Happy August & 4 Things I learned While Book Touring
Hi everybody!Happy August! Can you believe we're already here? Mid Summer? Back to school month?! My birthday month!This summer is flying by!This season has been busy with work, book tour, and now I'm back in class! You may remember me telling you about graduating in June from Duke Integrative Medicine, Integrative Health Coaching Program. Well I decided to go for the certification course because this girl loves a challenge! I get to start seeing clients now! I'm working with an experienced mentor, close friends for support, and awesome clients who are letting me practice on them. It's very exciting and scary and exciting again :)!Book touring has been an experience. I've got 5 stops under my belt, some interested cities in the works, and amazing speaking opportunities this fall. I got invited to be a part of a book fair this coming spring so I even have some 2019 dates lining up. It's surreal that this is my life right now. I'm truly living my dream. I'm meeting some cool people along the way which makes it all so worth it! And I'm learning a lot about Author Life.
4 Things I Learned while Book Touring (But really this list can go on):
Plan less. I'm the to do list maker queen. You know these people. You have them in your life. They outline their life, their calendars tell them what to do, and spreadsheets are their best friends. This is me. I'm organized. But, planning out word for word what you'll say doesn't translate well. Book Events where you tell stories about your life and your book go a whole lot better when you speak from the heart and a lot off-the-cuff.
Invite people to ask questions. Engaging conversations and speaking WITH people is way more fun than speaking TO people.
Everybody needs an Alicia. Alicia is a saint! She's my supportive friend who is there to help brainstorm book event ideas, how to get an audience to want to interact with me, and to listen and discuss audio books with on car rides. She has traveled with me to all but 1 event so far. You will see her organizing the book display, taking pictures, and asking the sweet bookstore people to hang up my book promo in a sweet manner. She won't take no for an answer and you won't want to say no to her. It's impossible to do so when she asks so politely. I shall ask her to be my road manager when I'm rich and famous and tour for future books.
Butterflies are a good thing. Every event has been a little different- a different venue, different set up, a different topic of discussion. There's always a little room for something unexpected. I care to do a great job for bookstores and for the guests who carve time out to spend with me. So I decided that although I've gotten a bit more comfortable about book events because there is always some of the same things to expect, I will always have a few butterflies right before they turn the floor over to me and that is perfectly okay.
My husband and I have birthdays coming up. So far, we know he wants new Snap-on socks and I want an outdoor adventure (this should tell you a little bit about who we are). We'll probably plan something that involves both!I hope your August is full off adventure, love, some down time, and socks (if that's how you roll). Before I go, tell me: What are you reading? What do you hope to accomplish this month?Love and light,