🎪 ARE CONVENTIONS GETTING STALE?

This week on the Indie Author Showcase, we're revisiting the convention discussion from our last episode, correcting a few mistakes, and asking an important question:

Are conventions struggling because of the economy, or are audiences getting tired of seeing the same vendors selling the same products year after year?

First, a correction!

Last week, I suggested that L.A. Comic-Con had significantly reduced its size. Turns out, I was WRONG! L.A. Comic-Con will be using all three halls of the convention center, just as it did last year.

Thanks to everyone who spoke up and corrected me! That's exactly the kind of discussion I want this podcast to encourage.

But the larger question remains: How can conventions keep attracting customers when so many vendors return with the same merchandise every year?

We discuss:

🎟️ Why convention attendance doesn't always translate into sales.

📚 The challenge of selling the same books to the same audience year after year.

🎨 Why vendors need fresh products and new customers.

🔄 Whether rotating vendors could help keep conventions interesting.

🏢 Why expanding a convention isn't always the answer, especially when poor traffic flow leaves vendors isolated from the crowds.

And why a successful convention doesn't necessarily mean every vendor will have a successful weekend!

Then it's time for this week's indie book showcase!

👻🚀 GO STATION — ENTITY I ENTERTAINMENT

What happens when you combine science fiction, supernatural horror, and a crew of criminals who can't entirely trust one another?

You get Go Station!

A group of outlaws fleeing the authorities takes refuge at an abandoned space station on a desolate planet. But something terrible happened there, and the station isn't nearly as empty as it first appears.

With mutated horrors lurking in the darkness, the crew must fight to survive while their already questionable loyalties begin to unravel.

Think Event Horizon meets Dead Space, with a little Pitch Black thrown into the mix!

What worked for me?

✅ Genre mashup! A great combination of science fiction and supernatural horror.

✅ Strong interpersonal dynamics! Criminals don't always make the most trustworthy teammates, especially when survival is on the line.

✅ Distinctive characters! Unique visual designs and personalities make the cast easy to identify and follow.

✅ Dark, menacing artwork! The illustrations establish an atmosphere of dread while keeping the action clear.

My biggest complaint?

I wanted MORE!

The story could have benefited from additional room for its characters and relationships to develop. In fact, I could have happily read another 50% of this graphic novel!

If you love sci-fi horror, haunted space stations, and morally questionable characters fighting for survival, Go Station is worth checking out!

💬 JOIN THE CONVERSATION!

Are conventions becoming too repetitive? Would rotating vendors help bring fresh merchandise and new audiences to these events?

And what's your favorite sci-fi horror story? Event Horizon? Dead Space? Alien? Something else?

Let me know in the comments!

📚 ABOUT THE INDIE AUTHOR SHOWCASE

Hosted by multi-award-winning indie author Chad Robert Morgan, the Indie Author Showcase is the podcast by indie authors, for indie authors!

We discuss independent publishing, the challenges of being an indie author, storytelling, and showcase books and graphic novels you might otherwise never discover.

👍 LIKE if you enjoy discovering independent authors and artists.

🔔 SUBSCRIBE for more indie book showcases and discussions about writing and publishing.

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