WHO WE ARE, WHERE WE CAME FROM, AND WHERE WE'RE GOING

Bob Booth, circa Necon 1 in 1980 (little did he know where it would all lead ...)

In the beginning, there was nothing. Then, Bob Booth had an idea ...

The year was 1980, and Bob was coming fresh off of successfully running the Fifth World Fantasy Convention in Providence, Rhode Island. Shortly thereafter, he was contacted by Roger Williams University (then College) about possibly hosting the next WFC on their campus. The notion, as he puts it, was ludicrous; not only were the facilities woefully too small, but they were only available during the summer months. However, the price they quoted was so reasonable that he figured, "Why not start our own small, intimate horror convention?" And with that, the Northeastern Writers' Conference, henceforth known as NECON, was formed. For more information on the convention and its history, please visit www.campnecon.com.

Thirty years later, Bob Booth had an another idea. (Sidenote: This is about average for Bob; we're all anxiously looking forward to what he comes up with in 2040 ...)

An avowed "techie" who spent years working with computers in print and web design, Bob was one of the first book lovers who took the plunge and purchased an e-reader. He was, quite frankly, shocked at just how much he loved it; while it would never replace his treasured library shelves, the power of its portability, ease of use, and direct purchasing capability were undeniable. Excited, Bob went to fill his e-reader with many of his favorite horror titles ... and discovered they were unavailable in e-book format. Current titles were available, as were much older works that had entered the public domain. However, the classics which had shaped "The Golden Age of Horror" of the late 1970s and 1980s — in short, the novels and writers who had shaped the genre from which Necon was born — had fallen through a "donut hole" of sorts. They weren't yet public domain, which meant a publisher would need to contact (and contract) the authors for their rights. They also were published prior to the modern computer age, meaning no electronic files existed of their text. It would take a publisher with a true love of the genre and connections with "Golden Age" authors to bring these works into the digital age ... someone like himself. When his initial inquiries to the writers were met with OVERWHELMING enthusiasm, Bob was convinced he was on to something special.

And so, during a panel discussion regarding digital publishing at Necon XXX, Bob Booth announced the formation of NECON E-BOOKS. To help launch his company, Bob assembled a "crack team of specialists" (cue the theme from The A-Team): his son, Dan Booth, who had just finished a 13-year run as Chairman of the convention; Kellianne Jones, a talented young artist who had become part of the Necon family; and Matt Bechtel, a writer/humorist who had also spent his "day job" hours in the fields of graphic and web design (in fact, he and Bob actually met while working together in the same graphics studio).

Our company's publishing criteria is quite simple — 1) The writer must have some connection to Necon; and 2) The work must be good. That's it. We also proudly follow in the publishing footsteps of the late, great Charles L. Grant (whose fiction we're also honored to publish) — acknowledge the past, encourage the future. To Charlie, it was never about protecting his own slice of the proverbial pie; rather, he believed opening doors for talented newcomers would lead to a larger pie for all to share. That's why our company runs our monthly Flash Fiction Contest (click here); hopefully, we're providing a platform for more writers to gain the recognition they so richly deserve.

Thank you again for taking the time to visit our site. Please be sure to follow our new Live Blog (click here), and also please follow us on Facebook and Twitter (click here). We look forward to fulfilling all of your e-literature needs.

Sincerely,
– The Staff of Necon E-Books