nervousI'm heading up the convention's at-con daily newsletter this year. To make a long story short, I work Saturdays and haven't been able to attend staff meetings, and (due to some other miscommunications on my part) only found out last week that I was also in charge of hiring my own subordinates for newsletter work.
I spent the week and weekend badly stressing out about this, and only today have gotten a handle on things again. The problem is not that I'm in over my head; I have a week to do advance work, which is more than I usually get. I only have to do one issue of four pages per day. And FC's newsletter staff has historically been two people, so I am capable of putting out the newsletter alone if I have no other choice.
What is the problem is that
halyn and I will be meeting at the convention for the first time, and are both very anxious to spend some quality time with each other after many months of anticipation. And if I'm flying newsletter solo, I'm going to be a stressmonkey all weekend, and in a worst-case scenario might not get to spend any undistracted time with her -- even the possibility of which hurts.She's willing to pitch in with the work if it comes down to that, but neither of us is too enthusiastic about that -- her, because she's got a convention to explore for the first time, and me, because I don't want our first in-person meeting to be as taskmaster and employee. So it would be REALLY, REALLY nice if someone were to stand up and volunteer to share my newsletter burden.
This doesn't have to be a big thing, and it doesn't have to mean doing anything truly unpleasant. If you can do page design/layout, I'll wander out and be a reporter -- or vice versa if you'd rather take in the con on company time. Even if you just want to drop by and help typeset/edit/proofread, that can save me hours of busywork. Even if you just want to volunteer to listen for good random quotes in the halls, or take pictures of keen costumes, it saves me time. And who knows, I may need some room party reviews ...
And what do you get out of this? FurCon's still a young con; I can't offer free room space, or a free badge, or anything of any real monetary value. What you get is your name in the newsletter's credits; a shiny badge with your picture on it; and -- most importantly -- busloads of good karma. Good karma so huge you can feel it from here. (Yeah. Close your eyes and take a deep breath. That tingling feeling. That.)
(Of course, if the prospect of being a media jackal gets you salivating, I do have the authority to deputize a second-in-command and share as much of the at-con work with you as you feel like doing. Such an act would be rewardable not only with good karma, but also with several minutes of actual worship, a free hour or two of Baxil rental, and a notarized letter saying just how much you kick ass.)
So ... help?