Mark Stay Writes

I’m Mark Stay, author of the Witches of Woodville series and The End of Magic trilogy and I’ve been sharing what I’ve learned from doing 42 comic cons in 2025.

Missed the previous episodes? Click on the buttons below…

---

---

---

---

---

There have been four episodes so far and that was supposed to wrap things up, but I’ve had a couple of people ask about the logistics of doing comic cons overseas, starting with…

KATHERINE FRANKLIN

If you go abroad, how much of a pain is transport and customs/tax?

MORGAN DELANEY

My wife often suggests I try conventions but I live in Foreign*. If I wanted to do a convention I’d have to also pay for flights on top of all the other costs. That’s an extra 200-300€ at least. Do you reckon that’s still worth it? Oh, and I’d need to pay for somewhere to stay as well if I wanted to visit more than one day, which I assume is the goal?

*That’s a Discworld reference before you write in!

TRANSCRIPT

I’ve never sold overseas and so I asked a couple of writer friends who have, starting with…

ELINOR TAYLOR author of The Fisher Girl and The Balloon Hunter: www.elinortaylor.co.uk

---

Talking about selling at a comic con in NY: I can get a flight and hotel for under a grand and I’d be surprised if I didn’t get that back.The Americans are crazy for their books and you can charge more as they think we sell them cheap in the UK!

I have been talking about possibly splitting hotel costs with other authors

I sent my books to someone I know over there. But I don’t want to bother them again so checked with the hotel and they accept delivery and will store them until I arrive. Or you can arrange delivery to the venue much like you would for a London Con if you didn’t drive them there yourself.

It’s surprisingly not difficult. 

---

ALEXANDER LINTON, author of A SONG FOR NIGHTFALL and THE WANDERING OF UMBRA: https://alexander-linton.com

---

Offers this advice…

Reach out to other attendees ahead of time:

For me, not knowing anyone is what made me feel the most out of my element. Just saying hi to other attendees ahead of time makes the whole ordeal a lot less daunting. It also opens up sharing logistics with others, like sharing vehicles for deliveries, and working out accommodation options

Sign up for opportunities during the event:

Whether it be attending/hosting panels, giving workshops or any other opportunities during the event, I recommend signing up for whatever you’re able to (including things that may make you nervous!), since the experience makes the step of attending abroad feel all the more worthwhile, and will introduce you to all the more people

Region-specific landing pages

If you have a website or Linktree, I suggest having links to pages specific to the region you’re attending, if possible. For example, if you have a QR code to purchase a product, it’s worth having a region-specific version with you to make the process easy for customers. We’re also more likely to have purchases if customers don’t have to find their local currency or wonder if it is available for purchase in their region at all!

Local printing

Whether printing art or books, I find it far easier to research local printers who can print close to the event, rather than arranging shipment from my own region. This has also been far cheaper for me. The caveat to this is arranging a place to store the books until you arrive in the country. There are typically warehouses that charge per day and per package (and again, this is a cost that other attendees would likely be happy to share).

Have fun!

Bit of a different one, but equally important in my opinion. The whole experience of travelling to another country for your passion is incredible if we allow it to be. Between arranging logistics and all the work during the event, take some time to enjoy the country itself through the food, sights and general novelty. It’s too easy to get so lost in the experience that it goes by like a blur and feels like it never even happened by the end of it. Don’t forget to stop and “smell the roses” on the way!

My thanks to Elinor and Alex for those insights!

For questions about tax: it’s a minefield. Consult a professional. This is where my expertise expires. If you’re running this like a business, then get an accountant.

And that’s it: all that I’ve learned from doing 42 comic cons in a year. And I’ll certainly be doing more in 2026. Find me at markstaywrites.com for updates or sign up to my newsletter. I hope you’re found these videos helpful and if you see me at a comic con do please say hello… and buy a book or two… or three. I’ve got ten. Happy reading!

---

You can also support me by popping a few quid in my direction at Ko-Fi…