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Easter is quickly approaching and that means so too is SWANCON. Swancon is the longest running speculative fiction convention in Australia and is held in my home town of Perth, Western Australia. This year, it’s also doubling as the NATCON for Australia. Special guests include Ryan Griffen (series concept creator/producer of tv series Cleverman) and Foz Meadows (author, blogger, reviewer, and poet), among others.

For those of you planning to attend, here’s where you can find me:

Saturday 31st March

11.00am – Engaging Your Readers – Panel discussion with Emma Hall (IngramSpark)

A shiny cover image and a snappy pull quote for your book won’t work unless you can encourage your readers to look. The panellists talk through mailing lists, giveaways and social media for authors. Fridge magnets or free chapters, what works for getting your reader’s nose in your book?

4.00pm – From an Image to an Ending – Creative Writing Workshop

They say a picture tells a thousand words, but the truth is, they can tell an infinite amount more if you let your imagination run wild. Whether photographs, paintings or digital art, these images are windows behind which lay 3D worlds just waiting to be explored. This workshop will lead you through an exercise in using Pinterest to spark your imagination and get your stories flowing.

5.30pm – BOOK LAUNCH – The Time of the Stripes – Hosted by Kat Clay.

I will be launching the paperback of my latest novel, The Time of the Stripes, a standalone SF novel. You can expect to hear me read an excerpt and chat about my writing process, then sign books – all with added treats!

Sunday 1st April

2.00pm – Book Covers: Art or Money – Panel discussion with Emma Hall (IngramSpark), Rebecca Laffar-Smith and Emily K Smith

Can book covers be both effective marketing tools and art? How does an author navigate a cover art request form successfully? The panel will investigate the complexities of book covers from the perspective of both authors and artists.

3.00pm – Fan Fund Auction

The Fan Funds represented at the convention auction memorabilia and trinkets to raise funds for the next great adventure. Come along, buy amazing autographed or obscure fannish goodies, and contribute to sending fans travelling Australia and the world. I will be adding signed books to the loot if you’d like to bid for them!

I’ll also be around on the Friday and Monday, so if you see me come and say ‘hi’!

Further information on the Swancon schedule can be found here.

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Amanda Bridgeman

Amanda is an award-winning writer of both original and tie-in fiction. Her works include the near future crime thriller, THE SUBJUGATE, which is being developed for TV; Scribe Award winning procedural thriller, PANDEMIC: PATIENT ZERO; and Marvel X-Men novel, SOUND OF LIGHT, which has been embraced by Dazzler fans around the world.

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