I did plan to live tweet from all the events, which I did, but what I hadn't anticipated was how rude this may have appeared. Especially in the smaller events! I was just trying to promote the authors and the event, so I hope no one took it the wrong way (no one said anything or even gave me a dirty look so it may have been all in my head.) Follow me at @TwoEdsandaComma and @CarinBookbinder.
The afternoon of the first day I went to two events, the first a discussion with Elizabeth Cox and Robert Morgan about poetry (not really my thing but I love Elizabeth Cox). Jill McCorkle and Ron Rash were in the audience with me which was very cool!

Tweets: "I just think in the darkest times we humans continue to do and say the funniest things." -Jill McCorkle
And: "Your brain is always three steps ahead of where you're actually going so you need time to sit back and reflect."-Jill McCorkle
"If you have 3 readers whose opinions you trust and value and any 2 of them have a problem with something, you need to think about it."-Jill McCorkle
Tweets: "An idea that comes up again and again in Wash is that each of us has a story." -Nina Cardona
And: Cathie Pelletier's inspiration was a CNN story on a bridge being destroyed by ice in her hometown.
And: "The underbelly of humor should be sadness." -Cathie Pelletier
And: "My grandmother loved to tell these hair-raising, gothic tales." -John Milliken Thompson
And: "One of the ways you heal is by gaining mastery over your own story." -Margaret Wrinkle
And: "Authors don't write about things we know. We write about things we should know." -Cathie Pelletier
Everyone also got a free bag of books at the Coffee With Authors, which you can see here. They were different so this isn't what everyone got.
Tweets: What would you like people to say about you in 100 years? Bill Bryson: "The amazing thing is, he's still sexually active."
And: Bill Bryson on avoiding a bear attack: always go hiking with someone slower than you.
And: If Bill Bryson wasn't a writer, his Plan B was playing shortstop for the Boston Red Sox.
And: A self-pub author once asked Bryson for a blurb. Knowing he was busy, the author included a list of blurbs and Bryson only need check one.
That last quote transitions perfectly to the last session I went to which was on Sunday, on marketing your book. (Do not send your self-published book to Bill Bryson with pre-written praise; that's not going to be effective for marketing.) I actually had an editing client come to this one! Kathie Bennett and Alison Law discussed book marketing and publicity and social media skills for authors.
Tweets: It takes a long time to build a platform so get started on your marketing strategy ASAP.
And: Publicizing yourself should be a daily habit. Commit to 1-3 hours/day.
And: Meet all booksellers w/in 100 miles and bring them cookies! Grow your relationships.
And: Remember, you're not promoting yourself, you're promoting something you love (your book).
And: Don't forget your website is your 24/7 business card so make sure it looks sharp!
And: Not only do you need to set up Twitter, Facebook etc. long before the book comes out, but you then need to post on those media!
Southern Festival was tons of fun and I most certainly will go again. I'd love to make it an annual thing, but we'll have to see. If you are anywhere remotely nearby the first weekend in October, do yourself a favor and go! See you on the plaza!
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