Conference 1
Conference – Meeting with Editor/Huge Book Signing
First I want to say that though I like to read short blog entries, and plan on mine being short and pithy and informative, it doesn't happen, and these conference ones may be worse.
Didn't sleep the night before much, getting ready. KINKOS DIDN'T HAVE MY MOUNTED POSTER FOR THE SIGNING READY AND I HAD TO MAKE 2 TRIPS. SINCE THEY DIDN'T OFFER ME ANYTHING OFF FOR MY TROUBLE THIS IS MY ONLY SATISFACTION. VERY BIG PAIN. ATE UP MUCH TIME.
Trip was good except I'd forgotten where I stashed the main of my $$ and thought I'd left it on the dining room table. Registration, both for the hotel and conference was a breeze, first time in my experience. When we unpacked, Mom and I went down and inhaled some food from Asiana, excellent restaurant. All this time I'd been meeting and greeting...
3:30 appointment with Matrice. Since I had a couple of questions from the other Luna authors about foreign sales – recent launch in France, upcoming launch in Italy, Germany next year, we talked about that first. Then we moved on to mass market. Time and again she mentioned different strategies they were pursuing to see which worked best for sales. They GRAPH results. I DID talk a little about me – the contemporary paranormal series I'm (still!) working on, when I should get the proposals in for the next three books (she thought there'd be 2 but I told her a secondary character walked on stage as a hero...). Being in an expansive mood for a Scorpio (usually I'm cadgy) I said I was still messing with the first three chapters of Sorceress and brought them to work on here. True. I know a lot of business stuff went into one ear and slithered away into the depths of my brain, never to be recalled. But I had a good chat and she stroked my ego a bit.
Celtic Hearts get together: We're a tiny, new chapter, but they had pins and pens and a taco bar. I was allowed to bring aunt Sylvia and Mom and we talked books. Mom was pretty silent because she has hearing problems. It was a lovely time.
Signing. LOVED THE SIGNING. Of course the "big" authors were mobbed – Nora Roberts, Sherrilyn Kenyon. I pretty much had a steady stream coming to my table, which was very gratifying. A couple of times I was a little slow, but I had a Very Very good night. I sold out of Heart Choice in an hour and a half, and sold more copies of Guardian of Honor (they sent 50 books, what WERE they thinking?) than I thought I would, maybe 10-15. Forgot my wallet calendars, but remembered my tarot card goodies (miniature tarot cards with labels of Heart Choice on the back). Now I LOATHE signings. I have had HIDEOUS signings and don't consider them the best way to promote myself. Unless you back me into a corner, I won't sign alone. But this ... this... it was really, really fun. People came up and said they'd read my blog, had taken my Ask An Author class a couple of weeks ago, had ENJOYED Guardian (I keep getting emails about "I love your Heart books" so immediately think of the corrollary). One person told me her favorite scene in Guardian and I didn't hear her....
That's all for now. Today I'm spending the am with Mom and aunt Sylvia and the pm at Tahoe with agent and her clients. PRISM AWARDS TONIGHT. WISH ME LUCK AS HEART DUEL IS UP FOR BEST FANTASY!!!
Robin
First I want to say that though I like to read short blog entries, and plan on mine being short and pithy and informative, it doesn't happen, and these conference ones may be worse.
Didn't sleep the night before much, getting ready. KINKOS DIDN'T HAVE MY MOUNTED POSTER FOR THE SIGNING READY AND I HAD TO MAKE 2 TRIPS. SINCE THEY DIDN'T OFFER ME ANYTHING OFF FOR MY TROUBLE THIS IS MY ONLY SATISFACTION. VERY BIG PAIN. ATE UP MUCH TIME.
Trip was good except I'd forgotten where I stashed the main of my $$ and thought I'd left it on the dining room table. Registration, both for the hotel and conference was a breeze, first time in my experience. When we unpacked, Mom and I went down and inhaled some food from Asiana, excellent restaurant. All this time I'd been meeting and greeting...
3:30 appointment with Matrice. Since I had a couple of questions from the other Luna authors about foreign sales – recent launch in France, upcoming launch in Italy, Germany next year, we talked about that first. Then we moved on to mass market. Time and again she mentioned different strategies they were pursuing to see which worked best for sales. They GRAPH results. I DID talk a little about me – the contemporary paranormal series I'm (still!) working on, when I should get the proposals in for the next three books (she thought there'd be 2 but I told her a secondary character walked on stage as a hero...). Being in an expansive mood for a Scorpio (usually I'm cadgy) I said I was still messing with the first three chapters of Sorceress and brought them to work on here. True. I know a lot of business stuff went into one ear and slithered away into the depths of my brain, never to be recalled. But I had a good chat and she stroked my ego a bit.
Celtic Hearts get together: We're a tiny, new chapter, but they had pins and pens and a taco bar. I was allowed to bring aunt Sylvia and Mom and we talked books. Mom was pretty silent because she has hearing problems. It was a lovely time.
Signing. LOVED THE SIGNING. Of course the "big" authors were mobbed – Nora Roberts, Sherrilyn Kenyon. I pretty much had a steady stream coming to my table, which was very gratifying. A couple of times I was a little slow, but I had a Very Very good night. I sold out of Heart Choice in an hour and a half, and sold more copies of Guardian of Honor (they sent 50 books, what WERE they thinking?) than I thought I would, maybe 10-15. Forgot my wallet calendars, but remembered my tarot card goodies (miniature tarot cards with labels of Heart Choice on the back). Now I LOATHE signings. I have had HIDEOUS signings and don't consider them the best way to promote myself. Unless you back me into a corner, I won't sign alone. But this ... this... it was really, really fun. People came up and said they'd read my blog, had taken my Ask An Author class a couple of weeks ago, had ENJOYED Guardian (I keep getting emails about "I love your Heart books" so immediately think of the corrollary). One person told me her favorite scene in Guardian and I didn't hear her....
That's all for now. Today I'm spending the am with Mom and aunt Sylvia and the pm at Tahoe with agent and her clients. PRISM AWARDS TONIGHT. WISH ME LUCK AS HEART DUEL IS UP FOR BEST FANTASY!!!
Robin
posted by FantasyAuthor RobinDOwens | 8:25 AM
5 Comments:
Sounds like you're having a good time, abscent Kinkos. Bad copy place!
Good luck on the awards and the signings. I picked up a wallet calendar with the Guardian cover on one side at a local audio book store.
Have any of your books been made into Audio books? Tammy likes those better than the paper ones.
JohnF
No audio as yet. I think Luna has my audio rights, though I think I have such rights for the Heart books. I'll have to look at my contracts when I get back home.
I broke down and subscribed to the Very Expensive internet connection at the hotel. Sigh. Obviously have an addiction.
love robin
Just tell yourself the the internet connection is cheaper than the therapy that you would need if you were deprived of such a necessary pleasure!
John F.
Robin, I was one of the gushers at your table during the signing (though I didn't tell you any of my favorite scenes *gg*). I'm so glad you enjoyed it -- I know I had a blast finally meeting some of my favorite auto-buy authors!
Thanks Sela, you all made it SO nice for me. That was definitely one of the highlights of the trip.
Smooches, Robin (back to the copy edits)
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