My first ever con as a vendor is in the books. That’s more of a literal statement than I intended considering what I was selling. I lost money as I expected, but it was never about making money. It was about meeting people, building relationships, and stuffing sweaty five-dollar bills in Brian Keene’s bra.
I am about three years away from being able to retire from the Air Force. Whether or not I am able to retire based on my family’s needs, is a different matter. What I discovered at Authorcon II is this is what I want to be doing. These are the friends I want to have, the people I want to meet. I am an extreme introvert, but talking shop with authors feels as natural as chatting with my siblings. It’s exciting to meet people who are excited about their ideas…and yours. As an author I sometimes treat my story ideas as a brown banana. Maybe someone will want it if I’m extra appreciative. The folks at Authorcon actually want to hear about my story ideas!
I met a couple people who know me from NoSleep, several for Stargazers. I was completely surprised to learn some people knew me not for either of those but for my short story collections. I even sold out of The Rat King! Authors, publishers, and horror fiction fans…you are my people.
If this is the first of many to come, it will hold a special place in my heart. If you’re on the fence about going, either as a vendor or customer, I can’t recommend it enough.
Horror Stories by LP Hernandez 