There are some important She Speaks Conference details at the bottom of this post. For those of you attending this year, don't miss them...
I'll never forget the first time I attended a book convention. I was giddy with excitement and weighed down with 15 copies of my book proposal. I was more on a mission than a college senior looking for a diamond toting man willing to grant her an Mrs. degree.
Yes ma'am. My shoes and I clippity clapped all around that convention floor making appointments and praying that someone, anyone would like the words I had all packaged up in the little professional purple binders.
Because really nothing says 'best selling author' like a purple Office Max binder y'all.
So, my last appointment of the day was with one of the biggest and most respected companies in the Christian publishing world. I couldn't believe they were even willing to talk to me. Seriously, I kept pinching myself while sitting in their appointment waiting area.
It looked really convincing and classy to have red pinch marks all down my arms when meeting with this publisher. Really.
So, the meeting went okay. I watched the publisher put my beloved manuscript in a tall stack with what seemed like hundreds of other people's beloved manuscripts. And then he scooted me out with the famous last words of, "don't call us, we'll call you."
But all was not lost because outside the meeting room, a famous author was doing a meet and greet. She was BIG TIME!!! And while I was excited about standing in line to meet her and get a free signed copy of her book, the thing I was most excited about was the tray of chocolate covered strawberries on the other side of the author.
I hadn't eaten all day.
Those strawberries were an oasis in the midst of a dry and weary desert of rejection.
Who needs a book contract when you can hand a starving woman a strawberry covered with the cure of all disappointment, chocolate.
I barely remember meeting the author and I'm not even sure I took a copy of her book, but I will never forget the deliciousness that was bound up in that one little red berry.
It was so good in fact that I had to have another.
But the lady holding the strawberry tray had the "only take one or else" look.
So, I came up with the brilliant plan to just got through the line again. I mean really, who would remember me... right?
So, I met the author again and finally a second strawberry was mine for the taking. I reached out, my mouth watering to the point I had to suck in vast amounts of air to keep from drooling. Right as my fingers were perfectly poised to score a second strawberry, suddenly a slap could be heard 'round the world.
Everything suddenly went in slow motion. Every eye looked over at me. Everyone saw the strawberry guard woman scold me in a very dramatic fashion, Y-O-U--- C-A-N-N-O-T--- H-A-V-E--- A-N-O-T-H-E-R--- S-T-R-A-W-B-E-R-R-Y!!!
I would have paid lots of money at that point to have someone open up the floor and swallow me whole.
I would forever be known as the glutton wanna be author who took two strawberries and got her hand slapped at convention.
Until, that is, everyone forgot about it two seconds later.
But me and my clippy clappy shoes have never forgotten that day.
Many years later, having weathered many, many rejection letters, I finally made it back to that same convention. This time as an author of that very publisher. And instead of toting purple bound book proposals, I was in my room preparing to go to the convention floor for my book signing.
Again, I was nervous. And again I was in the process of decorating my arms with red pinch marks when there was a knock at the door.
I opened my door and couldn't help but double over in laughter at what the bellman handed me.
Me and my clippy clappy shoes thanked him, closed the door, and twirled about that hotel room holding the biggest tray of chocolate covered strawberries you've ever seen!
Life does have a way of eventually coming around, does it not?
Now, for those of you planning to attend She Speaks this year, we have some exciting announcements for the bloggers that will be there...
1. The bloggers reception - This is for bloggers to get to know one another before the conference starts. It is totally optional but we'd love to have you pop in if you can.
It will be from 2:15 to 3:00 on Friday in the Kannapolis A room. This was advertised in the attendees registration letter that you should have received by now. To RSVP for this e-mail shespeaks@proverbs31.org and put “bloggers reception" in the subject line.
2. If you want your blog name along with your real name on your She Speaks badge, please contact shespeaks@proverbs31.org and put “name tag” in the subject line. Deadline for this is June 9th... that would be today.
3. Bonus session for Bloggers... We are so excited about all the great bloggy information that will be shared that we have developed a bonus session for those bloggers not involved in the speakers and writers evaluation groups.
The session will be "The Business Side of Blogging" and will be taught by Rocks in My Dryer, Big Mama, and Boo Mama.
This bonus session will be held from 8:00- 9:30 pm on Friday night in the same room as the Bloggers session before it.
And finally, me and my clippy clappy shoes can hardly wait to meet you all!
I'll never forget the first time I attended a book convention. I was giddy with excitement and weighed down with 15 copies of my book proposal. I was more on a mission than a college senior looking for a diamond toting man willing to grant her an Mrs. degree.
Yes ma'am. My shoes and I clippity clapped all around that convention floor making appointments and praying that someone, anyone would like the words I had all packaged up in the little professional purple binders.
Because really nothing says 'best selling author' like a purple Office Max binder y'all.
So, my last appointment of the day was with one of the biggest and most respected companies in the Christian publishing world. I couldn't believe they were even willing to talk to me. Seriously, I kept pinching myself while sitting in their appointment waiting area.
It looked really convincing and classy to have red pinch marks all down my arms when meeting with this publisher. Really.
So, the meeting went okay. I watched the publisher put my beloved manuscript in a tall stack with what seemed like hundreds of other people's beloved manuscripts. And then he scooted me out with the famous last words of, "don't call us, we'll call you."
But all was not lost because outside the meeting room, a famous author was doing a meet and greet. She was BIG TIME!!! And while I was excited about standing in line to meet her and get a free signed copy of her book, the thing I was most excited about was the tray of chocolate covered strawberries on the other side of the author.
I hadn't eaten all day.
Those strawberries were an oasis in the midst of a dry and weary desert of rejection.
Who needs a book contract when you can hand a starving woman a strawberry covered with the cure of all disappointment, chocolate.
I barely remember meeting the author and I'm not even sure I took a copy of her book, but I will never forget the deliciousness that was bound up in that one little red berry.
It was so good in fact that I had to have another.
But the lady holding the strawberry tray had the "only take one or else" look.
So, I came up with the brilliant plan to just got through the line again. I mean really, who would remember me... right?
So, I met the author again and finally a second strawberry was mine for the taking. I reached out, my mouth watering to the point I had to suck in vast amounts of air to keep from drooling. Right as my fingers were perfectly poised to score a second strawberry, suddenly a slap could be heard 'round the world.
Everything suddenly went in slow motion. Every eye looked over at me. Everyone saw the strawberry guard woman scold me in a very dramatic fashion, Y-O-U--- C-A-N-N-O-T--- H-A-V-E--- A-N-O-T-H-E-R--- S-T-R-A-W-B-E-R-R-Y!!!
I would have paid lots of money at that point to have someone open up the floor and swallow me whole.
I would forever be known as the glutton wanna be author who took two strawberries and got her hand slapped at convention.
Until, that is, everyone forgot about it two seconds later.
But me and my clippy clappy shoes have never forgotten that day.
Many years later, having weathered many, many rejection letters, I finally made it back to that same convention. This time as an author of that very publisher. And instead of toting purple bound book proposals, I was in my room preparing to go to the convention floor for my book signing.
Again, I was nervous. And again I was in the process of decorating my arms with red pinch marks when there was a knock at the door.
I opened my door and couldn't help but double over in laughter at what the bellman handed me.
Me and my clippy clappy shoes thanked him, closed the door, and twirled about that hotel room holding the biggest tray of chocolate covered strawberries you've ever seen!
Life does have a way of eventually coming around, does it not?
Now, for those of you planning to attend She Speaks this year, we have some exciting announcements for the bloggers that will be there...
1. The bloggers reception - This is for bloggers to get to know one another before the conference starts. It is totally optional but we'd love to have you pop in if you can.
It will be from 2:15 to 3:00 on Friday in the Kannapolis A room. This was advertised in the attendees registration letter that you should have received by now. To RSVP for this e-mail shespeaks@proverbs31.org and put “bloggers reception" in the subject line.
2. If you want your blog name along with your real name on your She Speaks badge, please contact shespeaks@proverbs31.org and put “name tag” in the subject line. Deadline for this is June 9th... that would be today.
3. Bonus session for Bloggers... We are so excited about all the great bloggy information that will be shared that we have developed a bonus session for those bloggers not involved in the speakers and writers evaluation groups.
The session will be "The Business Side of Blogging" and will be taught by Rocks in My Dryer, Big Mama, and Boo Mama.
This bonus session will be held from 8:00- 9:30 pm on Friday night in the same room as the Bloggers session before it.
And finally, me and my clippy clappy shoes can hardly wait to meet you all!
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