Yearly Writers Conference…check. So, now what?

I look forward to this time of year, not only because I enjoy the arrival of fall (and wearing boots again J), but also because I look forward to a yearly writers conference not far from where I reside. The Southwest Washington Writers Conference is an easy drive and a great price for an all-day conference. In addition, all participants can appreciate the fact that money is donated to the Centralia College Scholarship Foundation to offer scholarships to students. It’s a win-win situation for all, in my book. 

This year the conference had the addition of a master class for a half day before the actual event. The instructor we had the benefit of spending the afternoon with was New York Times bestselling author Hallie Ephron. I enjoy meeting authors who have been in the trenches and who are willing to share their experiences and expertise while they offer tips on the craft of writing from their perspective. I especially enjoy hearing from authors, like Hallie, who have been writing and publishing books for some time and who have experienced the change in times when it comes to the publishing world.    

I’ll never assume to know it all when it comes to writing and I’m a total nerd when it comes to learning on a regular basis. I also thoroughly enjoy the inspiration I gain after attending a class or a workshop and this weekend was no exception. When it came to craft, I attended the master class and a workshop with Hallie while she shared tips on writing character-driven plots and character voice and point of view. The rest of the conference I focused on attending workshops related to marketing, my absolute favorite part of being an author. Um…not!  

While I admit marketing isn’t my favorite part of being an author, it is an extremely important part, beyond writing the book in the first place. Marketing will forever be a WIP, especially when the online rules of engagement seem to change on a daily basis. During the conference, I enjoyed a workshop with one of my favorite speakers, Veronica Noize, where she discussed social media marketing. I’ve attended a couple of workshops over the past two years or so with Veronica and she is not only knowledgeable in her expertise, but also highly entertaining.

Beyond social media marketing, I sat in on a workshop on book launch tips offered by speculative fiction author Jill Williamson, as well as a workshop on email marketing tips offered by cozy mystery author Traci Hilton. And…now I have quite a few notes to review and websites to check out, forms to download, ideas to follow up on and some to-do’s to follow through with regarding my current WIP.

While I do enjoy attending conferences and workshops, and I leave feeling inspired, I’ll admit that I also feel a bit overwhelmed. There is so much to being an author beyond just writing the book and as much fun as it would be to only focus on writing, the book won’t promote itself. Attending workshops like these only confirm I still need to continue to do more when it comes to marketing. That fact can either put a sour taste in my mouth, or I can swallow the deed like a champ with a chaser of determination.  

Case in point? Newsletters and email marketing. I’ve been working on the idea, I have a huge to-do list, and I’ve received so much advice I think it’s only paralyzed me when I think I’m finally ready to pull the trigger. However…I know that email marketing is the strongest and best way to keep in touch with readers and continue to gain sales. Should be a no-brainer, right? But it has been the one task that I keep putting off.  

So, I’m taking responsibility for not yet having completed that task and I’m tossing it here on my blog so those who follow me can help keep me accountable. Go ahead…keep me on my toes and ask me every so often how I’m doing with that task. Tell me you’d like to join my list and receive regular newsletters from me, if I’d just get it up and running. J   Until next time…