Which PNW fiction convention is the best PNW fiction convention?
December 3, 2014 2:32 PM Subscribe
NorWesCon and Sasquan/Worldcon are both happening in Washington this coming year. If I could only go to one of them, which one should I go to? More details inside.
It may be helpful to know what I'm trying to get out of going. Primarily, I want to spend a few days with people who have a similar interest in fiction. Quality of talks and the hallway track is super important.
Secondarily, I'm trying to make friends in the broader fiction publishing world who could give me advice on getting my own work published, whenever that day comes.
I'm leaning towards NorWesCon, since it is less expensive and seems nicely put-together, but wanted to ask the hivemind.
It may be helpful to know what I'm trying to get out of going. Primarily, I want to spend a few days with people who have a similar interest in fiction. Quality of talks and the hallway track is super important.
Secondarily, I'm trying to make friends in the broader fiction publishing world who could give me advice on getting my own work published, whenever that day comes.
I'm leaning towards NorWesCon, since it is less expensive and seems nicely put-together, but wanted to ask the hivemind.
Response by poster: When you say "fiction," you're talking "genre fiction," and not "literary fiction," right?
I would say yes, but some people don't like that term or find it confusing. Both of the conventions I listed are Science Fiction/ Fantasy fiction conventions.
posted by phildini at 2:56 PM on December 3, 2014
I would say yes, but some people don't like that term or find it confusing. Both of the conventions I listed are Science Fiction/ Fantasy fiction conventions.
posted by phildini at 2:56 PM on December 3, 2014
I've been attending Norwescon for most of the past decade, and this year is my sixth year on our ConCom organization committee.
If you're looking for people with similar interests and you're already looking our way, I'm pretty sure you'll find plenty of similar interests, and I'd say our "hallway track" is a good one, from my own experiences of occasionally finding it hard to get from one part of the hotel to the other without overhearing/joining/getting pulled into interesting conversations (a good thing, I'd say).
That said, I'm not there from a writing/publishing angle (I'm more of a general attendee/socializing/photography person), so it's hard for me to speak the possible benefits there. We are a literary con at heart, and always have a good number of writing/publishing panels with knowledgable people, but I can't give any sort of personal view to that side of things.
And to continue this theme, I haven't been to a Worldcon (though will be at Sasquan), so it's hard for me to say much there about how it will compare to Norwescon. Bigger, I'm sure, which could be either a good (more opportunities to make contacts) or bad (easier to get lost in the crowd, not cross paths with the right people, etc.) thing.
So…well, most of this probably isn't very helpful. But as a ConCom member, I couldn't let it go by without saying something. :)
posted by djwudi at 3:11 PM on December 3, 2014
If you're looking for people with similar interests and you're already looking our way, I'm pretty sure you'll find plenty of similar interests, and I'd say our "hallway track" is a good one, from my own experiences of occasionally finding it hard to get from one part of the hotel to the other without overhearing/joining/getting pulled into interesting conversations (a good thing, I'd say).
That said, I'm not there from a writing/publishing angle (I'm more of a general attendee/socializing/photography person), so it's hard for me to speak the possible benefits there. We are a literary con at heart, and always have a good number of writing/publishing panels with knowledgable people, but I can't give any sort of personal view to that side of things.
And to continue this theme, I haven't been to a Worldcon (though will be at Sasquan), so it's hard for me to say much there about how it will compare to Norwescon. Bigger, I'm sure, which could be either a good (more opportunities to make contacts) or bad (easier to get lost in the crowd, not cross paths with the right people, etc.) thing.
So…well, most of this probably isn't very helpful. But as a ConCom member, I couldn't let it go by without saying something. :)
posted by djwudi at 3:11 PM on December 3, 2014
Best answer: Just wanted to be sure. I think you'll meet a wider cross-section of writers, editors, agents, and other publishing pros at Worldcon, but it might not be that much wider. The page of attending pros from last year's NorWesCon looks pretty good, and it drew from outside the quite-deep talent pool in the PNW. If you're interested in doing a writing workshop at a con, you'll probably want to go to Worldcon, since the submission deadline for NorWesCon's workshop has passed.
Honestly, the most important question (and I say this with all seriousness) is which con is going to have a better bar or lounge in the immediate vicinity? If you don't drink, a lot of the people you'll want to meet will, or, at least, they'll want a space to socialize. I've never found room parties to be great spaces to meet people because they get crowded and loud, but if the con hotel has a big, spacious bar, there's more room for people to relax and be social. NorWesCon is in a Doubletree that looks like it has that kind of space, while Worldcon's party hotel is a half mile from the host convention center (which leads me to think that the immediate availability of a social space is going to be tricky in Spokane).
posted by RakDaddy at 3:16 PM on December 3, 2014
Honestly, the most important question (and I say this with all seriousness) is which con is going to have a better bar or lounge in the immediate vicinity? If you don't drink, a lot of the people you'll want to meet will, or, at least, they'll want a space to socialize. I've never found room parties to be great spaces to meet people because they get crowded and loud, but if the con hotel has a big, spacious bar, there's more room for people to relax and be social. NorWesCon is in a Doubletree that looks like it has that kind of space, while Worldcon's party hotel is a half mile from the host convention center (which leads me to think that the immediate availability of a social space is going to be tricky in Spokane).
posted by RakDaddy at 3:16 PM on December 3, 2014
Or, hell, just go to NorWesCon and have a Mefi meetup with djwudi.
posted by RakDaddy at 3:18 PM on December 3, 2014 [4 favorites]
posted by RakDaddy at 3:18 PM on December 3, 2014 [4 favorites]
While I'm not much of a drinker, BarCon is a regular (unofficial) part of Norwescon, and our Doubletree's bar is large enough for plenty of small or large groups to claim space. Room parties vary; some can definitely be crowded, loud, and rowdy, but there are also a number that skew more towards the conversation/social side of things (one last year was a book release party, I got a copy of the book signed by it's editor and one of the contributors there at the party).
Sasquan's party hotel is a bit of a walk from the host hotel, true, but it's an easy, pleasant walk (I've stayed at the Doubletree that is hosting Sasquan a couple times and have enjoyed walking the area around the hotel each time). And since Sasquan's DoubleTree is already sold out, the party hotel might be closer to whatever hotel you end up getting a room at after all (I have no idea what the current Sasquan hotel situation is).
posted by djwudi at 3:26 PM on December 3, 2014
Sasquan's party hotel is a bit of a walk from the host hotel, true, but it's an easy, pleasant walk (I've stayed at the Doubletree that is hosting Sasquan a couple times and have enjoyed walking the area around the hotel each time). And since Sasquan's DoubleTree is already sold out, the party hotel might be closer to whatever hotel you end up getting a room at after all (I have no idea what the current Sasquan hotel situation is).
posted by djwudi at 3:26 PM on December 3, 2014
did I hear NorWesCon Mefi meetup? :) but seriously, Norwescon's social structure I think makes it more conducive to networking.
posted by corb at 4:12 PM on December 3, 2014
posted by corb at 4:12 PM on December 3, 2014
As a genre writer, I'd pick Worldcon for better networking opportunities, though those can be had at smaller cons, too.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:00 PM on December 3, 2014
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 9:00 PM on December 3, 2014
I've never been to either (will attend 2015 Norwescon) but I know a lot of fun people who attend Norwescon avidly, so there must be something to it.
posted by Radiophonic Oddity at 9:14 PM on December 3, 2014
posted by Radiophonic Oddity at 9:14 PM on December 3, 2014
Back when I lived in Washington, I went to Norwescon every year and they were always very well-run with top guests and excellent programming.
While I haven't been to a Worldcon yet, there have been a lot of articles, discussions, and other miscellaneous complaints about how their demographics slide more and more each year towards being predominantly crabby old reactionary white people. :(
posted by Jacqueline at 6:17 AM on December 4, 2014
While I haven't been to a Worldcon yet, there have been a lot of articles, discussions, and other miscellaneous complaints about how their demographics slide more and more each year towards being predominantly crabby old reactionary white people. :(
posted by Jacqueline at 6:17 AM on December 4, 2014
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posted by RakDaddy at 2:48 PM on December 3, 2014