(Note - still not a scam I'm running.)
Coy and I just finished up at Planet Comicon in Kansas City last weekend. As usual we had a great time meeting everybody who bought our books (a huge THANK YOU to all of you), meeting some great fellow authors (A.E. Lowan we mean you!), and generally just having a blast talking to everybody that we could at the Con. Geoff got to meet Bill Amend (of Foxtrot fame), which was very cool, and generally we had a great weekend.
That's one of the great things about going to a Con - whether it be comics, or games, or any shared experience. Meeting all the other great people there, both attendees and the other exhibitors. In this case we were blessed to be placed next to A.E. Lowan (Jennifer and Jessica), and during the slow parts of the day, when everybody was waiting in line to meet Jason Mamoa or Alice Cooper, we got the chance to chat and talk about writing, publishing, world-building, and just geeking out. And that's one of the things I love the best about attending events is networking with other exhibitors. I always manage to learn something from my fellow exhibitors - whether it's a new product, a new way to pitch your stuff, or just cool and fun things. Plus it is a way to make life-long friends. I have friends that I made at paleontology conferences over 20 years ago who I still chat with on Facebook and Twitter. And I have new friends that I just made at cons this year.
So where's this heading? Honestly, I think I'm just rambling now, but if I was to sum everything up it would be that when attending a Comic Con, or a writing conference, or author event, or whatever where there are a bunch of other authors you should never look at your fellow exhibitors/authors as competition. Sure, you are all trying to grab the limited attention (and even more limited dollars) of the people that have come to the event, but you will come out farther ahead if you see your fellow vendors as collaborators rather than competition. You'll build long-lasting relationships that way, which will prove to lead to greater sales opportunities. Since meeting A.E. Lowan in KC and Zachry Wheeler in Albuquerque at the two cons I attended this year I've been blessed to have them help spread the word about my books (Unremarkable and Wrath of the Fury Blade), as I've helped spread the word about theirs (Faerie Rising and Transient). It's a vicious, dog-eat-dog world out there, so its always best to have some friends at your side.