Xlibris author Jean Farish further unveils a creative writer’s “secret world” on this Xlibris Author Advice sequel.
Writers become the heroes of their own journey by creating their own masterpieces with powerful messages that remain like a fragrance of a beautiful flower in bloom. Writers are compelled to unleash the songs in their hearts. Just as the songbird sings, the author must tell their story. It leaves a legacy that will be remembered throughout time as a valuable contribution to serve humanity through the power of the written word.
Xlibris provides a variety of opportunities for authors to see their manifestations come into fruition, and to reach the masses of readers who are inspired by their creations. It is an awesome task to see your work come into creation step by step making each page magically come alive. Perhaps one cannot imagine the time, commitment, dedication, and resources for writers to produce their optimal work, and the marketing required to reach a select audience of readers.
My participation in marketing and promotional events coordinated by Xlibris puts me on the trajectory of learning about the world of authors and the rewards of creative writing. I attended the Author’s Pitch Festival in Las Vegas in February 2014 where I had an opportunity to fellowship with many authors, participate in lectures from Robert Kosberg on “Pitching,” and had the unique opportunity to actually pitch to producers. During our free time, I met other authors and recall us surrounded at a table with each of us sharing our book. I will never forget while one of the authors was passionately telling his mystery story, we were like little children filled with excitement. He would ask at significant turning points, “What do you think happened next?” We all guessed, and when he revealed the outcome, we all gasped with utter excitement. I thought to myself, the community of authors is very unique and a passionate breed often entrenched in their silent worlds with storylines incessantly running through their minds. We exchanged marketing materials about our books and shared tips and suggestions for marketing and future stories. It was absolutely amazing! I thought to myself, “We are kindred spirits.”
My participation in the AARP International Book Festival and Book Signing Event in Boston May 2014 was a great opportunity to meet other authors and engage with the audience of readers. An author shared with me that she always keeps a journal and would awaken during the night when an idea would enter her thoughts. I said to her that was my exact experience. I keep a journal with me during the day and at my bedside to capture inspiring thoughts and ideas that are prominent while I am asleep in a dreamlike state. I find myself immediately awakening to capture the thought on paper. Sometimes, I am unable to return to sleep and commence writing for hours. It is quite comical when I leave a trail of sticky notes with words and symbols that are like pieces of a puzzle that will eventually come together in the form of an idea or the emails that I send myself when I am in an inspirational or creative mode yet distracted or preoccupied with other essential tasks, or the sentence that would get stuck in my mind until one day I have that moment when I can fluently string the words perfectly together to capture the essence of my thoughts. Writers are usually very detailed and attentive with the capacity to see beyond visual sight and hear beyond merely listening. We all have our idiosyncrasies and unique writing styles to achieve our goals. How amazing is the “secret life of writers.” At that same event, I had interesting conversations with the audience while signing my book with inquiries about how to get started to write and many expressed their heartfelt desires to tell their stories. Authors may not even realize the tremendous impact they have on readers and aspiring writers. This event was a great opportunity for me to passionately share my book, promotional materials, and transformational message, and was very encouraging for hopeful writers with whom I thoughtfully engaged.
Hear more from Xlibris author Jean Farish on the third sequel of her Xlibris Author Advice.
Read the first part, as well as the third sequel of this Xlibris Author Advice.
Visit the Xlibris Blog and the Xlibris Indie Authors Roundup for more advice from Xlibris authors. For free writing, editing, and book marketing tips, visit the Xlibris Writer’s Workshop.