WHAT An Event! The C3 Con 2018

Sunday we put a cap on the 6th annual Creatures, Crimes & Creativity Con and many said it was the best yet. More than 80 writers and avid readers gathered together to talk about the books we love: mystery, suspense, thriller, horror, sci-fi, fantasy and paranormal fiction. We had some pretty impressive keynote speakers in Jamie Frevelettiand Keith DeCandido but the event didn’t hang on them alone. And everyone gets a swag bag full of goodies but I don’t think people come for that. So what makes a geat small literary Convention?
I think a feeling of togetherness and community is key. We emphasize this by maintaining a Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/452670518248659/- that is a year-round place for genre fiction writers and their fans & readers to share news, opinions and idea. We support and enlighten one another, and it doesn’t matter if you’re a NY Times bestseller or just trying to get that first book out.
To further promote togetherness, all meals are included in the registration fee. That means almost everyone eats together. There are no assigned seats so fans and avid readers
As one of the organizers I work at showcasing the authors. That means that the two keynote speakers are treated… well not like kings, but maybe like the honored matriarchs or patriarchs of a big family. Each gives a dinner keynote speech and if they’re willing they offer a class to the group. They are on panels with the other writers which further heightens the feeling of community.
We interview our two local guest authors (John DeDakis and Ed Aymer who is pictured with me) in order to highlight their talents but also give them a chance to share their journey, how they got to where they are in their careers. By holding them up as examples we make them feel special.
Of course the core of the event is panels, and all published authors present on them. Best sellers sit beside newbies. In other ways we promote authors as much as we can. Both groups’ books are available for signing and sale at our two book signings. We list all their names and links on the C3 website, and we picture them all in the C3 program book.
To further focus on our writers we get the Baltimore County Public Library’s video team to shoot interviews. Sure, interviews of the big names are good for promotion, but for everyone else it’s a chance to feel like a star, a taste of the big-name life.
The new addition this year was Noir at the Bar, a reading series that takes place all over the world. In this case, ten of the attending authors read short stories, novel excerpts and in one case, a Halloween story set in an epic poem.
We love our little conference, but more, we love the little community that has grown around it. That, more than anything else, is what makes the Con great! Take a look at what we offered this year, and soon more about next year, on our website – www.creaturescrimesandcreativity.com