My ultimate goal is to be a full-time author by the time our youngest daughter graduates from homeschool. Right now, I must settle for part-time authoring. I'm very blessed to be able to do it. Happily, this weekend, I get to slip on my author hat and introduce my new book to the public. One of the negatives of self-publishing is that the marketing is completely up to me. There is no media team behind me selling this book--I'm the media team, the PR team, and the...everything. There are benefits to self-publishing, too, but I must put in the work to get this book outside my circle of family and friends.
I'm so thankful for our local library, which is hosting a "local authors" event this weekend. There will be twelve authors participating, and while we aren't allowed to sell books at this event, it will help get the word out there!
I participated in the first local author event last year as well. That one was for children's authors only, and it was the first time I had ever done something like that.
I also had the opportunity to be the guest at a library storytime (in a different town) for that book. It was just so cool!!
Seeing your face on a poster on the library door when you walk up--next to your book--wow. What a feeling of, "Oh my word. I'm actually an author."
Have you heard of imposter syndrome? Listen, it's a real thing. But I firmly believe that if you make art, you are an artist. If you teach, you are a teacher. And if you write, you are a writer.
So tomorrow, I will hold my head high, tell myself, "You are really an author, Brenda," and sell that to the world. And try not to trip in the process.
Tonight. I'm putting together little author swag bags to give out at the event. I have some postcards with QR codes to my Amazon pages, author stickers, and bookmarks. It's not much, but it's something. Have you heard of starving artists? Self-publishing is kind of like that. It's not always an instant money-maker.
I think I'll also put some books in the trunk of my car just in case someone really wants to purchase one tomorrow. Maybe we can make some parking lot deals. Sounds shady, no?
Off to stuff some author swag bags and practice walking without tripping!
Your future famous author friend,
Brenda
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