UK Amazon Kindle Forum discussion
General Chat - anything Goes
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After Loncon, it's:
I got an email from Elsewhen about Novacon, so might consider that one.
I love Nottingham. Are these events worth visiting though?
Hi, SimonWe first went to Novacon 2 years ago and were given a warm welcome. It's tiny compared to Loncon3 - around 500 attendees, rather than 8-10,000 - and has the feel of a meeting of old friends (some have been attending the annual get together for decades!), or extended family, but without being particularly cliquey.
Its focus is Science Fiction, but they're accepting of Fantasy, and it's centred on books. In the Dealers' room, you can pick up new, old, out-of-print books and classic editions, as well as comics and graphic novels. In the past there have also been stalls selling eg jewellery, T shirts and waistcoats.
We've found the Novacon crowd to be very supportive of new writers and keen to encourage good new Science Fiction writing and of course, as a British convention, a lot of its activity seems to centre around the hotel bar ;-)
I'd probably get lynched if I went to Bristol!
All the conventions seem to have interesting programs, speakers and events ( none of which I'm going to see, of course) so apart from the dealer room (surely the highlight of a visit if Alison and I will be there!) there's always going to be a lot going on
What are the dates for Bristol?
Damn.Our half term is earlier in the month.
Hey, Will!Put links to websites in, eh?
Ya turkey.
Gordon Bennett! you need spoon feeding! That's what Google was invented for...http://www.fantasycon2014.org/
http://www.bristolcon.org/
http://www.novacon.org.uk/
I need spoon feeding?I NEED SPOON FEEDING???
I better go to bed before I lose my sense of humour.
A fresh sense of humour can be provided. For a small fee.
So here is another dilemma. When people used to ask a question, they used to get an answer. Now they get a Web link and told to look it up. Isn't that lazy communication?
Sometimes it is. But sometimes the weblink gives a lot of useful information. And the person answering has to go to the trouble of looking up the weblink and pasting it. And the person asking the question could have done that themself. So its not lazy unless the answer is very straightforward, or is not easily found on the web link. You could say that its lazy to ask a question rather than go and look it up... Its not that simple really.
And I did both anyway: I answered the question and then provided a link.Going the extra mile there...
I was going to get through these three, then decide
I don't have enough books to justify a stand, but I'd pool together with others for a joint one next year.
I haven't written a sci-fi book... Yet. ;)
In the next edit of Ravencroft, just make occasional mention of the two suns, and third moon, and make the bird a raven-bot... ;)
I think that deserves to be a whole new book, Tim! Ravenbot!
Will wrote: "A robot raven! Brilliant!"And Odin as a super-computer?
Looks like we're writing a group book. A one-eyed supercomputer - like the Borg?
Does it poke out the lenses of broken cameras...?
Nevermore!Or would a robot raven maybe say 'Nevermorse'?
(Apologies - it's been a very long day ;-)
Is it like a writing desk?
That writes robot stories.
Oh my goodness! Shut me down. Machines writing about machines. How perverse.Sorry, couldn't resist ;)
Sorry to barge in... in answer to the original query... I'll have to check the dates on Thursday when McMini goes back to school but I'd say that the single day looks good and I could try and do one day of Novacon... happy to share stalls with anyone who wants to, especially if Novacon is specifically about books but, like I said, I have to check. Cheers
MTM
Yeh. But I can only do single days so it's a level playing field. No worrying about whether the first day is best before they run out of money or the last when they decide what to buy. York is far too but Nottingham is 2 hrs... Looks the most likely really. :-)Cheers
MTM
For me, York is the obvious one(It's just a 112 mile, three hour drive, I've done it in a day before for meetings) but if that's its regular date, it's one that clashes every year which is a bit of a beggar
For me, Bristol's nearest. Nottingham's about twice as far and York is twice as far again.
I think I've decided to give the conventions a full run next year as a way of raising brand awareness.(I almost sound like I know what I'm doing, there)
My cunning plan is to look at next years Calendar and see if I can fit any in.Even if it means drifting a family holiday down into that area :-)
I have a vague ambition to go to more conventions. I need my science-fiction and fantasy short stories to be publishified first though, really. But then I quite like just going to cons and hanging around panels and the bar, so you may see me there!
Things are looking good for a refined gathering of Clan Goodreads at Novacon ;-)Don't you just love it when a plan comes together?
Well I hope to be there. I don't have anything remotely organised enough to be called a plan....
Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "Well I hope to be there. I don't have anything remotely organised enough to be called a plan...."Yay!
On the being there rather than on the lack of plans.
(Although, to be honest, I tend to look on plans and schedules rather as jolly works of fiction developed by the self-deluded in an effort to make ourselves believe that we actually have some control in all of this ;-)
Nottingham one is the wrong side of Nottingham for me. Which is a ball ache. But doable from the M1 (Junction 25).I should start collecting these...
Oh look! I've just found this one! http://www.nor-con.co.uk/
One day, next week. Pity I have a day out pass on the Saturday or I'd be down there like a shot, taking a table.
Maybe we should collate some links.
Cheers
MTM
I'll bet Alison knows all the good venues already.
Are you saying she's a Con artist?
Gingerlily - Elephant Philosopher wrote: "Are you saying she's a Con artist?"Will's too much of a gentleman to be saying any such thing ;-)
Actually, I don't have huge experience of Cons. I can't quite remember how it happened that I first chose to go to Novacon but, as I say, I found it very welcoming and book- (rather than TV and film-) oriented.
Eastercon is another not-run-for-profit Con. The next (Easter, 2015) is called Dysprosium, and will be at Heathrow. I attended Eastercon, when it was in Bradford. It was OK, but accommodation was not in a single hotel and the journeys back and forth between my hotel and the main (convention) hotel put a bit of a downer on the day (I remember there being a lot of snow on the ground and a biting wind ;-(
My only experience of commercially-run Cons was ComiCon, at the Excel centre in London. It was huge, brash, loud and flash, and covered Comics, Manga, Books, Film and TV, with lots of big name guests and exhibitors. There was plenty to see and do: SciFi actors signing pix for hard cash, amazing cosplay creations, workshops, panels, and all manner of merchandising.
Fantasycon (York) next weekend
Bristolcon (Bristol) in October and
Novacon (Nottingham) in November.
I know Alison is going to Novacon: Who else is going to join in the fun?