Self-Promoting Your Workshops

I believe I've documented in earlier entries my panic about preparing for a class I'm teaching for the first time this Saturday: Get Published! The Ins & Outs of Magazine Submissions.  I made myself sit down for five hours last Sunday and plow through setting up a syllabus and content.  Turns out it may all be for naught.

So far only 1 person has pre-registered for the class.  (And a big "thank you" to you, anonymous student.) It's my own fault.  I hesitated on sending out press releases because I was worried about being prepared.  Now I'm prepared with great content and ideas and no one to teach it to. Of course there's always the chance that between now and Friday a great horde of people will see the light and sign up, but I'm not holding my breath.

On the one hand--yea.A cancelled class frees up my Saturday, takes away the pressure and hey--I still get the promo on  my site that I offered the class (so much of marketing is...I was about to write "deceptive" but that's not it.  It's an illusion.  I can create the illusion I'm offering a great many classes and workshops and while it's true I do offer them, it's also true that a lot of them don't make.  But I can still list them on my resume and writer's bio and no ones the wiser. )

I spoke at Saturday's writer's panel on the importance of networking and self-promotion.  It never ends.  I'm knocking my head against walls, trying to get this blog the way I want it, not because I'm making any money from it but because I'm counting on it pulling in some loyal readers and establishing a reader base. Self-promotion never ends.  I'm always looking for ways to connect people, help others, get my name and book title and website address out there.

It's hard because you never know where the payoff will be.  You might spend big bucks on a conference and no magic sparks occur and the next day you'll attend a free lecture in a podunk library and make the connection of a lifetime.  That's also the fun part of it.  Nothing is ever wasted and everything is for a reason.  The fun part of life (also the challenging part of life) is figuring out what those reasons may be and what to do with the opportunities laid before you.

Which is a REALLY long of saying shame on me for not being proactive on those press releases.  No one to blame but myself. 

Highland Games

We spent the weekend in the mountains at the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games.  The games are one of the biggest gatherings of Scottish Clans in the world and this was the 50th year anniversary.

We only went to Saturday's events but were treated to sheep herding (very interesting for me as I've written about the Border Collie and finally got to see the crouch and "the eye" in practice), piping, drumming, the Hammer throw, tossing the Sheath (sheath, not s-h-e-e-p as the announcer helpfully pointed out), 56 lb weight throw and Highland Wrestling. 

Everywhere we went there were men in kilts and many men in kilts along with t-shirts that read "Real Men Wear Kilts."   I see the appeal.  Men that still come off as masculine while in a skirt with a diaper pin are men indeed.

Along with the games we also spent an afternoon exploring nearby Boone and Blowing Rock.  We came across Price Lake on the BlueRidge Parkway and decided on a spontaneous canoe rental.  We did okay once we go the hang of it but I'll be the first to admit I'm a terrible front-seat driver.  "Left, LEFT LEFT!  You're taking us into the trees!  What are you doing?"  Points go to Blair for not whacking me over the head with the paddle to shut me up.

We also rented a log cabin to stay in.  We're trying to get a feel for different cabins before (and if) we build our own.  We didn't care for the layout of this one--the rooms were small and choppy.  However, it did have an outdoor hot tub and sitting in the mountains at night in hot bubbles is not a bad thing to do.

Back to the Games, they were much fun and those Scottish people are a blast.  However, most of the day is spent sitting on bleachers observing field events and we were done after about 3 1/2 hours. 

My favorite part of the day was the opening ceremony where they introduced the heads of different clans.  One man with a thick burr of an accent came on and said there were millions of Americans with Scottish backgrounds but only a couple hundred thousand of us visited the Motherland this year.  More Japanese than Americans visit Scotland, the man said.  Then, "And while we love taking money from the Japanese, you Americans drink more and so we like your money better.  So come see Scotland and have a whiskey with us!"

He had the crowd rolling.

Sick Kitty

As I went to hop into the shower before my writer's panel meeting my left foot stepped in something warm.  I looked down and liquid appeared splashed across the carpet.  Warm liquid? For anyone who owns a pet, this sets off warning bells.

Moments earlier I'd seen our younger cat Olivia slink under our bed so I had my suspicions on who the culprit was.  Was she upset at us for being gone?  We'd only been gone a little over 48 hours--hardly worth a vengeance pee.  I worried she was sick.

I went into the hall and there near the litter box was a bit of goo, as if someone had spit up.  Now I was worried.  I went and found Blair.

"Olivia pee'd on the floor and threw up a little, " I said.  "So keep an eye on her."

I hoped in the shower and Blair came in a few minutes later to say he'd found Olivia under the bed, along with a bit more sick-up. 

Blair had been planning on going out to our property to do some work but as he was getting in the car to pull away I waved him back into the house.

"I know it's not fair and I know nothing is going to happen, but can you please stay home with Olivia until I get back from my meeting?"

He's a good sport.  He really wanted to go get some work done but my nerves were already under stress from other issues and I really would have been worried about the cats if left alone.  I have that "worst case scenario" ability and imagined Olivia choking or passing out and no one here to help her.  I also knew the chances of that happening were slim but if one of us was going to have the "I told you so" last word, in this scenario I was happy to give it to Blair.

And she was fine.  She's looked a little stressed all evening but she's stayed out with us, which is a good sign. She usually hides when she's sick.  So we'll keep an eye on her and see how it goes.

Participating in a Panel Group of Writers

We returned this AM from our trip to the mountains to see the Highland Games (see "Highland Games" entry) and I ran a quick shower and then dashed into downtown Greensboro to participate in a writer's panel sponsored by the Writer's Group of the Triad (WGOT).

I must say, there was a certain feeling of having "arrived" as a writer in being asked to sit on the panel and have a roomful of people looking to you for advice.  I can only hope I didn't disappoint.  Actually, I was really more secondary to the panel.  Most people in the room appeared to have an interest in how to publish their book--either fiction or non-fiction--they're working on. 

I was floored by the turnout.  32 people! When Blair said good-bye and asked me how many people we thought would attend I shrugged and said it could be as low as five and we'd be happy with 12-15.  It shows me how many people have the desire to write and be heard.  I think there's a little place in all our hearts where we long to live on a bit past our days, maybe imparting humor, wisdom or knowledge for those that follow.

I wish I'd thought to bring a camera to the event.  I usually carry one but we'd packed it for our trip and I didn't think to take it along.

I'm drop dead tired.  It's 8:20 and I'll consider it a successful night if my eyes stay open until 9.  However, before I go to bed I've got to have Blair go over his notes with me from where he proofread the LIS book this afternoon, catch up on some e-mails with my website designer, mail checks to the petsitter and the final installment to my book cover designer, and answer about 8 of the 52 e-mails that were waiting to greet me when I got home.

Or promise myself I'll get up early in the morning and do it then.  Ah ha ha!!! (evil laugh).