Panel -- Everything You Want to Know About Selling Commercial Fiction

Well, the Panel went fine last night. Of course I didn't allow enough time to eat and do the hair curl and makeup thing, and feed the cats. The cats didn't go hungry, the hair went uncurled, and the makeup was minimal. I didn't wriggle into the very tight thingie to make me look slimmer (after a bath and running late -- ha, ha, ha!). I wriggled into a medium tight thingie that wasn't too unbearable.

I was supposed to be moderator, but since one of our 3 panelists didn't show up, I also answered the questions (which will be posted here on various days)...I don't think I hogged the mike, and I was pretty honest, and somewhat amusing. Cindi Myers always surprises me with her savvy. I really have to sit down with her sometime and have a good talk.

In a lot of ways, Cindi Myers, Carol Berg and I have things in common...we're pantzers, for one thing, we believe that a writer should never give up...so it was interesting and informative, I hope.

The only blooper I made was saying to know your strengths in promotion and booksignings were HIDEOUS. Then following up the statement with the fact that the last signing I'd done was right there (and it was excellent, except a virus and stress had landed me in the ER earlier that day -- just drug me up so I can NOT blow a signing at the one bookstore that means you've really made it as a Colorado author).

The worst thing about it was my ex showed up and really threw me off my stride. Yes, I know I've always been single but I have some "ex"es, one in particular. I was in Published Author mode and he wanted to talk personally and had a line behind him of people who actually wanted to speak to me. I don't handle switching modes well. I was in a public setting (and did I tell you last time I signed, my best childhood friend came up to me and said she and her husband were separating and he was cheating with a younger woman and she'd have to sell the house that she, a carpenter, remodelled?) Why do people do these things? I am being professional. My writer friends see me in writer/author/professional mode quite often, so I can shift with them and the rhythm is the same, but other people -- aspects of the lives CLASH and I get crunched.

Well, I sure didn't guess THAT was on my mind, but since it's here it obviously was. I can even handle my Mom and my Mom's friends easier in public than my old friends/lover. Huh.

Anyone else have these bad clashing worlds? And, yes, now I have to dink with my pages for critique group in a couple of hours. 9 attending 6 reading.

Love to all,
Robin