I like meeting people and talking with them and learning from them. One way I do that is by going to events and having a booth to sell my books. This past weekend my writer husband and I displayed at two different book and arts fairs. We met people and we sold books!
When people approach my book table, I wear a friendly smile to welcome them. After a few moments I ask them a question. “Are you a reader?” or “What do you like to read?” This usually opens up the conversation and I learn what interests them. Then we talk about that.
After a few minutes I’ll mention one of my books that I think might suit them. “Do you know who the Loyalists were?” Often the person is descended from Loyalists who settled in Canada about the time of the American Revolutionary War. I mention my four Loyalist books and give the short pitch for the first one.
Or I introduce one of the others on the table. Lately, that has been Canada: Brave New World, an anthology I put together about people who had to flee their home country, came to Canada, and settled here. They have made Canada the amazing open-door country that it is. Yes, I sell books, but I also connect with other people and, to me, that is what being a human is all about.
Before my visitors leave my table I always make sure they know about my twice monthly newsletter which they can access by signing up on my website. I give them a bookmark with the website on it and the list of my books so far. (Pardon the crappy image! The real thing is much clearer.) This hopefully interests them and they sign up for my twice monthly newsletter. About 1500 readers are currently on my list and I treasure every one of them.
So what are the reasons to be on a writer’s list?
- You might want to know when the next book is coming out.
- That writer might know things you’d like to know about writing.
- Just supporting that writer may be important to you.
- She may be a good friend and you want to help.
- He may have intrigued you when you first met him.
- You’re just snoopy. (Just kidding! Ha ha.)
Who should do this?
Everyone should feel free to follow and learn from a writer. Reading all of Sharon Kay Penman’s books and Colleen McCullough’s books has been so helpful to me. First of all I am intrigued by their stories. The main thing, though, is that their writing skills seep into my brain by osmosis. Of course I could name dozens of others whose work has influenced me. Find a writer you like and sop up their work. Don’t be afraid to move on to someone else when the time is right.
What are the benefits of doing this?
You will be entranced by the writer’s work and it will sink into your own in unexpected ways. One day you’ll just use their phraseology in your own writing or in conversation. My husband and I have been married for so long that we find each other’s ways of speaking coming out in our own words. We laugh and carry on. What I like to do when I’m writing is to take a phrase that is popular in the world and give it a twist in my own writing. This helps the reader to know what I mean but it also allows that reader see a fresh interpretation of the phrase. We humans crave new things and words are no exception.
Writers need the company of other writers
Following a writer often leads to friendships and learning fresh new ideas. Going to writer events is so much more fulfilling when you go with those writer friends. The amazing ideas that come of chatting with other writers cannot be underestimated. One of my beta readers is always on hand to give me an opinion on some idea I might have for my writing. Critique groups are full of writers who might have a fresh take on your work. Following other writers’ blogs, newsletters or social media posts keeps a writer in the game. We need this. And we need the camaraderie of those like-minded people.
The world needs good writers.
Finally, I’d like to say that the world needs good writers. Oh, I’m not talking about those people who may steal ideas from others or those who use different forms of artificial intelligence and then try to pass the product off as their work. I’m talking about the writers who study and learn and write and rewrite and care enough to put their original ideas out for the world. We need lovers of language whose work shows their unique brain processes. We are not all math and science whizzes and we don’t need to be. What we need to do is provide places for each of us to excel no matter which way our brain turns.
I guess what I’m saying is to support creative people as much as you can. The creatives provide places for us to find joy. Here are two pieces of art on my office walls. One is by my young granddaughter and the other is by an artist friend of mine. They bring me joy in different ways. As people we need to experience that joy whether we get it from art, music, writing or any other creative endeavour. Follow a writer, please.
