Ely Meet Up report.
Sep. 12th, 2010 07:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
erastesSorry that I didn’t manage to do any blogging AT the event. I went by train, so taking books, freebies (that no-one took!) and quizzes and posters and god knows what was enough and I couldn’t manage the laptop as well. Just as well really because Aunty Marion brought hers and she couldn’t get connected.
ANYWAY!! It was a START – and a good start I think. We had the following people there.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
tiggothy, clarelondon, junkfoodmonkey, stevie_carroll, annebrooke, aunty_marion, c_smith_author, erastes, jl_merrow, josephine_myles, lesley_w, alex_beecroft
I've missed someone out, I KNOW I have.
It was very informal, but all the better for that, to start with, I think. We set up the food (lashings of it, and hardly got touched) and the book table and then we set the tables in a square, introduced ourselves and what we were doing, and it was fascinating to see the range of people and the skills just in that small group of writers and readers. We discusses our publishers, and talked about tax and the ITIN - and some of the newer authors threw out some questions which others could answer. Four hours was just right, I think, then most of them went off for pizza and I had to come home, as there weren't any other trains. Boo.
So - PLEASE NOTE - we are planning to do this regularly. We are planning to do another one in JULY 2011 so make a note on your diaries. Probably READING, because that's hopefully more central for many (yes, yes, I know, not central for all) and in a place where there's accomodation for people who have to come further. Open to all people who have an interest in gay fiction, be it writing, editing, reading, reviewing - whatever. You don't have to be a writer, at ALL. More details as we have it - stevie_carroll, c_smith_author are taking the reins on this, which I'm glad about, I'm not the kind of person who is good at conference organisation I have discovered.
It was fun, and ladies it was marvellous to see you all. Thank you so much for coming, and I look forward to the next one. We need tee-shirts. :D
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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Date: 2010-09-12 07:05 pm (UTC)Mark
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Date: 2010-09-12 07:10 pm (UTC)Thank you for this - I'm hoping that many publishers might take it up (and not just historicals too, there were authors from all genres) if we can get the word around enough - and with Paypal the transfers are easy enough to manage!
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Date: 2010-09-12 07:20 pm (UTC)Publishers and taxes... yes, the glamourous world of writing m/m romance...
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Date: 2010-09-12 07:24 pm (UTC)Heh yes - so true!
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Date: 2010-09-12 07:27 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-09-12 08:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-12 08:51 pm (UTC)OTOH, at least it seemed to go OK. It was lovely meeting everyone, and during the pizza bit it was suggested that we might possibly have a Christmas social in London. Also
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Date: 2010-09-12 09:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-12 09:14 pm (UTC)Realised as we were walking in through the doors of the library that I left the box of Paned Gymreig in there as well, so sorry 'bout that. Will have to give it you next time.
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Date: 2010-09-12 09:21 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-09-12 09:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 02:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 05:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 08:08 am (UTC)It was lovely to meet you, and to have the benefit of more experienced published authors their to answer our questions. And it wasn't all publishers, tax and ITINs. I seem to remember interesting discussions about issues surrounding women writing gay male characters (that old chestnut), American spelling/grammar, promotional chats online, and, er... how to pronounce Torquere!
I'm really looking forward to next year :D
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Date: 2010-09-13 08:39 am (UTC)I'm glad you got home safely! :D did the sheep miss you?
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Date: 2010-09-13 08:40 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-09-13 09:41 am (UTC)*geographically challenged*
I'm happy to do some t-shirts for next time, I have a local chap who makes them relatively cheaply and in small run numbers. I'll let the organisers know if they need me :).
I learned a lot and especially enjoyed chatting to fellow fans! :)
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Date: 2010-09-13 11:09 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-09-13 11:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 11:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 11:40 am (UTC)I brought LOADS of freebies, hats and teeshirts, and no-one took any! I should have put a sign on them saying "free" i suppose...
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Date: 2010-09-13 11:43 am (UTC)Tee shirts would be a great idea!
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Date: 2010-09-13 02:48 pm (UTC)Next time, I suggest we have a "freebies" table, so there's no confusion :)
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Date: 2010-09-13 03:22 pm (UTC)I wish someone would invent a Transporter.
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Date: 2010-09-13 04:08 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-09-13 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-13 05:00 pm (UTC)...and I don't have any sheep (yet - gimme a few years. Am getting chickens next year).
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Date: 2010-09-13 09:39 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2010-09-16 03:59 pm (UTC)Reading sounds like a lovely idea. As soon as you've got a date I'll put it in my diary. I'm glad it all went well; it sounds as if you all had a lovely time.
Merry =^..^=
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Date: 2010-09-16 05:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-09-22 05:46 pm (UTC)I'm definitely going to try to come to the 2011 meet-up. Hopefully by then I'll have had something published, even if only a small thing. Getting to share a little personal success with fellow writers who've been through it before would be brilliant, and it'll give me more incentive to keep sending those stories out to magazines. :D