IndieLAB 2018

Conferences can be tricky because if you don’t find your people, you can feel very alone. For an introvert, mingling is hard so how does one find one’s people? Go to a conference where EVERYBODY is an indie author! IndieLAB was that rare space where I didn’t have to grovel and thank the organizer for including an indie in the line-up because the entire line-up consisted of people who either self-publish themselves or have advice for those who do. Not condescending advice—sound, generous advice designed to help you and your book succeed. My talk was partly about how we define success. I think some folks see me as the exception to the rule when it comes to self-publishing—they don’t *generally* like indie titles, but mine are pretty good. They might think that the attention some of my books have received means I’m earning lots of money from royalties, but that isn’t true. I make a living from speaking fees and so it was a real pleasure to address the attendees at IndieLAB in Cincinnati last weekend. I got a little pressed for time at the end and, of course, left my power cord at home so there were a few technical issues as well. But I thought I’d put my bullet points here on the blog so I can return to them as my idea of success evolves.

A successful indie author…

• embodies possibility: be an example for others; do you best work but remember you don’t have to be perfect
• serves her community, not just herself: think about the readers who need “mirrors,” support others in your community who share your values (teachers, librarians, nonprofits)
• takes risks: don’t settle for the status quo—rustle feathers, rock the boat, and demand that the system recognize there’s more than one way to produce a book
• supports a cause: care about something more than sales
• operates in context: know the history of your field, recognize trailblazers, learn from others and share what you know

Afterward I had about a dozen people who waited in line to thank me for my talk and share their own projects, triumphs, and challenges. Last in line was Ashley who had seen our 2016 panel at the Books by the Banks Festival. She went ahead and self-published her first picture book and has a second in the works! Hearing that made my day and I passed along her beautiful book to an ecstatic little girl named Nia…

ALSC was also holding its annual conference in Cincinnati so I got to connect with several of my kid lit librarian friends over the weekend. They patiently let me rant about the bookseller who showed up to the conference with NONE of my books. That’s happened more times than I can count so I wasn’t really surprised, but one would think that at an INDIE WRITERS CONFERENCE, the bookseller would make more of an effort. The booksellers here in Philly are proving more receptive and I’ve got a couple of invitations already. This morning I met a friend to tour the Mutter Museum, and she provocatively suggested I bring the building down at the end of my novel. I just might! I’m still a bit upset at the human specimens on display—did they ever give their consent to be treated as “curiosities?” I’m nearing 20K words with the novel and Christina Myrvold has agreed to do the cover. She knocked it out of the park with Mother of the Sea, so I’m ready to be wowed again. It was nice to see friends and meet new people in Ohio but I’m ready to hibernate and get this novel done!