Friday | 4:00 PM | Erie | Cultivating a Fanbase as a Publisher | Just as fans follow specific authors or magazines, with the proliferation of small presses, we're increasingly seeing publishing houses develop followings of their own. Apex Publishing, Subterranean Press, World Weaver Press, Small Beer Press and many others have distinct voices and aesthetics which distinguish them in the marketplace. Some, such as Ugly Duckling Presse and Restless Books, offer annual subscriptions to their catalogs. Are readers following publishers as they follow authors, and what are publishers doing to cultivate fan bases? | A. Carina Spears (M), Pablo Defendini, Yanni Kuznia, Michael J. DeLuca, Joe R. Lansdale |
Friday | 7:00 PM | Michigan | Opening Ceremonies | Welcome to Storming the ConFusion! Please join our ConChair and Guests of Honor Ada Palmer, Steve Macdonald, Jen Piatek, and David Stein, along with our Special Guests, courtesy of Subterranean Press, Joe Lansdale and Lewis Shiner! Hear about all the exciting stuff you can expect from them, and us, this weekend! | Ada Palmer, Joe R. Lansdale, Lewis Shiner, Steve Macdonald, Dr. Jennifer Piatek, David M Stein, DI, Amy Sexsmith |
Friday | 8:00 PM | ConSuite | Dessert Reception | Come enjoy desserts and mingle with our Guests of Honor and Subterranean Press's Special Guests! | Ada Palmer, Joe R. Lansdale, Lewis Shiner, Steve Macdonald, Dr. Jennifer Piatek, David M Stein, DI |
Saturday | 1:00 PM | Southfield | Joe R. Lansdale and Lewis Shiner on Story Ideas | Joe and Lew have been kicking story ideas back and forth for years; the main reason because the originator didn't want to write it. Here they will discuss story ideas they didn't want to write, why they didn't work for them, and what makes a successful idea. How do they turn a scrap of an idea into a full blown story? | Cherie Priest (M), Joe R. Lansdale, Lewis Shiner |
Saturday | 4:00 PM | Southfield | Writing Humor in Science Fiction and Fantasy | The Princess Bride is a classic of fantasy humor. What makes humor in speculative fiction work? What "funny books" really aren't? Let's look at American vs. British humor, which topics have aged well (or not so well!), short form vs. novels, and all the other things that make speculative humor more than pies in the face for elves. | Steve Buchheit (M), Tim Boerger, Marissa Lingen, Clif Flynt, Joe R. Lansdale |
Sunday | 3:00 PM | Michigan | Closing Ceremonies | Come say goodbye to our Guests of Honor and Special Guests, and learn what we might have in store for you for next year! | Ada Palmer, Joe R. Lansdale, Lewis Shiner, Steve Macdonald, Dr. Jennifer Piatek, David M Stein, DI, Amy Sexsmith |