Program Book Bio Opinions
The staff liaisons to the convention guests lead busy lives and have a lot to do. I think that's why they ignore my instructions on biographies about their guests, such as word count limit. Personally, I think a program book bio should serve only as introductions to who the guest of honor is, what made them noteworthy, and why a random stranger should care. Maybe afterward, if there's space, it can offer tidbits for those who are already their fans, like hometown, education, spouse, and pets. Most of us will never care about those things. But then again, if you are providing a bio for the book, just because I'm graphic designer for the book does not make me the boss of you. I'll cram all that stuff in somewhere. Maybe sideways. In the margin. Or something.
Comments
jeffreyab on Jan. 4, 2010 1:58 AM
I always looked at your position as editor so if you have to cut you cut.
Was David Gibbs' bio OK?
If not cut the anecdote about the can swapping.
users on Jan. 4, 2010 2:11 AM
What were your word count limit instructions...what was passed on was 500 words.
matt-arnold on Jan. 4, 2010 2:27 AM
Yup. My instructions to Jessica were that 500 is safe, 600 is pushing it but acceptable. I'd love to have all these bios be 500 to 600 words instead of 674 and 819 and so forth.
users on Jan. 4, 2010 2:29 AM
I take it they were generally longer than that? That's fandom following directions for ya...*sigh*
matt-arnold on Jan. 4, 2010 2:44 AM
Yes. I know that you love numbers just as much as I do, and giving out those numbers, and seeing what kind of colorful and adventurous numbers you receive in return.
"wheeeeeeeeeeee ran out of paper guess what font size you get"
matt-arnold on Jan. 4, 2010 2:50 AM
Hey! I just asked myself "what would Jer do?" You know what I should do? At the end of the page, I should put "Read more below the cut..." underlined. Maybe even print a scroll bar so they can try to get at the text I didn't print! Ha ha! See, I can give back colorful and adventurous results too! What fun!
jeffreyab on Jan. 4, 2010 2:47 AM
I never got the word count.
Here is the 500 word version:
David Gibbs
David Gibbs is a true renaissance person. Some aspects of this include: Life Master at Bridge, avid rock climber and ball room dancer, plays soccer in his spare time, motorcycle riding; he rode his motorcycle to the San Francisco World Con and he tackled a bicycle trip through Europe with his friend David Weil.
He can’t recall the first science fiction book he ever read but his favourite authors include Harlan Ellison, Walter Jon Williams, Steven Brust, and Lois McMaster Bujold. His favourite SF movie is “Bladerunner.” An avid war and board games player he started going to Cangames in Ottawa around 1983, this lead to his first SF con Maplecon 7 in 1985 where the teenage David didn't sleep for the whole con 68 1/2 hours without sleep, but he did get 5 meals a day. He followed quickly by his first out of town convention Ad Astra in Toronto in 1986. In 1990 he started to explore the world of American SF cons with Contradiction in Niagara Falls.
His first Michigan con was Immaculate ConFusion in 1991. He found Michigan fandom to be very friendly although this may have been because he was often mistaken for Chuck Firment when both were clean shaven and had long hair. He quickly became a regular in Michigan adding ConClave, Contraption, Bacchanal and Penguicon to his yearly round of conventions. He has been to at least 44 Michigan conventions since then and often attends sf fan meetings between cons when his computer business employer sends him to the Detroit area to work.
David has been to at least 137 science fiction conventions from Arisia in Boston to Disclave in Washington DC to Rivercon in Louisville to Windycon in Chicago. His first Worldcon was Chicon V in 1991 in Chicago and he has been to 7 since then most recently working at Anticipation the 2009 worldcon in Montreal. He started working on conventions in 1991 when he started going to many in a year. David says that “Working on the cons doesn't necessarily make them any more/less interesting, except that I find for a con where I don't know many people, working the con is a really good way to meet people.”
His friend Engene Heller has this to say about him: The problem with trying to introduce David is that, if you've been hanging around Michigan convention fandom for a while, then chances are that you already know him. In writing about a Fan Guest of Honour, I find myself wanting to tell of rock star fannish exploits, such as chairing a convention or pubbing an ish -- that's not David. He does do his share of volunteering and often agrees with me about the participatory nature of sf cons (that's how you really know that I approve of him) but what brings Confusion to choose to honour him is a much homelier virtue: he's friendly.
matt-arnold on Jan. 4, 2010 2:59 AM
Thank you! I understand, no problem. Sorry for doing it this way. In apology I have made you this cartoon.
twoofdtm on Jan. 4, 2010 9:58 PM
You didn't get a word count because you're not Dave's Liaison. Kathy asked us to use what was provided from the website and since I nor Matt have the time to make these bio's fit the 500 word count as we're doing a bagillion other things and can't add other jobs to our already full plates, we did what Kathy asked us to do.
While I love you, and I'm sure Kathy appreciates the write ups that you did, it wasn't your job. (I love Kathy toooo!)
rbradakis on Jan. 6, 2010 12:48 AM
Now I wonder how long the bio from Cat was. I didn't word count it, I just passed it along. Oops.
matt-arnold on Jan. 6, 2010 1:12 AM
Do you have time to cut a couple hundred (-ish) words off it today or tomorrow?
rbradakis on Jan. 6, 2010 11:34 PM
Um, yes. Shortly.
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