I'm a failure at blogging. I think that goes without being said. To hop back onto the blogging train, I thought I'd include all the details from this amazingly memorable weekend.
A few weeks ago, shortly before Love in Smoke released, I was asked by a fellow author friend, Rhea (pen name R.S. Medina), if I'd like to take part in a signing at The Bookworm Box, organized by her friend Joy. I was shocked, to say the least, as I hadn't expected to attend a signing for at least another year or two, depending on how the writing thing went. I'd be lying if I said I didn't start stressing when I accepted. I had given myself too much to deal with in the days leading up to the release of LIS, and I had never been to a signing before. There were paperbacks to order and swag to choose and design. I hadn't even formatted the paperback for LIS at that point! Anyways, I'm happy to say I have NO RAGRETS! It was amazing! (By the way, RAGRETS is supposed to be spelled that way. Anyone seen We're the Millers?)
If you don't know what the BWB is, it's both a bookstore and a monthly subscription box started by NYT bestselling author Colleen Hoover, featuring signed books and swag that are donated by the authors themselves. All profit goes to charity, and if that doesn't get you to Sulphur Springs, I don't know what will. I'd been to the BWB once before, but sadly missed Colleen. This time, she was the first person I saw when I walked in lugging all my books. Keep in mind I'd hardly slept the night before and was literally sweating at the thought of meeting someone whose books I'd read for years and who gave me the hope and inspiration I needed to publish a damn book in the first place. So, quite the buildup.
If you've never met Colleen, just know there's no reason to be as nervous as I was. She'll give you a huge hug and make you feel right at home. She made a point to visit each of our tables and talk to us about our books and hers, and I was so grateful to have the opportunity to chat with her a bit in such a laid back, no-pressure setting. I had heard not to attend signings as a fairly new author, as readers are usually there to visit their favorites and not necessarily find new ones. Signing at The BWB was unique in that sense, because it was so intimate that most attendees meandered through all the tables and asked all of us about our books. I met a few people whom I had met online previously, and several I'd never before been introduced to! Needless to say, I got in some good practice at pitching/summarizing my books in a more efficient manner. I could still use some practice at that, but hey, we've all got to start somewhere. Succinct has never been my strong suit.
The other advantage to attending a small signing was the opportunity to get to know the other five authors, none of whom I'd met in person prior to the event. All of them were so fun and helpful, willing to share feedback on everything from covers to editing to swag choices, and it was an awesome opportunity to meet others who have more experience in this somewhat solitary industry. Aside from Rhea and Myself, R.D. Berg, Ashley Christin, C.J. Davidson, and C.C. Wood also attended. R.D. Berg writes romantic comedy and has also co-authored a RomCom with Ashley Christin. It was one I had money in my pocket for, ready to buy, and I completely forgot about grabbing it before we packed up. So, if any of you ever read this, I'll take a copy of Strong Hate, please! C.J. Davidson's debut novel is fantasy, so I loved getting to talk to her about world-building and different supernatural races and powers. I got a copy of her book, A Daughter's Curse, and I can't wait to dig into it. One thing I love about fantasy is that there is no limit to what you can create, as there is no limit to your imagination, so chatting with her made me want to pick up mine and blow off the dust. C.C. Wood writes both paranormal romance and paranormal/cozy mystery, and she had several of her gorgeous books to sign. Her covers are all so simple and beautiful, and I had to grab her book Bite Me, which is the first of a series that features all different characters, from vampires to shape-shifters.
There was a steady flow of traffic all day, with attendees who'd come from all around Texas and even out of state. One of the coolest things was to hear that a lot of them had heard about our books already, either through Amazon's "Also-Boughts" lists or on Goodreads or other social media pages. It was reassuring in a way because it helped validate all the hard work indie authors put in on a daily basis. It's tough taking on so much by yourself and thinking it's for nothing, that you're not reaching readers, but Saturday helped prove me wrong. So thank you attendees for traveling, or just taking the time out of your day to come by if you're a local, and for sharing your stories with us. Thank you JOY for organizing such a fun event (and it was the first signing she'd organized!). And thank you to Colleen Hoover, not only for giving so much of your time to a selfless cause, but also for spending some of it with us. For providing a place for indie authors to make a difference, no matter how small it might be. It was an experience I'll never forget!
