Find Your Ideal Readers by Attending a Genre Convention

Today’s post is by author, book coach, and editor Nichelle Seely.

Left Coast Crime (LCC) is a smallish convention held in a different city every year and it just so happened that in 2025, it was held in Denver, an hour from where I live.

It attracts about 500 attendees, a mix of readers and authors. Although small, it is long-standing and well-regarded in the crime fiction community. Some big names were on the docket, writers like Rhys Bowen and Sarah Paretsky. My inner fan-girl became starry-eyed, and my inner entrepreneur became calculating. Like me, Sarah Paretsky writes about a female private investigator. However, she is much more established than I am. I wanted to seek out her fans, who I hoped might also be interested in my book.

In the registration process, they asked if I was an author. I checked the box, and was told if I wanted to be on a panel, I should send an email listing topics I was qualified to speak on, and whether I would be willing to be a moderator.

At this point, I had been on one panel in my life, and never moderated one. But I sent off the email with a list of topics related to my book, my character, and my series, and also said I was willing to moderate. Basically, I was throwing things at the wall to see what would stick.

Three months before the con, I got an email informing me I had been chosen to sit on the Paranormal Crime panel, and to moderate a panel on Private Investigators. To my joy, as a panelist, I was now eligible to sell books at the convention bookstore. Since I don’t have a traditional publisher, I myself would be responsible for providing books for consignment.

At this point, my husband declared he would like to go with me. Not to attend the con as such, but to get a mini vacation in a nice hotel and a chance to work on his web design projects without distraction. He also offered to help schlep my books, proving himself to be a true partner in life, business, and crime!

Overall, my convention experience was a success. I did some things right, and could have done better with others. I hope you can learn from my experience and prepare to attend your own genre con.

Sitting on a panel

There’s nothing more fun that sitting at a table with other authors, talking about your books in front of a rapt audience of engaged readers. I would do this again in a heartbeat.

What I did right: I’ve watched plenty of panels in my life, so I made a conscious effort to be the best guest I could. I didn’t blather on and on, I actively engaged with the other authors, and I looked out at the audience when I was speaking. I also spoke a bit more slowly than normal so as to be more understandable.

What I could have done better: I should have had a better pitch for my upcoming book; I should have prepared short little sound bites for my series, my protagonist, and my novel, so when the moderator gave us time at the end to talk about our projects I could have left my audience with a hook for my book.

Moderating a panel

A new and fun experience, but one I was really nervous about. In the end, the participants were great, and some members of the audience complimented me on a job well done.

What I did right: I got familiar with the work of my panelists in advance, and prepared enough questions to take up the time. I tried to showcase each author’s work and give them a chance to shine, including the one man whose debut novel was not yet out. I met with them before the panel to get a sense of their personalities, and encouraged them to engage each other and not just wait for questions.

What I could have done better: I should have had a video call before the con to prepare us more. I also totally took myself out of the conversation (because I thought it should be all about the panelists), but I could have mentioned my own work at the beginning during the introduction.

Promo materials

There was a long table set up in a central location for authors to display promotional materials. By the end of the con, the table was swamped.

What I did right: I had postcards with my book cover on the front, a blurb and a QR code to Amazon on the back. I also had a flyer with a QR code for my universal book link, since the postcards had been printed before I chose to go wide with my sales. I had stand-up display stands for my materials, which made them more visible and kept them from getting buried under all the other stuff on the table.

What I could have done better: I should have also had promo material for my coaching and editing business, and my husband should have had materials for his website business. I was so focused on my author hat I forgot about my coaching and editing hat.

Unexpected rewards

Kicking impostor syndrome to the curb. There’s nothing so gratifying as strangers excited to hear about one’s book. Most of my friends are writers, so I’m not used to having genuine readers be so energized when they have a chance to talk to a “real author.”

Experiencing the kindness of strangers. One of the convention volunteers went above and beyond to help us get an additional ticket for the awards banquet so my husband could also go. I learned she had been coming to LCC for thirteen years, and that she loved private eye fiction. In gratitude, I gave her one of my books, autographed and thanking her for her service. She was thrilled.

Assuaging my inner fangirl. I got a chance to speak to Sarah Paretsky, a real trailblazer in crime fiction. She was interesting, funny, and is a tireless advocate and activist for equal rights for everyone.

Meeting some really cool people. One of the guests of honor was a self-proclaimed super-fan of crime fiction, and also Star Trek. While talking to her about our mutual Star Trek appreciation (I am named after an actress on the original series), she mentioned she was a retired climate scientist. Later, I learned she was also a Nobel laureate.

Unexpected costs

Money: The first evening we were there, I wanted to socialize with some of other attendees at the hotel bar. We ordered two glasses of white wine, charged to the room. That indulgence cost nearly forty dollars, and the wine wasn’t even that great. In addition, parking. I didn’t realize parking at the hotel would cost extra. Four days at forty dollars a day was an unwelcome and unexpected expense.

Energy: In addition to the extra financial outlay, as an introvert, it takes a lot out of me to be “on” for that much time, and every evening found me exhausted yet unable to sleep, due to lack of physical exercise and nervous tension.

What to do better next time

Aside from the specifics mentioned above, I have plans on how else to improve my convention experience. Because I’m going to do it again!

Research everything

Look at other amenities beyond the con. What’s the hosting hotel like? Are there other hotels within walking distance that are cheaper or better in some other way? Do not forget about parking. How much does it cost? Will I have to eat all meals at the venue, or are there restaurants close by? Are there some pedestrian-friendly streets or parks in the vicinity so I can get out for a walk and get some exercise?

Establish an identity and a brand

When I was at LCC, I saw a woman wearing a T-shirt with an image of her book cover, with the word Author above it. Her sister was also attending the con, and she had the same shirt, except hers said Author’s Sister. The shirts generated interest, and it immediately established this woman as a cozy author, since the book cover was very evocative of her genre.

I had decent promo material, but it was kind of generic. Next time, I’m going to dress the part. I wonder if my sister would be interested in lobbying on my behalf? And I’m not going to forget about my coaching business again.

Be more social

Yeah, this is a tough one. But in addition to doing panels, volunteering is also a great way to meet people, and I’ll look into ways I can help. I also didn’t attend a big networking event (did I mention that I’m an introvert?) that I later heard other authors raving about. Next time I’ll prioritize the social and networking events, even if it means skipping some of the panels or workshops to rest and recharge. The goal is to expand awareness and gain more readers, and I can’t do that by sitting on the sidelines.

Pace myself

There was so much going on at the convention, it was easy to overdo. Next time I’ll be more aware of my energy levels and leave myself enough time to rest during the day, get some exercise, and wind down at night. Especially if I’m going to be more social.

Establish goals

It’s easy to get swept up in all the events and activities at a convention. Next time, I’ll make specific, actionable goals to keep myself on track. And there is definitely going to be a “next time.”

I discovered that a genre convention is my audience on steroids, readers who are spending time and treasure, crossing the country to hang with their peeps. Fans who are actively looking for their next binge read, who are looking, in fact, for me. For you. For us.

In addition to following all my ramped-up intentions and advice, don’t forget to have fun. The whole point of giving one’s all to a creative career isn’t to strike it rich, but to enjoy one’s life and to feed one’s soul. That’s why I write, and that’s why I coach. Because I’ve been on the corporate hamster wheel, and if I can help someone get off, even for a little while, by giving them a great story to read, or helping them write their own, then I’ll count my life as a roaring success.

Nichelle Seely

Nichelle Seely is a writer and an Author Accelerator-certified book coach. She is the author of the Audrey Lake Investigations series as well as multiple serial fiction titles in various genres. As a coach and developmental editor, she is passionate about helping writers of genre fiction and memoir find their voices and get their books into the world. She has a BA in English and attends conferences and workshops to enhance her craft and industry knowledge. Nichelle lives in Colorado with her web designer husband and literally thousands of books. You can find her online at plotandpen.com or nichelleseely.com.