Bring Back Reading with Ripa--Stalking Kelly Ripa

Okay, we're not really stalking her (please don't call the FBI), but this blog was born out of the frustration of trying to get our books NOTICED when there is a sea of books published every year. If you can't change it, at least you can laugh about it....

Friday, August 05, 2005

Dear Kelly,

Last week I went to a writer's conference with over 2100 other writers. I'm still recovering! I thought I'd share my random thoughts about the conference:

1) Wear comfortable shoes. Too bad I have to relearn this every single year!

2) Be nice to everyone! It turns out I was standing next to Linda Howard in the elevator. Somehow I managed to make small talk instead of blurting out; "You're Linda Howard, and I'm reading your book RIGHT NOW!" No matter how long I've been an Author, I'm still a Fan! And for the record, Linda was nice, funny, and down-to-earth charming.

3) If you win an award at the Big Awards Ceremony with 2100 women in the shimmering evening finery, say thank you and GET OFF THE STAGE! Most of the winners were gracious, amusing and reasonably brief. One was just strange. I have no idea what she was talking about. Or wearing—her dress made me think of Little Bo Peep. Then I was wishing for Little Bo Peep's staff (she did carry a staff, right?) to use to get that woman off the stage!

4) Next time, I might want to realize that if I final in a contest, I will be forced to walk up dangerous, rickety steps in barely-there high heels to get onstage, and then once I'm traumatized by scaling those steps (which were clearly designed by MEN), I will be asked if I would like to make any comments. Once I managed to get safely off stage, I was shuffled over to a professional photographer. I don't ever want to see that picture! P.S. Erica Spindler's book SEE JANE DIE won the Daphne du Maurier Award of Excellence in my category—Congratulations Erica!

5) My editor will recognize me and I have to stop making a fool of myself by saying, "Kate, I'm Jennifer Apodaca—" At which point my editor turns to my friends and says "I know who she is. I've met her before, talk to her regularly on the phone and edit her books. Does she think I don't know who I'm buying books from?" Okay she didn't actually say that, but it was darn close. And my friends? They are playing right along with my editor, agreeing that I am stupid. Sheesh. With friends like that, who needs reviewers?

6) If I try to sneak down at 7:00 am to get some coffee, I will be recognized. Yep, I only had about three fans out there amongst the thousands of women at that conference, but one of them found me when I was trying to be invisible. How does Linda Howard do it? Note to self—next time don’t be so cheap and buy a small coffeemaker if the hotel doesn't provide one!

7) Once I get home, my desk will be piled with contracts to read and signed (I am NOT complaining about that!), copy edits, blogs to write, contests to sort out and post on my newsletter group, and two works-in-progress that did not write themselves while I was gone. Then there's all the daily life stuff to catch up on!

8) And last—don't take ourselves too seriously. The only thing worth taking seriously in this business is writing the best damn book we can.

So, Kelly that was snippets of my conference week. I imagine it's much different for you when you go to big events. Everyone knows who you are!

Before I sign off, I must mention that I heard your name, Kelly Ripa, and the sorely missed Reading with Ripa segment of your show, talked about quite a bit. Everyone misses Reading with Ripa!

Best,
Jennifer
http://jenniferapodaca.com/

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