Your First Published Novel: Part 15

This week I discovered that I have deeply and emotionally scarred Wymore, changing the entire course of  his career. I don't have the heart to mock him anymore. You're a special snowflake, Wymore. You really are.

I just got out of Salt Lake Comic Con FanX, and I feel like I have a post in me about that. But not this week. My thoughts haven't jelled yet. They'll probably firm up at about the same rate as the bones in my feet. So maybe next week.

So what I will talk about was how FanX plays into the release of Death by Cliché. I actually did very little of what you'd probably expect. In the seven panels I was on, I only once mentioned the book, because on that one panel, it seemed particularly relevant (it was a storytelling in RPGs panel and I was establishing my bona fides.)

Otherwise, I mainly just spoke of it when asked. Here's my thinking: nothing I do to push the BOOK can do anything but backfire two months out. No one who isn't already following me is going to remember the book in two months. Unless I push it too hard and leave a bad taste in their mouths.

So what I did instead was just sell myself as a product. I've picked up five or six new followers. Hopefully, they will convert to sales. If not, at least I didn't turn anyone off.

In the green room, I got a lot more done. I nailed down Larry Correia on getting me a cover quote. Hopefully, that will be coming in tonight. Larry is a good friend. I didn't hard sell him. Most of the time we spent reminiscing, trying to remember where and when we first met. Unable to. It just feels like we've known each other forever. That's the kind of relationships I try to form at these conventions. The kind that feel timeless.

I caught Kerry Jackson from the Geekshow podcast. Asked him if they did author interviews (I listen to a LOT of podcasts and I can't always remember who does what kind of content.) He said they did, so we agreed to get in touch to schedule an appearance.

I also got in touch with the Big Shiny Robot guys. They too do author interviews. They too thought I should be on the podcast. They gave me some advice on the length of my audio samples I hadn't thought of as well (having a small sample they can fold into an interview so that the listener doesn't just delete it.) It's that kind of practical advice that's invaluable.

There's one podcast I've asked the marketing team to set up. Other than that, these two were the last big gets on my podcast tour.

So that's it. It's been a good con. Next week, I should have my thoughts in order on FanX in general.

Until then.