Later today I'll drive about three hours south through burgeoning signs of spring to Charlottesville, VA, the setting of the annual Virginia Festival of the Book, where I will join four other debut author/friends for a Saturday afternoon panel discussion about our group marketing efforts on behalf of the Class of 2K9. Although a few of our twenty-two middle-grade and YA novels have already launched (HEART OF A SHEPHERD, BULL RIDER, THE YEAR THE SWALLOWS CAME EARLY, MY LIFE IN PINK AND GREEN, JANE IN BLOOM, FREAKED, MY BIG NOSE AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS), this panel discussion will be our first official gathering and public launch of our Class of 2K9.
Participation in this group of talented authors has been an enlightening experience for me. Not only have I learned much about the self-marketing and promotion of our books (very necessary in this troubled economy), including all the technological avenues such as websites, blogs, facebook, live journal, jacketflap, widgets, twitter, etc, but I have gained an incredible online community of caring, supportive, like-minded friends. As we go through this exciting roller coaster of events and emotions, we're discovering there are both highs and lows in the unveiling of our most personal efforts. Who better to share them with than each other? Like all new authors, we have some fears outshined by great hopes for our books and our careers.
It seems especially fitting that I make this journey of hope on the official first day of spring. To paraphrase my character, Miss Eliza, in my forthcoming novel, ROAD TO TATER HILL: "Birds have been singing and chirping of a morning. The trees have that haze of first green about them, buds fairly bursting with the promise of leaves and life."
5 comments:
Heading to Charlottesville on the first day of spring, with a new book ready to bust out of the gates . . . it just doesn't get any better than that, Edie! Can't wait 'til you get here!!!
I feel light-hearted just thinking about your drive on this fine spring day and i join your excitement of meeting others publishing this year. Please share your wisdom about marketing with our group!
Wish I could be there. Can't wait to hear about the festival.
Hey Edie, I didn't realize Carmen was on this blog with you! She's my neighbor and has mentored me for years! I've been very lucky in my writer friends.
My Friend,
I am delighted and encouraged as your own life blooms. Grateful for the witnessing.
Thank you all for your comments! The Virginia Festival of the Book proved to be well worth the trip. Our panel discussion ran smoothly and was well attended. I'll post more about it to the 2k9 group. Best of all, the promise of spring held true.
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