If you’re a professional writer, think of us as an editor. It’s our job to select from all of the myriad ideas and program possibilities to build the best program we can. Like an editor, we strive for an interesting balance of ideas and people, that will allow us to make our visions of Noreascon 4 into realities. (And, like an editor, we might even make the wrong choices. So it goes….)

Teresa Nielsen Hayden once described the job of the Program Department as "programming the conversation of the convention" and we think that's a great short summary. Program is about creating and stimulating conversations, two-way (or multi-way) interactions between people. The conversation is between and among the members of the convention — all of them at one time or another if we do the job well. A really great program is one whose ideas are still being discussed days later by people who didn’t even attend the original program item!

The main job of the Program Division is to put together a schedule of interesting program topics staffed with interesting people who'll talk about them. Our primary focus is on good conversation. The issue of who's scheduled to have that conversation is also important, but it's not our starting point.

So what makes a good conversation? In a nutshell: lively, knowledgeable, articulate people talking to each other, interactively, about some interesting subject.

Sounds good. So who'll be on this program?

A very good question, but we haven't decided yet. What we do know is that the N4 program will be big, diverse, and inclusive, and that it will include writers, artists, editors, fans, scientists, singers...you get the picture.

We want the participants in this program to be the best we can find for what we want to present. Our overriding priority is to create the best possible program for the members of Noreascon 4. Period.

Let’s cut to the chase: how can I be on program?

If you believe you’re already known to the people running Program, then the first big thing you need to do is to let us know that you’re interested and buy your membership (see sidebar). But the SF/F field is a big place these days — too big for anybody to know everybody who has something interesting to say. If it happens that we aren't yet acquainted with you, we need you to tell us about yourself.

What do we want to know about you?

If you're a writer, we'd certainly like to know what you've written and where it was published; and the same goes for artists, filkers, fan publishers, film makers, etc. We’re looking for people — writers and non-writers; professionals and non-professionals — who'll make interesting contributions to the convention’s conversations. So, it's also important for us to know what else you do (or have done) and what else you care about. What are you interested in? In what fields are you an expert? What engages your passions? What are your hobbies? Got any powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal fen? Do please let us know.

Show us that you have something interesting to say. Suggest program topics we may not have thought about and people who are interesting whom we may not know about. Tell us about yourself. (Listing your professional associations and memberships doesn't tell us much about you. Telling us which subjects and areas of interest you're personally involved with in those organizations is far more pertinent. You're welcome to send us the URL of your website, but please don't just send us the URL and expect us to figure out the relevant bits on our own — point it out to us!) If you’re interesting and knowledgeable, we’d like to put you on something — if we can....

What do you mean by that?

The Worldcon program is huge. Something on the order of five hundred people (or more!) will be program participants — but the pool of potential participants is significantly larger than that, and there will be meritorious people for whom we just won’t be able to find a good setting. We regret this. The worst thing about putting together a program is that doing so precludes all the other programs that might have been created. But time and resources are finite, and there's no way around it. Something we know from long experience is that a four-person panel is just about right, five panelists is pushing it, and six or more almost always makes an unworkable panel. We'll be aiming for four. And since there are only so many slots for so many program items, this gives us a finite and inelastic number of panel assignments.

The bottom line is, we can't promise we'll use everyone who volunteers.

We promise to do our best. If we thought we could guarantee that the results will make absolutely everyone absolutely happy, we'd promise that too. We can't. But we do promise to do our best.

Remember that you can have a terrific time at the Worldcon even if you’re not on the program. Lots of our most interesting conversations at Worldcons have occurred in the bar, while you're waiting on a line, and even in the ladies' room! There's a lot you can contribute to Noreascon 4 whether you're officially on the Program or not. We want you to be part of our conversations — wherever they happen.

Please take a look at Brenda Clough's essay  "Inside Worldcon: The Writer's Tour" published in the SFWA Bulletin. (She has given us permission to reprint it for writers who may wish to be on a Worldcon program.).