Weekend Recap: Superstars Writing Seminar.
Four full days of writers, workshops, keynote speakers, activities, books, food, laughter, new friends — and no sleep. It was hallways full of chatting friend-groups, and bars full of pitches and jokes and advice — from very early in the morning until very late at night. Or in some cases, very early the next morning. For as introverted and solo as writers are made out to be, you put them in a hotel together and it gets WILD!
My part of the conference was bookstore assistant, but I was able to sneak to some sessions and stalk a potential editor friend. Friend I made, editor connection I did not. But I made the pitch, and that was the real battle for me — and led me to my greatest lesson learned from SSWS2023.
At a writer’s conference, most people learned:
- How to plot a good story
- How to create a believable character everyone will love
- How to market yourself and create and author brand
- How to pitch your story to grab attention and sell books
But what I learned was:
- Quality latex clothing and how to wear it
- Lentil Sloppy Joes and other veggie recipes for the InstaPot
- The Square POS system and the cool doo-dads that go with it
- Most Importantly, I have the best, most supportive humans in my life
It was over ten years ago that I wrote FUBAR, and maybe eight years that I’ve been pitching it. I’ve been told “no” a lot. Like, nearly triple-digits a lot. In the beginning those rejections hurt my very soul, because FUBAR is so special to me. But after years and years and years and years of rejections, I became numb to it. I still love my story, I still believe it my characters, and I won’t stop pitching it to everyone who might be even remotely interested. But I don’t feel hopeful anymore. I don’t get excited. I don’t believe anyone will say yes.
But my critique group does. My “little sister” does. My Hubby does. My BFF does.
When I first signed on for Superstars, I was only supposed to be in the bookstore helping out. But then one of my “aunties” discovered an editor she thought would be perfect for me and my story, and she happened to be the “auntie” that ran the bookstore and pulled me into the conference. So she texted other SuperStars until I was suddenly moderating every session this editor was teaching. But even that didn’t give me time or space to pitch FUBAR – so when this editor wandered into the bookstore, my “auntie” set it all up for me and threw in her two cents about my unique voice. And when I was rejected (very politely) again, “Auntie” was up in arms for me. Telling me that editor was missing out, and I’ll be better elsewhere.
My “little sister” was one of the first people I sent the entire New Hope Chronicles quadrilogy to — and she read all four books in one long weekend. She would read on her kindle until it died, then she’d switch to her phone until it died, then she’d switch back. She texted me the entire time she was reading, so I always knew where she was in the story. She became one of my most vocal supporters, despite the books not being published yet.
My BFF has already decided that when I get published, she will be my PR person. She has plans for a book crate that includes stickers and drink recipes and maybe a candle. She had social media ideas, and even told me that she’d be behind me at every event handing out my business cards as I greeted humans. She even sent #KissMeKieran to multiple Book Tokkers in hopes she could get them to review my book.
And my Husband has supported me through all of this. He even read #KissMeKieran despite the fact it is not anywhere in the wheelhouse of genres that he would read. And anytime I come up with some crazy idea, he’s always said, “okay, I’ll support you in that.” And he also always talks about when I’m published. There’s no if in his mind, only when.
All of their belief in me, and in FUBAR, gives me the fire I need to keep getting rejected. I don’t want to let them down. I want to prove to them that their energy wasn’t misplaced. I know my story is awesome, and I know my characters are fantastic — but I don’t feel the need to prove that to anyone. But my support group, to them I feel the need to prove it to the world.
So I’ll keep on pitching, and I’ll keep on getting rejected, until that one day that I’m not.
