Steamy Lit Con Recap
Preorder my forthcoming second chance romance, THE GIRL MOST LIKELY TO or request an advanced copy from NetGalley.
Steamy Lit Con Recap
What a wild weekend! Thank you to Mel, Cookie, and the entire SLC team who made Steamy Lit Con happen. It was well organized and everyone I spoke to saw the thought and intention behind the event.
As an author, most of my time is spent alone in front of my computer or phone to write and to promote my books. It’s not often that I get the chance to meet readers in person. SLC gave me such a unique opportunity because I met readers from all over the U.S. (and at least one person from Canada!) in one weekend! I’m so grateful for the kind words and the opportunity to speak to readers who were new to my work. I don’t know if it was because I was put on the spot, but somehow I came up with a one line pitch for each book. (Side note: I used to skip the one-line pitch question on agents’ query forms back when I was querying. It turns out they’re useful.) And I can’t begin to tell you how much I loved seeing author friends again and meeting authors for the first time. Like Nikki Payne gives the best hugs! I took a picture with Lauren of Christina Lauren! TJ Alexander walked by my table and said they read my book! Like what life is this?
Beyond the fun stuff, I learned a lot. SLC was the first big book convention that I’ve attended. I didn’t know what to expect in terms of setting up my table and what readers would want from me. I took some time to scope out other author’s tables and saw how they displayed their books or what they were selling at their tables. (I chose not to sell anything because I didn’t have the bandwidth to do that.) There is a business side to author life and I don’t think it’s my strength. I really attended SLC to hang out with author friends and be a part of the romance community. I had so much FOMO last year and I wanted to experience it for myself.
However, to be transparent, attending book conventions for me makes no financial sense. I’m not a bestselling author and like it is for many authors, my publisher does not cover any costs. I had to pay for a ticket just like everyone else (which covers our table and 3 meals). All expenses were out of my own pocket, including lodging and swag. So, there’s no return on investment, financially speaking. But some of the things I experienced were priceless: reconnecting with folks, meeting my agent for the first time(!), and saying thank you to authors who were so kind to blurb and support me when we were all quarantined during the pandemic.
Some authors have asked me if the experience was worth it. It kind of depends why you’re going or if you’re business savvy enough for it to make sense. Another consideration is that these large conventions have historically been super spreader events. Luckily, I’ve tested negative for COVID so far (knock on wood), but if I caught COVID, I’d be the first to tell you that I wouldn’t return. I took some precautions, like wearing a KN95 mask and had a small air purifier at my table, but I was unmasked during meals. The fact that I tested negative so far feels like luck more than anything. I don’t know if I want to put myself at risk of getting sick, so book conventions aren’t going to be high on my list in the coming year.
All that said, as I get older, I see the importance of spending time with the people I care about and making a conscious effort to enjoy the moment, however long or brief. It’s so easy in author life to fall into a comparison game or think ahead to the next project. Last weekend really showed me how wonderful it is to be present and feel the joy that is inherent to the romance community.
Upcoming: “Authors Most Likely To” Series
You may have seen on my Instagram or TikTok that I interviewed a few authors at SLC, asking them what they’d be voted most likely to. It was a lot of fun, so I thought I’d continue it through an upcoming series of author interviews for this newsletter. So, keep an eye out for some fun Q&A with some of your favorite authors and some debuts.
In the next newsletter, you’ll hear from Mallory Marlowe and her debut, paranormal conspiracy theorist romcom, LOVE AND OTHER CONSPIRACIES.
Parting, Miscellaneous Thoughts
In case you missed it, I chatted with fellow foodies Jayci Lee, Thien-Kim Lam, co-donut queen Jackie Lau for Jayci’s launch of THAT PRINCE IS MINE
OC Friends! I’ll be at B&N Irvine Spectrum on Saturday, 8/17 with Erin La Rosa, Falon Ballard, and Jessica Parra. It’s a ticketed event. More info here: https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780062171434-0
I tried doing the 10K step challenge and I was good for like a week and then I had a few days where I just couldn’t get the steps in. It’s hard when you sit all the time for work. But I’m on my walking pad as I’m typing this. I’m going to try my best when I can. The last time I went on any kind of exercise regimen was when I was getting married and my dress barely fit when I bought it. This time, I’m not trying to reach any specific goal, other than to be more active and not let whatever muscles I have atrophy with my poor writing posture. So, I’m not going on any journey, but if I have updates on this, I’ll share them here.
Currently reading…Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin. I really liked Ayesha At Last so it wasn’t surprising that I immediately fell into Much Ado About Nada. Despite the perfect play on words in title—Nada is the main character’s name—this is a Persuasion re-telling.
By this time next week, I may be crying tears of joy or devastation, depending on whether or not I score Seventeen concert tickets for their stop in LA. Wish me luck!
