So what’s the bottom line on the conferences?

Just a few observations after my panel appearances at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference on Tuesday, June 11 and at the Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference Friday and Saturday, June 14 and 15.

Venues: Santa Barbara was much more upscale. It was held at a lovely hotel that overlooks the beach. GLA was obviously done on a budget at LA Valley College. The meetings were held in classrooms instead of conference rooms.

Linda Joy Myers, Marla Miller, me, Eleanor Vincent

Panels: However, I think the panels went well for both. In Santa Barbara I was a panel member discussing building a platform with a master moderator, Marla Miller, presiding. At the GLA I moderated three panels: memoir, platform, and poetry. Excellent experts were on all panels so we had lively discussions and lots of questions from the audience. Since the poetry workshop was a roundtable everyone participated in a give and take discussion throughout. In the end I think we provided useful information with lots of good takeaways in everyone of the panels I participated in.

Writers Conferences Are Not Good Book Selling Opportunities: Even though conference attendees were asked to support the presenter by buying their books – since that is the only way they get paid – that really didn’t happen. I sold one book at each conference – of course two more in sales than I would have had, had I stayed home. Writers are not book buyers. At least not when they are at a conference.

Bottom Line: What I gained instead was more people knowing about my book and me. Being a conference presenter afforded me a great networking opportunity, and it added to my platform. That’s all good.  

A couple of busy weeks

My writing life is becoming very busy these days.

This week I’ll be featured on three websites:

Today my post on revision and editing is featured on She Writes where I urge writers to Make the Decision to Do the Hard Work Before You Start to Write a Book. I learned the hard way during the time I wrote and revised my memoir, so now I’m following a long arduous edit and revision process for my novel.

On Wednesday June 5, I’ll have a post about writing as healing up on Southern Writes Magazine’s Suite T blog. Here’s the link though I’ll remind you again on Wednesday. In the meantime, go over and look at my book trailer on their Must Read TV site and listen to me read a five-minute excerpt from Leaving the Hall Light On, on Take Five, presented by Southern Writers magazine.

On Friday June 7, I’m so excited to be a guest on Laura Dennis’ The Adaptable (Adopted) Expat Mommy blog. She gave me some tough questions to answer, and I hope you’ll come over and join in the conversation. Sorry this one just was postponed to Friday June 14.

Next week is also very exciting:

On Tuesday June 11 I’ll be at the Santa Barbara Writers Conference on a workshop panel led by Marla Miller, with my memoir colleagues, Eleanor Vincent, author of Swimming with Maya, and Linda Joy Myers, author of Don’t Call Me Mother. This will be the first time all three of us will be in the same real room together. Please join us at the Santa Barbara Hyatt, 1111 East Cabrillo Boulevard, Santa Barbara, from 2 to 3:30 pm, when we’ll discuss Published Authors with Sturdy Platforms: How they built them and how you can, too.

On Friday and Saturday, June 14 and 15, I’ll be at the Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference. The Conference will be held at the campus of Los Angeles Valley College, 5800 Fulton Ave, Van Nuys CA 91401, between Burbank and Oxnard Avenues.

• Friday, I’ll moderate a panel discussion on Writing A Memoir That Readers Will Want to Buy – Other Than Your Family Members from 2 to 3 pm. I’ll also moderate the panel discussion on Why You don’t Need A Hammer to Build A Platform As A Writer from 5:45 to 6:45 pm.
• Saturday, I’ll moderate a Poetry Roundtable discussing New Trends and Markets from 10 to 11 am.

Another bit of excitement. As of last Friday, my memoir now has 94 five-star and 21 four-star reviews. I thank you all for your kind words, and I urge any readers who liked my book to post your review on my Amazon page. Just a sentence or two would be great.  Thank you in advance for that.

What's happening this week

Whew! It’s been a long and hard three months – actually two weeks short of three months – but well worth the effort. After Lucky Press went out of business on April 30, I was fortunate to find a new and most wonderful new publisher Dream of Things in record time.

Since then – about the early part of June – we have been working at getting the book and all the ancillary products ready to go. I think when this Friday comes along, when I’ll have a new paperback edition and updated bookmarks in hand, I’ll breathe a big sign of relief. They will be ready just in time for my book selling opportunities over the weekend and next week at the Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference where I’m participating on two panels and during my annual poetry workshop and retreat at Esalen, Big Sur California. What great timing for a stay at Esalen! It’s a perfect place to unwind.

Because I know how tired you must be at hearing all of this stuff since April 30, I’m bringing a real breath of fresh air to Choices on Wednesday. Daisy Hickman, who writes the most spiritual, mellow, and calming blog I know – SunnyRoomStudio – will be my guest. She’ll be expressing her views on the beauty of books as wonderful ways to share our diverse experiences and ideas. Please come back here on Wednesday, July 18 to read what Daisy has to say while experiencing her beautiful and calming voice for yourself.

Daisy Hickman

Also, if you live in Los Angeles, think about attending the Greater Los Angeles Writers Conference. I’ll be moderating the panel titled:  “Can You Write Poetry for both Fun and Profit?” at 2:15 pm on Friday, July 20 and participating in another panel titled: “Building a Platform – How to Promote Yourself and Your Work” at 2:00 pm on Saturday July 21.

PS: A new paperback edition of my memoir, Leaving the Hall Light On, is already available for preorder at Barnes & Noble.