I like how Matthew focused on cherishing the reader he had, rather than bewailing the ones he hadn't reached yet. There are a lot of additional lessons in here, not the least of which are these three:
• Don't expect a crowd to materialize for your events. You have to participate - and even take the lead - in getting the word out!
• Do be professional and do your best job, even if there's an audience of one... or none. Consider that every bookseller at the store can become your proxy, talking up your book and hand-selling it to potential readers for months and months to come... if you wow them, your visit will reap rewards long after you've gone home.
And maybe my favorite lesson is from author Sara Zarr, who while she was speaking of something else in her podcast with Gayle Forman, gave some great advice:
• "If your validation comes from an exterior source you are f***ed. You're in real trouble because that is so fickle."
Applying Sara's advice to this situation, the size (or lack of size) of the crowd shouldn't be your yardstick for your self-worth.
Any further advice to share with the community? Add yours in comments, or tag @SCBWI and/or @leewind on social media.
1 comment:
So glad I read his article. That panic of no one showing up feels quite universal.
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