Building audience is tough for an independent author.
Every day you have to figure out a new way to engage and encourage readers to choose your books over a million other published authors, many of whom are more famous and also have publishers/agents promoting them.
What that means is hours of brainstorming creative ideas to engage readers and executing them in ways you hope the world will find as clever as you imagined them in your mind!
At the same time, you can't rest on your laurels as the fans you have worked so hard to earn are ready and excited to read your next book. And while writing is definitely my passion, it takes discipline to carve out time each day to sit and write a novel--- to imagine unknown people, places and events and craft them into a story you hope readers will relate to and enjoy---but may not.
Then comes the day when you decide to raise the stakes and extend your author's reach from local to regional and national audiences.
While such a bold idea is attainable thanks to the Internet and the worldwide reach of social media, there is no doubt that unless Oprah Winfrey or Reese Witherspoon or Shondra Rhimes waves their magic book club wand your way, it's a daunting task.
That being said, there is no greater reward for facing such challenges than receiving an email from someone in one of the many states where you've journeyed, with your suitcase of books and bookmarks, who has attended your presentation, read your book and loved it and would like to invite you to return to their community and do it all over again for a new group of readers.
Thank you Mary Mills for your support of my work and your passion for my storytelling. You are fulfilling my author's dream as I imagined it four years ago--- connecting with book clubs across America and, through them, expanding my readership, one book club at a time.
With cherished memories of meeting you at Margi’s book club (pictured here from my 2018 Indy Presentation) I look forward to returning to Indianapolis in 2020 and sharing the Beauty & Grace Journey with you and your book club members.