Episode 155: Thoughts from Author Nation

Description:

Are you curious about Author Nation and whether you should go next year? This episode covers who Author Nation is for, what kinds of sessions were offered, my overall takeaways, and some favorite sessions. I also talk about what I would do differently next time, since this was my first writing conference.

Listen

You are listening to The Novel Writing Podcast, Episode 154

I'm your host, Colleen Mitchell. Grab a cup, cozy up, and let's get to writing!

Episode Overview

Today's episode is a summary of my thoughts and takeaways from attending the Author Nation 2024 conference in Las Vegas, Nevada, a couple of weeks ago.

What is Author Nation?

So for those of you who aren't familiar with the conference, this year was the inaugural conference after the organizers took over existing contracts from 20Booksto50k.

20Booksto50k had been running at the same time and in the same hotel for several years but officially retired after their 2023 conference. Author Nation took its place with different leadership, though a lot of the same volunteers, speakers, and attendees participated this year.

This was my first time ever going to a writing conference, so I didn't quite know what to expect, but I went in with curiosity and an open mind.

Who Attends Author Nation?

Author Nation is intended to be a gathering of authors, both published and unpublished, who are looking for community, professional development across craft, marketing, production, distribution, and more. Also present were a bunch of industry exhibitors from brands as young as a few months and as old as a few decades. The exhibitors included IngramSpark, Lulu, BookVault, Amazon, Atticus, ProWritingAid, Written Word Media, Curios, Soundbooth Theater, BookFunnel, and plenty more.

Conference Structure

The conference itself was Monday through Friday, with Monday being the main industry expo plus hands-on software sessions, and Friday being the RAVE reader-author signing event paired with several genre panels. The main conference sessions from Tuesday through Thursday covered a wide variety of topics relevant to growing and succeeding as an indie author.

While many attendees were either traditionally published or hybrid (meaning both traditional and indie in this context), the vast majority of the audience were indie, and the sessions were all pretty much geared toward indie.

My Overall Takeaways

Networking: Being in the same physical space as other indie authors was incredibly valuable. Conversations sparked connections, commonalities, and business card exchanges.
Learning: There is always something to learn from another author, no matter where you are in your journey.
Focus: Attending with a focus on what I needed in the next 3-6 months helped me prioritize sessions.
Diverse Paths: There’s no one correct path to success. Different methods work for different authors.
Next Book: The best marketing for newer authors is writing the next book.
Asking for Help: The indie community is collaborative and supportive, so don’t hesitate to seek advice.

My Top 3 Favorite Sessions

Writing Fight Scenes: Carla Hoch shared insights on real-world self-defense and crafting believable fight scenes. She even helped me improve an important battle scene.
Revising the 2nd Draft and Beyond: L. Penelope’s organized approach to revisions resonated with me. Her focus on preparation before rewriting stood out.
Sustainable Productivity: Kevin McLaughlin emphasized building stamina, avoiding burnout, and tracking progress to measure performance effectively.

What I Wish I’d Done Differently

Talked to More People: As an introvert, I felt like I didn’t connect with enough authors.
Organized Contacts: Keeping better track of who I met would have been helpful.
Traded Cards with Panelists: I missed opportunities to connect with experienced panelists and speakers.

Funny Moment from the Conference

Before I finish, my funny story from Author Nation is that the only author whose name I recognized going into any of the panels or RAVE was A.G. Riddle. He's a high-concept sci-fi author with 10 books out. When I first got my Kindle in 2018, his Atlantis trilogy was among the first books I bought. I went to a few of the panels he was on at the conference and then went to his table at RAVE to tell him that story about the Kindle.

He ended up gifting me copies of the two books he'd brought!

Closing

That's it for today's episode! Thanks for joining me, and remember, the first draft is supposed to be garbage.

Show Notes

Dive into the first episode of the Novel Writing Podcast with your host Colleen and her sometimes-guest Halie Fewkes Damewood! Here, we give you the gist of who we are, what we do, and what you can expect from this podcast.

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