The Mortifying (ha) Ordeal of Manifesting Corporeally
I, like most writers, have committed to spending years of my life alone in a dark room, pitter-pattering away at my laptop because I thrive on social interaction, and am super good at both in-personing and out-louding.
By which I mean oh my god please stop looking at me why am I still talking please stop could I fit under that table until I stop maybe there’s a dog under there? I can be passably charming in about five-minute chunks—twenty with enough caffeine and adrenaline—but that’s about it. Once the social timer dings, this awkward mess is cooked, and I have to retreat to not-talking-vacant-staring—preferably in a dark room. Alone. Or with dogs. Preferablier with dogs.
Quelle my surprise to learn that being a writer involves a lot of social. I thought we all knew we didn’t excel at social, and yet being a writer in 2024 involves social and Social™. The fuck is that all about? TikTok? You want me to market myself on TikTok? Apparently, people don’t use hashtags the way they used to and now it’s “dating me?” #TheMortifyingOrdealOfBeingGrown
Turns out, if you commit to being known in-peoples, arts & crafts get to be involved. Hence Big Gay Market (with my Big Gay Table of Big Gay Chalkboard Signs and Big Gay Underwhelming Performance), and the upcoming Indie Book & Comic Expo.
Big Gay Market
I sold two books, both to people I know, who felt bad that I wasn’t selling any books. I bartered a third book with an artist and got this super cute Totoro coffin stash box that locked eyes with me across the dance floor, and also a sticker because… stickers.
It’s disheartening. But at least it’s not like it was a specifically book-oriented event or anything (the kids call this ‘foreshadowing’). There was another author there, though, and also a local indie bookshop. So books may or may not have been sold, just not mine. The author—Amy—was nice enough to come over and introduce herself! Which was great, because I’m very awkward and got very scared of leaving the safety of my designated table spot because the other Big Gay Market kids all seemed to know eachother and WHAT IF THEY DON’T LIKE ME???
Everyone I spoke to (read: spoke to me) was lovely. The whole vibe was incredibly supportive. So yeah, the number of books, stickers, bookmarks, and bags I brought with me is laughably absurd in retrospect, but it was a great experience for a first tabling event. Like gayning wheels for my book fair bi-cycle (get it? Bi-cycle?? Eh??? )
Indie Book and Comic Expo
This Saturday (9/28), I’ll be tabling at the Indie Book & Comic Expo at the Shirt Factory in Glens Falls, hosted by the stellar folks at Beldame Books and Black Walnut Books.
I’ll be participating in a panel discussing genre fiction at Rock Hill Bake House at 4 pm—or so I’ve been told. I’ve got many-a genre thought, but I’ll try not to talk too much and, barring that, try to resist the urge to hide under a table (if there’re dogs under there, I make no promises). I already brapped a bit about science-fantasy as a genre in Blog, but Hereafter Lies is, to be honest, more genre-fucked than the label “science-fantasy” can accommodate. Maybe “dark science-fantasy” could do it, but that merits its own blog post. Which it will get.
As the expo is a book-specific event, fingers crossed my bi-cycle’s gayning wheels come in handy and I actually sell some things. The price I’ll be selling my books at is quite possibly fiscally irresponsible, but here’s to hoping it um… Idk how business works. But I hope it businesses(?).
Read in Peace,
Elijah