Readercon 19

Additional Information

Readercon 19 Includes Thursday!

Last year, we did something we’ve been wanting to do for a long time: we started Readercon on Thursday night.

The extra day proved to be a tremendous success, and we are pleased to announce that (with a change in content) we will again be starting the convention on Thursday evening.

  • Thursday night's program will begin at 7:30 PM with a brief Opening Ceremony, where we'll introduce our Guests of Honor and talk about the future of Readercon.
  • The program proper will again run from 8:00 to 10:00 PM. This time, however, it will take place in the "state rooms" opposite the main ballroom and feature one track of panels, one track of solo talks/discussion groups, and one or two tracks of readings. (Last year we had a pair of keynote-like panels in the main ballroom; avoiding it this year will allow us to spend more time on getting the sound right.)
  • There will be no registration Thursday evening — in fact, the program will be open to curious newcomers. Last year we drew a substantial number of first-time attendees despite no publicity outside of this web site.
  • The Program Guide for Thursday (describing the panels, readings, and talks / discussions) will be online before the con, and a hard copy will be handed out at the door.
  • Registration will open at 10:00 AM on Friday.
  • For the first time, we expect Friday programming to begin with nearly a full slate of programming (beginning at 11:00 AM) rather than beginning with fewer tracks and gradually morphing into a full schedule. Those of you who take Friday off will thus be rewarded with a complete extra day of programming.
  • The con suite will open at the same time Friday as in the past (3 PM), but the bookshop (dealer's room) will open an hour earlier (3 PM rather than 4 PM).

Before we got ambitious, Readercon was conceived as an intimate con like the present Potlatch — so our Thursday night program represents a return to our conceptual roots. We hope to see you there!

Publications

Readercon members receive two original publications: a Program Guide and a Souvenir Book. We were the con that pioneered their separation—the Program Guide is for use at the con, the Souvenir Book is for reading afterwards.

Our Program Guide runs 50 pages. In it you'll find the full conference schedule with full descriptions of every program item (including names and brief descriptions of stories being read) and an index of each participant's appearances. In the back are the patented Readercon bio-bibs: mini-bibliographies of every participant. The last two pages show the whole program in table form; for those who prefer to travel light, we provide this as a separate handout as well.

Our Souvenir Book typically runs 60 pages, nearly all of which are devoted to our Guests of Honor (and to last year's Cordwainer Smith Award winner). This is in fact more pages than the typical Worldcon devotes to their guests! You'll find appreciations by friends and colleagues, literary analyses, works by the guests themselves (either original, or reprints of the obscure and cool) and comprehensive bibliographies.

See below if you want to advertise in the Souvenir Book.

Parties

We encourage open parties, however, parties in a room not in the party block will be shut down. If you are planning to host a party at Readercon, please contact us so that we may book your room in the party block. If you are interested in using a suite for a party Friday or Saturday night, please contact us. Open parties (parties with an open invitation to all attendees and with an open door) may not serve alcohol. Closed parties (parties by invitation only and with a closed door) must make alcohol service arrangements with the hotel.

Con Suite

The Con Suite is Readercon’s own party, where you’ll find munchies both nutritious and non-, and people to talk to (there is a causal relationship here). We try to keep it open during all convention hours (with a little help from volunteers).

Tiptree Bake Sale

Readercon has been proud to host a James Tiptree, Jr. bake sale for many years, to support this fine award.

This year we plan to hold our bake sale at Readercon. If you are interested in donating home-baked goodies at Readercon 19 in 2008, or if you would like to volunteer to help with the bake sale, please contact us.

Learn more about the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, or maybe hold a bake sale of your own!

Policies

  • No smoking in programming areas or the Bookshop, by state law and hotel policy.
  • No eating or drinking by customers in the Bookshop.
  • Cell phones must be set to silent or vibrate mode in panel discussion rooms
  • Only service animals in convention areas.
  • No weapons in convention areas.
  • Young children who are always with an adult are admitted free; others need a membership, see below.
  • Any disruptive or inappropriate behavior may lead to being asked to leave the convention.
  • Readercon reserves the right to revoke membership at any time for any reason. No refunds will be given.
  • Readercon reserves the right to refuse membership.

Children Attending Readercon

There will be no child care provided at Readercon for 2008.

A child will be defined as any person who has not yet had an eighteenth birthday.

Children under the age of 15 who will be staying with a parent at all times receive a free membership, a ReaderKids In Tow badge, and no conference materials. The badge must have the Readercon attending parent's name on the front of the badge and contact info on the back. This free badge must be worn at all times while on hotel grounds.

Children under the age of 15 may not be left unattended in any convention area or public hotel space.

Children 15-17 years old who come to the convention with a parent and plan to go to programming independently, can purchase a membership at half the at-door price. They will receive a ReaderTeen badge and a Program Guide and a Souvenir Book, and we will require a parent's name on the front of the badge and contact info (ideally a cell phone number) on the back. This badge must be worn at all times while on hotel grounds. Children 15-17 years old must be able to observe the same behavioral guidelines as any adult.

If we see a child who is being disruptive, or seems to need a parent and has no parent around, we will try to contact the parent. If we cannot contact the parent within 15 minutes, we will contact hotel security and ask them to assume supervision of the child.

Any disruptive or inappropriate behavior may lead to being asked to leave the convention. Readercon reserves the right to revoke membership at any time for any reason. No refunds will be given.

This policy has been established for the folowing reasons:

  • Liability issues raised by the hotel due to unattended children left to play in hotel common areas and the pool area.
  • Liability issues raised by Readercon for the same reasons, as well as for the comfort of all attendees.
  • Liability issue of minor children left at Readercon without a parent or appointed guardian on hotel premises. Note that these children may be held by hotel security, the Department of Social Services contacted, and the child turned over to its care.
  • It’s all about safety. We want our children to be safe, and we want yours to be as well.

Volunteers

Readercon is run entirely by volunteers. We can always use more help, in every area. If you’re new to conventions, volunteering is a great and time-tested way to meet people. Let us know you’re interested, and we’ll contact you about scheduling you in the areas you’d like to work—or you can just volunteer at the con (although the most interesting jobs may be taken by then). Work 8 hours and you’ll earn a free membership to next year’s con

Writers' Workshop

Readercon 19 will host the ever-popular private writers' workshop, now in its second decade, organized by Jim Cambias and Joy Marchand of the Cambridge SF Workshop and run along Clarion lines, where 2 professional writers join 4-5 amateur writers in a roundtable workshop.

Who Should Apply: Serious amateur or newly professional writers who are curious about workshops, have work they want to improve, and are willing to devote a fair amount of time before and during the con. Previous workshop experience helps but is not necessary.

How To Apply: Submit up to 7,500 words of fiction (a self-contained short story, chapters from a novel, or an outline). Submissions are open from now through 11:50 pm, Saturday, July 5, 2008 (that is, two weeks before the con). Selections will be made promptly thereafter. Those selected to be in the workshop will be notified and provided with a list of the other attendees, a summary of workshop procedures, and other background.

At the Con: The workshop will run 4 to 4 1/2 hours (on Sunday morning beginning at 8:30 am and ending between 12:30 and 1:00 pm). Jim Cambias and Joy Marchand will organize and moderate the workshop, under the general principles used by the Cambridge Science Fiction Workshop (www.cs-fw.org), a long-running Clarion-style workshop whose current members include: James Cambias, F. Brett Cox, Theodora Goss, Alexander Jablokov, James Patrick Kelly, Joy Marchand, Steven Popkes, Vandana Singh, and Sarah Smith. Each participant will critique and be critiqued.

Where to Send Submissions: To apply or for more information, send submissions directly to Jim and Joy via email to jim@zygotegames.com and joymarchand@gmail.com. All submissions must be in electronic form (for submission etiquette — not mandatory, but polite — email the organizers).