Listen To the Experts and Trust Them - Conference Thoughts

When I am at conferences, I spend a lot of time people watching. I love hearing authors talk to each other about their careers, their writing and the approaches they plan on taking. I love the enthusiasm and the passion that these writers have. If you aren't a writer, listening to them just makes you want to open up your laptop and start writing your novel.

However, there is another side to this and one that I find very frustrating at times. I often hear authors talking to each other and taking advice from people who have no clue what they are doing. This last conference was no different. I watched individuals "holding court" and dispensing advice and suggestions for writing, publishing, marketing and so forth. All of which was not going to work. They had a captive audience who were desperate to hear anything that might help.

When you go to conferences, attend workshops, or look for advice from people to guide what you do, please make sure to take the time to know their area of expertise and THINK! But I want you to take it a bit further. If these experts, after you know their credentials tell you something, trust them!

Again, I heard people during lunch talking about some of the workshops they had attended. Some had indeed gone to some quality sessions, and yet, I heard people making statements such as, "Yeah, I know they said to do X but honestly, it isn't something that works for me. I'm going to do Y instead." and of course, Y, was going to head this author to a brick wall.

Look, there are always multiple approaches to writing and publishing. I always say there is no right or wrong way of doing things, BUT there is a wrong way. 

So think, please!