It's
the first Wednesday of the month, so you know what that
means ... it's time for another Insecure Writer's Support Group
meeting. IWSG was created by the awesome ninja captain Alex J.
Cavanaugh, and you can find out the other members of the group here.
Is it just me or do these first Wednesdays of the month come too quickly?
Back in February, I was on a panel about blogging at the 2013 Roanoke Regional Writers Conference. Although I was nervous, the panel went well, I think.
A couple months ago, I was asked to be on another panel. This time with the Virginia Writers Symposium, which will take place on Saturday, August 3 in Charlotteville, VA. You can find more information about it here. From 10:15-11:15, I'll be on a panel with two other people and a moderator. We'll be talking about the Nuts and Bolts of E-booking. I must admit I'm not too nervous about the panel this time around. For one, being on a panel before helped me know what it's like to be on one. For two, this panel is earlier in the day, so I'll have less time to get nervous. For three, I know a TON on e-books, so I feel much more confident in my knowledge and being able to speak about creating e-books.
What am I insecure about then?
From 2:45-4:30, they are having a Networking session. The panelists will be able to sell/sign their books at this time. True, I've signed some books for friends, giveaways, and a few I've hand-sold to my local writers' group, but I've never sat at a place and signed books with other authors. I have some print books (copies of The Nightmare Collection, Gravity: The Complete Trilogy, and The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk). I have business cards, and I created some beautiful bookmarks for The Foxwick Chronicles, since I won't have a paperback book of the collection until February 2014 (yes, People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors is coming). It's fine if no one buys books from me, but I'm worried no one will stop by to talk to me. Or worse, they will come by and talk to me! Yes, I can be worried about both. I'm rather shy and very awkward in person. True, get me on a topic I know a lot about, and I'll talk and talk and talk some more. But that doesn't take away my awkwardness and stumbling over words. Heh! That's why I write, people, because it's much easier to take my racing thoughts and produce them into something understandable--sometimes. But that's the part I'm nervous about.
Have you ever done a book signing? Been on a panel? Have any advice? What are your insecurities?
Also, Smashwords is once again having its Summer/Winter Sale. Through the end of July, you can purchase the ebook of Gravity: The Complete Trilogy and The Nightmare Collection for $1.50 using the coupon code: SSW50.
And I'll be slow visiting the blogs/commenting in July. I'm trying really hard to do well on my July goals, which means I'll likely be writing an average of 2500-4000 words a day. So the writing has to come first and then everything else as time allows. Sorry!!
