There are things I never thought I’d do.

Like participating in a book fair as an indie author. I thought that’d take me years to do. That I needed at least ten books published and commercial success to feel like I belonged in these kinds of events.

I had the opportunity to try something new at the Indies and Oddballs Book Fair. I completely ignored that mindset of “you need to be an established author”. I’m proud to say this was my first live event. I felt like I was discovering a new world of possibilities, even while still fighting my mind talking me out of that. Luckily, my curiosity for this experience was greater than my fear.

As I waited for the big day, I came across a few things that helped me approach it with a more grounded and optimistic lens.

Kobe Bryant on Failure

Kobe Bryant was once asked if he was a player who loved to win or hated to lose. His answer is one of the wisest things I’ve ever heard.

I play to figure things out. I play to learn something. If you play with a fear of failure or you play with the will to win (…) it’s a weakness either way. 

If you play with the fear of failing, you’ll have the pressure on yourself to play to capitulate to that fear. If you play with the sense of ‘I want to win, I want to win’, then you have the fear of what happens if you don’t. But if you find common ground in the middle, then it doesn’t matter. You’re unfazed by either, and that enables you to really stay in the moment. Stay connected to it and not feel anything other than what’s in front of you.

 

Watching this interview before the book fair helped me stay grounded. I thought it’d be beneficial to not get obsessed with sales or what could possibly go wrong. I could see that the best attitude was being fully present in the moment.

This made my experience much more enjoyable. Every moment at the fair was full of opportunities to learn from everyone around me.

Depeche Mode as Beginners

I came across this video on YouTube. Watching Depeche Mode perform live in their early days is wholesome. A simple stage. Small venue. All four members playing for the love of music regardless of the number of people around.

It hit me: Everybody has to start in one way or another. As an indie author, I’m in that phase too. Learning. Participating at book fairs even though I have zero experience.

Whether we are musicians, writers or any kind of artist, we’re there for the love of the craft. Not for the number of people who show up. This video was a beautiful reminder of that.

A Seasoned Author’s Voice

I read an article by author Chuck Sambuchino’s article on how to maximize a book festival appearance. He provided nine tips, and all of them were spot on.

As I kept doing some more research, my main takeaway was this:

The point of these events is the connections we make. While the number of sales is an important aspect, being able to talk about our books and the stories behind our stories is what allows connection.

That also helped me approach the day with a different perspective. On that day, I got to meet lovely and inspiring indie authors. I also chatted a little bit with some people who came by and got curious about my book. I was happy to go beyond the salesy pitch.

Connecting was, by far, the best part of this experience.

 

How wonderful that life is always offering first times at any given moment. I’m so glad I went for it. I’m so glad this was my first event ever.

I’m now more motivated to keep going.