Future movements

It’s BristolCon soon (Saturday 22^nd to be precise), and they’re packing loads of good stuff into one day. Bits I’ll be helping pack include:

Midday: Cover Art (with Paul Cornell, Jim Burns, Joanne Hall, Dolly Garland & Steve Upham) –  We’re always being told not to judge a book by its cover, but that’s usually the first thing that catches the reader’s eye. Publishers spend a lot of time and money making sure a book has the right cover, but what influence does the cover art have on the sales of a writer’s work? Does it differ for new and established authors? And what makes a good cover?”

4pm. The Life Cycle of the Author – Or – George RR Martin is not your Bitch (with Wayne Simmons, Paul Cornell, Anne Lyle & Joanne Hall) – "The life cycle of the author, from struggling to self-confident, is filled with pitfalls and distractions. It’s in the job description – writers write. They also do signings, attend conventions, hobnob, booze, and interact with their fans. How can an author balance on the precarious unicycle of success, and not fall off in a heap?” (I actually know not one but two answers to this semi-rhetorical question, and will be revealing them on the day)

19:00 Kaffeklatch (with, er, anyone who signs up for it. Hope someone does.)

19:50 Reading (with anyone who was at my Kaffeklatch and didn’t run away fast enough) – I’m not sure what I’ll be reading yet: probably something from Bringer of Light, though the committee have wisely scheduled readings for a maximum of 10 minutes, so I need to find a suitable short passage, so to speak.

In addition to those items I’m on, there’s a whole bunch of programming I want to attend; in fact I’m slightly worried about how I’m going to schedule in that most important convention pastime: hanging out in the bar.

While we’re on the subject of my social life, I’ll just mention that I’ll be at Eastercon, as per usual. I’m also going to be a guest at the SFX Weekender in February, a relatively new event I’ve heard good things about.