I came to Indy on Easter weekend this year to scout out a convention and see if it was a good fit for me both professionally and personally.
note: I am at the Wordfire Press(Guest Authors) booth near the photo ops area all weekend. You can get signed books from me while they last. Yes, my books. And other people’s books. Claudia Gray is here. Dan Wells. Josh Vogt. Ozgur Sahin, Neo Edmund, and Kevin J Anderson. So much author goodness. Come check it all out.
My conclusion: Indiana Comic Con suits me like a comfy favorite shirt. I really like it. Not too big, not too small. Juuuuuust right. Yes, I am resorting to a Goldilocks metaphor.
See, some cons are so large they overwhelm me in masses of people, and most have a faceless, heartless, “profit-generator” feel. There are many things I love about huge events, but they can be a major emotional struggle for me. Other cons are so small I feel exposed and self-conscious everywhere I go, and some of them suffer from disorganization and/or lack of communication that generates stressful drama for attendees and vendors alike.
Here? There’s a relaxed, personal, fan-enthusiasm feel to the crowds, the crowds are managable and move well, AND there’s more. Good way-finding, helpful staff on hand, a nice variety of panels and events for the number of attendees, and tons of of great artists, authors and dealers in the exhibitor’s area.
(Hey, I’m in the exhibitor’s area. HOW COOL IS THAT?! Worthy of an interrobang, that’s how cool.) Anyway. I think this con hits the sweet spot, and I am enjoying it.
My goal now is to sell out of books. It’s a stretch, but goals are good, right? I sold more than I expected today, and this was only Friday, right?
Although I forgot to take a picture today, my books are right there on the table between Kevin J. Anderson’s Star Wards Legends series and the new Terry Goodkind novel. That’s kind of a fairy tale place to end this, I think, don’t you?
Until next post, have a couple more random con snapshots. More to come…
