That's a Comic Con, not some scam that I was running.
Just finished the Albuquerque Comic Con this past weekend and I had a blast. Maybe you think that means I sold a bunch of books, raking in the dough. Well, I did sell books (and I'll be honest, I'd have loved to sell more than I did - what author doesn't!), but that was what made the con a blast for me. (It helped, but it wasn't the main reason. Maybe not even the second reason.)
For me the con was a blast because I got to meet so many great people. Everybody I spoke to, whether those coming to my booth, or the other vendors around me, was having a great time and really enjoying themselves. People that I pitched my books to almost always bought one of my books, sometimes both! But everybody I spoke to loved the ideas for the books, remarked on how unique the stories sounded, and were intrigued by what I had written. That to me was the best thing about the weekend, being able to interact with so many people and create new fans for my work.
The other fun thing for me was to meet the other authors who were there. By the end of the weekend I had traded many of my books for theirs (the barter system is alive and well among vendors!) and I hope I have made some new friends. It is fun to talk craft with fellow authors, and to give and take advice about writing, marketing, publishing, and basically what it means to be an author today. I wish the best to the authors I met and I hope you enjoy the books I traded with you. I know I am looking forward to reading what I got.
So overall it was a fun and amazing weekend. Even when things were slow at the booth it was just great to people watch and see everybody who had come to the con. There were some amazing cosplay outfits by young and old, and it was always fun to see them (even if on many of them I had no idea who they were supposed to be). I am definitely looking forward to my next convention (which is just over a month away).