Hi-oh!! It's Friday!! Who has the sweet treats?!
Well, if you don't have one handy I've got the next best thing . . . BETH KERY!!
Beth's got a new release which sports the snazzy title of RELEASE and on May 18th she'll be celebrating another new release, VELVET CATACLYSM. I adore this lovely lady for her witty humor and dedication to succeed. If you're on the look out for an awesome author to read, I guarantee you'll get a kick out of a Kery!
Get ready to be tantalized! Take it away Beth!
Why Conferences Are So Important to Authors
After attending my local chapter RWA Spring Fling (Chicago-North) two weeks ago and the big Romantic Times extravaganza last week, it finally soaked into my thick brain why publishers tell aspiring authors to attend conferences. What precisely did I learn? Taking part in writer events let’s you breathe the air of the publishing world. It’s rarefied air, to be sure. Whether you’re strolling around these events gossiping with a fellow author, or eating lunch with an agent on one side and a book blogger on the other and a reader across the table, or intermingling with published authors during a presentation, that air just sort of seeps into you. You gain knowledge and understanding just by living in that world for a short period of time. Some of what you learn is the obvious--facts you receive at a presentation about what publishers want, for instance.
Some of what you gain is less tangible, though. It’s like traveling to a different country, if you know what I mean. The language, the customs, the ambiance. That’s not something you can read about online or learn in a book. You have to go there. You have to breathe that air.
My journey to become an author didn’t involve attending conferences. Now that I’m published, though, I’d definitely recommend to an aspiring author that they should check out some conferences sponsored by their local RWA chapters, or Nationals, or whatever they can reasonably afford.
At the Spring Fling conference, I sat in a room with aspiring authors and several published authors, including Jade Lee and Julie James. The talk was given by “author’s best friend” publicist Kim Castillo and it was about goal setting. All of us brainstormed on how to help an aspiring author set up a regular writing routine. We also all brainstormed on helping a published author get over the anxiety of being contract-less for a period of time. Everyone in the room was exposed to some of the nitty-gritty, realistic details of the daily life of an author.
It was the kind of exposure I really wish I’d had as an aspiring author.
At the Romantic Times event, which is a readers’ event, countless valuable moments occurred that weren’t on my jam-packed conference schedule. For instance, dancing up a storm and getting crazy with writers I’d only met online until that day, plopping down in a chair for a few free minutes and having an unplanned, relaxed conversation with my agent that we never would have had on the phone while we were talking business, or wandering into a presentation that I wasn’t really sure was about, and walking away feeling energized to get back to my computer and do some writing.
And all the while, the background chatter soaks into you—groans about deadlines or nervous conversations about pitching to such and such editor or recommendations for utilizing social media for promotion.
My point is, I think, that if you breathe enough of that rare air, it starts to build your identity. Typically, you’re just a woman sitting in her sweat pants and typing away on your computer.
After a good conference, though, you start to feel it. You’re an author.
Any thoughts on conferences? Would you recommend them to a writer friend?
Talk about a pep-talk! I can't wait to attend a conference. What fun! Anyone headed to RWA Nationals this year? I sure hope Beth's words of wisdom got you geared up for a good time! I'd like to extend a big thank you to Beth for swinging back by the Lovestruck Novice. I always enjoy 'hearing' what she has to say!
THANK YOU, TLN'ers!! I've got my digits crossed that you're weekend will rock! To help get you in the mood here's some FINGER ELEVEN crankin' out PARALYZER!! C'mon you know this one--"Well, I'm not paralyzed, but I seem to be struck by you..." Yeah, it's stuck in my head, too! LOL Have a killer weekend ya'll! Catch ya back on Moanday!
Well, if you don't have one handy I've got the next best thing . . . BETH KERY!!
Beth's got a new release which sports the snazzy title of RELEASE and on May 18th she'll be celebrating another new release, VELVET CATACLYSM. I adore this lovely lady for her witty humor and dedication to succeed. If you're on the look out for an awesome author to read, I guarantee you'll get a kick out of a Kery!
Get ready to be tantalized! Take it away Beth!
Why Conferences Are So Important to Authors
After attending my local chapter RWA Spring Fling (Chicago-North) two weeks ago and the big Romantic Times extravaganza last week, it finally soaked into my thick brain why publishers tell aspiring authors to attend conferences. What precisely did I learn? Taking part in writer events let’s you breathe the air of the publishing world. It’s rarefied air, to be sure. Whether you’re strolling around these events gossiping with a fellow author, or eating lunch with an agent on one side and a book blogger on the other and a reader across the table, or intermingling with published authors during a presentation, that air just sort of seeps into you. You gain knowledge and understanding just by living in that world for a short period of time. Some of what you learn is the obvious--facts you receive at a presentation about what publishers want, for instance.
Some of what you gain is less tangible, though. It’s like traveling to a different country, if you know what I mean. The language, the customs, the ambiance. That’s not something you can read about online or learn in a book. You have to go there. You have to breathe that air.
My journey to become an author didn’t involve attending conferences. Now that I’m published, though, I’d definitely recommend to an aspiring author that they should check out some conferences sponsored by their local RWA chapters, or Nationals, or whatever they can reasonably afford.
At the Spring Fling conference, I sat in a room with aspiring authors and several published authors, including Jade Lee and Julie James. The talk was given by “author’s best friend” publicist Kim Castillo and it was about goal setting. All of us brainstormed on how to help an aspiring author set up a regular writing routine. We also all brainstormed on helping a published author get over the anxiety of being contract-less for a period of time. Everyone in the room was exposed to some of the nitty-gritty, realistic details of the daily life of an author.
It was the kind of exposure I really wish I’d had as an aspiring author.
At the Romantic Times event, which is a readers’ event, countless valuable moments occurred that weren’t on my jam-packed conference schedule. For instance, dancing up a storm and getting crazy with writers I’d only met online until that day, plopping down in a chair for a few free minutes and having an unplanned, relaxed conversation with my agent that we never would have had on the phone while we were talking business, or wandering into a presentation that I wasn’t really sure was about, and walking away feeling energized to get back to my computer and do some writing.
And all the while, the background chatter soaks into you—groans about deadlines or nervous conversations about pitching to such and such editor or recommendations for utilizing social media for promotion.
My point is, I think, that if you breathe enough of that rare air, it starts to build your identity. Typically, you’re just a woman sitting in her sweat pants and typing away on your computer.
After a good conference, though, you start to feel it. You’re an author.
Any thoughts on conferences? Would you recommend them to a writer friend?
Beth Kery writes for Berkley (Heat and Sensation), Samhain, and recently sold a series to Silhouette Special Edition. Whether her romances are of the very sexy or of the tamer variety, Beth strives to give her readers an intense emotional read and the best romance she can write. Her latest book is Release, an erotic suspense from Berkley Heat. Her next novel is Velvet Cataclysm, an erotic paranormal, which comes out May 18 from Samhain Publishing. You may contact Beth through her website at www.bethkery.com or email her at bethkery@aol.com .
Talk about a pep-talk! I can't wait to attend a conference. What fun! Anyone headed to RWA Nationals this year? I sure hope Beth's words of wisdom got you geared up for a good time! I'd like to extend a big thank you to Beth for swinging back by the Lovestruck Novice. I always enjoy 'hearing' what she has to say!
THANK YOU, TLN'ers!! I've got my digits crossed that you're weekend will rock! To help get you in the mood here's some FINGER ELEVEN crankin' out PARALYZER!! C'mon you know this one--"Well, I'm not paralyzed, but I seem to be struck by you..." Yeah, it's stuck in my head, too! LOL Have a killer weekend ya'll! Catch ya back on Moanday!
4 comments:
I enjoyed this post Beth. I went to an RWA meeting here & was delightfully surprised at the monumental support the authors gave each other as well as the lack of competition. A success for one was celebrated by all. Setbacks were soothed with chocolate. It felt like a safe place to be.
Great to meet you Beth! We can always count on Sarah to intro us to the best authors!
I love Beth's books....and I cannot wait to read her upcoming latest release...It looks fantastic!
hugs,
Anna
Oooh la la! Look at that cover! Awesome post, Beth. :)
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