Oops. I forgot to post for the Marketing for Romance Writers blog challenge last week. Forgive me? Hubs was away for a week-long golf trip with his son and friends in—get this—Phoenix, Arizona. I know, right? Let’s go play golf in the blazing desert heat—it’ll be fun. Try not to step on the rattlesnakes and scorpions.
I took advantage of the uninterrupted me time to write in yoga pants from sunup to sundown. It was a very productive staycation.
This week’s MFRW prompt: Giving and taking advice: How it can hurt.
This one’s got me scratching my head. I’m so grateful to those more experienced authors who share specific advice with baby writers like me (only two books published so far). Whether on the RWA PAN loop, in my local RWA chapter (Olympia, Washington), or in this group, I’ve found writers to be incredibly generous in sharing their hard-won knowledge. How can that hurt? I’m free to take it or leave when it comes to advice.
I try to give writing advice only when asked. Do I always succeed? Nope. I’m a born teacher and enjoy sharing resources others might find useful. But I try to keep in mind something I heard at a big writing convention: Not everyone is looking for the same kind of reading experience. Some readers couldn’t care less about what I might consider “good writing.” This adage helps me keep unsolicited writing advice to myself.
BIG NEWS!
August 17th is Bookstore Romance Day! This nationwide event gives independent bookstores an opportunity to celebrate Romance fiction—its books, readers, and writers—and to strengthen the relationships between bookstores and the Romance community. Check here to see if there’s a bookstore participating near you! https://bookstoreromanceday.org/participating-bookstores/
Here in Tacoma, Washington, we’re blessed with a wonderful indie bookshop, King’s Books. This Saturday from 6-8, I’ll be there along with local romance writers Analiesa Adams, Cari Davis, Jasmine Silvera, Kathy L. Wheeler, Marie Tuhart, and Piper J. Drake. It’ll be my first-ever live author event. Wish me luck!
Here’s an article I wrote last month about this King’s Books. https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Kings-Books-by-Sadira-Stone
BOOK SALE!
From August 16th through September 6th, Book 2 of the Book Nirvana Series is on sale for just 99 cents (ebook format) on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books.
Fierce passion or long-cherished dreams…she can’t hang onto both.
Chasing a big-city art gallery job, Laurel detours to Eugene, Oregon to help her spitfire great aunt into assisted living. While on a run, she’s harassed by a group of teens until a tall, broad-shouldered hottie rescues her by pretending to be her boyfriend–with a kiss that makes her wish it were true. But she’s only passing through.
Their fierce chemistry burns up the sheets—and the couch, the shower, the woods…But falling in love could cost Laurel more than she’s willing to sacrifice. She can’t stay in Eugene, and he can’t leave. His only hope is to convince her those big-city lights have nothing on her inner sparkle.
Busy times! What sort of author events have you participated in? Did you find them beneficial to your writing career?
I like what you said about being free to take advice or leave it. That itself is good advice. 🙂
The good thing is, we have the option to take it or leave it when it comes to advice. The hard part is knowing which sometimes. Congrats on the author event. Have fun at it. If you’re signing, take extra pens and a tissue to dab the end of the pen so it doesn’t smear your signature. If you supply the books, have change ready. I’ve participated at local author events, but I can’t say whether it helped my career. It did help me get my book into the local Barnes and Noble, as well as a signing there. This was eons ago and that book is out of print now. It was so worth it to do the events though.