MiniCon 58 Notes

Not that it's my intention to write a wrap-up of every convention, but MiniCon was the first convention I had a mind to do back when I started all this (though MarsCon actually took place first). I wasn't really expecting a lot of sales--it's a small con and I didn't have a new book out. But I have a new approach that's more about fulfillment and developing readership rather than maxing out hand sales, and it turned out better than expected, all things considered. To that end, I got to engage with far more people through panels and subsequent conversations, and I had a better time doing it! It's all good practice for my upcoming project (announcement soon). I got to catch up with people I hadn't seen since before Covid even though I last attended MiniCon in 2022, and I stayed up far too late at parties. However, I think one area where I finally broke through was with my trademark "Indie Author Buffet" round-robin reading that I always run. Several authors commented on how much more successful it was than any of the solo reading slots they typically book at conventions, and the programming director asked if I minded if they kept doing them whether I'm there or not. Several committee members asked if I'd like to be a lot more involved in helping to run programming (including the director), but getting THAT involved in a convention's operations never sits right with me as it feels like a conflict of interest. In any case, I'm glad to see the convention growing again, and I definitely reached more people than I generally would expect. I got the word out about my new project, but I don't want to say more until the web links are more prepared. With luck, this week should see the last pieces fall into place, as all the content is just about ready. Watch this space!