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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

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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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PeoriaCon Andy Zach’s First ComicCon

PeoriaCon Andy Zach's First ComicCon
PeoriaCon Andy Zach’s First ComicCon

PeoriaCon Andy Zach’s First ComicCon: “C’mon, Andy,” you say. “You’ve been a comic paranormal animal author for three years! You’ve gone to four book conventions. Wouldn’t you go to a ComicCon first?”

PeoriaCon Andy Zach'd
Andy Zach reading from Zombie Turkeys with his zombie turkey hand puppet at PeoriaCon

Well, yes. You’re right. It only took me three years to realize it. You must consider the usual author learning curve. I was a project leader and Six Sigma Blackbelt for twenty years, not an author or a stinking marketeer!

Thanks to the Peoria Journal Star for the fine picture. I bought it, and you can too at the link from the above photo.

You can also read their report on the PeoriaCon here.

Now let me tell you my convention experience and why I waited three years to go to a comic con.

PeoriaCon Andy Zach’s First ComicCon – Why Now?

First, I didn’t know about comic cons. I figured I was a Fantasy/SF author, so I went to Chambanacon in November 2016. It was close and less expensive. The World ComicCon was five times more per table, plus hotel and travel. And it was crazy, like me.

Then at Chambanacon, I met author Rey who loves comic cons and recommended I go to one. I didn’t want to spend the money. According to my computations I’d need to sell a hundred books to break even, so I actually was reasonable by not going.

I liked Chambancon enough to return in 2017 and 2018. Then, at the urging of my Secret Supers editor Leslie McKie, I also attended Penned Con 2018.

PennedCon 2018

PennedCon was perhaps twice as big as Chambanacon and I got twice the traffic and twice the sales. But it cost four times as much and also included hotel expenses, so I lost money again. But I had fun with my assistant Tori.

Tori and Andy. Tori’s the good looking one.


PeoriaCon Andy Zach’s First ComicCon – What happened?

Then the PeoriaCon opportunity came. It was only a mile from my house! I had a blast, paid less than Chambanacon, and doubled my sales!

Speaking of sales, did you know Zombie Turkeys is on sale for only .99?

Since you’re a faithful blog reader, I’ll tell you how to get Zombie Turkeys for free. Subscribe to my newsletter through Book Cave.

PeoriaCon Andy Zach's
Get free Science Fiction & fantasy books for free and win $25.

If you’re already subscribed, just contact me and promise to review one of my books, and I’ll send you a copy for a review.

If you’ve never subscribed, then sign up here and get a short story, ‘A Phoenix Tale’.

Finally, join me and artist Ian Bristow tomorrow on Facebook as we reveal the ‘Secret Supers’ cover. Here’s a portion of the cover.

PeoriaCon Andy Zach's First ComicCon
One of four superheroes from Secret Supers. Preorder the book here.