World Fantasy Convention Survival Tips
By Nikki M. Pill
World Fantasy Convention, one of the five largest annual networking opportunities for the genre, is coming up in November. Check Nikki Pill’s article for advice on what to expect and how to network effectively.
November 3-5, 2005, World Fantasy Convention descends upon Madison , Wisconsin. Don’t let the name fool you. It’s a professional writing convention, and when you hear “no costumes allowed,” it’s not a suggestion. Your membership to the con is revoked if you wear a costume. When I attended in 2004, I saw everything from jeans to suits to cocktail dresses, and one guy in an embroidered brocade coat. No Klingon poetry at this event.”What will I find, then?” you ask. A treasure trove of learning and networking opportunities! Friday night is usually an autograph reception, where you can get your books and souvenirs autographed by a full spectrum of writers and artists. Sunday afternoon is the World Fantasy Awards Banquet, where you can enjoy a meal and see who claims the coveted World Fantasy Awards.Like all writing cons, you can see readings and panels any time during the on Friday and Saturday. Last year, I got overly ambitious and tried to attend three in a row on Saturday, and I was comatose for two hours that afternoon. I saw interesting topics like “The Use of Existing Mythology in Fantasy,” “Mistakes in Creating Strong Female Characters,” and “Cross-Pollinating Genres.” Not only are panels great idea fodder, they give you a chance to see industry names like Jo Watson and Ellen Datlow and (a) learn from their experience and (b) recognize them for schmoozing purposes later.
World Fantasy’s primary purpose, however, is to give writers and artists a chance to network with each other, agents, and editors. It’s a veritable goldmine of opportunity to meet and greet. This year, for instance, the guests of honor are writers Graham Joyce, Robert Weinberg and Terri Windling; artist Kinyuko Y Craft, and toastmaster Peter Straub. One of the best things about the con’s web site is that you can see a list of attendees and plan ahead. Charles de Lint and Ed Bryant, for instance, are on this year’s list (I can personally assure you that they are both industry-savvy and cool). You can meet any number of fascinating people in the bar and the dealers’ room at any given time.
I was nervous and disoriented for the bulk of the weekend last year, and with great awe, I watched Lisa Rogers-Lowrance schmoozing up a storm. Lisa officially launched her copyediting and PR company in late 2004, and I was very impressed by how quickly she made her convention experience fun and lucrative. “I would say I got at least three lucrative projects as a result of World Fantasy [2004],” Lisa said, “and I feel comfortable saying that I got contacts that will allow for ongoing projects. Those three projects more than enough to offset the expense.. Definitely, within the first three cons I attended, I developed enough relationships to allow me to offset the cost of attending cons. Since then, I’ve come home with enough projects to more than cover my trips.”
I asked Lisa for some World Fantasy Con survival advice. Here are five easy tips from the veteran attendee:
1. ATTEND. “As travel is fairly expensive, many New York publishers have scaled back on their congoing activities. If they can only hit one or two a year, WFC is usually the first one they select.”
2. INTRODUCE YOURSELF. “Make sure you introduce yourself to people, and as you get to know more people in the industry, ask them to introduce you to more people. The worst thing you can do is be afraid to talk. The environment is very conducive to sitting at the bar and getting to know people. this is a very casual con; no one is looking for privacy. Everyone knows if you’re there, you have something to do in the industry, and they’re delighted to meet new people.”
3. HAVE A BUSINESS CARD. “It’s important to have something to exchange. Ask for theirs, too! Make a joke of it. ‘I guess now is the time to exchange cards.’” This is important for:
4. KEEP IN TOUCH. “The other important thing is to meet people and talk, not just at con, but to talk after. Send an email to people whose cards you received, say ‘I enjoyed meeting you.’ Cement and continue relationships you make, and you can continue them throughout the year. It’s amazing how many people remember you from con to con - people I see three times a year come up to me in the hall at cons. They remember me.”
5. TAKE NOTES. “I always make notes on the back of their cards, anything I want to remember: context, personal details, how they connect with someone else, projects they have coming up. Never be afraid, if there’s something you can do, to mention it!”
For registration and more information, visit the World Fantasy 2005 web site.
