Well,
it's the end of another whirlwind weekend! Many of you know that every year, I
attend the NJRW Put Your Heart in a Book conference. And since it's really
close to my local RWA chapter, Hudson Valley RWA, a good portion of my fellow
members attend as well, which guarantees a really fun weekend. This year, our
very own Liz Matis was a finalist in the Novella category of the Golden Leaf, a
contest for published works. Sadly, she didn't win, but I still advise you to
check out that book – Guarding the Quarterback. All in all, the conference was
truly a great time. Again.
Also this
year was the very first time I presented a workshop - "Twisting History –
Using Real Historical Events and People to Propel Your Plot." I worked really
hard on hitting specific ideas prior to submitting the proposal; once it was
accepted, I polished it up, expanded it and practiced giving it, so I could get
a sense of how long it actually lasted as opposed to how long it should. Oddly,
putting it together was actually harder than writing fictional characters and
their stories. And special thanks to Kelly Janicello for pointing out all the
places I needed to pause and take a breath - and add a bit of drama. :D But I
think I have a handle on how to really make a presentation pop. And now I have
to go back through it and add all the notes I made this weekend before I
actually presented. Plus, I've had some ideas for a few more workshops, so I'll
be toying with putting together some thoughts on those. I actually found myself
having fun while I was presenting, now I want to keep doing it! :D
One of
the best parts is always hanging out with friends, and making new ones. While many
of us see each other year after year, there are always new faces to get
friendly with, and this year was no exception. There were a lot of laughs.
This
year, the conference committee made some changes to the event format, and, I
think they were changes for the better. There was an additional energy this
year, and I think those changes are a large part of the reason.
Normally,
at the end of the conference on Saturday afternoon, there is an author book
signing, with proceeds going to literacy charities. I have noticed, since I
always participated, that over the last several years, attendance to that portion,
which is open to the public, has been declining. I think a large part of that is
due to reader habits today, which in the last several years, have changed dramatically.
Ebooks had been making steady progress for some time, but once Amazon launched
the Kindle and the KDP publishing arm, industry trends and behavior changed in
ways that I suspect a lot of people, myself included, never could have imagined. I do still know
some people who are holdouts for a paper book, but that number is far fewer
now than it was just five or six years ago. Almost everyone I know reads
digital formats in some way – I myself have four different devices I regularly
read from, and few other older ones that I can use in a pinch if necessary. So
while it is cool to get a signed print copy of your favorite book by your
favorite author, it's not necessarily the most important anymore. With everyone
on social media these days, you're likely already interacting way more
intimately with authors you read than you'd be at a big signing like that. The
appeal simply wasn't as great as it had been in the past.
So,
back on target here. This year, instead of the bookfair, NJRW launched an
Author Services Expo, a trade show for cover artists, editors, formatters, etc.
That was very interesting and a nice change. Plus, it gave authors who provided
such services another networking opportunity. I thought that change really
enhanced the conference. I perused and took note of a few folks – there are
some very talented people out there. Consider me impressed.
I also want
to say again, thank you so very much to Casey Hagan, the conference committee
chair, and all of the people on the committee who gave tirelessly of their time
to treat us all to a great, and productive, event. There's a lot that goes into
a conference like this – I know, I've coordinated similar events myself in a former
life. Casey and her committee did a fantastic job, everything ran smoothly,
and I can imagine that everyone on that committee is looking forward to a week
or so of downtime. I hope they get it!
Another
new event took place this morning, Sunday - the first inaugural Hearts and
Sparks Readers and Bloggers Appreciation Brunch. Terri Brisbin and Joanna Shupe
coordinated and hosted, and again, I was so impressed. Their efforts to make
this brunch a fun time were remarkable. When the guests arrived, there was a
game for them to play, called First Line Bingo, which was a Bingo card with the
first line from a book of each of the authors attending. Mine was the
opening line from "In the Mage's Arms,"
and when I introduced myself and explained that "I write the kinky stuff,"
everyone pretty much figured out which line was mine. What a really cool idea –
and so much fun! It helped to break the ice and get people mingling and talking
and getting to know each other. Great company, great food, and lots of laughs.
That's what it's all about folks!
Overall,
another 5 Star weekend! And while I'm tired, I'm also energized and motivated
and hopefully can keep that going before I hit the road again to visit my
daughter at college next weekend.
