It was an extremely illuminating experience.  We (the would be authors) were able to spend time in beautiful surroundings, get feedback on projects and meet with other authors.  Add great food, awesome workshops and a good time was had by all.

With all this, there is one experience that sticks out in my mind each time I think about the weekend.

At the end of the conference I was saying good-bye to a gentleman who had come to receive feedback on his book.  The majority of the agents and editors in attendance didn’t feel that the book was unique enough for the market place.  This in and of itself wasn’t that shocking since most of us had heard similar constructive and not so constructive criticisms of our works.  What was striking to me was how deflated he seemed to be by the news.

Don’t get me wrong I understand that we authors have to have a certain amount of thickness to our creative skins in order to survive.  What this episode did for me was put into perspective two diametrically opposed views of the same profession.

This conference showed me time and time again that editors and agents are hungry to put out a good product, find that new voice or discover the next great literary genius.  However, they are also very business oriented, so much so that some seemed to border on cynical.  Two comments I heard that capture this spirit were, “we (the agents) are just waiting for the writer to let us down” or “what I hate to see most is a good idea wasted on a bad writer.”

To be fair I also heard the same agents saying, “write your passion,” “write from your heart” and “tell us your story.”  So the question is, in the end do the passion and the business ends of this profession mix?

You could spend your entire life studying a subject that contains a great message, can impact the world in a positive way and will benefit many people but, according to those professionals in attendance at the conference, if you don’t have the right connections, enough publicity behind you or your book published so that you can submit to local news stations, your chances for success are limited.

To me, the lowly, self-proclaimed writer, this seems way too cut and dry.

INTENTION & ENERGY
In my business, one that I have been a part of my entire life, intention and energy are everything.  What’s amazing about intention and energy is you don’t have to believe for the concepts behind them to work.  So, to all the would-be authors, writers, agents and editors out there…keep the faith.

KEEP WRITING
Authors keep writing.  It’s all about feeding what it is that you love.  The more you research and absorb yourself in the project, the more energy you put toward that ultimate goal.  If publishing is a passion that you just can’t see yourself living without, then keep moving forward one step at a time, regardless of what ANYONE says to you.  Know that you are becoming the expert in that field.  Talk about your passion to everyone you meet.  Remember, passion is infectious.  Pass it around!

BELIEVE
Believe in yourself even when no one else does.  This is probably the most important aspect of success.  There will come a time when you have to walk the path towards success alone and unsure of yourself.  These moments (hopefully few) will define you and your work.  They will temper your resolve and show you a side of yourself you can’t easily see when others are always there for you.

REMEMBER THE JOURNEY
It can be helpful to keep in mind that this entire experience is part of the larger journey called Life.  The most successful individuals are the ones who remember that life is full of ups and downs and that ‘even this too shall pass’.

If you truly are passionate about anything then it will become you and you it.  When this happens those around you will notice and eventually, down the road, others will see and want to know more…that, my friends, is when the fun begins and the book deals roll in.

Be well.