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    Balticon 43–May 22-25, 2009

    Every Memorial Day weekend, hundreds of science fiction and fantasy fans descend on the Hunt Valley Marriott for Balticon, the annual Maryland Regional Science Fiction Convention. From Friday to Monday, they get to puruse the goods in the dealer’s room, pick up free books and ‘zines, and geek out with other fans of their favorite books, TV shows, and movies. What a lot of people don’t realize is that the event boasts a great writing track as well.

    I’ve been a fan of science fiction and fantasy as a category of fiction—whether in books, movies, or TV shows—all my life, having grown up on Doctor Who, Star Wars, the Chronicles of Narnia and Chronicles of Prydain, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and writers like Piers Anthony, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Melanie Rawn, and more. I haven’t met any of my favorite authors there yet, but I have met a lot of cool up-and-coming authors like Trisha Wooldridge and Kelly Harmon.

    This year, my second at Balticon, I only did two panels:

    • Writers’ Tips and Tricks
    • Are the Editor and Copyeditor the Writer’s Enemies? How to Work Together Effectively

    But the highlight of the weekend for me was giving a special two-hour presentation with my good friend and fellow writer, Angela Render, on Marketing Platforms for Writers.

    Getting published is hard, especially for a first-time author. Publishers expect you to come with a platform. Speakers will explain what a platform is and how to start building it with an overview of appropriate tools.

    Here’s what a couple of participants had to say:

    Ally was well-organized, tangible, savvy, and most important, passionate about moving writers to believe in ourselves and to find the optimal ways to preach our gospels to the rafters. Tremendous!—Tad Daley, author of Apocalypse Never: Forging the Path to a Nuclear Weapon-Free World

    Thanks again for your excellent presentation at Balticon.  The information in your presentation was very valuable to a beginning author like myself, and I feel very fortunate to have attended it.—Constance Warner, Hunt Valley, MD

    This talk was a great one-two punch: I began with my signature talk on author platforms, which explains what they are, how they’re used to sell books, and why you need one. I also offered some tips on how to get started. Angela finished up with a thorough introduction to building your platform on the Internet, which is the cheapest and easiest way to get started and a very effective venue for the long run.

    Ally Machate Book EditorFounder of The Writer’s Ally, Ally E. Machate is a bestselling book collaborator, award-winning editor, and expert publishing consultant who loves using her insider knowledge and experience with the publishing industry to lead serious authors toward success. She and her team live to help make great books happen, whether that means showing a writer how to improve a manuscript, get an agent, or self-publish; or coaching an author on growing her platform to sell more books. Since 1999, she has supported hundreds of authors on their publishing journey and takes pride in serving as their books’ best ally.

    Maryland Writers’ Association Annual Conference–May 9, 2009

    I’ve been an active member of the Maryland Writers’ Association for several years now, and so it’s with great pleasure that I was able to participate as a speaker at this year’s conference. The theme “Writing Your Success Story” was apt: writers from all over the MidAtlantic came to learn new skills and find inspiration to help them along the path to publication. I gave my popular presentation, Revisions: Polishing Your Work for Submission.

    Gone are the days when writers could expect substantial editorial support from their agents and editors. Most publishing professionals want clean, print-ready manuscripts. Every writer knows—or soon learns—that it takes multiple revisions to create a piece ready for publication. But where do you start? This talk will introduce you to the most common problems that plague written works and offer simple ways to identify and resolve them in your own novel, short story, or memoir. You’ll receive tips on keeping readers’ attention, polishing your manuscript at the technical level, properly formatting your submission, and getting objective feedback before you start sending your work out.

    Attendees said:

    Ally is a seasoned pro who knows what it takes to get out of the slush pile. She’s full of great tips.—Eric D. Goodman, author of Tracks, Towson, MD

    Ally is a fun speaker who knows her topic. Great presentation!—Angela Render, author of Marketing for Writers, Ellicott City, MD

    I was in good company with editors and agents who traveled from New York City and Washington, DC to meet one-on-one with writers and with presenters who gave such interesting and useful talks as Angela Render’s “Introduction to Marketing Platforms,” Ann Crispin and Rich White’s “Writing Scams,” and Linda Shertzer’s “Creating Romantic Tension.” Participants also enjoyed a continental breakfast, hot lunch, and post-conference social.

    Cheers to Conference Coordinators Diane Booth and Bryan England, who put on a fun, info-packed event. If you live in the MidAtlantic area I encourage you to consider joining the MWA, which offers many benefits to its members beyond the annual conference and writing contests. Learn more at www.marylandwriters.org.

    Ally Machate Book EditorFounder of The Writer’s Ally, Ally E. Machate is a bestselling book collaborator, award-winning editor, and expert publishing consultant who loves using her insider knowledge and experience with the publishing industry to lead serious authors toward success. She and her team live to help make great books happen, whether that means showing a writer how to improve a manuscript, get an agent, or self-publish; or coaching an author on growing her platform to sell more books. Since 1999, she has supported hundreds of authors on their publishing journey and takes pride in serving as their books’ best ally.

    Balticon 42–May 23-26, 2008

    Every year, the Baltimore Science Fiction Society hosts the Maryland Regional Science Fiction Convention known as Balticon. Having attended as a participant in the past, I knew the program was packed with panels on topics of interest writers as well as the broader audience of scifi and fantasy fans.

    I’ve been a fan of science fiction and fantasy as a category of fiction—whether in books, movies, or TV shows—all my life, having grown up on Doctor Who, Star Wars, the Chronicles of Narnia and Chronicles of Prydain, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and writers like Piers Anthony, Marion Zimmer Bradley, Melanie Rawn, and more. So I was really excited to speak to other fans as a panelist this year.

    I moderated or sat on panels discussing:

    • The Publishing Labyrinth
    • Getting Published
    • The Business of Writing
    • How to Work with an Editorial Assistant

    In between I enjoyed watching everyone parading around in their awesome costumes. I think that’s my very favorite part about cons…people can be so creative in dressing up as their favorite TV, book, and film characters. One really wonderful addition to Balticon is the art room, where artists in various mediums bring their work in for sale. It’s so inspiring to see how wild and beautiful the human imagination can be, and knowing that many of these visions stem from a lifetime of reading just warms this publishing gal’s heart.

    Ally Machate Book EditorFounder of The Writer’s Ally, Ally E. Machate is a bestselling book collaborator, award-winning editor, and expert publishing consultant who loves using her insider knowledge and experience with the publishing industry to lead serious authors toward success. She and her team live to help make great books happen, whether that means showing a writer how to improve a manuscript, get an agent, or self-publish; or coaching an author on growing her platform to sell more books. Since 1999, she has supported hundreds of authors on their publishing journey and takes pride in serving as their books’ best ally.

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