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Oct. 12th, 2010 09:12 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mrockwellWriting
Compiled from my experiences and those of others, I present to you Marcy's 8 Tips for Aspiring Panelists (in no particular order):
1) Always try to say at least say something on every panel you're on, to prove you are not a zombie ("Bra-a-a-i-i-n-n-s!" does not count).
2) Never drink a 16 oz. bottle of Diet Lipton Green Tea in the first ten minutes of a 2 hour panel. You will regret it.
3) Always remember to bring more than one copy of the book you are trying to promote, especially if it's not being sold in the Dealer Room. Just in case, you know, someone might actually want to do as you suggest and buy it.
4) Never let one audience member take over the Q&A portion of the panel (unless there is only one audience member).
5) Don't mumble, Tweet or answer phone calls during a panel (unless, of course, it's an emergency or cupcake orders are involved).
6) If you're going to whip out a nifty quote, be sure you get both the quote and the attribution right. For instance, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" was actually written by Arthur C. Clarke, and not Asimov. Or Heinlein.
7) If you're going to mention other writers at all, make sure you pronounce their names correctly. For instance, it's Guy (GIE) Gavriel Kay, not GEE. And it's Fritz Leiber (LIE-ber), not LEE-ber. If you're wrong, someone will correct you -- often someone who is also on the panel and who has actually met whoever you're talking about. Trust me on this one.
8) Never assume you know more about a subject than your audience does. You will almost always be wrong.
Everything Else
It's that time of year again -- Popcorn Sales! If you'd like to support the Boy Scouts of America (specifically our own darling YB), or donate some popcorn to our men and women in the sandbox, drop me a line and I'll give you our login info. C'mon -- you know just the thought of Butter Toffee or Chocolatey Caramel Crunch Popcorn is making your mouth water, so why not indulge? It's for a good cause!
Compiled from my experiences and those of others, I present to you Marcy's 8 Tips for Aspiring Panelists (in no particular order):
1) Always try to say at least say something on every panel you're on, to prove you are not a zombie ("Bra-a-a-i-i-n-n-s!" does not count).
2) Never drink a 16 oz. bottle of Diet Lipton Green Tea in the first ten minutes of a 2 hour panel. You will regret it.
3) Always remember to bring more than one copy of the book you are trying to promote, especially if it's not being sold in the Dealer Room. Just in case, you know, someone might actually want to do as you suggest and buy it.
4) Never let one audience member take over the Q&A portion of the panel (unless there is only one audience member).
5) Don't mumble, Tweet or answer phone calls during a panel (unless, of course, it's an emergency or cupcake orders are involved).
6) If you're going to whip out a nifty quote, be sure you get both the quote and the attribution right. For instance, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" was actually written by Arthur C. Clarke, and not Asimov. Or Heinlein.
7) If you're going to mention other writers at all, make sure you pronounce their names correctly. For instance, it's Guy (GIE) Gavriel Kay, not GEE. And it's Fritz Leiber (LIE-ber), not LEE-ber. If you're wrong, someone will correct you -- often someone who is also on the panel and who has actually met whoever you're talking about. Trust me on this one.
8) Never assume you know more about a subject than your audience does. You will almost always be wrong.
Everything Else
It's that time of year again -- Popcorn Sales! If you'd like to support the Boy Scouts of America (specifically our own darling YB), or donate some popcorn to our men and women in the sandbox, drop me a line and I'll give you our login info. C'mon -- you know just the thought of Butter Toffee or Chocolatey Caramel Crunch Popcorn is making your mouth water, so why not indulge? It's for a good cause!
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no subject
Date: 2010-10-12 04:39 pm (UTC)Gotta love fund raising.
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Date: 2010-10-15 04:16 am (UTC)