Last week's winner of the drawing decided to take the tote bag, so I have a mouse pad left. Put those comments in for a chance to win on Friday!
This past weekend was MileHiCon down in Denver. Last year was the first time I had gone, and this year I got to be a participant. I did a meet and greet, a reading, and a panel. I also went to some panels. The convention was 3 days long, so I will spend 3 days talking about my experience.
Friday
The first panel I went to on Friday was one talking about the publishing industry and options open to authors. The main topics of conversation were ebooks and self-publishing. I wanted to go to it because I wanted to see how others felt.
One of the panelists had been a traditionally published author waaaay back in the day. After so many years, his books went out of print, and he decided to revive them as ebooks. He said he felt like he was 20 again with all the interest in his stories. He was revived and ready to write more. He talked about traditional publishers and how they stifle authors and how the model needs to change. By having the option of ebooks, self-publishing, and small presses, it gives authors more control.
It was fascinating. One panelist made the remark that self-publishing is no longer being stigmatized like it had been in the past. Back then, it was called "vanity publishing," but no more. They discussed how there was freedom and control when an author published their own books, but there was also a lot of cost. You have to pay for an editor, for the cover, and formatting. And the chances of you becoming well known are pretty rare. However, they said that if you are already a well-known author, self-publishing might put more money in your pocket, and you don't have to worry about a company holding you back or taking away control of your work.
They suggested the best approach might be to find an indie publisher. That way, you wouldn't have to incur a huge cost and they have editors and cover artists on staff. You still have to do your own promotion, but that's the case with any publisher.
After that panel, I did "Speed Date an Author," which is where a bunch of authors sit around and people come in to meet us. I don't really think Friday night was the best time to do it because there wasn't a lot of participants there. Saturday afternoon might have been better. I did talk to a few people and networked with other authors. It was fun. You know me, I love to talk about myself and work!
And that concluded my Friday. I went to dinner with my family after that and turned in early. I had an adrenaline crash. I always get so excited coming to these things!
