The Case for Conventions [PART 2/2]

by benmweilertNo Comments
Last month, I wrote about how selling books in person as a vendor at conventions (or “cons” for short) is a great way to get in front of your audience. However, there are many more benefits of attending conventions, whether as a vendor or just as a participant. Because—not only are you as a writer and author attending these conventions—but your fellow writers and authors are as well. If you want to network with others who have also published books, then conventions can be the best way to do this while also selling your books to potential readers. Part of networking at conventions is discussing the craft with others who are doing the same thing you are. You can learn a lot from someone who has gone through the process to make hardcovers, audiobooks, or even books in different genres. It’s great to see others selling books at these cons, not only because you want your peers to succeed, but it...
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The Case for Conventions [PART 1/2]

by benmweilertNo Comments
It's often been said that writing is a solitary profession. The problem is that—if you want to sell your books—you need to interact with other people. Selling online can be a challenge when there are so many options easily available and selling in brick-and-mortar stores has its own limitations and constraints. As an independent, self-published author, one of the best ways I've found to get my books into the hands of potential readers is by attending conventions as a vendor. There are lots of different conventions (or "cons" for short) out there. For some examples, check out my Events Page to see a history of all the cons I've attended as a vendor. Since most of my books fit in the science fiction and fantasy genres, I have found sci-fi conventions to be great places to set up shop. That doesn't mean there aren't cons for other genres where you can find readers who would want to read your books. In...
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