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Welcome to Season 5 of The Book Marketing Action Podcast with Becky Robinson, where we give you information you can immediately implement to increase your influence and market your books more successfully.
In this episode, Becky talks to Becky Antkowiak—Writer, Editor, Founder/Chief Encouragement Officer of the 540 Writers Community, and Serial Extrovert. Listen as Becky explores the value of writers being in community with each other and the benefits of attending writers conferences. She shares her experiences attending conferences and the importance of camaraderie, learning the culture of publishing, making connections, receiving coaching, finding a cohort, and continuing to write.
Key Points From This Episode:
[02:09] Becky introduces herself and talks about her work in the world.
[04:56] Becky discusses the benefits for writers who choose to connect in person or online at writers events.
[08:39] Discover some of the ways that authors can learn from each other to help reach their goals.
[10:58] Becky shares her recommendations for how an author can find a writers group or conference to attend.
[12:48] Learn more about Becky’s writers group, why she started it, and what she was hoping to achieve.
[18:39] Becky reveals some of the secrets behind growing and sustaining a community of authors.
[19:54] (AD) Learn about our Book Marketing Strategy Live Course.
[21:47] Becky dives into the 6 Cs of writers conferences and outlines them throughout the rest of the episode.
Action Steps:
- Find a group of writers to support you on your journey. Whether it’s a writers community or an upcoming conference, tap into a group to find the camaraderie you might need to continue writing.
- Sign up for the Write To Publish Conference. It’s taking place in Wheaton, IL, from June 11 to 14, and you could meet both Beckys there! Listen to this episode for a special discount code.
- If you choose to self-publish, make sure your book is polished and professional. If you sell a number of books as a self-published author and then later want to publish traditionally, the publisher will look at the number of books that you’ve sold. So, if you can sell your book on Amazon in a self-published format, that’s going to be a huge benefit in your favor. It’s really important to do your very best to ensure things are done professionally.
Resources:
- Discover the story behind Becky’s blue hair.
- Learn more about the 540 Writers Community, started by Becky.
- Join the Weaving Influence Community on LinkedIn.
- Explore Becky’s website and connect with her on LinkedIn.
- Join the Facebook page for the 540 Writers Community.
Key Quotes:
My biggest reason for going to conferences is to connect with people. —Becky Antkowiak
I think it’s wise to ask friends for recommendations about which conferences to attend. —Becky Antkowiak
It just feels like home when you get together with other people who understand what’s going on. —Becky Antkowiak
Whether you pursue traditional publishing or whether you self-publish, writing conferences and writing groups are great places to learn what’s expected. —Becky Antkowiak
Agents and publishers often give priority to people that they meet at a conference. —Becky Antkowiak
The level of education at a good conference can just catapult you to the next level. —Becky Antkowiak
No matter how great your book is, every book needs editing. —Becky Antkowiak
Success doesn’t mean getting published; success is doing the thing that we are meant to do. —Becky Antkowiak
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Read our latest article based on key takeaways from this episode.
Explore our archives! Listen to Becky’s five favorite episodes:
- Episode 125 with Michael Bungay Stanier
- Episode 121 with Juliet Starrett
- Episode 112 with Clint Pulver
- Episode 108 with AJ Harper
- Episode 106 with Jane Friedman
I am the founder/CEO of the Weaving Influence team, the author of Reach: Creating the Biggest Possible Audience for Your Message, Book, or Cause, and the host of the Book Marketing Action Podcast. I’m a wife and mom of three kids, and I enjoy running, reading, writing, coffee, and dark chocolate.