Neal Litherland Reads "Dressing The Flesh" From His New Collection "The Rejects"

There's been a lot of disruption going on, and folks around the country and the world are staying indoors to try to mitigate the toll taken by the current pandemic. And while there are medical personnel working round the clock, scientists devising tests, and stockers and truckers are doing their best to keep the supply lines going, artists of all stripes are stepping up to help stop people from despairing. From TV shows, to video games, to books, everyone is trying to do their part to make sure there's distraction and entertainment aplenty during this particularly gray time.

And since I'm not a trained medical person, nor am I helping keep supply lines moving, I wanted to do my part to keep everyone entertained. So last night I put together a reading in my lair of the first story in The Rejects. So, without further ado, folks looking for a dark little drama should lean back, and take a listen to "Dressing The Flesh."

Also, big thanks to Dungeon Keeper Radio for hosting the video, as I'd originally intended to just upload it here to my blog, but it seems that this video is more than three times what Blogger will allow you to just toss into the middle of an article sight unseen.

And before I forget, for all those who want to make being read to more of a thing, I recommend checking out Audible gift memberships. We've got a lot of hours to fill, these days, and we may as well spend them listening to stories that take us away.

What Else Would You Like To See?

As I've said previously, things are a little up in the air at the moment. As such, my goal is to try to help provide as much entertainment for folks out there as I can. So I'm asking you what sort of content would be most helpful to you going forward?

Seriously, you all have my attention, here.

If folks are looking for recommendations and giveaways, I could add those in as features. If you enjoyed my reading, I'd be happy to do more (perhaps partnering with Dungeon Keeper Radio, if they and their audience would like to hear more from me), and to direct you all to other authors I know who are providing similar uploads. I'm also more than happy to talk about how this whole situation has changed the professional dynamics of the industry, along with giving general break downs of tropes and writing devices.

So, what sounds good? My ears are open.

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my short story collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

Free Resources For Artists and Creators Affected By Covid-19

If I kept to my schedule, this week would have been a Craft of Writing post where I picked apart something in terms of storytelling that we should all think about, or do better. However, in light of the pandemic, I wanted to take a moment to boost the signal on a bunch of resources that will be of use both to all the creators out there, but also for those who want to support creators in these times of toilet paper bulk buying and enforced introversion.

Also, for those of you looking for something to read, my latest release The Rejects is currently free to download until Saturday! With monsters, metahumans, murder, and mayhem, these 13 strange little stories will certainly keep you distracted if you're trying not to go outside for a while.

You listening? I'm here to help.

If you are an artist whose been hurt by the pandemic, or someone who wants to help artists but doesn't know how, then go to Covid-19 & Freelance Artists. It's a big, dense list that breaks it down by state (and sometimes by city), showing you all the resources currently available to help you out.

Is It Really That Big of a Deal?

Yes. Unequivocally and undoubtedly yes.

There are some people out there who think that Covid-19 is just being blown out of proportion. That it's a hoax, or it's not really that bad, or that it's only going to affect people who are old or sick already. Even if those things were true (they're not, but let's say they are for this), the point is that this pandemic has massively disrupted the economy. And freelance artists, writers, and creators don't have an ample amount of stability to begin with, which means they've been hit doubly hard.

In a lot of situations this disease will kill them. Not because the creators got sick and couldn't afford care (though that will no doubt happen, as being a freelancer usually means you don't have a lot in savings, and you can't afford health insurance), but because the disruptions are canceling opportunities they were depending on to earn money to pay their bills.

Because you don't have a lot of alternatives when you're a creator.

Because there are a lot of creators out there who depend on convention sales, book signings, and even holding down a table at a farmer's market to reach a new audience while making sales. And while it's entirely possible to still sell products digitally (people who are practicing social distancing still need books and art, after all), you're not going to have the access to people you would have had at an in-person event.

You can compare it to the restaurants who can now offer takeout, but who can't have anyone come in to eat. Sure, they'll still make some sales, but it won't be remotely like what they would have earned had it been business as usual. And for freelancers who were depending on those earnings (many of whom haven't gotten a rebate from cancelled events, leaving them in the hole), they need to find new fans and move some books ASAP.

So if you are sitting at home, wishing you had some authors you could read and support aside from me (my info is at the end of the entry as always), I would suggest checking out some of the following folks.

- Lauren Jankowski: With a long-running series filled with shapeshifters and deep magic, a solid choice for any fantasy lover.

- Alice Liddell: This author has a wide selection of fantastical fiction that boasts a little something for every taste out there if you're looking for an escape.

- Brendan Detzner: Specializing in the unique, the weird, and the dark, Brendan's work is more than a little underground, but that's all the more reason to dig it up for yourself.

- K.M. Herkes: Middle-aged superheroes and worlds on fire... what more do you need to know?

- Clinton J. Boomer: Author of The Hole Behind Midnight, Clinton is better known for his RPG work. If you haven't read any of his fiction, though, you're doing yourself a disservice.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

"You Can Only Be A Writer If You Can Afford It" Tells An Uncomfortable Truth

For those of you who haven't come across the article A Dirty Secret: You Can Only Be A Writer If You Can Afford It by Lynn Steger Strong, go read it. Now. Because this glimpse into the uncomfortable truth about what it means to be a jobbing pen monkey in the world we live in is the barrel of the gun that more aspiring writers will need to stare down before making the decision about whether or not to pursue this career.

Can you get wealthy as a writer? Absolutely. Will you? The odds don't look good. Worse, if you don't already have the money you need to buy the time, space, publicity, and access, then you're often trying to place in a time trial with a broken leg.

Because much as we might wish otherwise, there ain't no magic spell for a bestseller.

Strong Tells It Like It Is

If you haven't read the article, let me sum it up for you. Exploring your talent and refining your process takes time, energy, and room to grow. Those things all require dedication, and money to pay your bills while you perfect your craft. And most of the time the people who have those resources already are either born into privileged lives, or they already have an iron in the fire that's covering their day-to-day expenses that lets them write.

As author and retired Marine Corps Colonel Jonathan P. Brazee said on a panel we were both on recently, "I just put in my time at this easy gig called the U.S. Marine Corps, and when I retired decided to write books in my spare time. It's so easy, I don't know why everybody doesn't do it!"

Once I get out of here, I'm gonna start writing books. See if I don't.

While his statement was clearly a joke, Brazee hits at the core of the issue; if you don't have some way to keep the lights on and food in the pantry, writing a novel is a piss poor way to plan for your future. And he's far from the only person I've met through the convention circuit who tells that story. I've met authors with several series who still depend on a spouse's job for income or insurance. Some authors still live with their parents, or have union jobs during the week to help make sure their books are the potatoes instead of their meat. And so on, and so forth.

All of my income has been from writing in one shape or form for the past decade or so, but I'm not shy about pointing out that were my own situation different there's no way I would be doing what I do now.

My Story

When it comes to jobbing writers, my income puts me squarely in the "successful" category when compared to a lot of my fellows, though it's still low enough to qualify me for most government aid programs. And though I've worn out my share of keyboards to earn that bread, I never would have even had the chance if not for a whole slew of advantages I got out of the gate.

The first was coming from a family well-off enough that they didn't tell me to give up and get a real job.

For example, my family had enough money to get me into good schools, no matter where we had to live (given that my father was in the military while I was a child, so moving around a lot came with the territory). And when I slipped academically, they could afford to get me tutors and extra help, ensuring that I understood the material I was being taught. Books were plentiful when I was younger, and I was allowed to devour whatever sort of material I could get my hands on. When I wrote stories for fun, or for school, they were treated seriously and I was never discouraged from pursuing that path.

As I grew older, and my desire to be an author grew from a childish fancy into an actionable plan, I had a lot of other advantages rise up to support me. I got scholarships that helped me pay for school, and when I needed to go back after dropping out the first time (not a great plan if you can avoid it, for all those considering this course of action), my family could afford to pay out of pocket for me to finish my degree. And as a post-graduate birthday present, my parents even paid the remaining student loan I'd been paying on that was still outstanding.

Because I could go to school without worrying about covering my expenses (I had several part-time jobs, but I didn't pay rent, my parents fed me, and often gave me extra gas money and helped me with car repairs), I had the flexibility to start writing professionally before I'd even graduated. That low-pressure start with places like local newspapers and magazines, as well as online write-for-hire work, meant that once I had my degree in-hand I'd basically reached the point I could work from home without needing to apply for traditional jobs. More importantly, my family kept providing me a place to stay and an environment that helped me stretch as a writer as long as I needed it.

I got my own place a little under a year after graduating, but that extra added time to build my CV, make connections, and pay off debts (owning my own car, improving my credit score, etc.) was a serious boon when I went out on my own.

Hustle Every Day

End of the day, it beat the hell out of robbing banks.

Now, none of that is to say this has been an easy road to walk by any stretch of the imagination. I've had to downsize my living situation more than once when clients changed their rates, or when sales took a tumble. I've got a stack of rejection letters that I could paper my apartment with if I printed them out and dedicated a weekend to the task. Several holiday wish lists have had the rather embarrassing, "Well, I was sort of hoping to get a new work laptop, since my current one is trying to eat any manuscript I open on it," entry on them. I've persevered, built up my client list, and refused to give up.

With that said, I can also attest that it's a lot easier not to give up when I was allowed to build up my savings, when I started out with no debts weighing me down, and when I know that, deep down, I have a safety net that will catch me if something truly terrible happens and I need a place to go. And, as Strong points out, very little of what I earn at the end of the year is from book sales. In fact, running the numbers from last year, they didn't even make up 10 percent of my total, pre-tax earnings (though that number does go up if we include profits from RPG adventures and supplements as well as books).

That's something that often gets lost in the shuffle. For a lot of writers out there, your royalties are going to be the icing, not the cake. And if you're planning on subsisting just off the icing, you are in for a very uncomfortable experience... if you even have the support necessary to reach the starting line. It's not pretty, and it's not fair, but it's often the truth of the situation. And it really is one reason that so many writers have similar voices... because they had to come from similar backgrounds just to be able to afford to do what they do.

That Said, You Should Totally Do It Anyway!

Now, with all of that doom and gloom out of the way, and even acknowledging the position I'm in, I tell you this with all my heart. Write anyway.

Seriously. Because we have more tools available to us now than ever before. We have greater abilities to find our audience, and to make our mark, than previous generations could ever fathom. And while finding time for your craft is hard, especially if you have to do it after class or between shifts, there are resources out there to help you. It won't be easy... but it is something you can do if you're willing to pick up the knife.

And even if you miss, what do you gain by not taking a stab?

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

"If I Ever Became an Evil Overlord" Should Be Required Reading

So, I feel a little remiss that I haven't talked about this topic before. I thought I had, but I can't seem to find any references to it in the archive aside from talking about the "Why Didn't They Just" clause. Since I have realized this gap exists, let me fill it by telling you what I would do if I ever became an evil overlord.

If. If is good.

"If I Became an Evil Overlord"

If you've never heard of this list, you need to stretch your minds back to the earlier days of the Internet, when television was still something you had to schedule your life around rather than watching what you wanted on-demand, and dial-up was the standard of the time. The primitive year of 1990 is technically when this list had its origin, as an outgrowth of discussions around villain tropes pointed out in a skit on Saturday Night Live. The conversation jumped genres and fandoms, and several years later grew into the document referred to by many as the Evil Overlord List, or its more formal title The Top 100 Things I Would Do If I Ever Became an Evil Overlord.

For those keeping track, the list has far more than 100 entries.

Careful... you could get lost in there.

Whether you're just writing lieutenant bad guys for your characters to oppose, you're creating the big antagonist, or taking the plunge and making the evil overlord your main character, this list is full of things you should either avoid, or use very sparingly. From, "My legions of doom will not wear face obscuring helmets, thereby making it harder for plucky do-gooders to masquerade as my minions," to, "I will only hire bounty hunters who work for money in order to prevent noble warriors and those who hunt for the thrill from doing something stupid at the last second."

Seriously, this list is solid gold, and more folks should internalize the points that it makes.

Smart Villains Will Make or Break Your Story

In case you haven't looked around recently, the villains are what a majority of the fan base seem to fall in love with... often to the point that truly compelling villains are brought back from the dead, or given heel/face turns so the fans can actually root for them for a while (the Punisher is a prime example of this).

By contrast, though, stupid or shallow villains (barring comedic examples or satire), are often one of the big things that your audience won't forgive. Even if they really like your protagonist, or the story you're telling, or the world you've made, people demand more from their villains. People expect them to be relatable, understandable, compelling, or just viciously smart in a way that forces the hero to up their game.

And if your villain just drops one bad decision after another... well, your audience might drop your book as a result.

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my short story collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

If You're Going To Cons as an Author, Wear a Hat

For those of you who aren't in the Chicagoland area, I was at Capricon two weekends ago. It's a convention that I love, and that I would highly recommend any sci-fi and fantasy fan attend. And like most Capricons, I found myself on half a dozen different panels, shuttling between readings and room parties, shaking hands and passing out business cards.

One panel I was on in particular stuck with me, though, and it was all about being a professional author. It was almost my first hall panel (when the panelists and attendees are there bright and early, but the hotel staff hasn't opened the room yet so you just start lecturing your gathered audience in the hallway). I was seated next to the very talented Jonathan P. Brazee, and we shared the space with authors like Tim Akers, as well as K.M. Herkes. And while we were all talking about what it takes to hand sell books, how to hustle, and how we got into writing professionally, we all simultaneously stumbled on one of the great secrets of standing out at a convention when you're an author.

You need to wear a hat.

No, seriously, do it.

No, This Isn't a Joke

Take a moment and think of several famous authors you can actually identify by sight. George R.R. Martin is one, but so is Sir Terry Pratchett. If you're a fan of unique cyberpunk, you might also think of Megan Mackie, author of the The Finder of The Lucky Devil. All of these folks might be known for their talent and skill with words, but they're recognized for their iconic headgear. And when you're at an event that will have between 1,500 and 50,000 people (depending on the size of your preferred convention) you need something that will let people identify you at a glance.

Maybe you've seen this handsome bastard around at shows, for instance?

For those of you who've never met me in person, I picked up that green leather beret for a song at a Renaissance festival about 7 or 8 years back. I started wearing it to cons mostly just so I'd get some use out of it, but also to play into the whole Literary Mercenary angle. And the point at which I really stepped back and realized how closely people associated it with me was when I was at Gen Con about three or four years ago.

Let me paint the scene for you. Gen Con was swollen to a fresh capacity, drawing roughly 60,000 attendees. There were hordes of fellow gamers, and a small army of professionals trying to keep the wheels turning. I was all over the dealer's room, and making my way into the Ennies with the intent of shaking a few hands and maybe getting a new job offer or two. At the end of that convention, not one person remembered my actual name. But more than two dozen designers, writers, and RPG professionals immediately recognized my hat, and remembered that I was the Literary Mercenary. Even if we'd just had a quick 10-minute conversation the day before, they remembered my beret, because not one other person at the whole con had one like it.

That one piece of information, and the name associated with it, was all it took. Because if you type my handle into Google, you can find my real name, and an email to offer me a job. Some did, and all because of that one, strong impression.

Crown Yourself

Why are hats (or in the case of K.M. Herkes, an eye-catching shade of blue hair) so effective? Well, it's generally because hats stand out. In addition to being something you instantly notice, a hat can be seen from a distance, and if your hat is unique then it will also be lumped in with your persona as an author.

Fortunately, a good hat can also last a very long time. So if you've got something that would make you easier to remember, don't be afraid to pop it on your head and stand out from the crowd. Because before someone can read your book, they actually have to notice who the hell you are.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

The Pros and Cons of Using Tabletop RPGs as a Writing Tool

Tabletop roleplaying games have been around for decades now, and at this particular moment they're undergoing something of a resurgence in popularity. Between shows like Stranger Things, which heavily feature Dungeons and Dragons, and the popularity of online live play shows like Critical Role, it seems that more people than ever before are getting into this particular hobby.

Believe me, we are happy to have every one of you!

If you're a fan of genre fiction, though, you've likely noticed the impact tabletop RPGs have had for some time. Writers like R.A. Salvatore, Ed Greenwood, as well as Chris A. Jackson, are known for their novels that explore the settings these games take place in, for example. Additionally, many of these games will adopt popular fictional settings, from Tolkien's Middle Earth to the Known World of A Song of Ice and Fire, and give players the chance to forge their own tales in realms they've only read about before.

A lot of folks use these games as ways to test out story ideas, character concepts, and to help them build worlds. However, there are good sides and bad sides to using RPGs when it comes to your writing.

The Pros

Just take a drink... what can it hurt?

Before we get started, I'd like to establish some bona fides. First, I've been playing RPGs on the regular for about fifteen years or so. I'm also a content creator for these games, with modules like The Curse of Sapphire Lake for Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, and supplements like 100 NPCs You Might Meet at The Tavern on the market right now. Lastly, I've used several games to explore characters and ideas for stories, such as in "Jungle Moon" and "Dead Man's Bluff," both found in my latest release The Rejects. I also run the gaming blog Improved Initiative.

This is a topic I know a little something about, is what I'm trying to say.

So, from the pro side of things there are a lot of benefits for writers who take up tabletop roleplaying games. First and foremost is that these games exercise your creativity (often in ways you don't expect). They let you experiment with personalities, archetypes, character arcs, and histories, getting all the reps you need to pump up your imagination. These games also give you a sandbox to play around in, testing out different ideas and structures to see what most appeals to you. Perhaps most importantly, though, these games are group affairs, so you can play off all the other folks involved, get feedback from them, and build off of the collective activity.

And that's just what you get from being a player.

If you take the extra step to become the dungeon master (the person who runs the bad guys, voices all the other characters, and generally breathes life into the setting) you can learn a whole new set of skills. Everything from constructing narratives, to filling plot holes, to making the world feel real and lived-in are things you learn how to do when you sit behind the screen. And while the extra character creation and world building are good practice, you also learn how to cover all the details when it comes to the world. Because when your players ask you what the history of a particular symbol is, or what kind of sewer system the city of Karoka has, you learn there's always more going on in the world than what you think to put on the page.

The Cons

Oh god... not again!

Before you get too enthused at the idea that a DND boot camp will turn you into a brilliant novelist, I'd like to let a little air out of your balloons. Not all of it, of course, but there are some genuine traps I've seen a lot of writers fall into you need to be aware of, and that you need to watch for in your own work if you use tabletop games as your training ground for writing.

Keep all of these things in mind, because they'll save you a lot of time, trouble, and frustration along the way.

First and foremost, you need to know where the lines are in a game so that you don't end up using someone else's intellectual property. I've talked with dozens of different RPG players who were going to write novels about their favorite characters or adventures who didn't realize until someone pointed it out that everything from the names on the map to the gods of the realm are the intellectual property of the company who created the game. So unless you're writing the book for that publisher (great work, if you can get it), you're going to have to go through and scrub everything in order to make sure nothing you can be sued over makes its way into the final product. And depending on how intimately your story is connected to this specific setting, that might torpedo your whole project.

Another problem I see a lot of writers deal with is that when they base their books off of RPGs they often end up with a distinct RPG feel to them, which can introduce a flavor to their stories they may not even realize is there at first. For example, roleplaying games generally have tiered threats and achievements, with the player characters growing in power over the course of the story. So they start off protecting towns from goblin raids, and end the story fighting god-like wizards for the fate of the world. Now, there's nothing wrong with that kind of escalation, but if your story has definite periods where the party "levels up" in threats and powers, just happening to discover new abilities when they most need them, that can impose a structure you weren't intending on your narrative.

Where the hell did all this come from?

Speaking of unintentional structure, another issue folks who try to write stories and novels based off their gaming experiences run into is adopting the framework of the game for how things work in their books. As an example, in fantasy RPGs like Dungeons and Dragons or Pathfinder your spellcasters have a certain number of spell slots per day they can use for their magic. This is meant to keep things fair in the context of a game's challenge, but it isn't necessarily something a story will benefit from. If your protagonist is a wizard, though, and that limitation has been part of their character since their inception, you might simply adopt this Vancian magic system out of reflex. The same is true with iconic magic items, the special abilities of the monk, or the rage of the barbarian; if you get too steeped in how things work in the game, you often end up copying and pasting those elements into your story without asking whether they're helping or hurting.

To be clear, that's not inherently a bad thing. There is, after all, an entire genre of Lit RPG books which are supposed to feel like you're reading an RPG campaign. But if you aren't doing it on purpose, it likely won't make your book better.

Lastly, something I would recommend to those looking to use RPGs to enhance their writing is to test out concepts and ideas, rather than simply recording the events of a campaign and then writing them in a more engaging prose format. Part of the reason for this is because (with very few exceptions) you are not the only one at the table, and the other players may not take kindly to having their characters wind up in your work. This goes double if you're the dungeon master, because then it feels like you ran the game so your friends could write your book for you. Learn how to test specific elements and ideas, and to take those things out of the game, polish them, refine them, and spin a book about them.

You get a lot more mileage out of this approach.

Like, Follow, and Come Back Again!

That's all for this week's Craft of Writing! For more of my work, check out my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife, or my short story collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!

The 5 Stages of Hand Selling Your Book

For those of you who aren't in the Chicagoland area, I'm preparing to head up to Capricon this week (and for those of you who are in the area, come by and say hello!). And since I'm going through my list of stuff to pack, and it's been a while since I've talked about the ancient art of hand selling. One of the toughest parts of the hustle for most authors (especially those of us who aren't the best at the marketing and social interaction part of the job), I thought it would be of use to some of my readers to go through the flowchart of the hand selling process.

All right, let's do this thing.

And for those unfamiliar with the term, hand selling is when it's you and a potential reader, face-to-face as you make your pitch the old-fashioned way. It's also what you spend a majority of your time doing if you're an author looking to bring home fewer books than you brought to a signing, event, etc. If you're not sure how to go about the process, or if you find it intimidating, hopefully this breaks it down for you a bit.

Stage One: The Setup

Here reader, reader, reader... I've got a treat for you!

The first stage of hand selling your book is making sure that you set the stage for the sale to come. Most commonly that means setting up a table, whether you're doing a signing in a book store, or you're in the dealer's hall of a convention center.

So lay out the set dressing.

Make sure you have your books on display (I highly recommend using folding wooden easel holders, as they take up less space in your travel bag and look pretty elegant to boot), and focus the attention toward a central area. If you have a series, put them in order from left-to-right, as that's the direction folks read. Usually I recommend placing yourself in the center, as all the books lead to you, which helps funnel attention.

Don't be afraid to get creative with it, though. If you need to draw some extra attention to yourself, lay out a book cloth with contrasting colors. Bring a knight statue to hold your signing pen. Put a skull on the table. Set up a flag along the front, or on a stand nearby so people can see you from down the row. And if you want to stand out, put together an outfit that gets people's attention. It doesn't have to be complicated, but props to you if you go all-in on a theme (Victorian adventurer for a steampunk series, wig and fake feet for a Hobbit parody, etc.). The idea is that your trap needs to get people to slow down long enough to enter stage two.

Stage Two: Engagement

Yes... come closer. This one likes you, I can tell.

Getting a potential reader to glance at your table is sort of like having a fish nibble at your hook. You need to engage them, but you don't want to drive them off by jumping the gun. It's a delicate balance, and it can be tough not to get too salesy with your approach. Keep things relaxed and natural, and open a conversation with someone. Once you get them talking, you've gotten them to stay in your orbit.

This is particularly easy if you're at a convention. Asking someone how they've liked the event so far, or picking out a piece of fandom they're displaying is typically enough to spark at least a little conversation. This goes double for folks in cosplay, or who are actively sporting references to their own favorite parts of pop culture. Bonus points if you're both fans of the same thing, and you can get them to talk about themselves for a little bit. It's an odd quirk of conversational law that once you've let someone else talk, they'll often return the favor and let you talk about what you're doing. And if you pay attention to what they say, and the signs they show, you can often make stage three a lot easier.

Also, bonus tip; have a game, a handout, a bowl of candy, or something to give to people. Everyone loves free stuff, and if they feel like it's a compliment to their taste in TV, movies, books, comics, etc., then they'll be flattered to boot.

Stage Three: Sinking The Hook

A classic pulp fantasy, you say? What's it about?

Sometimes you get lucky and your potential reader will skip straight to this step for you, but you should never rush to get here. If you try to sink your hook with someone whose interest hasn't been gauged, it can be pretty hard to make a sale.

In short, this is the part where you try to convince the potential reader to buy a copy of your book. Sometimes it's easy. For example, when I brought a box of From A Cat's View to Windy Con a year or so ago, all I had to say is that it's an anthology of stories told from the perspective of cats. Half the folks were already reaching for their wallets before I told them about my story Stray Cat Strut, and how it was basically what you'd get if Disney ever did a rendition of The Big Sleep. Other times it can be tough to figure out what your potential readers are looking for.

Also, sometimes you just don't write the sort of books they want to read. However, there's usually a way to get someone to at least consider what you've got on-hand. Don't be afraid to ask them questions about what they like in their books, and to try to cross-reference it with something in your inventory. Incidentally, it also helps if you've got more than one book with you. Because if someone wants a sword and sorcery novel, then Crier's Knife is going to be right up their alley, but if they're more of a pick-and-mix fan then they might find that my new release The Rejects is more their style.

Options are definitely your friend at this stage.

Step Four: Get The Book Into Their Hands

Go on... pick it up. See if you like it!

This is actually a trick I've learned over the years from fellow con authors, and while it sounds silly, it works. If someone looks like they're on the fence, and they're trying to tell themselves no, hold your book out to them. Let them get a good look at it if they haven't picked it up yet. Sometimes that tactile sensation is all it takes to turn, "Well, maybe if I have the budget later," into, "Sure, here's my card."

I don't know why this works as often as it does, but it's a handy trick. Also, if someone is holding it, don't ask, "So, do you want one?" Instead ask, "Would you like one or two?" By steering the inertia toward a sale, it makes people more likely to at least grab one copy. Might be a little underhanded as far as tactics go, but psychological warfare is the name of the game here.

Stage Five: Take a Card

Go on, take a card... it's free!

Even if someone isn't interested in your book (or at least in the books you've got with you at that time), don't let them leave your table empty handed. Make sure they have a business card, a bookmark with your name and covers on them, or something so that they'll have a token to remember you by. If you've got an email list, try to get them to sign up. Everyone loves free stuff, and if you never lay eyes on them for the rest of the convention that token should connect with the experience they had with you, and it might make them look you up when they get home. Bonus points if you offer them something for free, like a digital copy of one of your books if they send you an email.

Also, if someone does make a purchase, be sure they take something with, too. You can never sink the nail so deep that one more whack with the marketing hammer is truly wasted.

Like, Follow, and Stay Tuned!

That's all for this week's Business of Writing! If you'd like to see more of my work, take a look at my Vocal archive, or at My Amazon Author Page where you can find books like my sword and sorcery novel Crier's Knife as well as my recent collection The Rejects!

If you'd like to help support my work, then consider Buying Me A Ko-Fi, or heading over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page! Lastly, to keep up with my latest, follow me on Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter, and now on Pinterest as well!