Networking

As an Indie Author, I've discovered there is no other industry like this one...  It's all about the networking.

I used to sell Avon, and the big thing in the Multi-Level Marketing industry is what's called the "Power of Three": Talk to three people every day about your product or business.  If you do that, you can be pretty successful.  The only problem was, I talked to the wrong three people, and ended up with a team that didn't stick with the plan.  So, while I had a great start to my career with Avon, it fizzled out and left me disheartened.

Indie Authors face the same challenges as MLMs, only instead of trying to get people to buy into their business opportunity, they're trying to sell themselves.  Writing is very personal, even if it is fiction, it's still a bit of ourselves on those pages (screens, whatever), and we are banking on somebody falling in love with our words, us.

I jumped into this head first.  I had experience with marketing, and am not shy.  I have absolutely no problem joining every possible online forum, and saying, "Howdy!"

And I've made some great friends this way.

Friends from all over the world, actually.  Well, one of them was a reconnect, when we both realized we'd been writing.  I haven't seen her since college, but we've been friends since kindergarten, when I latched my arm through hers, refusing to let go, insisting we were superglued together.  Ah...good times.  Now, she's in the UK somewhere, writing and teaching yoga, and is an awesome link in my support chain.

I've made friends in Spain, Australia, the UK, and all over the US.  I call them friends if we've chatted back and forth online somehow, either through goodreads, email, facebook, whatever.  I've interacted with them, in a positive manner, and that makes them my friend.

One lady that I've interacted with in such a manner actually lives about two hours away from me, and we've made a plan to get together for lunch one day next week.

I'm really looking forward to lunch with Jill, as I haven't really gotten a chance yet to sit down and bounce ideas off another writer, certainly not one who writes the same type stories I do, has similar interests, and *gasp* computer knowledge!  I'm hoping to pick her brain on some software stuff, how to convert word files to mobi files and stupid junk like that.

Aside from actually writing, and creating stories, my favorite part of the marketing aspect of Indie Writing is definitely all of the people that I've met in the journey.  Some of them have been harsh, but that's okay.  I strive for honesty in my relationships.

In the meantime, sales are up so far this month, and that makes me a happy girl.