Anime Festival Orlando: August 3-5, 2018

After a pretty solid first-time convention experience last year, I decided to go back to AFO this year. I had a new book to sell and a new chauffer, my roommate. Coincidentally, I was in almost the exact same spot as last year. Things were a bit confusing at first, though, as the table setup didn't match what was on the map. I suppose that, some time in between releasing the map and setting up the tables, someone decided to change the arrangement. It worked out, since the adjusted layout gave us more space around our areas. AFO's dates overlapped with Tampa Bay Comic Con this year, something that seems to be increasingly difficult to avoid as more conventions spring up. Still, I don't think that influenced attendence much.

It seems that my dark table setup really stands out, because (as with both previous cons) I had a lot of people commenting on how dark it is, and noting the slightly spooky nature of my illustrations. It was fun watching passers-by do double-takes, both of the display itself and of my holographic NecroCat print.

As with my previous cons, my books sold much better than anything else, and my brand-new book, Until the End, was met with a warm reception. Willow's Tale, my precious fairy tale, also found some new readers. I actually had one girl, who bought Willow, come up to me the day after and slam her hand on the table and say, "I HAVE QUESTIONS. I demand answers!" After recieving the desired answers, she became even more emotional about the story. That moment was the highlight of the convention for me.

Overall, I did better than last year. Curiously, sales were best on Friday, and Sunday was really slow. Another seller I spoke to about it said the same thing, and they mentioned that it was kind of odd. Still, I call this year a success. I'm looking forward to my next event.