Readercon 20

Additional Information

Readercon 20 Includes Thursday!

Two years ago, we did something we’ve been wanting to do for a long time: we started Readercon on Thursday night.

The extra day has proven to be a tremendous success, and we are pleased to announce that we will again be starting the convention on Thursday evening.

  • Thursday night's program will again run from 8:00 to 10:00 PM, and will feature one or two tracks of panels, two tracks of solo/talks, and two tracks of readings.
  • There will be no registration Thursday evening — in fact, the program will be open to curious newcomers (we have drawn a substantial number of first-time attendees despite no publicity outside of this web site).
  • The Program Guide for Thursday (describing the panels, readings, and talks / discussions) will be online before the con, and a hard copy will be handed out at the door.
  • Registration will open at 10:00 AM on Friday.
  • Once again, Friday programming will begin with a full slate of programming (beginning at 11:00 AM) rather than beginning with fewer tracks and gradually morphing into a full schedule. Those of you who take Friday off will thus be rewarded with a complete extra day of programming.
  • The con suite will open at the same time Friday as in the past (3 PM). Due to some unforeseen circumstances, the bookshop hours will be later on Friday this year, 6 PM to 9 PM.

Before we got ambitious, Readercon was conceived as an intimate con like the present Potlatch — so our Thursday night program represents a return to our conceptual roots. We hope to see you there!

Publications

Readercon members receive two original publications: a Program Guide and a Souvenir Book. We were the con that pioneered their separation—the Program Guide is for use at the con, the Souvenir Book is for reading afterwards.

Our Program Guide runs 50 pages. In it you'll find the full conference schedule with full descriptions of every program item (including names and brief descriptions of stories being read) and an index of each participant's appearances. In the back are the patented Readercon bio-bibs: mini-bibliographies of every participant. The last two pages show the whole program in table form; for those who prefer to travel light, we provide this as a separate handout as well.

This year's Souvenir Book features a spectacular color cover by the late Richard Powers (Guest of Honor at Readercon 5) and runs 124 pages, the first 80 of which are devoted to our Guests of Honor (and to last year's Cordwainer Smith Award winner). This is in fact more pages than the typical Worldcon devotes to their guests! You'll find appreciations by friends and colleagues, literary analyses, works by the guests themselves (either original, or reprints of the obscure and cool) and comprehensive bibliographies. The last 40 pages are devoted to a history of the convention. Not the least adornment of the chronicle is the wealth of historical detail: essays by key committee members; reminiscences and journals by important guests; a complete list of program participants; and much, much more.

See below if you want to advertise in the Souvenir Book.

Parties

We encourage open parties, however, parties in a room not in the party block will be shut down. If you are planning to host a party at Readercon, please contact us so that we may book your room in the party block. If you are interested in using a suite for a party Friday or Saturday night, please contact us. Open parties (parties with an open invitation to all attendees and with an open door) may not serve alcohol. Closed parties (parties by invitation only and with a closed door) must make alcohol service arrangements with the hotel.

Con Suite

The Con Suite is Readercon’s own party, where you’ll find munchies both nutritious and non-, and people to talk to (there is a causal relationship here). We try to keep it open during all convention hours (with a little help from volunteers).

Paul Williams Could Use Your Help

Paul Williams, who has made enormous contributions both to the SF field (as founder of the Philip K. Dick Society and Dick's literary executor, also as the editor of the definitive collections of Theodore Sturgeon's short stories) and pop culture in general (Crawdaddy! magazine, which he founded in 1965, was the birthplace of serious rock criticism), is suffering from the early onset of dementia related to a traumatic brain injury suffered in 1995. He now requires full-time care, a huge financial burden for his loved ones due to lack of health insurance. Many of our lives would be the lesser without his work, and he and his family (his wife Cindy Lee Berryhill and son Alexander) could really use our help at this time. Please consider making a donation at:
http://www.paulwilliams.com/donations.html
or simply learn more about him at:
http://www.paulwilliams.com/

Heinlein Society Blood Drive

First time at Readercon! No history here, no expectations, but lots of hope! If you would like to make an appointment in advance to donate blood, please write to jcfh@alum.mit.edu or call John Hodges, the Heinlein Society volunteer organizing the drive on our behalf, at 617-943-4399. Donors will be scheduled in pairs every ten minutes from 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. on Saturday, 7/11/09. Walk-ins will be welcome, too, first come, first served, and will be fitted into this paced appointment schedule. This allows the Massachusetts General Hospital staff to have a chance to meet their guarantee of a 1/2 hour turnaround time for donors.

If you are a professional author attending Readercon and you would like to read to blood donors while they're donating, please write to jcfh@alum.mit.edu by the end of the day on Wednesday, 7/9/09, to arrange a time in advance. John will correspond directly with you to confirm before the con starts on Thursday. No schedule changes other than dropouts of already scheduled artists will be entertained once the con starts. This allows predictable times for donors to choose to schedule to hear particular authors or to not be distracted by an author reading at all if they prefer. Thanks for understanding.

The Heinlein Society exists to preserve the legacy renowned writer Robert Anson Heinlein left us in novels, essays, speeches, and short stories. The volunteers of the society "Pay it forward," Heinlein's oft expressed phrase, since we can never pay back the riches he shared with us. If you've ever considered donating blood, please take this opportunity. If you've ever enjoyed the Grand Master's work, thank him by "paying it forward" in a way he would have deeply appreciated. Mr. Heinlein traveled extensively to promote this important cause and frequently donated himself. He organized the first blood drive at the 1976 Worldcon and designed a pin for donors in appreciation. Donors at the Readercon drive will receive these pins and our thanks.

Some of you may be aware of the Heinlein Society Naughty Nurses who have been such dedicated volunteers at Arisia for the past five years. While some are also Readercon attendees, none are anticipated to take on this role during Readercon, though volunteer recruiters are also encouraged to contact John directly if you'd like to help out. Thanks!

Bone Marrow Registry Drive

This summer at Readercon, representatives of the Caitlin Raymond International Registry will be running an information table and registry drive. Registration itself is simple and painless: all you have to do is swab your cheek and fill out a form. To register you must be between the ages of 16 and 60 and in general good health.

More than 35,000 patients per year, many of them children, are diagnosed with diseases treatable by marrow or stem cell transplant. These diseases include leukemia, lymphoma and other cancers and genetic diseases.

Many people do not consider donating because they may not know they can help, but also because they have misconceptions about the donation process. The drive is a great venue for getting your questions answered.

When someone needs a bone marrow transplant and none of their family members are a match, the registry searches for a donor whose tissue type profile is compatible. 70% of people requiring a transplant need an unrelated donor.

A person looking for a stem cell match may find one potential donor in a pool of 20,000, or 1,000,000, or more. The most likely match for someone is a person of the same or a similar ethnic background. No one is guaranteed a match, regardless of background, but ethnic minorities are especially underrepresented and patients have even less chance of finding a matching donor.

Then they have to hope that person is on the registry. You might be the match necessary to save a life.

SAVE THE DATE!
Saturday, July 11th, 2009
10:00 am – 6:00 pm

Legislators in several states have passed laws that make it mandatory for most insurance companies operating in these states to pay the cost of your registration. Please bring your health insurance card with you.

For more information on the importance of registering and the donation process, please visit crir.org. The inspiration for this drive is the thousands of people who are waiting on any given day for a donor. One of them was Emru Townsend, a fan and critic. Instead of writing about animation, comics, and technology, last year he spent his time writing about how people could save his life, or that of someone just like him at www.healemru.com. This drive is in his memory.

Tiptree Bake Sale

Readercon has been proud to host a James Tiptree, Jr. bake sale for many years, to support this fine award.

This year however, we will not have the space to hold a bakesale. We will be accept Tiptree donations at Registration — so please donate when you register.

Learn more about the James Tiptree, Jr. Award, or maybe hold a bake sale of your own!

Policies

  • No smoking in programming areas or the Bookshop, by state law and hotel policy.
  • No eating or drinking by customers in the Bookshop.
  • Cell phones must be set to silent or vibrate mode in panel discussion rooms
  • Only service animals in convention areas.
  • No weapons in convention areas.
  • Young children who are always with an adult are admitted free; others need a membership, see below.
  • Any disruptive or inappropriate behavior may lead to being asked to leave the convention.
  • Readercon reserves the right to revoke membership at any time for any reason. No refunds will be given.
  • Readercon reserves the right to refuse membership.

Harassment

Readercon has always had a zero-tolerance harassment policy. Until last year, we did not feel it necessary to call attendees' attention to the details of this policy — but this year we are being explicit.

Harassment of any kind — including physical assault, battery, deliberate intimidation, stalking, or unwelcome physical attentions — will not be tolerated at Readercon and will result in permanent suspension of membership.

As always, Readercon reserves the right to strip membership at its discretion.

Children Attending Readercon

There will be no child care provided at Readercon for 2009.

A child will be defined as any person who has not yet had an eighteenth birthday.

Children under the age of 15 who will be staying with a parent at all times receive a free membership, a ReaderKids In Tow badge, and no conference materials. The badge must have the Readercon attending parent's name on the front of the badge and contact info on the back. This free badge must be worn at all times while on hotel grounds.

Children under the age of 15 may not be left unattended in any convention area or public hotel space.

Children 15-17 years old who come to the convention with a parent and plan to go to programming independently, can purchase a membership at half the at-door price. They will receive a ReaderTeen badge and a Program Guide and a Souvenir Book, and we will require a parent's name on the front of the badge and contact info (ideally a cell phone number) on the back. This badge must be worn at all times while on hotel grounds. Children 15-17 years old must be able to observe the same behavioral guidelines as any adult.

If we see a child who is being disruptive, or seems to need a parent and has no parent around, we will try to contact the parent. If we cannot contact the parent within 15 minutes, we will contact hotel security and ask them to assume supervision of the child.

Any disruptive or inappropriate behavior may lead to being asked to leave the convention. Readercon reserves the right to revoke membership at any time for any reason. No refunds will be given.

This policy has been established for the folowing reasons:

  • Liability issues raised by the hotel due to unattended children left to play in hotel common areas and the pool area.
  • Liability issues raised by Readercon for the same reasons, as well as for the comfort of all attendees.
  • Liability issue of minor children left at Readercon without a parent or appointed guardian on hotel premises. Note that these children may be held by hotel security, the Department of Social Services contacted, and the child turned over to its care.
  • It’s all about safety. We want our children to be safe, and we want yours to be as well.

Advertising

The Readercon 20 Souvenir Book will contain original and reprint material by and about this year’s guests. If you want to place an ad, please contact us for details.

The Souvenir Book will be perfect-bound, printed on heavy flat stock, and trimmed to 8 1/2 by 11 inches. We are planning a two-color cover, and both inside covers are available for ads. Interior ads will be black & white.

Ad copy should be received by May 15, 2009 at the latest. We would prefer electronic copy: PDF files via email or on a CD-ROM.

Special printing needs (bleeds and color) are extra. Bleeds are only available on full-page advertisements. Readercon retains the right to review all ads for suitability. Ad material will only be printed in the souvenir book for which it is contracted.

Semi-pro rates are reserved for magazines, small presses, dealers at Readercon, and artists (not agents); if you are unsure which rates apply to you, please contact Diane Martin directly.

Size Image Area Pro Semi-Pro Fan
Full Page 10" x 7.5" $300 $175 $80
Half Page (wide) 5" x 7.5" $250 $100 $50
Half Page (tall) 10" x 3.75" $250 $100 $50
Quarter Page (box) 5" x 3.75" $175 $75 $35
Quarter Page (strip) 2.5" x 7.5" $175 $75 $35
Center Spread (2 pages) 10" x 7.5" $500 — —
Full Page (inside cover) 10" x 7.5" $350 — —

All prices in US dollars, payable to Readercon, Inc. by check, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover. Purchase orders are accepted by prior arrangement.

Volunteers

Readercon is run entirely by volunteers. We can always use more help, in every area. If you’re new to conventions, volunteering is a great and time-tested way to meet people. Let us know you’re interested, and we’ll contact you about scheduling you in the areas you’d like to work—or you can just volunteer at the con (although the most interesting jobs may be taken by then). Work 8 hours and you’ll earn a free membership to next year’s con

Readercon 20 Private Writers' Workshop

Readercon 20 will host the ever-popular private writers' workshop, now in its second decade, organized by Jim Cambias and Sarah Smith of the Cambridge SF Workshop and run along Clarion lines, where 2 professional writers join 4-5 amateur writers in a roundtable workshop.

Who Should Apply: Serious amateur or newly professional writers who are curious about workshops, have work they want to improve, and are willing to devote a fair amount of time before and during the con. Previous workshop experience helps but is not necessary.

How To Apply: Submit up to 7,500 words of fiction (a self-contained short story, chapters from a novel, or an outline). Submissions are open from now through 11:59 pm, Saturday, June 27, 2009 (that is, two weeks before the con). Selections will be made promptly thereafter. Those selected to be in the workshop will be notified and provided with a list of the other attendees, a summary of workshop procedures, and other background.

At the Con: The workshop will run 4 to 4 1/2 hours (on Sunday morning beginning at 8:30 am and ending between 12:30 and 1:00 pm). Jim Cambias and Sarah Smith will organize and moderate the workshop, under the general principles used by the Cambridge Science Fiction Workshop (www.cs-fw.org), a long-running Clarion-style workshop whose current members include: James Cambias, F. Brett Cox, Theodora Goss, Alexander Jablokov, James Patrick Kelly, Joy Marchand, Steven Popkes, Vandana Singh, and Sarah Smith. Each participant will critique and be critiqued.

Where to Send Submissions: To apply or for more information, send submissions directly to Jim and Sarah via email to jim@zygotegames.com and sarahwriter@gmail.com. All submissions must be in electronic form (for submission etiquette — not mandatory, but polite — email the organizers).