Part #2 of our chat with author Anna Grace. LUV: Are you part of an author community? If yes, how did you find it and what makes it valuable to you? You make yourself available as a speaker at conferences but also for book clubs and other groups. Can you tell us about these experiences and why you are passionate about sharing? Anna: Yes! My author community has been a life safer, a career-saver. I am so grateful for all my writing friends. I built my community slowly, most often reaching out to authors on social media. My writing partner Kristine Lynn and I met on the Write for Harlequin Website. We exchanged the first ten pages of the novels we were working on at the time, and I knew by the end of the first page of ALL’S FAIR WITH LOVE AND COWBOYS that we were going to be good friends. Kristine and I talk and text all the time, wear matching T-shirts, and have become each other’s biggest cheerleaders. I’m also the queen of reaching out to authors and asking for help. I admired Teri Wilson’s social media presence (@teriwilsonauthor) so I messaged her and asked for advice. She jumped on a zoom and we connected immediately. A year and a half later and she’s loaning me false eyelashes at the Georgia Romance Writers conference! (Wait, no. More like giving them to me. No one expects you to return eyelashes at the end of the evening.) I love presenting: at book clubs, conferences, libraries, in person, online, you name it. I’ve spent my life in education, and teaching is fun for me. But the passion behind helping authors comes from my own experience. It took me over 20 years of hard work and rejection before I got my first contract with Harlequin. Looking back, I can easily identify the mistakes I made, and would love to save others the same trouble. Whether someone’s goals include indie, small press, or a big five contract, I want to help people locate the tools they need to make it happen. Making money as an author is a doable goal for anyone who works hard and responds well to feedback. I needed help identifying the path, and I’m passionate about helping others get on the right track as well.

Posted by LUV Team at 2024-11-26 15:00:01 UTC