Last Saturday, I had a wonderful time at ICON 49.5. Most often held in Cedar Rapids, the Iowa Scifi Conference, or ICON, took place in Iowa City this year. Poised to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary in 2026, they decided to hold a one-day mini-conference this time, hence 49.5.
Book Signing
Conference organizers allowed me to set up at a table in the Iowa City Book Fair taking place the same day. For six hours, people stopped by to talk, look over my books, and buy some. I enjoyed sharing the table with Tricia Andersen, Darby Harn, and, later, Bree Moore. By watching these experienced authors, I learned more about how to do book signing events.
Indie Publishing Panel
To cap off the mini-conference, I spoke on the subject of Indie Publishing on a panel. Pictured from left to right are Tricia Andersen, Darby Harn, Bree Moore, me, and Rachel Aukes. By rights, I should have sat in the audience, because the other panelists seemed to have graduated summa cum laude from Indie Publishing University where I’d just enrolled as a freshman.
Gratitude
Still, I enjoyed the day’s experience and would like to thank not only the conference programming staff for allowing me to attend, but also my sister for accompanying me and helping me sell books. If there’s one writer who could really use the help, it’s—
Poseidon’s Scribe
