Light-skinned-ed Girl

There's a Real Rival to Amazon

I was super excited to attend and speak at the BlogHer 2015 conference this year. One of the benefits was getting to check out the vendors and exhibits in the conference expo hall. I learned about some great products like My Intent, Keepsayk, Realtimes (which I'm really loving because it makes video editing so easy), and the brand new Jet!

It's basically a rival to Amazon--and we could definitely use an alternative to Amazon just to make sure prices are fair and innovation keeps happening. Full disclosure, I received a year membership free to Jet as a BlogHer attendee. And the good news is you can too. I have exactly 25 free membership codes to share for a free 1-year membership to Jet, worth $49.99. The code expires 8/18/25. Happy shopping! Email me at [email protected] if you would like the promo code.

BlogHer 15: A Completely Energizing Experience!

Okay, let me just say: I am an introvert. Seriously.  I may not seem like it when I'm out on the road speaking or doing book readings, but that's only because I work on it. I spend an incredible amount of energy getting myself ready because I get anxious in big groups, and I get nervous around people.  I much prefer my desk most days and the imaginary characters and conversations I have in my head as I work on my new book.

That said, I decided to challenge myself and sign up to be a speaker at the 2015 Blog Her conference this year.  I have wanted to attend since the first year of the conference, but never worked up my nerve.  Lo and behold, I was accepted as a speaker on a great panel with Jill Nystul and Louise Sloan.  The panel was called Blog to Book, Your Content, Your Proposal, Your Platform. 

We each shared our very diverse journeys to publication and then dedicated the majority of the session to questions from the audience. I think a lot of folks walked away with a tip or two to move forward with their projects or at least a little more hope that they should stay in the hunt and hungry to make their dream to be published come true.

 

 

Best of all was that I got to meet some of my readers and also met some great bloggers I only knew on-line or just got introduced to at the conference.  I would definitely recommend this conference to anyone interested.  And yes, I plan to go again!  

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I'm Speaking at BlogHer15!

Accolades or Affirmations: The Boost Needed to Get Back to Writing

I'm Speaking at BlogHer15!

I'm super excited to speak at BlogHer15: Experts Among Us conference next week July 17 at 2pm.

I'll be part of a program called The Creative Life: Blog to Book, Your Content, Your Proposal, Your Platform.  Longtime readers of this blog know that I started this blog in 2006 when I heard from my agent that none of the three dozen editors she had approached were interested in my manuscript which eventually was published as The Girl Who Fell From the Sky.  I was seeking community when I started this blog and also just a sense of confidence in my writing and my voice.  I hope that I can help other writers with my story.  So if you're in New York City next week, don't miss this awesome conference.  I've been wanting to go for years and now I get to speak at it!  I'm so excited! Oh, and you'll get a 30 percent discount on registration if you sign up here.

  

Here's a description of the program:

You have the story to tell, but how do you evolve from Expert blogger to book author? This session will dig into the three components that are now a necessary part of any prospective author's toolkit: content, a proposal, and your platform. Great content is the foundation, a great proposal gets you in the right doors, and understanding how to leverage your platform to first get you the deal and then promote the book is critically important.

Speakers:
Heidi Durrow, Light-skinned-ed Girl
Jill Nystul, One Good Thing by Jillee Inc
Louise Sloan, Singlewith.com

James Baldwin On Being An Artist & Staying True to the Vision

I started this blog seven years ago as a struggling novelist seeking community.  And to a certain degree I came to blogging as a woman who was learning how to trust her own voice.

Today, I am a published novelist--my book was met with great critical and commercial acclaim.  I was dubbed a Power 100 Leader by Ebony Magazine.  I've met so many wonderful readers traveling the country almost non-stop for three years; I've had wonderful opportunities like walking the red carpet for the Image Awards and hanging out with Vanessa Williams at the after-party, appearing on CNN and NPR and the NBC Nightly News, speaking at the Schnitz to an audience of 2500 people who had all read my book.  The dream I had so many years ago came true!  I got my big break -- now what?

I re-read this quote by James Baldwin and thought: he really gets what it means to be an artist--not just a success story.  Words to live by.  Thank you once again, Mr. James Baldwin!

“Then you make—oh, fifteen years later, several thousand drinks later, two or three divorces, God knows how many broken friendships and an exile of one kind or another—some kind of breakthrough, which is your first articulation of who you are: that is to say, your first articulation of who you suspect we all are . . . [Y]ou make your first breakthrough [as an artist], people have heard your name—and here comes the world again.  The world you first encountered when you were fifteen.  The world which has starved you, despised you.  Here it comes again.  This time it is bearing gifts.  The phone didn’t ring before—if you had a phone.  Now it never stops ringing.  Instead of people saying, ‘What do you do?’ they say,’Won’t you do this?’ And you become, or you could become a Very Important Person.  And then—and this is a confession—you find yourself in the position of a woman I don’t know who sings a certain song in a certain choir and the song begins: ‘I said I wasn’t gonna tell nobody but I couldn’t keep it to myself.’  You’ve come full circle.  Here you are again, with it all to do all over again, and you must decide all over again whether you want to be famous or whether you want to write. And the two things, in spite of all the evidence, have nothing whatever in common.”

--James Baldwin, "The Artist’s Struggle for Integrity"

I'm on Pinterest!

I'm not sure why although I am finding it kind of addictive.  Are you on Pinterest too?  You can find me here!

My Guilty Pleasure: a NPR Confession & One-Click Request

What's my guilty pleasure? Find out by listening to my NPR essay that ran yesterday on All Things Considered. And please, click "Recommend" on the NPR story page. No sign-in, no sign-up, anonymous and free! But it would be immensely helpful to me!

Since it's just you guys, can I just say . . .

I am all full up. Do you know that feeling?  Exhausted happy.  A little bit crazed.  So full of so many good feelings and stories that I can barely process it all. Exhausted and grateful.  And soon returning to here . . . because I miss it so much.

Remember Me?

I used to blog here.  In 2008, I blogged here every day. 

When I started the blog in 2006, it was my way of forcing myself to write, and my way of trying to connect with people who might be interested in the same things.

I miss blogging here.  And I sure do hope to get back to it. 

I guess you know that I'm on the road on a book tour sharing The Girl Who Fell From the Sky (Algonquin Books).  It's been fantastic.  And although I haven't had time to write the important reflections from all of the experiences, I am keeping my website News blog up-to-date with photos and updates.  I hope you'll check it out here.

But really, very seriously, I need to start blogging here again.  It helped me so much through difficult times hearing from all of you--and also figuring out what I wanted to say. 

So stay tuned.  More reflections are coming soon.

Figuring Out Who Your Public You Is

When I revamped my website in anticipation of the book's publication, I chose not to highlight this blog so that I could keep it as a "private" place.  Yes, "private" on the world wide web.  But what I mean is: people who read this blog know me or have come to know me over the course of the last almost four years--and I didn't want to mess that up with new people reading and commenting who only knew me from the book's publication.  I think this was the right decision.

But now the problem is: what do I talk to you guys about?  I'm not interested in doing a blog all about these next days and weeks of book marketing.  And yet, that seems to be all I have time to do.  The book right now is consuming me: securing appearances, making sure people are at the appearances, getting the media's attention for the appearances and then just generally praying for good reviews and good sales.

It's good news that the good news continues to trickle in for the book.  For example, I got a hardcover copy of the book!  It's gorgeous.  And I got the audio version.  I haven't listened to it yet--waiting for the weekend when I can listen to it all in one gulp.  And the book is an Indie Next Pick for February and a Borders Original Voices Pick for March and will be sold at the front of Borders stores nationwide.  There is much to celebrate.

Do you guys want to hear about this stuff?  It is the stuff of my life suddenly--or maybe there was something else you liked about the blog when I was here regularly every day.  I'd love to hear what you have to say.  My public blog me has been a hodgepodge--going forward I'm not sure.  How do you handle the division between public and private with your blog?  Lots of questions, I know.  Just hoping for some ideas if not answers. Thanks guys!

A Mixed Bag Update

It may seem like I've disappeared from blogging, but I've been busy over at my website's blog doing a Countdown to Publication--only 56 days left before The Girl Who Fell From the Sky finds it way into bookstores!  It's a mixed bag of fun facts about writing the book--check it and tell me what you think. 

I've also started a podcast you can download on itunes.  While I'm on the road, I'll record some of the readings and share my thoughts about how it's all going, and include short interviews with the people I meet along the way. 

I'm looking forward to meeting you all on the road when I go on the book tour--but if I'm not coming to a town near you, I'd still love to sign your book.  Just send me a self-addressed stamped envelope like Alethea and Isha (yours are on the way!) did, and I'll send you a personalized signed bookplate (the kind that usually says "this book belongs to") and you can put in the front of your book.  It's my way of thanking you for the support of my work.  My address is here. 

More soon guys--and happy holidays!