joshuapalmatier (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
joshuapalmatier) wrote2009-01-10 06:27 pm
joshuapalmatier) wrote2009-01-10 06:27 pm
Convention Schedule
I got an invitation from Norwescon to be an Attending Pro, which prompted me to post about my con schedule for 2009. Basically, there are some cons I definitely intend to attend, barring any unforeseen tradegies or emergencies. These cons would be:
Boskone, Boston, Massachusetts (Febraury 13-15)
Norwescon, Seattle, Washington (April 9-12)
Balticon, Baltimore, Maryland (May 22-24)
Worldcon, Montreal, Canada (August 6-9)
Those are the 4 definites. I'll drive to all of them except Norwescon, and I've already got my flights and a hotel room for that. It sucks because I can't bring a box of books with me in case the dealer's room runs out of copies, but we'll see. Maybe I'll just pack extra books instead of clothes. No one will notice I'm wearing the same clothes for 4 days in a row with they?
Anyway, these are the cons I'm currently considering:
Gencon (August 13-16)
Albacon (October)
Capclave (October 16-18)
World Fantasy, San Jose (October 29-November 1)
I'd love to go Gencon, but it would be a long drive from here, and I don't think I can afford another flight con this year. It is during my "off" time from teaching though, so it's tempting. Plus I could play games! I should really do it, simply because I do think my Throne series could be marketed to gamers fairly easily. And did you see the dates for Gencon? Compare them to the dates for Worldcon. Um-hmmm. That's right. I'd be doing two heavy-duty cons back to back. Can I handle that? Probably, but what if I die in the attempt?
Now, Albacon has been a staple for the past few years and is my backyard. So that one is definitely possible. The problem is that I was trying to branch out to some other cons this year, rather than doing the same ones over and over, and Albacon may conflict with Capclave. If they're on the same weekend, that's a problem. If they aren't on the same weekend . . . I'm not sure I can handle two cons in the same month, let alone during the middle of teaching. So we'll see about those two.
World Fantasy is another issue. It would be a flight con. And it's during the semester. That's two knocks against it at the moment. A plus would be that the DAW staff is likely to go, so I'd get to see my editor in person, etc. However, that will probably happen at Montreal as well. So at the moment, World Fantasy is probably not going to make the final list.
Now, I may end up adding Lunacon to the list. I've been to Lunacon for the past few years but with mixed results. We'll see.
Any other cons out there that I should consider? Remember, being within driving distance of Binghamton, NY, is a plus.
And what's your favorite con (whether I can attend it or not)? Why is it your favorite?
And do you attend cons for the panels on books or for books, or the costuming/masquerade, or for the gaming?
Boskone, Boston, Massachusetts (Febraury 13-15)
Norwescon, Seattle, Washington (April 9-12)
Balticon, Baltimore, Maryland (May 22-24)
Worldcon, Montreal, Canada (August 6-9)
Those are the 4 definites. I'll drive to all of them except Norwescon, and I've already got my flights and a hotel room for that. It sucks because I can't bring a box of books with me in case the dealer's room runs out of copies, but we'll see. Maybe I'll just pack extra books instead of clothes. No one will notice I'm wearing the same clothes for 4 days in a row with they?
Anyway, these are the cons I'm currently considering:
Gencon (August 13-16)
Albacon (October)
Capclave (October 16-18)
World Fantasy, San Jose (October 29-November 1)
I'd love to go Gencon, but it would be a long drive from here, and I don't think I can afford another flight con this year. It is during my "off" time from teaching though, so it's tempting. Plus I could play games! I should really do it, simply because I do think my Throne series could be marketed to gamers fairly easily. And did you see the dates for Gencon? Compare them to the dates for Worldcon. Um-hmmm. That's right. I'd be doing two heavy-duty cons back to back. Can I handle that? Probably, but what if I die in the attempt?
Now, Albacon has been a staple for the past few years and is my backyard. So that one is definitely possible. The problem is that I was trying to branch out to some other cons this year, rather than doing the same ones over and over, and Albacon may conflict with Capclave. If they're on the same weekend, that's a problem. If they aren't on the same weekend . . . I'm not sure I can handle two cons in the same month, let alone during the middle of teaching. So we'll see about those two.
World Fantasy is another issue. It would be a flight con. And it's during the semester. That's two knocks against it at the moment. A plus would be that the DAW staff is likely to go, so I'd get to see my editor in person, etc. However, that will probably happen at Montreal as well. So at the moment, World Fantasy is probably not going to make the final list.
Now, I may end up adding Lunacon to the list. I've been to Lunacon for the past few years but with mixed results. We'll see.
Any other cons out there that I should consider? Remember, being within driving distance of Binghamton, NY, is a plus.
And what's your favorite con (whether I can attend it or not)? Why is it your favorite?
And do you attend cons for the panels on books or for books, or the costuming/masquerade, or for the gaming?
no subject
Last year was the return of Fourth Street Fantasy Convention here in Minneapolis. It was a different kind of very good con. Minicon is book-focused, but it also has some programming on gaming, media fandoms, etc. Fourth Street is All Fiction, All The Time. It's single-tracked, so everybody at the con is chewing over more or less the same arguments, and it's small enough that everybody gets to talk to everybody--and cool enough that the everybodys you get to talk to have interesting things to say, whether they're pro or fan, writer or editor or critic or artist or what. Musician. Game designer. Jewelry-maker. Whatever.
I recommend both conventions very highly. People who are not familiar with cons and are feeling shy can track me down on either con; I tend to be on programming, and I know a ton of people and am happy to introduce folks around, as long as they're congenial and polite.
Panels help. But mostly I attend cons for the conversation. If it's a good con, panels fuel the conversation in off-panel times.
no subject