As many of you know, I am releasing a bevy of books over the next two years. I’m excited to announce that the next one (The Quiet Order) comes out on October 28th. It is the first book in a six-part series. I think it is quite a fun ride, but getting it to a published work has been a labor of love.
I have already written about how I came to the decision to self-publish these books and why it made sense for my situation. This article will serve as a journal about some of my experiences, which I hope will be helpful to those considering the independent route (as opposed to traditional publishing).
I am trying to be more intentional about posting things, but I must admit that this is not something I enjoy. The idea of self-promotion and gathering personal attention is not high on my to-do list. Forgive me if I am not the most regular of posters. I hope that these notes about my experiences will be helpful to others.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend Necronomicon (That was my tag for the show). It is a small Science Fiction and Horror conference in Tampa. I even got onto an author’s panel, where I got to read a chapter from one of my books (Crying Wolf).
That’s me there (second from the left), sitting next to Timothy Zahn. Yeah, Star Wars guy, Thrawn creator, and prolific author, Timothy Zahn. I thought it was funny that a first-time Science Fiction author would be placed next to a heavyweight like Zahn. The show was small, and he was a guest of honor, so it makes sense he would read first. And he read a complex chapter from one of his many novels.
I went second and had no idea what I was doing. My friend (who took the picture) said I looked very comfortable up there, like I had done this many times. That’s good to know, but I didn’t feel comfortable. The contrast of styles was very evident. Zahn’s offering was wordy and almost noir in feel, whereas mine was simple and to the point and less than half the length. I took my time reading it, while Zahn had to speed-read through his.
For me, this was a great way to experience an author’s panel for the first time. The stakes were low, with a modest crowd in attendance. No one knew who I was, save my friend, Mike, who came with me. I realized as I sat up there that, other than reading an occasional scripture at church and bedtime stories to my daughters, I hadn’t read out loud in years. Thankfully, I was able to get through it with only minor fumbles.
Was I nervous reading after a famous author? Not really. I think it was interesting how our styles contrasted. It even showed up in how we vocalized our chapters. As I read mine out loud, the editor in my head was coming up with ‘better’ ways to express what I was reading. It took a while for me to shut those voices off and accept that what I wrote is now a finished work. An editor friend of mine told me that editors never stop editing. I experienced that first-hand at this show.
When the panel was over, I briefly conversed with Zahn, but he was heading to another event and left quickly. I suspect that I got no new readers from this panel, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t worth doing.
Here are some things I learned (or were reinforced) from attending Necronomicon:
- Book covers matter. We really do judge a book by its cover. Walking around, it was clear which authors invested in making a quality cover.
- Most of the people at these smaller conventions are kind and supportive of your work. I didn’t have any discussions where I felt the person was trying to one-up me or belittle my offerings.
- As a newbie to this convention, networking is a lot tougher than I expected. I didn’t distribute many cards or books at the convention because most people were either peddling their own works or attending panels.
- I can read out loud.
- Book styles vary dramatically, as do the personalities and proclivities of the authors.
- A small convention, like this, will not launch your writing career, but the investment in time might get you some supportive fans.
- Travel lightly: there’s no need to carry many books with you. A business card is a better bet.
- Talk to people without an angle. Just be friendly. If your book comes up, mention it, but then move on to the next topic.
- Know your material. Another panelist stumbled on reading his work. I felt for him as he forced his way through it.
Will I attend this event again? I will, but I will make a few changes based on what I learned this time around. The important thing is to keep learning, and that’s what I’ve done so far.
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