Artist's Alley Rookie

Today was Librari-con and my very first attempt at holding an Artist's Alley booth. Its something I'd been planning to do for years and just never really worked myself up to until now. I have to say, I was real impressed with Librari-con, for being as small as it was it was incredibly well organized and the volunteers there were real helpful. They drew in a wide variety of people and despite it being an "Anime" con, fans of all things seemed to be gathered there. It was a very accommodating event and I definitely plan to go back next year. I couldnt have had a better experience with my first attempt at running a booth and now I cant wait to do another.

As a rookie, there were a few things I definitely missed out on that I hope to have better organized next year. The tiered displays around me all looked so nice, I was a little jealous. And card readers--- card readers are so necessary nowadays. If you are thinking about doing a con, do yourself a favor and get a card reader attachment for your phone. There are so many potential customers that dont really carry cash. (In fact, most of the time, Im one of them)

All in all though it was a real positive experience. Its a real friendly con. And its for a good cause. 20% of the Artist Alley earnings get poured back into the Cumberland County Public Library (the building that hosts this event). Advice for other aspiring artists out there? Dont wait as long as I did. It is 100% possible for you to hold your own at a con like this one. Do your research, make some products and when you think you have enough..... make some more. And just get out there and try your best! Youre probably better and more qualified than you think you are ;) (Just remember to bring plenty of business cards so you dont run out 2 hours into the con, like I did.)