Where are you going?

As an author, where have you been?

If you have been on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Gather, blah, blah, blah and so on and so forth. Good for you!

Now get over yourself! You haven’t done that much.

Answer this question, how many conferences have you paid for and went to. Can’t hear you.

Do you think your book is that good that you don’t have to go to conferences?

Maybe you think that you’re as big as James Patterson. Maybe you think that your handsome/pretty face is enough to turn a few heads and sell a few books. Ok, well maybe you are cute/handsome; but that doesn’t make me buy your book. What makes me buy your book is seeing you. Putting my four eyes (yes, I wear glasses) on you. I want to see you on your grind. I want to see you at some of the conferences I attend. Look at Rahiem Brooks; this man has been to so many conferences, I can’t keep track of them. If you go to his website and look at his calendar, http://www.rahiembrooks.com, you will see a man on the move. Literally!

This man is EVERYWHERE. He has been to at least two literary events every month. Most of you haven’t been to one.

Now he could do just about anything with his free time, but he chooses to promote himself and his company.

I know one other person who does this and his name is Austin Camacho. I met him four years ago in Borders (moment of silence for Borders please) I met him at my first book signing; his fifth. I decided right then, that I would do what he says we should do when self-publishing our books, “you should imitate what is already on the shelves.” So that is what I have been doing; I’ve been imitating him, with one difference; I wear stilettos.

I am now hooked on conferences. I’ve been to Thrillerfest, Love is Murder, Bay to Ocean and Baltimore Book Festival. Next year I plan to go to BourcherCon, Thrillerfest, Love is Murder, Richmond Festival of the book and Creatures, Crimes and Creativity right here in Baltimore in September of 2013.

So now I ask you; where have you been, or where are you going?

Hopefully we will run into each other. I’ll be the one wearing the sexy stilettos!