…at the Festival of Books today! We had so many visitors stay and chat with us, and take business cards and information with them, we could not keep track of them all. The stack of business cards used for raffle entries (and therefore joining our mailing list) soon became a chaotic big pile behind the Author Table sign.
And speaking of authors, the only author who came to the booth to sign and sell books today was Anto Boghokian, whose 1000 Hours: The Questions That Changed My Tomorrows almost didn’t arrive in time to be offered for sale at the Festival. But it did: he sold 21 books in a single day, approaching the 24-book record set a couple of years ago. And he’ll be coming back tomorrow!
I met and listened to so many remarkable people today, published authors striving to “publish wisely”, new authors striving to be published someday, activists striving to get their message out to move the world, professionals who have realized their mediocrity in writing is holding them back in their careers. I can’t begin to list you all here, not until I’ve had a couple of days to sort through all the notes and business cards and texts and emails, just from today alone! But I can honestly say it has been wonderful to see you today, a positive delight to connect with you and encourage you, however briefly or deeply it may have been.
Thank you for coming by and speaking with us.
And for those of you who missed the #BookFest today, there’s still tomorrow!
Wonderful blog! Do you have any suggestions for aspiring
writers? I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you recommend starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There
are so many options out there that I’m completely confused ..
Any suggestions? Thanks!
Hey Teri,
Yes, WordPress for the win.
But go with the platform that makes you happy… don’t think of “so many options” as a zero-sum game in which you must choose the best option or YOU LOSE. Having so many options is freeing. It means you need not suffer on a platform you hate, or can’t understand—— and, for you, that might be WordPress itself. “You are free to move about the cabin” and explore the other options, knowing that you can experiment with several of them before you commit to one of them.
There is no “one best option” hiding in the crowd, taunting you because you can’t find it in the thicket of competitors.
There is not even “one best option” for you yourself, no “soulmate” platform without which you are doomed to dismay and failure.
Almost any decent platform will serve you well.
Happy hunting!