macdibble (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} macdibble) wrote,@ 2008-05-04 22:35:00 |
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CBC Conference in Melbourne
The CBC conference was in Melbourne this weekend almost gone and I'd been looking forward to it for a while. I couldn't get to Sydney for the SCBWI conference earlier and had to listen to other children's writers rave about how great it was so I was pining for anything to do with children's books to come to Melbourne.
Imagine my disappointment when I found out the tickets to the CBC conference were $800. Welcome reception was an additional $38 and the conference dinner was an additional $125. Clearly these were not prices aimed at authors.
The guest speakers were Shaun Tan and Neil Gaiman and I'd already seen Neil speak at the Melbourne SFF Natcon a couple of years ago and seen Shaun's work at SF cons all over. Also, going through the list of what else was on offer via panels etc, there was a lot of similar stuff/speakers I'd seen elsewhere and with only a few panels I wanted to see, in short, I just couldn't talk myself out of $800.
Luckily, the keynote speeches by Shaun and Neil were open to the public for a mere $25 each and that gave the public entry to the trade room and the general areas and that was all I needed.
Admittedly, there have been SF cons where I've spent the bulk of the con in the bar chatting to other writers, editors etc, despite having paid for the whole con, so to set out to catch the keynote addresses and spend the rest of the time chatting in the general area was at least more honest. And it worked out brilliantly.
Shaun Tan's talk was absolutely gorgeous and I fell in love with every single one of his works instantly, and Neil was his usual articulate self... altho I think I like the speech he gave at the Natcon a couple of years ago better. It was more off-the-cuff two years ago. There was a lot of structure and poetry in today's speech which was beautiful but less personal.
I wandered the stands learning about the publishers and even had a few publishers interested in my work, which pretty much stunned me. Publishers asking me? Then I thought, surely, they'll run a mile when I say those evil words "science fiction"... and I was stunned again. They all seemed to like the idea of science fiction. How many years had I been waiting to meet publishers like this? I even saw a full-on SF terraforming YA novel in the Harper Collins stand. Four years ago I remember having a conversation with an editor at Harper Collins about how YA SF would never be their thing. It wasn't under a local imprint but still... it looks like the tide is turning. I don't know if the golden-age of SF is returning or if SF is joining the mainstream, but I smell opportunities in the air.
So if anyone wants to go to a con and just can't afford it, take advantage of any sessions open to the public or just locate the nearest bar and hang out, laid back and casual. You'll soon meet someone to chat to.
The CBC conference was in Melbourne this weekend almost gone and I'd been looking forward to it for a while. I couldn't get to Sydney for the SCBWI conference earlier and had to listen to other children's writers rave about how great it was so I was pining for anything to do with children's books to come to Melbourne.
Imagine my disappointment when I found out the tickets to the CBC conference were $800. Welcome reception was an additional $38 and the conference dinner was an additional $125. Clearly these were not prices aimed at authors.
The guest speakers were Shaun Tan and Neil Gaiman and I'd already seen Neil speak at the Melbourne SFF Natcon a couple of years ago and seen Shaun's work at SF cons all over. Also, going through the list of what else was on offer via panels etc, there was a lot of similar stuff/speakers I'd seen elsewhere and with only a few panels I wanted to see, in short, I just couldn't talk myself out of $800.
Luckily, the keynote speeches by Shaun and Neil were open to the public for a mere $25 each and that gave the public entry to the trade room and the general areas and that was all I needed.
Admittedly, there have been SF cons where I've spent the bulk of the con in the bar chatting to other writers, editors etc, despite having paid for the whole con, so to set out to catch the keynote addresses and spend the rest of the time chatting in the general area was at least more honest. And it worked out brilliantly.
Shaun Tan's talk was absolutely gorgeous and I fell in love with every single one of his works instantly, and Neil was his usual articulate self... altho I think I like the speech he gave at the Natcon a couple of years ago better. It was more off-the-cuff two years ago. There was a lot of structure and poetry in today's speech which was beautiful but less personal.
I wandered the stands learning about the publishers and even had a few publishers interested in my work, which pretty much stunned me. Publishers asking me? Then I thought, surely, they'll run a mile when I say those evil words "science fiction"... and I was stunned again. They all seemed to like the idea of science fiction. How many years had I been waiting to meet publishers like this? I even saw a full-on SF terraforming YA novel in the Harper Collins stand. Four years ago I remember having a conversation with an editor at Harper Collins about how YA SF would never be their thing. It wasn't under a local imprint but still... it looks like the tide is turning. I don't know if the golden-age of SF is returning or if SF is joining the mainstream, but I smell opportunities in the air.
So if anyone wants to go to a con and just can't afford it, take advantage of any sessions open to the public or just locate the nearest bar and hang out, laid back and casual. You'll soon meet someone to chat to.
