Virtual Penguins!

We are more than a third of the way through 2021 and over a year since the beginning of the lockdown of 2020¹. While we had all hoped that this would be over or at least mostly over by now, but unfortunately this isn’t quite the case. While many have been vaccinated², it is still safer to wear masks, engage in social distancing, and limit exposure to large crowds. This means that many in person events that I attend each year have been cancelled, postponed, or had their formats changed.

The reason I am stating all of this is to let you know that my “home con,” PenguiCon³ will be held virtually this year. While I will miss seeing everyone in person, I am glad that the Con Chair and ConCom made the difficult decision to put safety first and hold the convention virtually.

What? Virtually? 

Yes!

That means everyone should be able to join in, even if you are not in the area. 

And yes, I will indeed be participating in panels this year. I would love it if you would join me for one or all of them. My tentative schedule is as follows (all times are Eastern):

Thursday, 22 April

1900 Author Reception
Join us on the Discord server for conversations with some of this year’s attending writers. Trade stories, talk publishing, and gush about your favorite books. All are welcome!


Friday, 23 April

1900 Escape the Slush
What does it take to grab attention in a slush pile or pitch session? Authors and editors describe techniques—beyond the basics of query structure—to make your novel’s pitch stand out.

2000 Surviving the Author/Editor Relationship
Working with an editor to polish your work for publication or submission can be stressful. This panel will discuss how to make the relationship between the author & the editor smoother, to produce the best work possible. Topics will also include how to find freelance editors, types of editing/editors, & what’s expected of each party.


Saturday, 24 April

1800 Why Aren’t I Writing: Dealing With Imposter Syndrome, Writer’s Block, and Other Muse Killers
One of the hardest parts about writing is doing the actual writing. How do you find the time? How do you quiet the voices telling you that you are not good enough? The panel will discuss some of the problems writers face and offer suggestions on how to combat them.

2000 Reading with Sarah Hans


Sunday, 25 April

1300 Self Publishing At Scale
Publishing has been thrown open to the masses. And some of us have published masses of books. What changes when you publish your twentieth or fiftieth book? What scales, and what doesn’t? What goes wrong, and how can you avoid it? How do business and tactics differ when your stack of titles gets large enough to threaten the dog? Our panelists have had ample opportunity to screw up at scale, so come learn how to avoid their mistakes!


1500 So You Want to Edit an Anthology
Themed anthologies can be a great way for readers to become familiar with the fiction of both new and established authors. This panel will cover the basics of putting together the anthology of your dreams.

1600 One Track To Rule Them All: Lit Track Wrap Up Party
Penguicon has an amazing community of authors, writers, and bibliophiles who aren’t put off by little things like pandemics and technology. Come celebrate the end of another amazing con with them, hang out, ask questions, get book and author information, and otherwise just have fun.

Hope to see you there!

1 I know because of all of the COVID posts that are showing up in the Memories section of my Facebook feed.

2 Including yours trully — House Pfizer! 

3 In case you are new here⁴, Penguicon started out as a Linux users convention and has blossomed into a celebration of all things geek. If you have an interest, any interest, odds are there will be a group of people who share that interest. Also, Penguicon is one of those great places where even if you don’t share the same interests as someone else, you will still be accepted.

4 Waves to the new people