Excitement and Frustration

So, I am going to be at booth #1629 at Phoenix Comic Con 2013 from Thursday May 23rd through Sunday May 26th!  That is the really exciting part.  I will be selling signed copies of Twisted History, The Travelers’ Club and the Ghost Ship, The Travelers’ Club – Fire and Ash, and the newly released Twisted Nightmares.

My wife will be selling vintage jewelry, Gatsby like hair decorations and pop culture creations at the same booth with me, from her Susanne’s Passions craft store.  I am really looking forward to this awesome event, both as a vendor, and as an attendee.  My friend and fellow author, Chris Wilke, and his family will be helping out at the booth some as well.

So why the mixed feelings?  Why the frustration?

It is because the “powers that be” at Phoenix Comic Con refuse to consider me for any panels.  I will not name the person, but I write articles for the same publication as this person.  Despite the fact that I have appeared at numerous conventions and appeared on local panels at LepreCon, DarkCon, and the Wild Wild West Con, the folks at PCC won’t return my calls or emails.  They even refused to talk to me in person.

Why?  Because I am Indie-published.  Despite the fact that PCC has panels each year on how to Indie publish, their guy in charge of writers only invites those published through traditional publishers.  In fact, the panels on Indie publishing have all authors who are traditionally published.  The exception of course is Michael Stackpole, a great guy who has been a mentor in my journey, who had many books traditionally published and now Indie publishes.

It is a shame that even at a cutting edge cultural event, the old social morays still stay in place, that some how an Indie published author is a “vanity press” author.  Some of their guests in prior years I have actually outsold as an Indie, and one of them had a book deal but did not even have a book out yet.  I know we each have our own path.  I even feel petty and small for being irritated by this.  However, I have real experiences to share with authors who go to events like PCC to see a panel on “Indie publishing.”  I have been on dozens of panels on the topic, been written up in local newspapers and media, and appeared at many writer conferences to give seminars on the topic.

I am very happy for the authors who are appearing, including a great person I worked with years ago named Amy Nichols who has her first book published, an awesome Children’s book.  Also there will be Jenn Czep, who is a wonderful person with a story in Twisted Nightmares.  Michael Stackpole, Timothy Zahn, Terry Brooks and Cherie Priest are all great people too.  Sam Sykes and Gini Koch I know and enjoy as well from meeting them and being on panels together.  I don’t even care that much not to be selected – it is not even being considered because I am an Indie that is frustrating.

I don’t usually rant.  I am a very upbeat guy in general.  For some reason this just annoys the heck out of me.