Heading for Southern book heaven!

Attending my first SIBA (Southern Independent Booksellers Association) conference this week, I plan to delight in down home style networking. As a     GRITS (girl raised in the South), these are my people bringing Tennessee gentility to Florida. SIBA is an opportunity to connect with hundreds of independent booksellers in prime markets for my novel.

When your work has a strong regional edge, look for organizations that give maximum access to potential book buyers and book signing locations. A few good contacts would more than compensate for my membership and conference expenses. Since I enjoy meeting people and presenting my work, this is the ideal forum to network. For writers who are shy or less comfortable walking into a room of strangers and talking about your work, this would not be a good option. Conference are exceptional opportunities to make contacts, acquire new ideas and amp up motivation to keep going on the never ending promotional push to get a new book noticed.