Armadillo Authors Society Sweeps ArmadilloCon
Can you win a book and fan conference? We think you can. In the immortal words of Peter Venkman, PhD: We came, we saw, we kicked its ass!
Three AAS members—Roanna Flowers, Kara Lenore, and E.A. Williams—led a rousing conversation about writing groups as an act of resistance, how members of the AAS are actively charting their own path and accelerating their skills within their respective genres with the shared expertise of the other members.
Pictured: E.A. Williams (left), Roanna Flowers (center, with side-eye), and Kara Lenore (right).
“Community is key,” said author and AAS member Kara Lenore. “It’s something we’re passionate about. The lively discussion about our vision of a supportive, community-focused writing cooperative made this career milestone both rewarding and fun.”
AAS members in attendance also sold a combined 29 books and E.A. Williams sold 4 of her iridescent tote bags (it’s like having a rainbow on your shoulder, y’all—a rainbow you can put books in!), we met tons of wonderful people, and gathered over 20 subscribers to our mailing list. I guess that means we need to start a newsletter.
First books, first con
Several AAS members attended ArmadilloCon to support their debut novels!
From Kara Lenore, author of Beneath a Sun Deprived Sky
Every year, I look forward to ArmadilloCon as an opportunity to engage with fellow writers, geek out about sci-fi and fantasy stories, and discuss my work. Yet this year was different in a crucial way: I had the Armadillo Authors Society (AAS) at my back. Whenever I tripped over my own tongue pitching my novel, my posse stepped in, and I could test my fledgling sales skills praising their work, which feels more genuine to me. Between us, we sold close to thirty of our books—an impressive number for this con. On a more idealistic level, these experiences solidified my belief that banding together to share resources and encouragement can become an act of resistance within a national culture where artistic callings are both commodified and undervalued. Together, we can uplift voices in small yet significant ways.
From K.R. House, author of The Call of Wind
It was both my first time ArmadilloCon and my first time selling my book in person! All in all, I was pretty happy with how it went. I sold 7 copies, and met a lot of interesting people. It was great to practice selling my book to people in real life, and it definitely showed me I have a lot to learn about pitching my book! It was nice to go with the other members of the Armadillo Author Society, both because I got to see how they pitched their books, and just because it was nice to have built-in buddies for the con. I also had fun attending just as a speculative fiction fan! I really loved the panel on Jaws and the one about ways space tries to kill you. I definitely recommend AramdilloCon to new authors or authors new to selling in person. The whole atmosphere is very casual and approachable. It’s just a bunch of people looking to talk about the stories they love.
Looking for Speculative Fiction?
AAS members with sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy or speculative fiction books out right now are:
Roanna Flowers (The Bitches of Eastwick in Mixed Bag of Tricks)
E. A. Williams (The Line of Tepes, The Fall of Kings, and The Path of Blood)