I get asked a fair bit about getting into comic con style conventions as a guest. They are a great way to sell your books as a vendor (assuming you write genre fiction), and a way to really hone in person selling with a pretty friendly crowd. It also helps establish credentials to a degree, and people will often 'follow you home' from a panel (home meaning your booth or website). So I wrote up a guide on my blog (I do lots of transparency and education type posts there), so I thought it might be useful to post here, for folks interested in marketing in this way. Anyway, here you go, I hope it helps:

How I Get Into Conventions!

I have gotten asked a couple of times lately how I get into the conventions I get into. So I thought it might be helpful to have a little blog post I can point people towards. Keep in mind, the short answer is: be a nice person and just ask. But lets see how I turned no's into yes's!

Question one is usually "how do you find conventions to be in?" At this point its usually word of mouth. Authors are always chatting, and we give recommendations for cons we like, ones we sell well at, who to talk to, etc. But to supplement that I also use http://southernfan.com/calendar.htm since I am in the American south.

Also, lets be clear, you can 'do' cons without being an official guest. If you are an expert in a Thing, but not established enough to be let in as an official guest, you can always reach out and ask to help out on a panel. Many is the con I have attended and volunteered to help fill a seat if they had an opening. I have done this to success at cons ranging from Multiverse to Dragon Con at this point. Just whatever you do, do not show up to the panel you want to be on and ask to be let on. Go well in advance, preferably a day or two in the event of multiday cons, or if you can email the week before, and speak to the track/programming director and just let them know you are available, and why you would be an asset. Then cross your fingers and hope for a little pity. #goteamweasel

That out of the way, I am going to go down the list of the larger conventions I have taken/want to take part in. This is not all of them by any stretch. So I will do a sort of blanket "here is what I do for small conventions" entry as well.

Multiverse: As I got more plugged into the author scene, numerous folks told me I needed to be at Multiverse. Before attending, I applied to be a guest. I was not accepted. But enough folks kept singing its praises, so I went as a regular joe. It was amazing, and I wound up on a panel anyway! So I applied the for the next year. In the interim, I got to meet the Con Chairs at CONCarolinas, and established a bromance with the Play Track director. I also had grown my friendship with the woman who is now the programing director (though I didn't realize it haha). So by that point all parties concerned had seen me panel and vend at other cons, and knew I could show up and not embarass myself too badly.

Dragon Con: I have not been let in as an attending pro yet (two applications, two no's). But I have networked my way into a number of panels over the years, as well as a vending opportunity this past year. Will this year be the year? Who can say! This is where I have made the most connections that have led directly guesting at other cons/events. (1/5/2024 edit: I just got accepted as an attending pro for 2024).

ConCarolinas: Heard about this one from the Falstaff crew. Nancy Knight also told me to go and apply, and when she says do something, I do it. John Hartness knows me, and knows what I'm about, so I was accepted on my first attempt.

CONjuration: I don't remember how I heard about this one, maybe through Ben Meeks? We both applied, and in our applications basically explained that they could get us two for one if they wanted essentially. I don't know if that is why they let us in, but it certainly didn't hurt. (1/5/2024 edit: I did 11 panels at the 2023 outing, which was my second go.)

Chattacon: I found this one on Southern Fandom, and then when looking happened to see Hartness was guest of honor. So I applied, and got my friend Alex Nader to apply as well. We both got accepted into the author alley as a package deal, and are waiting to hear back about panels/guesting at the moment. (1/5/2024 edit: I am doing 5 panels, Alex is doing 1 (its his first con ever)).

JordonCon: I really want to be in this one. I have applied...three times now I believe? I know at least once before (I think maybe the year before that I chickened out). I have applied for this upcoming one, and have not heard back yet. But since the last time I have applied I have buffed up my credentials a bit, and met more people who have been involved with it, who can vouch for me if asked. I also met their Con Chair I believe, but I was imbibing Guinness heavily, and it was likely 2 in the morning, so I doubt anyone remembers that.

Small conventions: Many smaller cons don't have much in the way of formal application processes for guests. Many don't have established tracks, instead having panel rooms that cover a wide array of topics. When this is the case, I just email them, explain who I am, include a list of cons/panels I have done, and offer to run a panel or two for them. I always make a point of suggesting a topic I can do solo if needed, but make it clear I can/will accept guests on it, or (if I can) offer to help populate the panel. I have to date never been turned down. This is how I built my resume early on, and I think this went a long way to establishing the credentials that gave the bigger cons more confidence in bringing me in as a guest.