I just went to FanX Salt Lake last week and sold 244 books!! Biggest success I've ever had at a convention! Here are some tips that will help toward event success. - Have something that draws people's attention. Ideally, something big and tall and curiosity-inciting. My big banner for my book "The Legend of Uh" is bright and colorful and weird enough to bring people in and make them ask questions. - Consider bundles. If you've got books in a series, consider giving people a discount if they buy the whole thing. I've been shocked at how quick people are to buy an entire series or trilogy at a convention (make sure to have bags on hand so they can carry them!). Having something you can point to and say "I'm only offering this discount at this event" is really motivating for customers. - Try to create a sense of "wow" with your booth! I'm still struggling with this, but I've seen other people create beautiful booths with lights, faux ivy, wooden frames, raised platforms, and more. Make it pretty! - When it comes to selling books, sometimes the best decorations are just big stacks of books. Seriously. Pack your booth with books. Put them on stands so the covers are tipped toward the customers. It gives them plenty to look at. - Have a folding wagon or folding dolly cart!! Seriously, these things will save your life. You can't be carrying books and book supplies by hand into a convention center. You'll wear yourself out before the event even begins. - Have calorie-dense rations on hand. Dried mangos, nuts, granola bars, protein bars—preferably things that don't get messy so you don't get anything on your merchandise. Convention food is EXPENSIVE so bringing your own snacks to nom on throughout the day will cut down on costs.

Hello from the other side of the planet!! 🌏 I moved to South Korea about a month ago and I have been struggling to find time to write. Part of it is the moving/new job and the other half is the excitement of everything. I'm hoping things will start to calm down so I don't have to go out every night and get basic essentials I've forgotten I don't have yet, but I will take any and all advice for finding a good writing time. I'm sure I just need to say "This is my writing time! I can't do anything else!" But maybe I need someone or something to help me be accountable? I do know the 30k in 30 days challenge really helped motivate me to get writing done. Any tips?

Okay I’m a big nerd and find quotes really inspiring and helpful. So if this is for you too, awesome. If not, skip 😅 “This is a game of tenacity that can’t break you if you don’t give up.” -Jennifer Nielsen

Is there a record out there for the longest time it took to write a book? Because I've written many things in my time, short stories, comics scripts, articles, reviews, narrative verse... But the novel-length thing I've been poking at has been a wip for SO LONG I'm beginning to despair. Many things have gotten in the way over the years, not the least of which have been depression and a certain toxic family member, but still. Anyone know? Someone please tell me something out there took like, 40 years to write.

For the 30k in 30 Days challenge, I have been writing a WIP I had only begun the day before. So out of wanting to meet this goal, I didn’t form any outline for it. I just went straight into pantsing the first draft. As I have been working on it, however, I’ve been noticing that this feels more like a collection of not-very-cohesive scenes instead of a story. Besides the characters and setting, I’m not seeing much of a thematic through-line or arc to this thing. Has anyone run into this before? And if so, what have you done?