vs. Stumptown 2008

[johnaegard]

264 CGs sold. Zombies was most popular, with 77. Office, surprisingly, was the runner-up with 61, beating out Pirates at 59. My unscientific observation is that people responded more to the office bit in the pitch than the zombie or pirate bit -- people might (finally) be tiring of pirates and zombies. I got the sense that some folks tuned me

Comments

[scarypudding]

Out of curiosity, why the back door? Just masochism? I mean, I've read some of your stuff, I don't see why they wouldn't let you in the front.

[johnaegard]

No, not masochism -- the exact opposite, in fact. Here's my front-door story. I apologize for its length.

When I create something commercial, I want to be read, and I want to be paid for it. I don't want to create stuff that lives only in my own head. And if I can make stuff that's compelling enough to earn money, that's awesome, it's like victory. It is especially awesome in this day of bountiful free content.

It seems like if I want these things in a fiction career, I need to write novels. Short fiction is an awesome and fun medium, but the audience is tiny and the pay third-worldish. In 7-8 years of selling short fiction, I think I grossed something like $1500. And only once did a story of mine break out of the ghetto and into wider geek circles -- the Great Old Pumpkin did a few laps around the Internet as a Strange Horizons piece in 2004 and an Escape Pod podcast in 2005. As a short fiction writer I was very poorly poised to exploit that breakout. Magazines are ephemeral and I had no books in print at that point. And

[johnaegard]

Which brings us to the back door

[scarypudding]

Okay, I think I see where you're coming from now

[deedop]

Seriously cool!

So sorry we couldn't stop by for a visit. My entire weekend was made of suck.

[therinth]

Kick ass and well done :D