Anyway, I debated for a while about whether or not I was actually going to go. It a long drive there (6.5 hours one way, to be exact), and there was no guarantee I would sell any books. Not that the only reason I would go is to sell books, there are other perks to these events, but it can be a deciding factor.
I hemmed and hawed for a long time trying to decide if I wanted to go. The organizer had asked me months in advance about participating, and at the time, it sounded like a great idea. As the date got closer and life became complicated, it didn’t sound like such a fabulous idea anymore.
Eventually, I decided to go. I had committed to being there, so I felt I needed to honor that. I wasn’t sad that I decided to go. I actually had a lot of fun and met some amazing people. The drive was awful, and on the way home I’m pretty sure I hit about a million bugs, but Wyoming Author Day was a success.
In addition to meeting some great people and selling a few books (yes, I sold some books), there was a panel discussion. One of the speakers was a representative from the Wyoming Poets Society, and she made a comment about the number of books and stories and poetry that are written and published every day. She also made an interesting comment when she said, “There’s room for everyone’s stories.”
This really struck me. It gave me a chill and inspiration. I loved it, and I thought that it encompassed the spirit of the event. Not only that, but it kinda felt like a good mantra.
If you think about it or look at statistics, there are millions of stories published every year. M-i-l-l-i-o-n-s. And that’s just on Amazon. Think of all the other ones that aren’t counted because people put them on other platforms or make them available on their websites or blogs.
As an author, getting noticed in this sea of reading choices, it can be downright impossible. But that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t write. It doesn’t mean we should throw in the towel and say forget it just because we aren’t going to make millions of dollars or get a three-movie deal.
There’s room for everyone’s stories.
Put your thoughts and ideas down on paper. Get your story edited and published. Put your story out there. You have something valuable to say, and someone, somewhere wants to read it.
Who knows? Maybe you will get lucky and get the big fat paycheck and a blockbuster movie. The only way to know is to try.
