F3

I’m sitting under a painting. Knees pulled tight to my chest, soul reaching its tendrils outward into purple-gray clouds. The painting rolls, swirls, builds. Huddled next to a ’74 Chevy Nova – not the safest place. Not even sane. But the view!

It’s thick and it begins descending. The painting shifts, background taking on a sickly green hue. Sky is the color of last week’s black eye – but that’s neither here nor there. Still crouched, half-willing the masterpiece to swallow me whole.

Hail. Screw it. Been beaten before. Let it hail. Not long now. God takes my picture. Here it comes. The painting comes to life. Arms unclench my knees and I unravel my body to stand. The Chevy can’t go anywhere anymore but with any luck, I can. I pray to the tornado, “take me away.” I scream at it. Demand it to. Then the vortex descends.

What’s Your Story?

Following my book launch in January, I quickly re-discovered that self-marketing is a major undertaking. Writing a book is one thing. Actually selling it is quite another! With hundreds of thousands of books and new authors cropping up on Amazon and other sites every year, how do you stand out? You’ve got to have friends in the right places. You need a solid network of creative professionals on your team. And you’ve got to keep at it.

One way to push your networking as an author is to join a local writer’s guild. One exists in my area however in speaking to some of their authors at their Farmer’s Market booth one Saturday, I learned they have some requirements that are a bit out of my reach at this time. Firstly, their annual dues are upwards of $300.00. Not something I can produce right now! They also require their members be previously published through a traditional publishing house. In the world of indie authors and self-pubs, also not possible.

My question to you is: Have you considered joining your local writer’s guild? Or have you already? I’d love to hear your pros and cons about them, no matter which way you’ve opted. Tell me your experiences! Your input will help me (and others) decide if a guild would be a worthwhile venture when the opportunity arises. Sound off in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

Oh, and when you’re done, please do check out the first in a sci-fi trilogy that artfully blends Tech and Kinetics. It is the first of three lovechild creations of myself and fellow creatives Charlie Barbin (10/7 Productions), Ray Wade Jr. (Midian Entertainment Group), and David Rex Bonnewell (Wickedly Written). LOOKER: Lydia Branson, Book 1 is available on KINDLE and in print for a stupid-low price. Click HERE: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MLYN1ZX