I decided at the last minute to attend Motor City Comic Con today in Novi, MI. I had a table there last year to sell copies of The Magic of Eyri and while that was fun, it wasn't really worth it (for me) to spend that kind of money. So this time around, I burned 25 copies of the Magic of Eyri podcast to CD (the first 4 episodes) and took a pile of promo cards with me.

Oh, and my Ghostbuster costume.

Penguicon was my first time wearing a costume at a convention and I enjoyed it, and it was an easy way to get folks to talk to me (nothing beats a flashing backpack for an ice breaker).  I figured wearing it to Motor City would be just as fun--well, it was and more.  I probably got more pictures taken of me today than in the past two years. I'm not kidding (too much). it was great though--everytime someone asked for a photo, I either gave them a CD or a card (well, almost every time).

It was really cute when little kids would come up to me and ask to get their picture taken with me. Today, I realized why the guys and gals of the 501st (Star Wars costume-fan-group) do what they do: it's because of the kids. Really it is. It was great seeing how happy it made these kids just to get their picture taken with me, and I'm just a schmoe in a homemade costume, not some movie star.

But it wasn't just kids who wanted pictures, adults did too. Heck, the folks at the Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers even asked me pose for a picture with one of their books--and I was also video taped for a public access show...although they asked me to be "in character" which threw me for a loop a bit. I made up some dialogue, but it was pretty dumb (saying how I was there to bust ghosts to pay the lease on Ecto 1, oy).

I visited Katie Cook's (smarbaby )'s table to say hi and ended up buying one of her mini water color sketches--I'm always amazed as to how she can make something so small look so awesome. That was one of only two things I bought this year, the other being a trade paperbback of the comic Planetary. The Ghostbuster costume made digging through boxes of comics a challenge, so I spent less (which is good).

There were lots of costume folks this year, including a large group of steampunk folks.

Earlier in the day, I spotted Michael Hogan in the celeb alley--Colonel Tigh from the Battlestar Galactica reboot. I considered going up and (jokingly) saying "We have the same last name, maybe we're related!". Well, later in the day I saw there was no one at his table so I walked up and introduced myself:

Me: "I just wanted to say hi, because I'm a Hogan too. I'm Dan."
MH (paraphrasing here): ::shakes my hand:: "That's great! Nice to meet you, Ben*" *yes, he misheard me and thought my name was Ben.
Me: "uh, actually.."
MH: "Y'know, when i was younger all my friends called me Ben...because of Ben Hogan, the golfer--"
Me: "I'm sorry, but my name is Daniel, not Ben."
MH: ::eyes widen, stands up::
Me: ::thinks MH is going to yell at me and split me in twain::
MH: "Daniel! Why, that's my brother's name!" ::shakes my hand again and places he other hand on top of mine for a much more sincere handshake::
Me: "Ha, small world, huh?"
MH: "Yes! I'll have to tell him I met you!"

He was very nice, which some might not expect given his hard edged character on BSG. Tigh is perhaps my favorite character on the show becuase he is so crazy and so interesting, so I'm really glad I went and did this. However, I felt kind of weird talking to him while wearing my Ghostbuster costume, but then I"m sure he's seen stuff like that before at conventions.

The other funny part about this conversation is that I have both an uncle and a cousin on the Hogan said named Michael. And I know another Michael Hogan, whom I'm not related to, that has a brother named Daniel. Weird, huh?

The big guest of honor this year was Carrie "I did other movies besides Star Wars" Fisher. I didn't get a chance to meet her, mainly because I didn't want to wait in a long line and also because I didn't want to shell out $40 for an autograph. A friend of mine who attened did and said Carrie looked great.

I gave out all my CDs, saw some old friends and now have a funny story to tell. All in all, a good day.

Here are the panels I'll be on at Penguicon (May 1st - 3rd at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Romulus, MI). These are tentative as the times have not been figured out yet, so it is possible there will be some conflicts and I'll have to drop some (hope not tho).

Since I don't know the days and times yet, I'll just list them in no particular order (from the penguicon event page):

Can I be your friend? Bringing authors and readers together.
Mary Robinette Kowal
Daniel Hogan
Jim C. Hines
Dr. Philip Kaldon

Facebook, LiveJournal, WordPress, MySpace, Twitter, website, etc. -- SF/F/H authors are encouraged to engage in self-promotion on the web. Some, like John Scalzi and Wil Wheaton make it look easy. But where's the line on privacy and personal details for the authors? And what about fans bent on making the transition to troll or stalker? No one said this was going to be easy.

Copywhat? Copyrights! Open Source Liscensing in Literature.
Eric Raymond
Daniel Hogan
Elizabeth Bear
Rick Jackson
David Crampton

What they are, how they work and things to bear in mind when submitting to traditional publishers and e-publishers. Also - what happens to the rights on my e-blog if I want to publish somewhere else?

Is Audio the New Print?
Rick Jackson
Daniel Hogan

There's an explosion of audiobooks and podcasts out there. Is Audio supplanting print as the medium of choice?

National Novel Writing Month
Mary Robinette Kowal
Daniel Hogan
Jim C. Hines
David Crampton

Every November hordes of would-be writers as well as established pros unite to attempt to produce 50,000 words in one month. Good idea or waste of time? Does it help or hurt writing? What about the pressures of deadlines in general? Does slow and steady win the race, or does the pressure cooker of trying to produce so many words in the last hour really work?

Sci-Fi/Fantasy - The Perception
Jeff deLuzio
Daniel Hogan

What is the general perception of genre writing? Pro's and Con's of Genre writing vs. traditional fiction.

Selling Your Soul - Marketing your work on a limited budget.
Daniel Hogan
Jim C. Hines
Rick Jackson
David Crampton

Websites, freedbies, conventions and business cards - plus anything else we can think of! Ways to help market and promote yourself and your product when you're strapped for cash!

To See a Universe in a Grain of Sand
Daniel Hogan
Elizabeth Bear
Sarah Zettel
Rick Jackson
David Crampton

Worldbuilding. How to create your universe.

What's so funny?!
Daniel Hogan
Brian Briggs
Jim C. Hines
David Crampton

Humor in Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Does it work? Why or why not?

Self -Publishing - How to not get totally screwed.
Sarah Zettel
Rick Jackson
Daniel Hogan
Michael Marcus
David Crampton
Megan Rose Gedris
Alex Heberling

Vanity presses are popping up left and right, and a writer/comic artist no logner needs to beg and plead with a publisher to get their work out there. So how to you get your book ready for print? What printers give you the best bang for your buck? How do you get people to notice it? These questions and more addressed.


So, for the moment, I'm on NINE panels.  That's at least nine hours of programming.  I actually asked them yesterday to take me off a panel (one about short stories), so originally I had ten hours. Oy.  I can handle it tho.  I like being on panels.  Keep in mind that things could change since the times have not been figured out, that's why I just signed up for whatever I wanted at first and told them to let me know about any conflicts and I'll decide what to do at that point.

Looks like I'll be on a few panels with jimhines  and childe , hooray!

There was one part of the film THE WRESTLER that I really connected with.

It was a scene where Randy (aka The Ram) went to an autograph signing with other old wrestlers. Watching him set up his little table with all of merch and swag to sell reminded me of myself whenever I set up shop at conventions or signings. I've been there. Lugging all my stuff with me, hoping to sell a few books or even that at least a few people talk to me.

I have it a bit harder than The Ram because I wasn't super famous in the '80s and I'm still trying to break into the scene. But, the scene hit home for me, because I've been there. Thankfully, I've been pretty successful at the cons. Being on panels certainly helps too. I'm hoping to be on panels again this year at Penguicon (I have a few ideas, I still need to email them about those).

Ever wonder what it costs me to do a con? Well here ya go:

Books to sell: $114.37 (includes printing and shipping of books)
Convention Registration Fee: $40.00 (however, if I am on panels, some of this will be reimbursed).
Hotel: $94x2 nights = $188 (not counting 14% tax and other things)
New business cards: $32.82

Total: $375.19

Now the fun part: If I sell all seven books I'm bringing, I'll make $140. So, $375 - $140 = $235 in costs. I'm still in the red, even if I sell all my books. And that doesn't include what I'll spend on food, gas and perhaps stuff in the Dealer's Room (a "My Other Car is a TARDIS" bumper sticker, for example).

Obviously, I don't go to cons to make money. I go for the exposure, the networking and to hang with my fellow sci-fi/fantasy fans. Not to mention the opportunity to talk shop with folks like Jim C. Hines (jimhines ). Sure, I could possibly make more money if I brought more books to sell, but that would drive my costs up--and I usually average between 5 to 7 books sold per con anyway.  Also, I'm a cheap skate and I don't want to dump a few hundred dollars in books up front.  And more importantly, seven books (or less) are easier to carry around than 20 (which I did once, it wasn't fun).

My biggest expense, other than the books, is my hotel room.  I saved a bunch of money at ConClave this fall by not staying at the hotel, but I won't have that option this time.  Sure, I could stay at my parents' place and drive to and from the con every day/night, but that can get old fast--especially if I'm on a panel that starts later in the evening (which has happened before).

But I'll be honest, I missed staying at the hotel while at ConClave this fall. Granted I was thankful to save the almost $200 in room costs, but at the same time it felt like I was missing out on stuff.  And being able to get out of bed, shower and walk to your first panel of the morning is nice--as is being able to spend more time in the Dealer's Room selling books.

I'm very much looking forward to Penguicon.  May can't come quick enough. And don't misunderstand me here, going to a convention is worth every cent.

Just registered for Penguicon (May 1st - 3rd). 

I had a great time last year and I hope to be on panels like I was last year too (which was tons of fun).  I'm being smart about paying for cons this time around, I'm saving the money up ahead of time (got about 3 months to do so), instead of charging everything the weekend of and dealing with it later.

I'm also making a list of things I want to have done by that weekend as well: have books to sell (duh), new business cards (more generic, "freelance writer" something or other), changes to my websites and a finished draft of my current horror-mystery novel (so I can say "Hey, I have this book done...looking for a publisher or agent.")

I'm hoping that by making this list I'll get my butt in gear with getting said things accomplished.  I have it on a dry erase board on my fridge, so I'll see it a few times everyday.   I have a bad habit of "Oh I need to do this," and forgetting about it until days later (usually after I had a long weekend in which I didn't do anything productive).

Also, I'm seeing THE WRESTLER tonight with friends.  I'm looking forward to this and preparing myself for the film to be gut-wrenching depressing.

The rest of the Con went really well. I sold one book on Saturday and three more on Sunday (thus selling all of my copies, as few as they were). The panels went pretty well on Saturday for the most part, although the panel on Evil went into areas that I had not anticipated. I went in expecting to just talk about the roles of 'baddies' in literature and other media or why people like evil characters (like Darth Vader for example). Instead, those in the audience directed it more towards defining what is and isn't evil in real life, and should people be blamed for 'evil' things or not even if their 'evil' traits are the result of a chemical imbalance or other disability.  Yeah, not what was I expecting.   Shrug.

Thankfully, the panel on Humor in Sci Fi and Fantasy that followed right after was a hoot. I had a great time on that one.  Each of us was asked to read a sample of our humor writing and I read a very brief scene of mine that is a favorite.   And thankfully, the audience laughed. Phew. Personally, I think jimhines had the best bit, from his book Goblin War (I think it was that one). I'm a sucker for jokes about someone getting kicked in the groin.  The Online Publishing and Where Do You Get Your Ideas panels were equally fun. 

Sunday I had the Cover Art panel at 11 AM and unfortunatly it wasn't well attended (we had only a couple people) -- However this did not stop all of us from having a fun time chatting about our own experiences with cover art. I was in the unique position of being (I think ) the only one on the panel to have the most control over my cover, the result of my book being self published.  It was interesting to learn how things worked with the big publishing houses, that the author rarely had any say on what was on the cover and that it was up to the marketing department (there were exceptions though).  Very interesting stuff.

That panel ended early and I hopped over to the Dealer's Room to try and sell the rest of my books.  I had fun hanging out with Deb (and William) from Elder Signs Press.  I actually just ordered one of their books tonight when I got home (Hardboiled Cthulu) because I was silly and forgot to buy it there (I need it for research for my Novel Writing Month project).  At least I bought it through their site and not Amazon ;) I'm sure they'll appreciate that. I was able to chat with other writers and fans while in the Dealer's Room, and did my part to help sell books by other independent or small press writers (including M. Keaton's newest release, Calamity's Child. Firefly fans, check it out).  And better still, I sold the rest of my copies.  It is always nice not having to take any books home.  Yes, I only brought four copies but as I've said before, I'm trying to cut down on my expenses and get out of writing related debt by the end of the year.  Besides, four is around my average for con sales anyway (which in itself is still pretty good).  That puts me at 138 copies (that I know of) sold.

On my way out I chatted one last time with author Guest of Honor Michelle Sagara.  We were on at least three panels together and she had a lot of great information about the industry--not only as a writer but as someone who works at a bookstore too.  Before I left, she asked me if I have writing samples on my website.  I estatic (and probably sounded like a moron when I offered to just send her a copy of my book), but quickly told her that the first four chapters of The Magic of Eyri are online.  Later on I thought that maybe I should have a Writing Samples page on my websites and perhaps throw something else up there, or at least a scene or two from my short stories.  I am considering making the sample of the book four chapters from different parts of the book, as I think the later stuff is much stronger.

So to sum up, ConClave was a blast and I hope to do it again :)

 First day at the con went well--I got there without any problems and had plenty of time to kill before my first panel at five.  What a difference a year makes--this was the first con I went to (as a guest author) last October.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into, didn't know anyone and even went so far as to research fan conventions on the Internet before hand. 

Now I'm a seasoned vet and recognize faces from con to con.  People remember me too, which is great. I've already had a few people today come up and talk to me (including folks I've been on panels with in the past). 

I was upset with myself at first because when I arrived I realized I had not printed out my panel schedule and would have to look through the program to find when and where I needed to be (and being on seven panels, that's a bit of work).  Well thankfully when I checked in I had a folder with my name on it waiting for me.  The Con Programming folks not only printed out my schedule for me, but included a map of the hotel and a very nice hand written thank-you card.  Very nice. 

And what's also nice is that it appears that I'm signed up for enough panel hours to get my full registration fee back ($40).  I think I may not have needed to pay in the first place, but whatever. 

After chatting with several of my con friends and fellow panel regulars, I had my first panel at five PM on Blogging.  Michelle West, the Guest of Honor, was on this panel as well, which was neat.  We were joined by two other panelists, including Matt Arnold who is chair of Pengucion.  We shared our various experiences about blogging (and yes I realize the humor in my blogging about a blogging panel) and why we do it.  I had a great time. 

A tasty sushi dinner with the Girlfriend followed and I was back at the hotel in time to sit in on the Writer's Workshop for a bit. I read a story by a young writer and left some comments (I'm pretty good at suggesting story stuff/changes, not so much when it comes to the grammar end though). More time killing followed (made more difficult by the hotel's lack of free WiFi) and then I had my last panel of the night at 9 PM--Find a Publisher. 

I talked about self-publishing and my personal experiences with it, and hopefully I made some sense to the audience. 

Speaking of self-publishing, I checked my email tonight and saw that someone in Lansing wants to interview me for an article about self-publishing. Hopefully we can connect tomorrow over the phone before I'm locked in panels all day, as they are on a deadline.  Looks like Sara over at the Delta Township District Library mentioned me to the writer and passed on my contact info.  See kids, making connections helps out!