Facing Fears

How do you handle the fear in publishing? My debut novel, A Case of Infatuation, is now on the streets. I’ve sold a copy to my boss, and my extended family has purchased their copy. I am sure they didn’t sit right down and read it cover to cover so I don’t know what they think yet. Part of me wants to hear how much they love it and part of me would appreciate their honest feedback. The problem is the fear of the unknown. What if they hate it? What if it is terrible?
You spend a year writing and another six months editing and then polish the dreaded synopsis until it shines and you send it out to editors and agents looking for a nod of approval. For a while, all you get is rejections. You question, but you don’t give up. In my case, I gave myself a deadline and entered a contest. My publisher, Billie Johnson, saw something in it and I won a publishing contract. I am very grateful for that, it is a dream come true. Now the hard part begins, promoting it. I spent three glorious days at the Public Safety Writers Association Conference in Las Vegas learning the ins and out of promoting (and lots of other things). I met two of the most internet savvy women who shared their lessons. The down side of promoting is you have to face your fear. You wrote the book to bring something to people, it is time to see if there is some big glaring error you missed. You still hold your breath when someone says, I read you book. I am scared as people I know have brought the book and how will you handle it if someone doesn't like it? The fear can paralyze you. You want to buy all the copies and keep them. The hardest part of the last two weeks has been overcoming the fear. I don’t think I have it totally mastered yet but I do have a plan for critics. Just smile and say thanks for reading it and mentally channeling the best from Gone with the Wind: Scarlett O'Hara’s southern charm on the outside and Rhett Butler’s memorable quote: “Frankly,
Scarlett, I don’t give a damn,” on the inside. I would be interested in hearing how you handle it.

Wendy
W.S. Gager
A Case of Infatuation – a Mitch Malone Mystery
www.wsgager.com
www.oaktreebooks.com
www.bn.com
www.amazon.com

Billy's Authors

Here, now you can see her and I'm not blocking her face. Got this from the fabulous photographer Sherman Lee's Facebook site.

Marilyn

More Comments About PSWA conference wanted

Billie and many of her authors are in this photo--including me. However, not everyone who came to the conference was still here when this was taken.

We had twice as many attendees as last year, and though I'm the one who planned both programs, this year's far surpassed last. Not because of me, though, because of the wonderful people who gave presentations and served on panels. We all learned a lot. I've been to lots of writing conferences and believe me, I always learn something new.

On my own blog: http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com I've been putting highlights of some of the panels and presentations. Take a peek if you want to know what you missed if you didn't attend.

One of the big pluses to a conference like this is meeting so many new and interesting people.

And, if you haven't figured it out yet, I can't stand it when no one has posted on this site for a few days.

Come one now, it's someone else's turn.

Marilyn a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

Las Vegas PSWA Conference

I'm writing from my casino hotel room at the PSWA writer's conference in Las Vegas and have to say if you can't be here, you're missing a good time. I have picked up some good tips and met some very interesting people (and I mean that in a good way!) and I think everyone is having a blast. The whole thing is not what I was expecting-- it's more fun and the people are pretty laid back and funny (again, in a good way.)

I was ecstatic to get copies of my novel, Gumbo Justice. The entire process was a lot like childbirth, less painful but just as scary. I once had a boss that used to say, "Every monkey thinks its chimp is cute." I must say I fall into that category because I LOVE my book cover. Atmospheric and slightly edgy might be more accurate descriptions, but whatever, I love it.

I finally got to meet Billie in person, as well as some other Oak Tree folks, Sunny Frazier, Marilyn Meredith, Mike Orenduff, and my partner in crime, Wendy Gager, among others.

And you can't beat Las Vegas for a book conference, unless of course you want to start a writer's conference in my home town of New Orleans (there's nothing like a New Orleans snow ball to beat the heat and a po-boy to cure your hunger.)

Philadelphia Writers' Conference

As promised, I thought I would say a few words about last week's Philadelphia Writers' Conference. It was the third year in a row I have attended. It's a 3 day affair, with workshops, free materials, and sessions with editors and literary agents. It's great to just talk with other authors and share experiences. The keynote speaker at the Saturday night banquet was Sally Friedman, a freelance writer who contributes to major newspapers and the Chicken Soup series of books. She talked about her career and the sad economical state of newspapers. The workshops were very helpful. One writer, Mindy Starns Clark, showed her amazingly efficient system of keeping track of character traits and plot sequences with the use of computer applications. All the writers emphasized the need to write about all sense experiences, not just visual. Also stressed were to avoid too much early exposition, and to "show" and not "tell." The encouraged me to work harder on my writing. Of course, I passed out bookmarks promoting my novel, A Lesson in Murder, and talked up Oak Tree Press!

Gus Cileone
www.augustuscileone.com

Anticipation

In a few moments, hubby and I will be heading to Pasadena and the California Crime Writers conference. This is a new conference put on as a joint effort by the Southern California Chapter of MWA and the L.A. Chapter of Sisters in Crime. Because it is so close in time to the Public Safety Writers Association's conference, we're just going down today and stay overnight because the panel I'm on is 9 a.m. in the morning.

Hopefully, this afternoon and evening I'll run into some authors that I know and will be able to spend some time with them.

I wouldn't even attend this one except I was asked by one of the organizers to be on a panel about e-publishing--and remember, e-publishing includes having a book on Kindle.

Though I was offered attending the conference free tomorrow, we have to turn around and head home as we have an important meeting in the afternoon.

I'm only taking my two latest books to display and lots of cards to hand out.

A whole different story for the Public Safety Writers Association conference which begins on Thursday afternoon in Las Vegas. We'll be leaving Wednesday as my sis lives in Vegas so we'll spend a night with her and then head over to the Suncoast Hotel and Casino. I'm in charge of registration and the program, so I'm bringing name tags, program folders, some handouts for the speakers and of course copies of my latest two books.

Two of the attendees at the first conference will also be at the PSWA con: Sheila Lowe, a forensic handwriting expert who will be sharing her expertise, and Madeline Gager.

Yes, I am truly anticipating the PSWA conference. It's small with only one track so you can't miss meeting everyone who is attending. We have some super people coming, many Oak Tree Press authors and Billie, our publisher, a famous mystery author, Betty Webb, some old friends I haven't seen in awhile, and other good friends, and authors and authors-in-waiting I've never met.

I know this one is going to a fun experience, maybe a little nerve wracking at times, since I'm in charge of the program. Last year we had a speaker get ill and the order of presentations had to be switched around, but it all worked out.

Now, if I can keep from having nightmares about the conference, all will be well.

See some of you in Vegas.

Marilyn
a.k.a. F. M. Meredith

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