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- Column - From the Trenches - |
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May 21, 2000 Is It Really Worth It? Why Attending Conventions and Conferences Pays Off By Susan McBride Author of And Then She Was Gone I didn’t attend my first mystery conference until a few years ago, not long before I won the Mayhaven contest which led to publication of AND THEN SHE WAS GONE. I never understood the importance of conferences or conventions, thinking that since writing was a solitary occupation, I didn’t need to get together with other people to reaffirm what I was doing. After all, I’d belonged to several different writers' groups at various points in my life, and those had never done me much good. So why spend the money for registration, travel, hotel and meals when it wouldn’t change anything? I mean, what could I possibly get out of it? Since And Then She Was Gone came out last year, I’ve been to four different mystery gatherings, each worth its weight in gold, and I have another four on my schedule for the rest of 2000. That’s got to be expensive, right? Yes, it can be, depending on the hotel rate, the registration fee, and the cost of a round-trip ticket. But I’ve learned how invaluable these events are and why any mystery fan or writer - published or unpublished - should make it a point to go to at least one a year. Just having arrived home after a double-shot of the convention scene - Malice Domestic in Washington, D.C. from May 4-6 and Mayhem in the Midlands in Omaha from May 11-14 - I can still hear the buzz of the book dealers’ room in my ears and the laughter from the panels. I can still see the faces of fellow authors and readers, grinning and talking, bonding because of our common love of mysteries. Attending a conference or convention - conferences are more geared toward how-to workshops whereas conventions are geared toward fans - is like taking a space shuttle to another planet. The minute you set foot in the hotel, you’re drawn into a world that only exists for a fragile few days. Authors mill about casually so that fans can introduce themselves and even ask a question or two. Writers used to being alone with their hard drives can connect with human beings. Friendships are made, contacts are established, and seeds for relationships are firmly planted. Booksellers become far more than just a name on a storefront. Reviewers morph into likeable men and women with no visible fangs. There is an indescribable atmosphere of camaraderie, of belonging to something bigger than yourself and - yes, of validation. "You’re a part of this," the very air seems to whisper in your ear. And it’s all about mysteries, all about writing, all about characters and settings and plots. There’s no mention of real-life, little talk about day jobs, and just an occasional mention of the kids, cats, dogs or spouses who wait beyond the protective bubble of Planet Convention. Let me give you a few examples of what meeting someone in the business one-on-one can do for a writer vs. sending a letter or book in the mail. At a convention, I was introduced to a mystery reviewer, who admitted she had not read AND THEN SHE WAS GONE since it was a small press book, which she generally did not cover. After chatting with her and her hearing from a well-known author that my book was worth reading, she went home and did just that. She then sent me a wonderful note to tell me how much she thought of GONE. Booksellers who wouldn’t likely have carried my novel went on to stock it and hand sell it to customers. Last, but definitely not least, I’ve struck up some very good friendships with authors and readers whom I met at conventions. Now, I look eagerly ahead to each event, emailing all to check on who’ll be going to what. Seeing my friends again is like going to a family reunion where everyone actually likes each other. It’s a blast. If you owned a hardware store, you’d go to the World Hardware Expo, wouldn’t you? It’s the same with the business of mystery. There are buyers and there are sellers. The mystery conventions and conferences just bring us all together. A final tip: for newcomers, the smaller-sized conferences or conventions might be more your thing, at least to get you broken in. One new conference that’s upcoming is Deadly Ink to be held on Saturday, June 17 from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Mt. Arlington, New Jersey. Its founder Patti Biringer admits that, while she enjoys the large conventions, she goes "on sensory overload by Saturday afternoon." A pre-published author and devoted fan of the mystery genre, Patti wanted to set up a small conference in her area "where you have the chance to see the same faces twice and spend more than two minutes on the run speaking to other writers and fans." So she came up with Deadly Ink, where registration will be limited to 100 attendees. It’s a one-day conference with over a dozen mystery authors on the roster, including special guest speaker, the hilarious Parnell Hall, whose newest series titles are A CLUE FOR THE PUZZLE LADY and the soon-to-be-released LAST PUZZLE & TESTAMENT (Bantam). Patti mentions that the new age of publishing will be well represented with small press, e-published and self-published authors on panels and a demonstration of the Rocket Reader for ebooks. In addition to author panels, John Luccich, International President of the High Tech Crime Network, will present "The Weapon In Your Living Room - Computer Crime," and Peg Schumann, an Integrative Psychotherapist will discuss "Show, Don’t Tell - So What Do Emotions Look Like?" Interested parties can contact Patti by email at pab@nac.net or by calling (973) 627-2806. Other Mystery Conferences and Conventions in 2000 - June 10/ 2000 - Of Dark & Stormy Nights 18 at the Holiday Inn in Rolling Meadows, Illinois (outside Chicago) which is full of well-known authors. For more information contact Wiley W. (Bill) Spurgeon, Jr. Director via email at spurgeonmwa@juno.com. July 14-16/ 2000 - ClueFest 2k at the Harvey Hotel in Plano, Texas (outside Dallas), with guests of honor Dianne Day and Steve Brewer. September 7-10/ 2000 - Bouchercon 31 at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in Denver with guest of honor Elmore Leonard. October 13-15/ 2000 - Mid-Atlantic Mystery at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza in Philadelphia. Call (215) 329-0211. October 27-29/ 2000 - Magna Cum Murder at the Radisson Hotel in Muncie, Indiana (a bit outside Indianapolis) with guest of honor Carolyn G. Hart and Mystery Masters Award Recipient, Mickey Spillane. Call 1-765-285-8975 or email kennisonk@aol.com for more information. November 9-12/ 2000 - Romantic Times Magazine's 17th Annual Booklovers Convention & Book Fair at the Radisson Astrodome Hotel in Houston, Texas. Special program for mystery readers and authors with Sue Grafton as luncheon speaker and a Book Fair on Sunday with thousands of readers expected. Mystery authors, contact Gayle Lynds at gaylelynds@email.msn.com for information on participating. For readers and fans of romance and mysteries, visit the convention info on the RT website at www.romantictimes.com. I’ll see you there! |
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