The Porch Swing Chronicles: The Glamorous Life of an Author

As I count down to Saturday's festivities at the York Book Expo, I'm reminded of other author events that have yielded a mix of fun and sales. This post originally ran in July 2015, as I was promoting my first novel, Casting the First Stone.

Lately, a friend and I have been joking about the glamorous life of an author. I mean, the wardrobe alone inspires envy, don’t you think? And the lifestyle? Like any profession, it has wonderful moments, but chances are, it’s a tad different from what you’d imagine.

In the past eighteen months, I’ve done a variety of events, ranging from traditional bookstore signings to online “appearances” to less-than-traditional celebrations in a few of my favorite places. Most of it has been a lot of fun, and that was no accident. “Fun” was the one ingredient I insisted on when it came to promotion, because, after all, if the event isn’t fun, then I should be spending my time writing instead.

Some events are less, um, eventful than others, and as I reflect back on the past year and a half, it would be easy to complain and concentrate on those.

But you don’t want to read about that.

So, as I prepare to dig into the publishing process for the next book, and climb aboard this merry-go-round all over again, I want to reflect on some of the fun, and offer some thanks. I’m grateful for:

Special places: Two of my favorite events happened at two of my favorite places: the Starbucks I visit almost daily, and the library my daughter and I “discovered” when she was three.

Loyal friends: Those who bought my book, acted as beta readers and copy editors, wrote reviews, and, even before that, asked me how the book was coming along — before it was even a book.

Long-distance friends: My parents threw a party to celebrate the book, which, due to circumstances beyond their control, took place nearly a year after the book came out. Not only did our family and their friends come to celebrate, but so did several of my high school friends, some of whom I hadn’t seen in many years. In addition, friends from the district where I had my first job were the impetus for a party in their neck of the woods where I spent a wonderful afternoon catching up.

Brave friends: As I was leaving the house to go to my first book party, it started to snow. Though travel conditions were less than ideal, many friends made the trip anyway, some traveling from two hours away. They’re officially braver than I am, and I’m officially grateful.

Clever friends: One of the friends who made the two-hour trip parked himself at a table with his laptop and took it upon himself to procure as many likes for my writer page as he could. I had no idea he was doing this until after the deed was done, and the page had jumped 75 likes in one afternoon.

Talented friends: One of the baristas at my favorite Starbucks is a trained chef. She and her baking partner created an amazing book cake for my launch party, along with to-die-for jumbo cupcakes. I froze the leftovers and feasted on them for almost a month after the party.

Patient friends and family, who came to multiple events and tolerated book signings and celebrations long after the novelty had worn off (for them)...even when I scheduled these festivities during our vacation.

Author friends: The folks who totally get it, help me problem solve when I’m freaking out, and celebrate with me. Some of these are also….

Barista friends, who came to my launch party and celebrated the book fueled in part by the iced chai tea lattes they crafted for me. Two of these barista friends are writers themselves, and I love our “So, what are you working on now?” talks.