Creating Emblems

It's FenCon week, so I'm going to be a little crazy. In addition to trying to get a book proposal written, I also need to edit a video, prepare a reading, do some PR work, do my usual choir stuff, and then spend Thursday helping set up and picking up a guest from the airport and then start the convention stuff on Friday. Which means I need to make good use of my time this week.

Fortunately, I have all my promo giveaways put together. I made postcards of the front cover of Rebel Mechanics, and then I made pins of the red ribbon and gear that are featured in the book and on the cover, and I attached those to the postcards. There are about 100 with the pins, and I've found that they go fast from the freebie tables.

But as I start work on the second book, which is about the other rebel group in the picture, the ones from the upper class who want to break away and upend the class structure, I found myself wondering what their insignia would be. I don't recall thinking at the time I wrote the first book that the red ribbon and gear would be something to use in promo, though I've always pictured it on the cover. Of course, I figured very soon after writing the book that I'd have to use it. But now what can I do with the other group to put on the cover and then use for promotion? I'll need to make a trip to Michael's to see what jewelry bits and ribbons they might have that might inspire me.

Meanwhile, I found a book in the library on bragging -- finding a way to promote yourself without annoying people. I think it's stuff I know how to do -- mostly, make it conversational and relevant and make sure it's information that actually of benefit to the person you're talking to rather than just promoting yourself -- but have been reluctant to do. I've sat on panels with so many people who introduce themselves by listing every single thing they've written and quoting their reviews that I tend to go in the other direction and just vaguely mention that I'm a novelist, with the idea that if you've heard of me, you know who I am and if you haven't heard of me, maybe I'll be interesting enough for you to look me up. But maybe I'll rethink that and give it a try this weekend as an experiment.

Now off to do work-type stuff!