Why aren't you at convention X?

I get this question sometimes, where X is, of course, the name of some SF con, typically one near the questioner. The answer is in two parts:

* Going would cost me money.

* Going would cost me time.

The first part is actually the easier one to handle, because if I really want to go to a con, I pay my way. (Having someone else pay when you're a GoH, though, is definitely cooler and cheaper, as I learned courtesy of the lovely folks at Balticon.)

The second is the real challenge. I have a demanding job, a family, an extended family, and, oh yeah, books to write. Keeping up with the job and the writing on the road is exhausting, and I can do only phone time with people.

So, if you want me at a con, please feel free to let me know, but also please recognize that I'll be balancing attending against those two concerns.

Bouchercon

I'm going to miss Bouchercon this year, and that's a shame. I've no real room to complain, mind you; I'm traveling more than anyone should, and I'm getting to attend WorldCon in Japan and roam the country a bit.

What I miss about Bouchercon is that every attendee I've met reads, loves books, and actively wants to listen to authors. Every panel I've attended has drawn a big crowd. The dealer's room is almost entirely books, and people seem, at least to me, to be buying plenty of them. (I certainly purchase my share.)

Contrast this with most SF conventions, where many attendees are there only for the socializing or media, many can't remember the last SF book they've read, panels for all but the biggest authors frequently draw tiny numbers, and the dealer's rooms are usually more than half full of tables selling things other than books. To be fair, hardcore readers definitely attend SF cons, buy books, and so on. Also, some conventions, such as World Fantasy Con and ReaderCon, draw a more reading-oriented crowd.

All that said, the rank-and-file mystery fans read and love reading, and I wish the same were more true of the SF crowd.