Dragon Con is a large science fiction and fantasy convention held in Atlanta, GA every year. It’s usually at the end of August or the beginning of September. For 2016, it will be held September 2 – 5.
Every year we see authors on the guest list. In order to be considered a guest and be on the panels, you must be a professional. This can be an author, game designer, actor, etc. Professionals interested in participating have to fill out an application, however, this doesn’t automatically mean you will be invited to attend. Once you submit your application, the powers that be at Dragon Con will review it and let you know. Apply as soon as possible. Don’t wait until last moment.
Even if you don’t get accepted, it doesn’t hurt to apply every year. If you are accepted, this is an awesome way to gain new fans and for your current fans to connect with you at a public event. From what we’ve seen, guests are put on panels. Sometimes we see several authors on a panel, while we’ve seen other authors on a panel by themselves. They usually talk some about their books and writing, and guests ask questions.
Dragon Con is not one of your smaller conventions. This convention is so packed that the prime hotels are booked up almost as soon as the hotel time blocks are open for reservations. There’s a lot going on during this time, and the panels are usually pretty full.
You can also apply to be a vendor. Right now, there is not much information on the vending page, as they won’t open up applications for this until Feb 1st. However, when you’re a vendor at a convention, this usually involves setting up a space and selling stuff. As an author, you can sell print copies of your book and network with others. It’s a great way to promote your books offline.
At minimum, you would want to have plenty of inventory available. You’d also want to have some type of banner printed out to create interest, business cards, and maybe other things that you could hand out, like ink pens, magnets, etc. Some conventions will allow you to set up a television. If you have book trailers available on Youtube and you could somehow link these to play throughout your time on a screen, I think this would be an awesome way to generate some interest. At conventions, usually the vendor rooms are packed. There’s a lot of noise, there’s a lot of people moving from table to table. Even if you’re not a guest, being a vendor is a great way to meet new readers.
If you’re friends with authors or participate in an author group, you could also go in together on space.
One thing to keep in mind is that usually any time you are selling physical products you have to also charge sales tax. Make sure to speak with your accountant or other tax professional to double check on what you would need to do, as this is a step you would not want to skip. During the convention, make sure you keep good sales records.
The vendor spots at Dragoncon sell out fast. It’s not just authors that attend these. With 30,000+ people attending over this short time period, it’s packed. If you think this would be something you’re interested in doing, make sure to visit their vendor page here and reserve asap.
Hotels:
I mentioned earlier that the hotels are reserved fast. The three main hotels are already sold out, although Dragon Con is still months away. However, in the past, they’ve had a shuttle that runs around several of the hotels, which will make it fairly easy for you to get back and forth. It looks like they are offering this for 2016 as well.
On the Dragon Con website, their hotel information page has quite a bit of information on it, and it’s an excellent resource if you plan on attending. They tell you if an area hotel is sold out or not, the cost, and how many nights are required to reserve. You’ll also be able to see if the shuttle goes to this hotel. Some hotels might also be in walking distance, too.
Best Suited To:
Dragoncon is best suited to authors of fantasy, science fiction, comic books, anime, and paranormal fiction. For young adult literature authors, they have a separate site for this. See it by clicking here.
There are a whole lot of opportunities for authors to participate at Dragoncon, even more than what we’ve covered above. They also have advertising opportunities for authors, a Comic and Pop Artist Alley (if you write comics), and more, so make sure to spend some time going through the information on their website!
Videos:
Need an idea about what an author panel at Dragoncon looks like? See the following videos.
An Hour With Jim Butcher – DragonCon 2015
Comedy and Calamity Humor in UF – DragonCon 2015
DragonCon 2011 – Authors of Vampire Stories
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