The Limestone Genre Expo, which brought together Canadian authors of genre fiction, took place in Kingston Ontario, from June 3 to 4, 2017. The event involved panel discussions, workshops, readings, pitch sessions, and a large sales event on books written by both indie and traditionally published authors. Among guests and presenters were Alyssa Cooper, Nancy Kilpatrik, Laura Baumbach, Kris Jacen, Kim McDougal, and Eve Langlais. Attendees included some of my colleagues from the editing industry, whom I met back in Toronto through various professional membership events.
Most panels focused on specific literary genres, such as fantasy, mystery, horror, and romance. Authors, editors, and other industry professionals shared their insight on what it takes to be a successful writer. Nowadays, writing high-quality fiction is only half the battle. In order to be discovered by the readers, a book needs to have an outstanding cover (and yes, people do judge books by their covers) and be available through various social media platforms for discovery. Building readership was one of the workshops offered during the Expo. Other workshops included story development, world building, self editing, and writing in a particular genre.
I greatly benefited from this event. Not only did I get to learn about some of the latest trends and developments in the industry, but also I got to enjoy the beautiful town of Kingston together with my husband. Founded in 1838, Kingston is known for a number of historical sites, including Fort Frontenac, Fort Henry, Murney Tower, Kingston City Hall and Market Square, and the infamous Kingston Penitentiary. 1000 islands is a famous sightseeing destination that attracts visitors from across Canada and, broadly speaking, from across the globe.
Although we didn’t have the time to see all the points of interest, we were still able to take a short walk in the downtown, take photos of the historic architecture, and enjoy the breeze of St. Lawrence River. On the first evening of the Expo, our group dined at the Merchant Tap House, a downtown pub that offers a finest selection of food and drink items. It was nice to sit together, discuss our recent and upcoming works, and pass along occasional jokes.
I am grateful to the organizing team for the opportunity to attend the Limestone Genre Expo as one of the authors. It was truly a fun and educational event!
Olga Sushinsky 