One of the best ways to promote a novel and to promote yourself as an author is to attend writing conventions. I don’t mean watching a bunch of horror movies, filking until the wee hours and drinking yourself into a stupor, I mean a writer’s Con. In two weeks, I will be attending Killer Con 2010 in Las Vegas. It is an excellent opportunity to pitch novels to publishers and agents, mingle with other writers and attend panel discussions presented by people who have been there. It is easy to pick up tidbits of information, make new friends, and get free samples of someone’s work to read.
Pick the right cons. You can’t attend them all. This is my second Killer Con. Afterall, it’s in Vegas! Any World Horror Convention or Horror Writer’s Association Convention is worth attending. So is the SFFWA Con. I try to attend 2-3 per year. For me, local ones are Copper Con in Phoenix and Tus Con in Tucson. Locals cons grant you the opportunity to meet with local writers and form ties that can be beneficial in the future. They are inexpensive and usually involve little travel time. Southern Arizona is blessed with great writers who have helped me in my career. The Northeast is even better (NY,NJ, Penn).
As a published writer, cons are an excellent way of selling your books to people in your genre. Writers read.
Look on the internet to find local cons or try the HWA website. Ralan is another source. Try a con soon. You’ll be glad you did.
