World Fantasy Con Report

[pegkerr]

I talked with many, many people, stayed up much too late, ate and drank stuff that was bad for me, and had a wonderful time.


I had several highlights:

Reading: As I mentioned, Kij and I had our reading together. (Here was peacockharpy's reaction.) This was the first time we had read together, and it was a lot of fun. The audience reacted positively to both my and Kij's novels alone, and we really enjoyed reading the letter book game. I failed miserably at keeping in character as we read; I tended to crack up myself when the audience laughed. And they laughed a lot. Hurray!

We really must finish that someday.

I managed to set up meetings with both Betsy Mitchell at Ballantine and Jaime Levine at Warner. Both expressed interest in both my projects (the ice palace book and the letter game book with kijjohnson). Gotta write 'em first, though! The talk with Jaime was particularly interesting: she was talking about the sorts of things a writer can do to promote her book in-house. (She mentioned that romance writers are very good at this, and it's true--the Romance Writers Association does a lot to teach their members about how to network and market.) Specifically, she said that authors can/should contact members of the in-house production staff. Authors worry about maintaining good relationships with their editors and their assistants. Why not cultivate good relationships with the publicist, the art director, the production manager, and the marketing manager? Why not include those names or send little gifties to those people when you send in holiday greetings to your editor? Send something about your book to the members of the publishers' sales force. Jaime mentioned romance writers who sent chocolate bars with their book cover as the wrapper. Cultivate key buyers, too, e.g., the fantasy buyer for Barnes & Noble, Borders, etc. You can find out who those peopel are at conventions. Very sensible advice, and I was very grateful for it.

Interesting conversations. Had a great late night conversation with David Lenander, about the panel he's organizing on November 20 at the University of Minnesota at 2:15 p.m. We'll be talking about the Harry Potter books and branching off from there. We discussed the Pullman books at length, too. I really enjoy talking with David. I am constantly amazed at how much he knows about the field of fantasy literature, much more than me.

Met a writer that Kij met teaching at Gencon, and whom she is mentoring, Paul Genesse, from Salt Lake City.

I also met Louise Marley. If you'll remember, I had some comments earlier about her book, The Glass Harmonica. To my astonishment, I discovered, that she was in kijjohnson's writers group when Kij lived in Seattle! And so I met Louise this weekend, and she was utterly delightful. She came to our reading, and we went out to dinner with her, and then I was drawn back to converse with her again and again all weekend. Kij and I joked that we should put a picture of her above our desks as an inspiration . . . that is, if we don't mug her to steal her wardrobe (although we wouldn't even fit into it). ("So perfect . . . that bitch!" Kij joked.) She's a mother, she's been an opera singer and an academic. She has a karate belt and she's unbelievably elegant and gracious and funny. Kij's husband, Chris, was talking with her about the convoluted negotiations he's been having with a certain publisher about his first novel and he said that he'd like to have Louise as his agent . . . she gave very sensible advice.

At the same dinner, we were joined by Melissa Shaw, also in Kij's old writing group, and an artist/horror writer by the name of Alan M. Clark. Alan is a very funny man, originally from Tennessee. Kij and Chris met him because they were at a show where some of his paintings were being displayed. One woman started exclaiming at one of them, at how horrible it was (Alan delights in the macabre) and Alan (who had been hanging around purposely to eavesdrop on what people said when they looked at his painting) brightly observed that his mother had the original hanging on his wall. Kij and Chris thought he was so funny that they started talking to him, and the rest is history. I have never gone to dinner with a horror writer before. Tip: when going to dinner with Alan, don't order steak. I almost choked several times because he'd watch me take a bite and then start up with gross hilarious stories about gobbets of meat falling from the sky, the smell of decaying flesh--we ended up by calling him "Gobbet Man." Even the ever-elegant Louise, when invited to read the first line of one of his stories ("It's about auto-cannibalism," he expained) cried out in mingled laughter and horror: "You're a sick bastard!"

I was on a panel with Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen and Charles DeLint, and I felt seriously out-classed, although I've been assured by several people in the audience that I did nothing to embarrass myself. Kij's friend Paul told me several times during the weekend how happy he was that Kij and I were willing to talk with him, I think because we were professional writers. I had to laugh, because I remember exactly feeling like that, before I was published myself. And there I was, sitting next to three winners of the World Fantasy Award. Charles DeLint has published fifty books, and Jane's published 265 books, and Neil . . .well! I felt just as Paul did, talking to me.

Kij and I stayed in the hotel Sunday night together (Rob, bless him, took the girls home and watched them that night) and we followed our tiddley-pum custom, where we split a bottle of champagne and toast our successes of the past year and plan our goals for the next. I had forgotten to get champagne on Saturday, so I had to drive over the border of Wisconsin to buy it. I was smug, though. Kij had forgotten about Minnesota's blue laws. I'm glad that I thought to do it, so that we weren't stuck without the champagne! We split almost two whole bottles. This is something we've been doing for years. We talked from about 9 p.m until 3:45 a.m. I was working on affixing ribbons to my denim jacket. I was using iron-on facing and then sewing the ribbons on. It is not wise to use an iron, I suppose, when tipsy from champagne. I only burned myself a couple of times, however, and the coat looks lovely. I haven't sewn so much in years. I still have a lot to do on it.

There was more, but it's late and I must get to bed. Here is kijjohnson's report. Suffice to say, it was a wonderful con.

I called Inga the architect tonight. I said I would try to work up a list of questions for her and then e-mail them to her, and then we could try to find a time to meet. Working up the questions is tomorrow night's project.

Cheers,
Peg

Comments

[sundancekid.livejournal.com]

W00t! Sounds awesome.

Question: What was Neil Gaiman like? Is he really that cute? ;)

And how on earth does someone publish 265 books? Yikes. (Although I like Jane Yolen, so I'm not complaining. :p)

Allie

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

What was Neil Gaiman like? Is he really that cute?

I'm not Peg, but I can definitely say YES to this. He's very intelligent and well-spoken, and I find that sexy. Tight black T-shirts are also sexy. Having an accent like Alan Rickman is VERY sexy. ;)

- Darice

[peacockharpy.livejournal.com]

I was on a panel with Neil Gaiman, Jane Yolen and Charles DeLint, and I felt seriously out-classed, although I've been assured by several people in the audience that I did nothing to embarrass myself.

And let me just add my vote -- and more -- to theirs. You were professional, capable, managed to get Neil to give up the microphone ;) and held your own. tinne and I were discussing it afterward -- you always had something good and interesting to add to the debate. You also managed to deftly and politely defend Harry Potter, as it seems he was the fictional persona non grata at that panel!

I understand what Paul means. I can be very, er, withdrawn in new situations (guess what, I'm an INTJ...), and I know I felt way outclassed. I was, in fact, nudging myself to get up and make contact with people and not stay in my shell. Thanks for chatting with me and not making me feel like a goober. ;)

I'm still kinda floaty from the weekend. It was really fantastic all around. Wish I'd known you were at DreamHaven Sunday (I left home before you put up the notice on your LJ); I would have gone over.

- Darice

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

It's like that for us, too. Charles de Lint gave The Fox Woman a really good review when the book came out. I was sitting ten feet from him on Monday; neither of us was doing anything; and yet, I was terrified to walk over and say anything to him. He's not that prepossessing, but still, he was Charles de Lint. Maybe someday I'll be able to say hi to him without stuttering. And by then, I bet the Pegs and Kijes of the world will be too shy to say hi to me.:g:.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Interesting comments about promoting your book inside your publisher. I have always made sure I talked with everyone relevent to my book at my publisher. I make sure I talk to the person in charge of the sales force and the publicist. I try to get them to let me comment on the marketing strategy and materials, if for nothing more than to be able to coordinate my work with theirs. I think it makes a big difference; I am consistently amazed by how bad publishers are at marketing books.

B

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

I have to say, Peg, you just don't strike me as a font of party girl tips and tricks. So I am surprised to admit that I have never considered that Wisconsin, a mere 45 minutes away, sells alcohol on a Sunday. Not, I suppose, that I am such a party girl either, but I used to have some pretty impressive credentials that way. (In high school, our solution to this same problem would have put at least 3 people in the workhouse. Ah, the good old days.)

For times when Wisconsin is not conveniently at hand, room service will deliver bottles of champage even on a Sunday, albeit at wildly inflated prices.

K. [glad it was a good con for you]

[serendipoz.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you had fun!

I enjoyed myself - even spending all my time in the art show. But I'm now sorry I missed your reading.