RiseUp Con: my first convention as an author

A week ago I set out on an adventure. Perhaps as a fiction writer everything gets framed as an adventure, but this truly felt like I was plunging into some deep uncharted territory, though the event of which I speak was only a 45 minute drive from my house.

I am writing about RiseUp Con, my first ever convention as an author. And even though it took place a short distance away, I was diving into a totally unfamiliar world and had no idea what to expect.

A whole new ball of wax

Not only was this my first convention as an author, this was the first time RiseUp as an event had been held as well. So I had even less information to go on than I might otherwise have had.

I think all of the unknowns helped me to set my expectations fairly low. I didn’t know how many people would be there. Whether or not this would be a good investment of my time and money. Or if I’d be overlooked and lost since I knew no one at all connected with this event.

So here’s the plan

I prepared as best I could. I’d been to a few conventions as a participant. And I did lots of internet searches about what to bring and what to expect.

I ordered a bunch of books—way too many. I kind of knew it was probably too much, but I didn’t want to bring too few.

I currently have seven books available in paperback and hardback. Most of the copies I brought were for Truesilver, the first book in my current series. But I bought a few of the others in the series and even sold a few to people interested in the series as a whole.

Then I wanted a banner. I thought about a big backdrop but wasn’t sure it would work for the booth. I ended up going with two banners. One to promote The Swordspeaker Saga, and another one to show all the covers of the books I’ve written. I even future-proofed it with some books I’ve yet to release.

Forged by fire

I also decided to bring a jar of candy and some book stands to show off the books. And I even bought a couple of battery-powered lamps to put on the ends of the table to give my booth an inviting vibe and perhaps catch the eyes of passersby.

But my most ambitious stratagem was to bring a 3D replica of Truesilver itself. I figured nobody else would have an actual sword from their books and it might set me apart from the other booths.

I have a whole other post on that ordeal, but suffice it to say that my nynnian craftsmen were working long into the night the day before the convention to ensure that it would be ready.

Throw in a tablecloth, a sign for pricing printed on poster board, and a free Square account and card reader which I figured out how to use the morning of the convention (nothing like being prepared), my tweed writer’s jacket, a vest, and some corduroy pants and voila! I was ready to go!

Something to latch onto

I went and set up the night before just to see what the space would be like. The vendor hall was enormous and I was excited to see that fellow author C.J. Brightley had her table set up a few spots down from mine. While I had never read her work, she had generously included The Last Motley in a promotion a few years ago. “Ah ha! Someone I know!” It was great to have something familiar turn up right at the start and I was excited to meet her.

The next day I was ready and rarin’ to go, if not exactly bright-eyed and bushy-tailed from the “forging” that kept me up into the wee hours. I got into my booth right as the convention started so I didn’t have time to meet anyone or browse the showroom floor. That’s okay because I got to meet Kedrick, who was helping man the booth to the left of me. He was there all the way from Arizona with his pastor, Bryce, who had brought copies of one of his comic books, Captain Sun. He had been doing some 3D printing himself lately and so we chatted about different settings and techniques and how I’d made the sword.

Oh, the people you’ll meet

To my right was a beautiful booth with a big banner that said “World of Vindor.” And I had a connection there as well. I had followed the author of this series, Emily Golus, on Instagram. She had written a novel as part of an author collective that another author friend, Jenelle Schmidt, had been a part of. Convention-goers soon started drifting by, but the moment she was free I introduced myself. We talked on and off over the next two days about her books, writing battle scars and lessons learned, and all sorts of other things.

Her booth was amazing. She had bookmarks and custom pins, and an iPad with an interactive map. As a fan of fantasy maps, hers was just gorgeous. Maybe the best I’ve ever seen. I’ve since checked out her website, “World of Vindor” and if you haven’t it’s one of the most amazing spots on the internet. Honestly, you should check it out. It’s utterly beautiful.

In the midst of meeting Emily and the Captain Sun team, C.J. Brightley appeared—I swear it was in a puff of smoke—and introduced herself. She was the first person to buy any of my books. And though I didn’t get to talk to her much then because she had to run back and man her own booth, I’ll forever be grateful that she went out of her way to come over and not only that, support me by picking up copies of my books. She even gave me some tips on how to use the Square app.

We make beautiful things

The amount of people at the convention was nothing to write home about. But my wife was able to join me for the second day—she was such a big help—and what I told her afterward is what I still feel: the right people were there.

Whether it was the artists showing off their amazing books or games or films, or the kind people who stopped by and engaged in long conversations with me about the hunger and the need for better books, the right people came. Three young ladies, all there with their parents, were particularly keen on fantasy and discovering new heroes and new tales.

There was an animator there who had worked on Disney films back in the golden days of the 1990s. There were actors from films and TV shows—including Mike Nawrocki, the voice of Larry the Cucumber. Though I didn’t have time to visit more than a handful of booths, I was in awe at the level of creativity and effort that went into many of them. I came away with fresh encouragement that God is moving in the world of the arts. And that’s a beautiful thing to see.

What dreams may come

I had a wonderful time. I wish there had been more people. But the small number of attendees made for longer, more in-depth conversations. It was great talking to people about my books and seeing their eyes light up when I told them about the living weapons in The Swordspeaker Saga.

I also brought all the books from The Chronotrace Sequence and got to share about those. That series is still near and dear to my heart. Sharing the story with people made me want to pick them up and re-read them all over again.

As the conference wound down I had a nice, encouraging conversation with a small publisher sharing about how her company was growing and flourishing. I wish I had gotten her contact information because I would love to check out her books. But I did get to speak with C.J. again and bought one of her books, Lord of Dreams, which I’ve already started and am enjoying immensely! My wife bought one of her books as well. C.J. also shared the ups and downs of her writing journey and her honesty and tenacity were so refreshing. I couldn’t help but admire her dedication to her work. She’s been through a lot, I’ll just say that. And I’ll definitely be following her work and Emily’s in the days and years ahead.

Was it worth it?

Financially, no. I only barely made enough to pay for the cost of renting the booth. And the sword, the banners, and all the extra books I ordered meant I definitely came out in the red.

But would I do it again? Absolutely. The conversations I had were priceless. It was a blessing meeting Kedrick, Bryce, Emily, C.J., and the wonderful attendees who stopped by my booth.

Since this was only the first year for this con, I’m not sure if it will happen again next year. But if it does, I hope you’ll consider swinging by East Tennessee and checking it out.

Because I will be there.

Me and a sword or two.