If you're spending all of your time hanging out at big comic book and media conventions, and you have any ambition to be a published writer, I'd strongly suggest you do a re-think some, and look a lot more closely at attending some of the conventions like Boskone that have been part of the science fiction and fantasy community for several decades. In a convention center full of tens of thousands of people, I'm awfully hard to find. At Boskone, it's a great opportunity to find and spend quality time with the editors, agents and most especially the authors that can help you to achieve your dreams. In 2018, Boskone will have half a dozen of our clients attending, and some of them clients as a direct result of my meeting with them at Boskone or another sf/fantasy convention like it.
clients in attendance:
Dan Moren - author of The Caledonian Gambit. First met him at Boskone.
Auston Habershaw - series with Harper Voyager Impulse. First met him in Boston, and the Boskone trip forced me to get his letter out of my in-box.
Suzanne Palmer - author of Finder, forthcoming from DAW, and first met her at a convention in Boston.
Gregory Scott Katsoulis - author of All Rights Reserved.
Erin Underwood - have a proposal from her on submission, first met her at Boskone.
Toni L. P. Kelner a/k/a Leigh Perry - author of the Family Skeleton mysteries.
Most of them will have their own schedules for Boskone available on their individual websites, and you can find a text view of the entire schedule here.
And as I type this, I'm on submission with a debut fantasy by Nick Martell, whom I saw in 2017 at both Boskone and Balticon. Without my having met him at two conventions last year, his amazing novel might still be hiding away on my iPad.
You'll get to see me on a few panels at Boskone, including one that also includes literary agent Barry Goldblatt, who is especially well known for his great list of YA authors. I'll often be hanging out in the hotel lobby or in the dealer's room. And for some real quality time, sign up for my Kaffeeklatsch, which will be just me and no more than ten or twelve people for an hour of conversation.
Can't wait to be at Boskone. See you soon!
Can't wait to be at Boskone. See you soon!
What Good Is an Agent?
Format: Panel17 Feb 2018, Saturday 18:00 - 19:00, Marina 3 (Westin)
Everybody wants an agent — but why? What's the big deal? Sure they can help you make contacts with publishers, but is that their only purpose? What else can or should an agent do for you? How do you know when your agent isn't really working out? How do you transition between agents without burning bridges?
Erin M. Hartshorn (M), Joshua Bilmes, Barry Goldblatt, Richard Shealy, Hillary Monahan
Soup to Nuts: The Life Cycle of a Book
Format: Panel17 Feb 2018, Saturday 21:00 - 22:00, Marina 3 (Westin)
What is the life cycle of a book, from completion to publication? Our panel of agents, editors, and authors share advice on everything from querying an agent or an editor to dealing with revision requests, reviewing the contract, maintaining the relationship between editor and agent, and more.
Joshua Bilmes, Richard Shealy, Pete Hollmer, Susan Jane Bigelow, J. Kathleen Cheney
Kaffeeklatsch: Joshua Bilmes
Format: Kaffeeklatsch18 Feb 2018, Sunday 10:00 - 11:00, Galleria - Con Suite (Westin)
Joshua Bilmes
Marketing Uphill
Format: Panel18 Feb 2018, Sunday 11:00 - 12:00, Harbor II (Westin)
Sometimes marketing for writers feels like walking uphill to school barefoot in the snow. Does it ever get easier? At what point is enough enough for you and your social network? What about live events? How much should you invest, and how do you measure the return? Our panelists share their experiences and tips for managing your marketing.
Alexander Jablokov (M), Melanie Meadors, Suzanne Reynolds-Alpert, Joshua Bilmes, Craig Miller
