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catherineldfI have not the energy to chase down the latest brewhaha and others have already said what I would have wanted to say better. Instead, I'm going to post about something I've been experiencing a lot this year, namely convention readings.
Science fiction and fantasy is a rarity among the various flavors of genre fiction. For one thing, there's at least one convention every weekend somewhere in the world where fans of the genre - written and/or media and/or other related flavors - congregate, which in turn means that science fiction and fantasy writers get far more "face time" with potential readers than most writers in other genres. Or at least that's true for panels and parties.
Where all bets are off is when it comes to readings. If you're a local writer, even an unpublished one, odds are that you can probably get a reading slot at a local convention if you ask nicely (or are just not unsufferable. And sometimes even if you are, in fact, insufferable). That would be where the fun begins. There are many reasons to read at conventions; they include: practice, building an audience, hopes of attracting agent/editor/publisher interest, the thrill of it all, a fondness for humiliation scenes, and the all important theoretical boosting of sales for existing books.
That said, here's what often happens with convention readings, done as a sort of logic problem.
Deduct most or all potential audience members if you are any of the following:
Other categories of writers not packing them in but who still get more audience than the above:
Fall into the abyss of the first list and you'll be looking at the Empty Room of Doom, unless you had the good sense to pack along a long-suffering friend or lover or two. It's a remarkable opportunity to learn what it feels like to be a real writer: in the end, it's just you and a bunch of ink on a page. Why this comes about is probably the subject of a dissertation or two, preferably by someone other than me but taking out circumstances like time slots for the moment, we're left with the general sense that the new and unknown is scary.
Perhaps the new/unknown author's work is, as they fear, unspeakably awful? Certainly no fan has ever read an unbelievably awful book from a big press. Oh wait...
The assumption that if a writer is not with a big press, their work must bite (and not in a hot vampiric way), is quite prevalent in fandom. Now, okay, I did recently run across a medium-sized press horror novel where the author referenced an "inverted Star of David," not once, but twice. It was, indeed, horrible. No argument. However, I've also read some bloody awful big press books (and I skipped Touch by Venom (Roc)). Size does not in fact guarantee a good read. Neither does publishing record. I've heard unpublished authors give fabulous readings and award winning multi-published big press authors do the ever popular "face down mumble into page, go on forever" reading of utter dreck. It's like most new things - you really don't know until you try it. Why not go find out if that author whose work you've never read is worth checking out?
I should mention that I do 4-6 sf/f conventions a year (not including the writing/lit ones, which are their own thing), and generally do a reading at each one. These comments are intended as general observations, not specific to any single convention. I also generally organize the Broad Universe readings at several of the cons I attend, thereby ensuring a group reading that gets anywhere from 3-25 people, depending on the convention, so I haven't faced the Empty Room of Doom for awhile. But I know it's out there, waiting for me, so I implore you to rescue me and the others of my kind. Don't make us face the echo. This has been a public service announcement.
Science fiction and fantasy is a rarity among the various flavors of genre fiction. For one thing, there's at least one convention every weekend somewhere in the world where fans of the genre - written and/or media and/or other related flavors - congregate, which in turn means that science fiction and fantasy writers get far more "face time" with potential readers than most writers in other genres. Or at least that's true for panels and parties.
Where all bets are off is when it comes to readings. If you're a local writer, even an unpublished one, odds are that you can probably get a reading slot at a local convention if you ask nicely (or are just not unsufferable. And sometimes even if you are, in fact, insufferable). That would be where the fun begins. There are many reasons to read at conventions; they include: practice, building an audience, hopes of attracting agent/editor/publisher interest, the thrill of it all, a fondness for humiliation scenes, and the all important theoretical boosting of sales for existing books.
That said, here's what often happens with convention readings, done as a sort of logic problem.
Deduct most or all potential audience members if you are any of the following:
- An unpublished author
- A brand new author (double the empty chairs if you're a short fiction author or write in a crossover genre)
- A self-published author
- A small or medium-sized press author (double the empty chairs if your work can be perceived as crossing over into literary or romance or...)
Other categories of writers not packing them in but who still get more audience than the above:
- A large press author about to be dropped from big publisher stuck in weird time slot on the schedule (opposite guest of honor, any event involving the exposure of lots of skin, on at 2 AM, etc.)
- A large press author with no promotion who is also not local and thus has no name recognition at aforementioned local convention
Fall into the abyss of the first list and you'll be looking at the Empty Room of Doom, unless you had the good sense to pack along a long-suffering friend or lover or two. It's a remarkable opportunity to learn what it feels like to be a real writer: in the end, it's just you and a bunch of ink on a page. Why this comes about is probably the subject of a dissertation or two, preferably by someone other than me but taking out circumstances like time slots for the moment, we're left with the general sense that the new and unknown is scary.
Perhaps the new/unknown author's work is, as they fear, unspeakably awful? Certainly no fan has ever read an unbelievably awful book from a big press. Oh wait...
The assumption that if a writer is not with a big press, their work must bite (and not in a hot vampiric way), is quite prevalent in fandom. Now, okay, I did recently run across a medium-sized press horror novel where the author referenced an "inverted Star of David," not once, but twice. It was, indeed, horrible. No argument. However, I've also read some bloody awful big press books (and I skipped Touch by Venom (Roc)). Size does not in fact guarantee a good read. Neither does publishing record. I've heard unpublished authors give fabulous readings and award winning multi-published big press authors do the ever popular "face down mumble into page, go on forever" reading of utter dreck. It's like most new things - you really don't know until you try it. Why not go find out if that author whose work you've never read is worth checking out?
I should mention that I do 4-6 sf/f conventions a year (not including the writing/lit ones, which are their own thing), and generally do a reading at each one. These comments are intended as general observations, not specific to any single convention. I also generally organize the Broad Universe readings at several of the cons I attend, thereby ensuring a group reading that gets anywhere from 3-25 people, depending on the convention, so I haven't faced the Empty Room of Doom for awhile. But I know it's out there, waiting for me, so I implore you to rescue me and the others of my kind. Don't make us face the echo. This has been a public service announcement.
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no subject
Date: 2009-10-13 11:58 pm (UTC)Lemons? Hot lemonade!
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Date: 2009-10-16 02:50 pm (UTC)But yes, apart from that, excellent points! I think it's always worth trying, but it'd be nice if it was also always worth doing.
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Date: 2009-10-16 03:47 pm (UTC)Besides, the excellent company at brunch and being guided through my first dim sum experience so gently was a treat unto itself. Thanks!
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Date: 2009-10-20 05:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-21 02:29 am (UTC)Been there, done that
Date: 2009-10-14 01:07 am (UTC)Re: Been there, done that
Date: 2009-10-16 02:52 pm (UTC)SFF readings
Date: 2009-10-14 04:22 pm (UTC)At SFF cons it seems to me that a lot of the people there want to talk a more than they want to listen. There is much holding forth. There is much monologuing if panels allow it to go on. There are a lot of people who seem to see themselves as underappreciated experts in search of an audience. I'm not sure how many people go to cons to actually hear a reading. It seems to me that the majority of con goers aren't there for a good story. They are there to feel important. They go to the readings by "famous" people because hanging out in a room with someone famous is cool.
I started out writing non-genre fiction. IN the past I've done readings of my work at universities and bookstores and they have always been really well attended, mainly by people I didn't know. And I'm a writing nobody. Poems and short stories have been published, but no books at all. But the audience for readings at more mainstream fiction events or poetry readings is just so different. People want to hear THE WORK.
I know it sounds like I hate SFF people, lol, but I don't and that isn't my point. I just find it all so weird. I KNOW that con-goers love their genre's books but it somehow doesn't seem to translate to loving up and coming writers at all. I wonder why?
Also, I must say, I have seen several SFF writers be so amazingly unprofessional at con readings. I have more than once shown up to hear a reading and been IGNORED by the writers. You know, if three people show up to hear you read...you READ. You have an audience, however limited. You don't ignore your small audience and chat with the other writers! What the Hell is that?
I don't know. I think the familiarity between writers and readers at SFF cons is a neat thing in many ways but, sometimes, I think it allows for really bad manners and a diminishment of the value of the work.
Re: SFF readings
Date: 2009-10-16 02:56 pm (UTC)But, in all truth, I know I've done a few irritating things at readings myself so I can only point so many fingers on that score.
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Date: 2009-10-14 06:22 pm (UTC)That does it! I'm changing my last name to Gaiman and getting two lovers!
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Date: 2009-10-16 02:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-10-18 05:50 pm (UTC)I've had a lot of scheduling ill-luck at Minicon. Up against "Ask Dr. Mike" my first year. Up against Mike's memorial panel another year. Up against the Charles de Lint and Charles Vess interview one year. Up against the sudden arrival of pizza in the consuite last year.
I've also come up against the whole "if it's not published by Asimov's or Analog or Tor or DAW, it must be crap" phenomena in fandom, both directed at me and at my friends in the small presses.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-20 05:31 pm (UTC)Of course, this very weekend I went from arguing with someone about whether or not it was possible to make a living from writing (his standard of living was apparently much, much higher than mine) to having dinner with Lois, who does make her living from her writing. It's just one big roller coaster but I suppose that keeps it compelling.