Hey, did you know I’m gonna be at the Tucson Festival of Books this weekend?
OH BUT I AM.
I shall be flying in for the weekend and doing battle with various saguaro cacti and black widow spiders in order to bring you me, the beard, my books, and my wisdom — er, “wisdom.” Sorry, I was told by a court of law that I had to put that in very obvious air quotes. Whatever. Stupid judge. Point is! I’m going to be there, and so will other awesome people like, ohhh, say: Kevin Hearne, Sam Sykes, Elizabeth Bear, Jonathan Maberry, and more.
My schedule is below (or you can see it here at the festival website).
Workshop: How to Hook Readers With Your Blog
A central component of many an author’s online presence is the blog or web log, an easy-to-update website that makes it simple to keep in touch with your fans. How do you get readers to visit your blog in the first place, and what makes a blog compelling and entertaining enough that visitors will want to come back to it again and again?
Integrated Learning Center Room 137 (Seats 60, Wheelchair accessible)
Sat, Mar 15, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Book/Movie Biz
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area #4 – Integrated Learning Center (following presentation)
Panelists: Shari Stauch, Chuck Wendig
Signing: UA Tent
Sat, Mar 15, 1:00pm
Signing will be located in the University of Arizona bookstore;s main tent on the UA mall.
Building Your Platform
What is an author’s platform, anyway? Industry professionals use the idea to refer to several things, but perhaps the easiest way to think about it is that your platform is made up of the people who know you and your work: your fans, in other words. In addition to writing great books, building your fan base is critical to your long-term success as an author: discover how to do it in this session.
Integrated Learning Center Room 130 (Seats 143, Wheelchair accessible)
Sat, Mar 15, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Book/Movie Biz
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area #4 – Integrated Learning Center (following presentation)
Panelists: Vickie Mullins, Grael Norton, Chuck Wendig
Moderator: Mary Holden
World Building: Creating Imaginary Worlds
Fantasy authors use their imaginations to create richly detailed worlds with their own geographies, histories, cultures, languages, and inhabitants. Four authors will share their processes of world building.
Education Kiva (Seats 200)
Sun, Mar 16, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm
Children/Teens
Signing area: Signing Area #3 – Children’s (following presentation)
Panelists: Cornelia Funke, Aprilynne Pike, Janni Lee Simner, Chuck Wendig
Moderator: Nancy Brown
Writing for the YA Market
This panel of successful authors of young adult fiction will share their analysis of the current YA market and their strategies as authors of different genres, including realistic fiction, fantasy and science fiction.
Student Union Santa Rita (Seats 120)
Sun, Mar 16, 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Book/Movie Biz
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area #1 – UA BookStore Tent (following presentation)
Panelists: Nicole McInnes, Page Morgan, Chuck Wendig
marcaeolog says:
The black widows notwithstanding, welcome to the land of endless sun and saguaro guardians. I will be telling stories but if I get the chance I will drop by. In the meantime Chuck, let me tell you that it’s not the spiders — watch out for the scorpions and cholla cactus that will both reach out and sting you for bad-mouthing our glorious Sonoran desert! BTW if you get the chance the desert is wild with color this time of year. I recommend the stretch of road between Oracle Junction and the Superstition Freeway. Skeg tash!
March 11, 2014 — 10:07 PM
Where Writers Win (@WhereWritersWin) says:
Looking forward to paneling with you, Chuck — great way to start Saturday at the TFOB! Heading Tucson way Thursday – can’t wait!
March 11, 2014 — 11:59 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Too cool! I will also be there, though with a much smaller presence–I’ll be signing in the Children’s tent from 2-4 on Saturday. Maybe I’ll come to one of your events, Chuck.
March 12, 2014 — 12:11 AM
conniecockrell says:
I am crushed. I submitted a story to the festival. Didn’t win a place. AND didn’t know you’d be there. Again. crushed because now, too many other commitments. They need to advertise this stuff! Arrgghh…!!!!
March 12, 2014 — 12:12 AM
The Lonely D12 Team (@thelonelyd12) says:
We cannot wait to steal, not even gonna beat around the bush on this one, all your wisdom and absorb it into our own.
March 12, 2014 — 12:22 AM
Katy Mann says:
If I had known a bit more in advance, I would have planned on being there! Have a great time!
March 12, 2014 — 4:33 AM
Mark Gardner says:
I’m totally tempted, but Tucson is like six hours away…
March 12, 2014 — 8:06 PM
terribleminds says:
How’s Phoenix for you? I’m there in June.
March 12, 2014 — 8:38 PM
Mark Gardner says:
PHX IS ONLY 2-3 hours. I might get to see you then.
March 12, 2014 — 8:49 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
Chuck did a great job and had good advice.
But he stole my pen after signing the Kickass Writer for me.
Rotten son of a seagull.
March 15, 2014 — 9:22 PM
Rebecca Douglass says:
All is forgiven. I ran into Chuck on Sunday and he gave me back my pen.
March 17, 2014 — 5:09 PM