Storytellersunplugged

by Bill Lindblad
Anyone satisfied with the World Horror Convention, raise their hands.

If you raised your hand, you’ve got a lot to learn.

I’ve been to more conventions, large and small, than I can count. The roll includes Worldcons, World Fantasy Conventions, World Horror Conventions, Bouchercon, and even one RWA (Romance Writers of America) conference. They all have a different flavor to them, and that’s pleasant, although it can lead to confusion… for example, assuming that the casual flavor of the Hugo Awards would be mirrored at the World Fantasy Banquet. (It’s not. Aim for semiformal or formal attire, not t-shirt and jeans.)

These conventions are divided into two groups: the workers in the field (professional or not) and the fans. The primary draw for the fans is the large number of authors, editors, publishers, and dealers who attend, with secondary draws being the opportunity to travel or a particularly well stocked dealer’s room. The primary draw for the industry people….

Well, that’s the problem with World Horror.

I’ve heard people complain about the guests. Well, if you ignore the GOH’s, and I contend you have to, as they’re being paid to attend, the last few WHC’s I’ve seen were still very impressive. Attending authors included people like Peter Straub, David Morrell, Tom Monteleone, Ramsey Campbell, F. Paul Wilson, Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, John Skipp, Ed Lee, Michael Shea… and on to the current crop of “new blood” like Keene, Pic, Chris Golden (who I’m convinced is actually three people, writing in shifts, to keep up his output levels), Strand, Wrath, and Cullen. All of this without even touching on the artists and editors in attendance.

Now, keep that in mind. Authors, artists, and editors. Notice anyone missing in that chain?

NECon is famous as a “camp for authors”. By all accounts, it’s a great place to kick back and enjoy yourself with other people who spend similar hours sequestered with a computer. And, to a certain degree, World Horror seems to have turned into something very similar, but with a shifting locale.

This needs to stop. At every other “world” convention, the attraction for the authors, editors, and artists is in part the cameraderie of other industry insiders and the fans who know about the field, and in larger part the prospect of making a deal. And for that deal to be made, you need publishers.

World Horror Convention can be as casual as Worldcon, or as mature as World Fantasy or Bouchercon; that’s all a matter of taste of the attendees. But what needs to be present, at every one of them, is a mixture of professionalism and opportunity. I’ve seen both of those missing in World Horror, to different degrees, and it’s only reasonable because they are linked.

Professionalism isn’t about maturity, immaturity, conformity or nonconformity; it’s about being able to close a deal and come through with a product which suits (and hopefully exceeds) demands on a timely basis. Opportunity is about having people around with whom a deal can be inked.

Every significant publisher in a field should feel a need to attend the appropriate convention. They should regret if none of their representatives are present. The world cons should be the place where the publishers can meet authors and artists and editors face to face, not merely for pitch sessions, but for drinks and lunches, getting to know the creators, feeling out which have solid ideas, which seem dependable, and which have the personality to help sell their creations. The conventions should have large enough draws for the fan base for a publisher to get a snapshot of the audience. It should be a place where they can talk with other publishers in the small or large presses and get a feel for what books are selling, and why. It should be a place where they get introduced to art by talented creators with whom they’re unfamiliar, and get reminded of the greatness of some of the established names. It should be a place where they touch base face-to-face with the authors they publish and hash out promotional ideas. Perhaps most importantly, it should be a place where many publishers purchase tables in the dealer’s room and arrange signings and meetings during the con, thereby pushing a few dozen extra sales of books by the attending authors.

Without the publishers, there isn’t nearly as much incentive for professional authors to attend. Without the pros, there’s less incentive for the struggling new authors to attend. It doesn’t take much to see where that trend leads.

Consider this a plea for every publisher to attend one or more of the WHC’s over the next few years. Also, for a panel to be given at the beginning of each convention, explaining to the junior creators how to present themselves well and be ready with ideas (if asked), while not being pushy, sycophantic, or calculating.

WHC is broken. It needs to be fixed.

Who’s with me?