Thus Begins the Solemn Trudge
We're under 30 days now to the first convention of the season: Origins in Columbus, OH. I'm trying my damnedest to keep on top of everything that needs to be done for the conventions in addition to the other jobs that were dropped in my lap when our fulfillment house decided to go tits up and AWOL in March. Convention season is the worst, though, because there are shipments of books and convention displays to coordinate, paperwork to fill out for the conventioneers, badge requests, hotel bookings, volunteers to coordinate, flights to book. Have we arranged for the correct number of tables, chairs, warm bodies? Have we remembered the cash register, the credit card slips, to book electricity for the booth? Do we have enough change?
These are things that we, as game publishers, do not normally have to do. That I do not normally have to remember and keep track of. A few retailers I know smirk as we stumble back into the hazy realm of the consumer game con, because they do this for a living. They know all about merchant accounts and sellers permits and they can make change in their heads and don't complain about sore feet or tired legs from standing on concrete floors for hours straight. They've earned their smirks, and I reserve to smirk right back if they ever jump into the business of game publishing.
June goes by so quickly every year. We almost always miss the Seattle Film Festival. This year I think I'm going to see four films, which is a lot better than I've done in the last couple of years. I never have the luxury of going away to camp with my daughter like the parents of her friends often do; camp is next week already... school isn't over until June is nearly over in Seattle, but the last month races past me every year and I miss things like the school year-end potluck every time.
This year Origins takes up my life from June 28th through July 4th, including travel. July 13th we hop the red-eye out to Trinoc*coN in North Carolina, where we've been invited to be their gaming guests along with Dave Arneson. Kate and I have what I can only describe as a family reunion to attend in Tennessee July 27th to August 2nd. I've been greatly anticipating this get together for over a year now, but it definitely falls in the midst of convention hell and adds to an already busy summer season. Thankfully I'll have exactly two weeks between my return from Tennessee and my departure (again on a red-eye) for GenCon in Indianapolis on August 16th. September 2nd through 5th will find us at ConQuest SF, put on by the same wonderful people who invited us to Conquest LA in February.
That's it. Just like that summer's gone.
These are things that we, as game publishers, do not normally have to do. That I do not normally have to remember and keep track of. A few retailers I know smirk as we stumble back into the hazy realm of the consumer game con, because they do this for a living. They know all about merchant accounts and sellers permits and they can make change in their heads and don't complain about sore feet or tired legs from standing on concrete floors for hours straight. They've earned their smirks, and I reserve to smirk right back if they ever jump into the business of game publishing.
June goes by so quickly every year. We almost always miss the Seattle Film Festival. This year I think I'm going to see four films, which is a lot better than I've done in the last couple of years. I never have the luxury of going away to camp with my daughter like the parents of her friends often do; camp is next week already... school isn't over until June is nearly over in Seattle, but the last month races past me every year and I miss things like the school year-end potluck every time.
This year Origins takes up my life from June 28th through July 4th, including travel. July 13th we hop the red-eye out to Trinoc*coN in North Carolina, where we've been invited to be their gaming guests along with Dave Arneson. Kate and I have what I can only describe as a family reunion to attend in Tennessee July 27th to August 2nd. I've been greatly anticipating this get together for over a year now, but it definitely falls in the midst of convention hell and adds to an already busy summer season. Thankfully I'll have exactly two weeks between my return from Tennessee and my departure (again on a red-eye) for GenCon in Indianapolis on August 16th. September 2nd through 5th will find us at ConQuest SF, put on by the same wonderful people who invited us to Conquest LA in February.
That's it. Just like that summer's gone.
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