How important do you think cons have been for you as a writer over the years? Have they helped your writing, either on the business side or the creative side?
I think they were very important in the beginning (say 1994-1999), but seemed to become increasingly less so. By the mid-nineties, I was selling everything I wrote as fast as i could write it, so going to make deals seemed to cease to be important.
Some writers talk about making this deal or selling that book, whereas others just seem to go mainly in order to drink and party. Some writers, or editors, or agents seem to feel they're indispensable, whereas others go completely without.
I have mixed feelings. I always loved doing Dragon*Con, except for the stupid panels. I'm not much for cons, in general. Or partying. These days, I sort of feel like, I'm a writer not a celebrity, and it's my job to stay home and write, not go to cons and talk about writing. Also, I seem to have little in common with the other writers I meet and have no particular desire to hang out with other writers. Also, cons are expensive and rarely cost-effective. If I spend $500 to $1000 to be at a con, I expect to do that much in business while I'm there to pay for the trip, and that hardly ever happens.
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Re: Speaking of public appearances...
Date: 2007-04-13 09:13 pm (UTC)I think they were very important in the beginning (say 1994-1999), but seemed to become increasingly less so. By the mid-nineties, I was selling everything I wrote as fast as i could write it, so going to make deals seemed to cease to be important.
Some writers talk about making this deal or selling that book, whereas others just seem to go mainly in order to drink and party. Some writers, or editors, or agents seem to feel they're indispensable, whereas others go completely without.
I have mixed feelings. I always loved doing Dragon*Con, except for the stupid panels. I'm not much for cons, in general. Or partying. These days, I sort of feel like, I'm a writer not a celebrity, and it's my job to stay home and write, not go to cons and talk about writing. Also, I seem to have little in common with the other writers I meet and have no particular desire to hang out with other writers. Also, cons are expensive and rarely cost-effective. If I spend $500 to $1000 to be at a con, I expect to do that much in business while I'm there to pay for the trip, and that hardly ever happens.