VCON done! O. M. G.

What a weekend. It was nuts. I spent most of the con manning my dealer table. I wish I could have also gone to the various panels and such- At any one time, I would have had a hard time deciding which of the events running at the time to go to.

Rob from Let The Games Begin (or NAMBLA) couldnt make it on friday do to scheduling mixups, so I had to do what I feared, and make my table look decent with one product. I laid down a poster (which was for sale, though I didnt mention that to anyone.. so it didn't sell, oddly) across the table over the tablecloth, and spear out my promotional magnets, postcards, bookmarks, and made a good ole book pyramid. (laying FLAT, folks, I'm not nuts) with one hardcover standing proudly on top. I also had a hardcover acting as a stand for the cool plastic sign I had, which was a great investment. Many a random wanderer would start reading it with a bored expression...

"She Lost her brother." Ho hum.
"She learnt to fight a legion of dead." Big whoop.
"She spent two years alone, scavenging to surive." Yawwwwwn...

"Then to make things difficult, she fell in love with a striaght girl."

That's where I got to see the expression change. Heheh, great fun. To qoute one fellow, "AAAAAAWLright, ya got me! How much?"

The second best marketting weapon was the pinup postcards and magnets of Regan:


Yeah, a few people took without buying the book, but that's fine. I brought a pile for anyone. It's also my art gettin out there, and even still, I was there to just be OUT there, not jsut make money. I did make OK money though.

I asked on a writers' forum once, "I've never been to anything like this, how many books do I take?" and the answer I got was "Bring 10. Be darn glad if you sell 4." I'm glad I took more than 10. I for home with 4 to spare. Granted, this was also a 3 day event, so I averaged 6 books a day. This paid for my table, and admission for this year and next, the promotional junk, and of course the books themselves. Then pizza, and a few other bits n bobbles.

All in all, the 2nd edition has already paid for itself (once I collect on my pre-orders) and I still have a handful let to sell at Robs store, and the comic shop.

What a blast. I could make the most obscure reference, and no one looked at me like I'd just landed from mars. People got it. These were nerds, these were my people. Cute girls came wearing RedBull backpacks and gave me life! Darth vader allowed me passage to the mens room, Batou's skinner cousin offered me a brain dive, a hyper gal in chainmail hung out at my table for a while.

Some guys have unbeleivable weekends, and never tell thier wives what happened, because they'd make thier wife mad. I won't tell my wife, cuz I'd put her to sleep. :P

"Hey guys, I thought there'd be nerdier conversations at these things."
"Like what?" Asks the guy in the utili-kilt.
"Like... who would win, Iron Man, or the enterprise?"
"........ which enterprise?"

And it was ON, FUTHAMUKKAZ!! For the record, the startrek fandom was scarce if any.. classic starwars dominated that area, with 2 Vaders, a Boba Fett, 2 jedi, and sevreal imperial officers being the most notable and realistic costumes. There weren't as many cosutumes as I expected, but those that showed, glowed. The renisance side of things made a decent showing as well. It was less of a sci-fi con, and more of a general fandom con, I think.

Anyway... yeah. I'm going next year, I'm already paid up. Gotta get working on Yute NOW. After I get some sleep. I barely ate or slept for 3 days. I dunno why I'm still alive.