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What’s it like to be a vendor at a ComicCon?

What’s it like to be a vendor at a ComicCon? Perhaps you never wondered. I’ll tell you my experience with QuadCon in Peoria.

ComicCon
Here’s the start of the ComicCon experience

It all begins when I hear about a ComicCon, especially in my area of central Illinois, Peoria.

I go to the QuadCon website and find out how to get a table, how much it costs, and what the schedule is.

After buying the table and putting it on my agenda. I advertise it to my fans–like you.

By the way, if you want me to come to your area, contact me with the opportunity.

If it works out and I can come, I’ll give you a pick of my books!

The Life After Life Chronicles

Or you can pick my newest book, Secret Supers.

Secret Supers cover

The Day Before the ComicCon

I pack my books to sell–all of them. That’s four different books, about a hundred and fifty copies. Normally I keep them in the Amazon boxes they come in, but I pack about a hundred in my rolling suitcase, until I can barely lift it.

I pack up my posters and most importantly, my zombie turkey puppet.

Andy Zach acting out

You see, I read the first page of Zombie Turkeys and act it out with my puppet.

What’s the first page like?

The First Page of Zombie Turkeys

ComicCon
Chapter 1 icon

Chapter 1


Bartonville

He felt different. More energetic, more alive. He bred with
female after female in his flock without tiring. He stayed
awake through the night. He feared no predator.

Then a turkey hunter shot him.

The setting sun overlooked a crisp, clear evening in early
November. South of Bartonville, Illinois, a farmer had leased
his wood lot to two turkey hunters. Big and burly in their
bulky camouflaged outfits, they had just bagged one.

“Good shot, Pete!”

“He’s a big ‘un!”

Pete and Bob walked up to the tom turkey, bleeding on
the cold ground. The rest of the flock had scattered into the
woods. He had exceptionally good plumage and weighed
perhaps twenty pounds. Pete reached down and picked him
up by the neck.

“He weighs at least twenty-five pounds!”

Then the turkey’s eyes opened—and gleamed red. He
kicked with his spurs and pecked savagely at Pete’s arms and
eyes. Dozens of his hens attacked the men from behind.

“Gobble! Gobble!”

He felt different. More energetic, more alive. He had no
memory of being shot, but a certain turkey satisfaction at
killing his killers. He also enjoyed pecking at their dead meat.
He had always liked frogs, but this meat tasted better. He led
his flock down the road, in search of more predators to eat.

I’ll do this ten to twenty times in an eight hour day.

Andy Reading Page 1 – and more

Andy Zach reading page 1 – and more

Here’s our table at QuadCon:

ComicCon
Andy Zach and Tori at QuadCon

Finally, the End of the ComicCon

The convention ran out of gas by 4 pm and we all closed down. I packed up my books, took down my posters and went home.

Let me know if you have any questions about conventions. I have a goal of going to one a month this year. I’ve done three so far.

ComicCon
First person to identify the character this cosplayer is portraying, gets a free ebook! Email me
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7 Science Stories – Which Are True? Tell me and win

7 Science Stories – Which Are True? Can you tell? If you can, you can get a free copy of my funny zombie book, Zombie Turkeys.

Let’s start with the first story!

Spooky? Ghostly particles? Have we stumbled into paranormal science here? Decide if this is real science or not and tell me in a comment or send me an email.

Then there’s this science story

Is this for real? If you’re wondering about who Terry Pratchett is, check out this video about the movie ‘The Color of Magic’ based upon Terry’s novel of that name. It’s the first among dozens of novels set in Disk World.

7 Science Stories – The Third

Is this a science fiction book cover? Or is it real? You decide and let me know.

7 Science Stories
Is this picture real?

Moving on to the fourth science story

R2-D2? Where have I heard that before? Oh yes, Star Wars.

You might have heard of Star Wars.

That’s a science fiction movie. Is the Air Force really using R2-D2? Or is this a hoax story? I need to know. You need to get this right to get your free book.

Oh, and Zombie Turkeys is also available for free as an audiobook.

7 Science Stories – The Fifth

This story is a combination of science and history. Or steampunk fiction? Did they really have AI in the 17th and 18th centuries. Reply to this post or
to me

Story Number 6 – Is This Real?

Are these science fiction ideas, or real science? Or are they exaggerated? Our news media would never exaggerate science, would they?
You tell me.

Now, the Last story

Can you really pop balloons with a laser? It’s on the internet, so it must be true! Just like the next video.

Did you get them all right? Contact me at [email protected] or right here with your answers. If you’re right, I’ll reply with a Zombie Turkeys ebook.

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2 New Science Fiction Books from Andy Zach

2 New Science Fiction Books? I thought you just had one book coming out this month, Andy.”

On pre-sale on Kindle. You can get the paperback now.

Nope. I’m also in this new anthology about disabled heroes.

A charity anthology

“A charity anthology? What’s the charity?”

Special Olympics gets all the profit.

“So what’s Challenge Accepted all about?”

Here’s the book description from the back:


A blind spaceship pilot. 
Cops and maintenance personnel in wheelchairs.
Taking on bad guys with only one leg or no arms.
It’s not what you are that makes you something special. It’s who you choose to be.
Seventeen stories about people who rise above anything that tries to stop them, even their own limitations.

With stories by Stephanie Barr, Micha Burnett, J. A. Busick, Adam David Collings, Steve Curry, Scott G. Gibson, Joyce Hertzoff, Jane Jago, Clarence Jennelle, Jeanette O’Hagan, Layla Pinkett, Jen Ponce, Connor Sassmannshausen, Lynne Stringer, E. M. Swift-Hook, Margret Treiber, Andy Zach. 

Coordinated by Stephanie Barr with all proceeds to go to the Special Olympics

From Amazon

“Sounds really good. So what do you have in there, Andy?”

I have a story from Secret Supers where the four 7th-graders use their superpowers for the first time to fight crime.

“And these guys are disabled?”

Yup. One has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. One is blind. Another can’t talk and can barely walk. And the last one lost her legs in a car accident.

“I’ve gotta read that just to find out how they make that work.”

There are seventeen other stories too.

“Do you have the origin story for your Secret Supers?”

Only in my book.

2 New Science Fiction Books
Front and back covers of Secret Supers

What’s Next After “2 New Science Fiction Books”?

First, there’s the Secret Supers book launch party March 29th from 9 am to 5 pm. I’m giving away free books and I’ll have other great authors to entertain you and give stuff away. Join up here.

I’ve got some author appearances coming up next month in April. If you’re near Peoria, please stop by. I’d love to meet you and sign your books. I also give live puppet shows as I read from Zombie Turkeys.

2 New Science Fiction Books
Andy Zach reading from Zombie Turkeys

The first one is April 5-7 at Northwoods Mall.

Then, on April 20th, I have the Peoria Quad Con.

Here are the details:


Join us for a Pop Culture Celebration! Peoria-Con is about coming together and enjoying different aspects of pop culture. Video games, comic books, pop vinyls, cosplay, board games, sci fi, toys, and much more. If you are interested in selling your items, or have other questions, email [email protected]

If you’ve gotten this far in my post, thanks! I’ll send you an excerpt of any book, any character you’d like. Just let me know and click here.  Or you can comment to this post.

Enjoy this next fun video to finish up.