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Publications

Readercon members receive two original publications: a Pocket 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 Pocket Program Guide contains the 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.

Our Souvenir Book is largely 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. In the back are the patented Readercon bio-bibs: mini-bibliographies of every participant.

See below if you want to advertise with Readercon. 

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. 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 people to talk with and munchies to sample. We try to keep it open during all convention hours, with a little help from our fantastic volunteers. Sponsorship of Con Suite is an available option to other groups and conventions, if you wish to throw a party with us. Please email conchair@readercon.org if you're interested in knowing more.

Readercon Advertising

The Readercon 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. Details about our advertising requirements and rates are in our Ad details document. Please review this document if you are interested.

The Souvenir Book is perfect-bound, with heavier stock for the cover, and trimmed to 7 by 10 inches. It has a glossy color cover. Both inside covers are available for ads. All standard ads are black & white. 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.

Our Flyer

If you would like to put up flyers advertising Readercon, our flyer is available here. Please only advertise where it is legal for you to do so and, in the case of private property, where you have explicit permission to do so.

Charities

Heinlein Society Blood Drive

On Saturday, the Massachusetts General Hospital Bloodmobile will return to serve Readercon for a Heinlein Society Blood Drive! Your consistent support over years means so much, especially during midsummer. Thank you!

First time donating?  This video gives you an idea of what will happen during your donation.

MGH and the Heinlein Society will have token gifts of appreciation for all who present themselves as potential donors, but all of you who have donated before know that these are the least of the reasons to come forward.

You can make an appointment in advance to donate blood by clicking the link.  (To volunteer to help donors have a wonderful experience, please sign up at this Volunteer Signup sheet, write to John Hodges, the Heinlein Society volunteer organizing the drive, or text or call him at 617-943-4399.) Thank you!

Donors will be scheduled in three appointments every 10 minutes from 9 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Walk-ins will be welcome, too, first come, first served, and will be fitted into this paced appointment schedule. This allows the MGH staff to have a chance to meet their goal of a 1/2 hour turnaround time for donors.

Otherwise Bake Sale

The bake sale benefits the Otherwise Award, an annual literary prize that celebrates science fiction, fantasy, and other forms of speculative narrative that expand and explore our understanding of gender. Each Otherwise jury is encouraged to take an expansive view of "science fiction and fantasy," considering works that don’t fit into a narrow genre definition. Like Readercon, Otherwise looks to seek out works that have a broad, intersectional, trans-inclusive understanding of gender in the context of race, class, nationality, disability, and more.

Please consider bringing something to be sold: all non-refrigerated foods are welcome (particularly those that also suit dietary restrictions).If you are thinking of bringing something, we'd appreciate it if you'd let us know in advance let us know at bakesale@readercon.org. Food can be dropped off during the sale itself or at the Information Desk ahead of time. Even if you are not a baker, please mark your calendars and spread the word!

    General Policies and Code of Conduct

    By attending Readercon you agree to abide by our general policies and code of conduct. Click here to view the code of conduct, policies, and procedures.

    Children Attending Readercon

    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 and contact info on the back. This free badge must be worn at all times while on hotel grounds.

    Children under the age of 12 may not be left unattended in any convention area or public hotel space.

    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 following 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 or turned over to the Department of Social Services if the parent cannot immediately be reached.
    • It's all about safety. We want our children to be safe, and we want yours to be as well.

    Flyers at Readercon

    Flyers may be posted on the Readercon schedule tower which is located in front of the main panels spaces. Please do not cover flyers already placed by others.

    Flyers may not be posted on hotel walls unless they bear the Concom stamp of approval. To have your flyers approved, bring all copies to be posted to the Information table for review. If approved, we will stamp them and provide you with hotel-approved adhesive materials and a list of places where flyers may be posted. We will aggressively hunt down and remove any unapproved flyers. Please do not staple flyers to hotel property or use adhesive materials other than the ones we provide.