Style > Substance
(Karen Martin is taking over blog duties this week!)
So you've gotten your book or comic published, your table reserved, and now all you need to do is get to the Con, right?
Not quite.
People can't look at you and discern your gift for words, your ability to craft a story arc, to show the nuances of your deeply conflicted hero in a single panel drawing. They just see you. Which is why your appearance is your first marketing tool.
1. Your Booth. Sit with someone else, if you can. Being the single guy sitting by yourself at a table drives people away in droves. The Mysterious Loner may be romantic, but he doesn't move paper at Cons. Bring your writing partner or your inker or your girlfriend (more on that in a moment). Better yet, team up with another local artist and share a table. More than one person at a table not only looks more professional, but it puts con-goers at ease.
2. Neatness Counts. A cluttered table doesn't say "cornucopia," it says "yard sale." Banners and posters are good, because they add height to your display, but don't pour all your money into a banner and sit at a bare table. Your booth should reflect the tone of your product: whether it's horror, sci-fi, steampunk, retro, or what have you.
Don't be afraid to try something a little unusual or off-beat in your table display – people remember what stands out. Rather than being the millionth guy with a horror comic and a resin skull sitting on a black tablecloth, go the extra mile. People will notice and be drawn to the slaughter-house themed table with a "blood" spattered table cloth, a cow skull, posters hanging from meat hooks, and the artists wearing butcher's aprons.
3. Personal appearance is important! Going to a con wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants may be comfortable, but it's boring at best, and at worst, makes you look like the creepy guy that goes to strip clubs on a Tuesday afternoon.
Your clothes and appearance sell you as an artist or author, and that sells your product. Charles likes to wear a themed bowling shirt that mirrors the tone of our booth when we're at Cons, but he's also been known to wear a white suit and fedora for a 'Satan as Southern Dandy' effect when promoting Edward and the Island. You can put together some cool and unusual outfits without breaking the bank by frequenting thrift stores and keeping your product in mind. Somebody, somewhere, has donated the perfect velvet jacket to wear when promoting your steampunk novel, or the perfect black undertaker's suit for your creepy graveyard comic.
4. Eye Candy. So, you've got your tweed pressed and your best vest, all you really need is the girl.
Any female presence, whether it's an author, artist, or booth babe, helps. People are more likely to approach a booth with a woman there. Use this to your advantage. Tie your female writer, artist, or booth babe's appearance into what you're promoting. Your female artist or author should be wearing the t-shirt with your comic on it. Ditto your hot girlfriend. And if you can persuade her to dress up as one of your characters to promote your booth, then you should seriously consider marrying her.
Like the dating scene, most customers decide within the first thirty seconds whether they are interested, so you want to make an impression. Don't be afraid to take a chance, to stand out, even to have a few fails when crafting your appearance. After all, a ground-breaking comic that nobody notices is still just another stack of paper you have to haul home at the end of a convention.
