This spring our book ventures took us to New York City, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.
The awards and outstanding book reviews we received in 2024 afforded us an invitation to visit New York in March and meet with Simon and Schuster’s editors. This unique opportunity allowed us to learn even more about the publishing industry and what editors are looking for. The topics presented were informative and inspiring. Approximately 100 authors were in attendance. Meeting with Archway Publishing’s top authors, making new friends, and becoming acquainted with current popular genres helped us realize we are indeed on the road to excellence.
In April, we attended the Los Angeles Festival of Books on the beautiful campus of the University of Southern California. Hundreds of authors sat behind tables under tents lining the walkways, proudly presenting and signing their books. Music, food, and author panels were a part of the annual event. Well-known authors spoke and packed classrooms and auditoriums. We were fortunate to attend a three-author panel who spoke about their fascinating historical family memoirs. We spent two hours under the Black Chateau Agency tent signing and selling books. Talking with attendees of the festival was a highlight. Everyone there, of course, was excited about books and we loved sharing our story. We were pleased with the number of books we sold.
Also in April, we attended the PenCraft Book Awards ceremony in Las Vegas. During the day, speakers in the publishing, printing, and film industry shared their knowledge. That evening, we received three awards: the 2024 Summer Best Book, 2024 Runner Up, and Best Audio Book. The venue was beautiful and the food provided was delicious.
Attending events such as these is always fun, and receiving awards is to be celebrated. But the best part of all of them is meeting with and getting to know other authors, discussing ideas, and exchanging information. We’ve continued to build our author network and are on our way to greater things. 