I haven’t been to a book convention in – a long time. A looooong time. However. I do have a history with cons of all kinds, and so, while I might not be especially qualified to talk about whether book cons are worth it, I do have thoughts.
IMO, a con is worth it if:
You enjoy the premise of the con as a fan. You won’t be making
the money you spent on attending the convention. Make sure you’re parting with your
hard-earned dollars for a good reason – that being that you are engaging in an
experience that brings you joy (outside of selling books).
You’re nominated for an award. Even then, I’m on the fence
about this one these days. So many awards are problematic enough to include a
cringe factor to them. This one must be a personal call. Am I relieved and
grateful that the award nominations I once had were before the industry had its
eyes unwillingly opened to the mounting issues? Heck yes.
You’re looking for an agent or you’re shopping a manuscript
AND you can get pitch appointments. Pitch appointments, especially with editors
for houses you’re targeting, are an amazing source of submission invites. I favor
smaller, more local events where there aren’t 10k of my nearest and dearest vying
for the same appointments. Getting in front of editors and agents is absolutely
worth the time and trouble. Get a chance to put ‘Requested Material’ on a
submission just once and see if you don’t agree.
You’re into meeting other authors, book lovers, and assorted
weirdos. The breadth and depth of humanity is usually represented at a
conference. If you enjoy striking up conversations with strangers about shared
interests – cons are for you.
You’re using the con as a mini writer’s retreat, to recharge
batteries, or to remember who you are outside of the roles and expectations of
the rest of your life. Sometimes, a con is just a good excuse to get away so
you don’t have to threaten the very next person who won’t leave you alone for
five minutes while you pee, for the love of pete.
Cons are not worth it if:
You expect a return on investment. This is not why we con.
At least, not why 98% con.
You’re expecting a miracle – like an agent begging to rep
you or an editor begging to buy your book on the spot, you will be
disappointed. If you’re signing and expecting to see lines out the door, you probably
will see that. For someone else. At least initially.
