Last Friday, I was invited to take part in "Discovery Friday" at the Barnes & Noble in Danbury, CT. The "Meet the Author" event for local authors was one of many activities and fun planned to kick off book sales for the holiday season. This was a wonderful opportunity to introduce myself to the Danbury community. I had warm and wonderful conversations with a number of fascinating individuals at the bookstore.I was fortunate to connect with a woman who was immediately taken with my second book, A Dawn Run Hot with Morning. She found that it might make a great gift for a friend of hers who enjoyed poetry and art. I signed the book to her friend and hope that she enjoys her reading. I signed A Poet Speaks of Empire for her, too, and mentioned that it was inspired by my work in Ghana several years ago. A family member of hers also traveled to Africa and, like me, it changed the way she looked at poverty on the continent.
I also spoke with a young woman who was in high school. We agreed that we greatly enjoyed writing and started writing poetry and short stories at a young age. I admitted to writing my first short story at 7 and she mentioned that she started writing many years ago, as well. She also noted that she helped edit her co-op's literary magazine, something I did in high school, too. It is always great to meet young writers and to encourage them to pursue their passions!
I talked briefly with a man who said that he always wanted to be a writer. I noted to him that, these days, it is far easier to publish than it was just ten years ago. With the rise of print on demand publishing, just about anyone with a creative eye can publish a book.
When I noted that I was published independently, he seemed surprised. Eventually, I gave him a business card and he noted that he'd check out my work online. If I had the chance to continue the conversation further, what I would say to him is that he would be shocked by the quality of writing and overall quality of books coming from independently published writers.I have had the privilege to read a number of books of fiction and poetry through a group on Facebook called "Review Seekers" in which authors offer their books for free in return for an honest review of their book. The amount of untapped talent out there is remarkable!
I've heard that your chances of being published by a traditional publisher are equivalent to that of being struck by lightning. With this in mind, it is imaginable that many major publishing houses' "slush piles" are filled with talent. What may be in question is how easy or difficult it is for a book to easily find a market and become a bestseller.
Finally, I ran into a man who, like me, studied English in college and lamented the day when poets wrote accessibly. He remembered a day when Allen Ginsberg, a beat poet from the 1950s and 1960s, came to speak to a group in his writing program and how enjoyable reading poetry was back in the day. I agreed. Many people don't enjoy reading poetry that obscures understanding. I aim for accessibility in my work, almost above all.
In sum, last Friday was a lot of fun. It's great doing events like this one. I look forward to doing more events like these in the future!
