On the Same Page

Since I'd never been to RT before, I didn't have a lot of preconceived ideas. Oh, I'd been told about the cover models and the parties, the costumes and the rabid readers. The reality was much more fun than I'd imagined it would be, but I did learn quite a bit.

What To Do At RT:

Stand Up and Be Noticed. Don't sit in your chair at the signings and expect people to come to you. Get up and talk to whovever walks by. Stick your hand out and say hi.

Talk To Your Fellow Writers. My flanking partners at the ebook signing, Samantha Kane and Cat Johnson, are two of the nicest people I met all week. They answered any questions I had and generally made me less of a nervous wreck.

Dress The Part. I'm usually a jeans and t-shirt person, but when you're presenting yourself to the public, spiff it up. People notice you more readily. And hopefully remember you more favorably.

Strike Up A Conversation. The woman standing next to you in line to meet your favorite author might just be a reviewer who hasn't read your book yet. And you want her to like it.

What Not To Do At RT:

Be rude. Because the person without the nametag may be your biggest fan or the organizer's significant other.

Be late to dinner. You may not find a seat.

Complain about being shunted to the overflow hotel. A blessing in disguise as the Omni was gorgeous and the Hilton was somewhat of a mess from renovations.

Decide not to approach your favorite author at the book signing because you're shy. Go to my personal blog, On A Moonlit Night, to find out why JR Ward is my hero.

Orlando, here we come!