What do you look for in a conference?

I have been invited to be a panelist at UtopYA Con this year. Eeeppp!!!! I'm so excited! It's going to be such a thrill heading to the States and being able to meet writers I speak to online all the time.

I'm also pretty pumped about being able to talk writing for an entire weekend. There's nothing like associating with passionate writers to really get your fired up and inspired. It's also nice to be able to rabbit on about something you love with people who understand just how awesome it is.

I think that's the most beneficial thing about attending a conference - making those connections.

The very first conference I went to was the NZ Romance Writer's Conference in Auckland. As a newbie writer, I got so much out of it, including meeting a person who has become very dear to me...the lovely T. G. Ayer. She has since introduced me to some kiwi treasures who have become my critique partners and trusted friends.

I also met an agent from the States at that conference. I won a breakfast with her and we chatted about books and publishing, she gave me some fantastic pointers and then offered to look over one of my manuscripts.

It was the start of something really huge for me. I learned SO much from that weekend and it was a pivotal experience that set me on the course I'm currently walking.

So in my opinion conferences are definitely worth attending. I am stupidly excited about June this year!! I don't know what I'll come away with, but I'm confident the experience will spark something within me that will carry me further along this road. Whatever it may be, I'm totally psyched!!

Are you going to any conferences this year?

What do you look for when attending a conference?

Indie Life - It's All About Taking A Chance

I'm very excited to be part of The Indelibles Indie Life series. These posts run on the second Wednesday of every month and include ideas and articles from a wide variety of indie authors. Check out the links below to learn more about INDIE LIFE.

If you'd like to look up my prior posts, just look for Indie Life - It's All About...

*****

I've decided that this is going to be a great year for me.

I know we can't guarantee anything. Life is brilliant at throwing curve balls, some that are really hard to recover from, but... in spite of those unpredictable risks, I've decided to go for it this year and take every chance and opportunity that comes my way.

I know I've been published for over two years now, but I still consider this the early stage of my career. Because of this, I have been really careful with how I spend my money. It makes sense not to overextend myself, but the one disadvantage to that is I haven't always gotten the same exposure and opportunities that I wanted. So at the end of last year, I stretched my budget a little and have found that I've actually benefitted greatly.

One thing I did was hire a PA, who has been worth her weight in gold. She's amazing and I love working with her. She's so helpful and eager and I can't speak highly enough of her work. She's been away for the last month and I can't WAIT for her to get back. I didn't realize just how much she was doing for me!

Another thing I did was shelling out for a couple of Bookbub ads and they have paid back hugely!

This year, I'm doing a couple things that I never would have tried before.

One  - I'm heading to UtopYA Con in Nashville (June 2014). This is huge for me. A massive expense that I think will be worth every penny. I've been invited to speak on a panel and my first reaction was hesitation, but then I thought, "No. I have to take this opportunity." So I am leaving my babies with Daddy for just over a week and I'm flying from Shanghai to Nashville. After the conference I'm taking a few extra days to stop off in Vegas and LA for a little research and the chance to meet my publisher. Financially it's massive, but it's such a huge chance. Even just the opportunity to meet my PA face to face, not to mention some of the other authors I'm in constant contact with online. Who knows what else might surface from this experience? Who knows what connections I might make?

As I said, there are no guarantees. I might make no new connections. I might not sell one extra book, but it's a chance...a really good one and I'm so excited to take it.

Two - I've decided to ask one of my favorite cover designers if she'll work with me. I've been watching her stuff surface all over the place and I really love her covers. She's always been out of my price range, but I've decided once again to take a risk. I have a new series that I'm writing, it's branching away from YA. It's my little dabble in NA Contemporary Romance (although it will still be clean enough for YAs to enjoy). Because I don't want to create a pen name, I've decided to go for a fresh, new look for The Song Bird Series and I've asked Mae I Design if they'll work with me on this. I'm so excited. Once again, it's a risk. I might spend all this money on a book that doesn't sell (doubtful, because Mae I Design covers are amazing!)...but still, it's a risk and a chance - I'm taking it.

The thing with chances is they involve an element of faith. I've just got to believe that I'm doing what I'm meant to be doing with my life and all these risk will pay off.

So be bold this year...take a chance and see where if leads you.