Making a Stunning Table at Cons Isn’t Easy

Posted: June 27, 2025 in Reflections, Writing
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

It’s the night before the Big Ohio Book Con, and earlier today, I went and set up my table. This is what it looks like.

I hope it looks great. I think it looks great, even if my stickers and bookmarks and whatnot aren’t out yet (I’ll do that in the morning). But one thing’s for certain: it’s cramped, about five feet total. And I have to make do with what space I have.

This lack of space, and trying to make a good booth for myself, made me appreciate all over again what goes into making an eye-catching booth. I thought I’d figured that out after my first ParaPsyCon, and a friend advised me to get at least some kind of sign for next year so people knew what I do at my table. Solid advice, and it made me realize that I need to be a lot more eye-catching if I want people to come check out my table. This has led to various changes to my booths over the year, including that big banner you see behind the table, which I got in December 2023.

But this tiny space, and the other booths around me, made me realize that all over again. My neighbors are romance authors, and they have such eye-catching booths, with banners and signs and little decorations like fake vines or flowers or game wheels or whatever. And just about every table I saw today was just as decorative and eye-catching. Made me think to myself, “Shit, I gotta be careful if I want to stand out, too!”

And that’s something I got to keep in mind from now on: I just can’t just have a simple template for my tables. I have to adjust based on space, the kind of con I’m at, and who I’m next to or near. That way, readers will be interested in coming closer and reading my work.

Sucks that I have to basically turn my table into a peacock just to get people interested in reading my work. However, I’ve long accepted that I need to be something of a carnival barker to get people to come over and find what I hope will be their new favorite book. So, adjusting my display as needed shouldn’t be too much more work.

Anyway, we’ll see how it goes. Tomorrow’s the con, and I’ll be there for most of the weekend. There will hopefully be plenty of opportunities for me to meet new readers, and to change my display as necessary. Should be interesting.


That’s all for now, my Followers of Fear. If you happen to be in Medina, Ohio this weekend, please stop by the Big Ohio Book Con at 735 Lafayette Rd. I’ll be there signing books and doing Tarot readings, and would love to see you.

If you can’t be there but still want to support me, you can support me by buying one of my books online. From plant/human hybrids and strange gods to Mafia-hunting serial killers and carnivorous horses, I have something for every horror fan. So why not check out a book or two? I’ll leave the link to my Books page below.

Until next time, my Followers of Fear, good night and pleasant nightmares.

Comments
  1. The table looks good, Rami.๐Ÿ‘ Yeah, carnival barker. The writer’s life.

    Have fun at Big Ohio Book Con!

Leave a comment