (e.g., can humans ever live in space), or almost anything else you can think of (e.g., why we still need librarians).


The audience listens, presumably learns, and eventually gets to ask questions. Sometimes panels are more spirited than others. Some moderators are better than others at giving all the panelists a chance to talk. But no moderator can stop someone who is bound and determined to be a jerk from getting his way. Some panelists have gotten bitter at only publishing in small presses or in small magazines and want to rail against the state of publishing; some have gotten so successful, they now think they're God's gift to the genre; some have no real knowledge of the topic, but don't let that stop them from laying down the law to the rest of the panel; some are just plain hung over. At bigger conventions like Worldcons, I have been sadly disappointed in learning the ugly truth about writers I had admired for years. I have walked out of panels saying to myself, "Well, that's one writer whose books I'll never buy again."


I can only conclude these folks either never had the ability to look at themselves from other people's perspectives, or if they did, they've lost it. We all have egos, but most of us have some perspective, too.

Sometimes a little distance is a good thing.

I just came back from Balticon, the regional science fiction convention held annually in Baltimore, MD. It started Friday and runs through tomorrow. I started going to conventions to network--at a convention the size of Balticon you can count on some agents and editors attending--but I have to say that they're also just plain fun. If you're into speculative fiction, you get to hear people who write the kind of stories you like talk about their work (and in some cases, talk, and talk, and TALK). I went to some interesting panels, walked quietly out of a few not so interesting panels, went to some readings, and in general had a great time.

I also got to meet my agent face-to-face for the first time. That was a rush! She's just as nice in person and now I have a face to put with the voice on the phone.



The photo above is from last year's Balticon (I forgot my camera this year) but the dealer's room looked pretty much the same this year. Next year's Guest of Honor is Connie Willis! Whoo hoo!

Today was a good day. We drove to West Virginia with two good friends to a party hosted by another good friend where we met more friends and even made new friends. You can't ask for more from a Saturday, although it would have been nicer if the sky had been blue instead of gray. Still I would rather have gray skies and good friends than good weather and no friends. And the hundreds of daffodils looked beautiful even in the rain.

Today's pic is of me and my husband taken at the World Fantasy Convention last fall, in Austin TX. My husband is very proud of his bow tie. He tied it himself--no pre-tied ties for him. Scott, our host from today, was also at Austin and he might even have taken this picture. Although it might have been Sharon. I'm not sure. We were all dressed up for the banquet. Today's party was more casual, but just as much fun.

Risa, one of our ride-along friends today, sent me this cute exercise, which I found waiting for me when we got home. Try it!

1. go to www.google.com
2. click on "maps"
3. click on "get directions"
4. type " New York " in the first box (the "from" box)
5. type " London " in the second box (the "to" box)
6. click on "get directions"
7. scroll down to step #23

So-- long drive, but a good day.

Well, it’s another sign of spring—not robins, conventions! Convention season is coming up. Balticon is first for me, in May. And the World Fantasy Convention rates go up at the end of March. Send your registration forms in today!

I think it’s great that they take the World in Worldcon to heart, but I do wish it was a little closer this year. Japan is too far for me. At least next year it’s in Denver. My friend Carol Berg will like that since she lives in Colorado. I might make it to Denver, especially if I have a book to market. Fingers crossed!