Dragon*Con Post Mortem

The con's been fun, but getting promotion down to a science is still a hard sell. I've got a lot of information recording and general crashing to do once classes finish, but in the meantime, here's hoping the following lists are useful.

Tips for Promotion:

• Get a damn booth, or at least take over a fan table for a little bit. Giving out random fliers have a pathetic return ratio; most of the cruft tables' material ends up in the trash within six hours if not less.
  
• Panels are your friend. The more experience you take in, the more ideas you'll come up with, and that's always useful.
  
• Make as many friends as you can. Being an interesting person makes it more likely to see a return for your efforts.
• The smaller the con, the more likely you'll make an impact. In lieu of this, follow certain tracks.
  

Tips for Artists:

• Bring your Art. Don't talk shit without bringing something to back it up. Pamphlets, business cards, demos, sketchbooks, art slides; if it's compact, it's good. If you can give people something to remember you by when they go through their con cruft, it's better.
  
  • Printing in color is ten times more expensive than black and white. If you do it, it better be worth the money.
    
• Don't argue with the people in the Art Show. Yes, they may be arrogant and condescending, but they've been doing this stuff for a lot longer than you and they're the ones with the table and the money to back it up. Even if their art is the just the exact same pair of eyes on fifty different paintings, they at least know how to make money at it.
  
• Don't pick fights with the Comic Artists; they're too fucking awesome to want to argue with.
  
  • If you do disagree, don't do it in defense of your own artwork ("But it's my style!") or a fan-pairing. Pointing out already-successful ventures works much better as a counterpoint.
  • Take notes either way.
    
• Focus on the methods more than the content if you do get advice from either type of artist.
  

For any Con-Goer:

• Sleep Better, Eat Better, Bring the Damn Vitamins.
  
• Don't order at the per-pound buffet; the food is good but you'll be eating out of the consuite the rest of the time from the price.
  
• Hand Sanitizer is a must; if not to keep healthy than to get the sticky feeling off your hands.
  
• SHOWER; you'll feel (and smell) better.
  
• The more you eat, the less you need to sleep. To a point.
• Don't count on having 'just one' of anything. I managed to ruin a perfectly good pair of jeans in one panel by getting a hideous ink stain.
• You're carrying too much shit. You just ARE. Pare it down.
  
  • Your cosplay better be doing double-duty for the bulk.
• And, most importantly, if you're rooming with unfamiliar people, be honest about any mental/physical issues you have. Sharing a room with people requires several levels of trust and co-ordination, and if you're not acting the way they expect you to, people will get suspicious and rooming will suck (assuming they don't turn on you outright).