Takeaways from The Third Annual B2B Cyber Convention and Book Expo, 2017
Posted by Kathleen Pooler/@kathypooler
“Sometimes you just have to take a leap and grow your wings on the way down”~ Kobi Yamada
Photo Credit: social entrepreneurs.com
Now that the Brain to Books Third Annual Cyber Convention and Book Expo is over, I will share the takeaways, as promised.
The B2B Convention was a learn-as–you –go activity for me. I decided to participate to gain more exposure for my memoir and I figured I would learn along the way.
My Takeaways:
In retrospect, it was a huge undertaking but under the guidance of Charlene Jones, the manager for the Memoir genre, I learned to take it in baby steps.
I often felt confused but eventually I caught on.
Honestly, sometimes the steep learning curve felt painful and frustrating …but the rapid response from Charlene, Angela Chrysler, author and founder of the event, and her team made it do-able.
The magnitude of the audience and the tasks involved was mind-boggling. The projected audience was 3,000-5,000, including 300 authors worldwide.
A Goodreads Groups with several staff members was formed to address the myriad of questions by participant-authors. Though overwhelming at times, every time I posted a question, I received a prompt response. Handholding comes to mind and I welcomed it.
The Memoir Genre:
There were many events to register for but I kept it simple by registering for five in the Memoir genre: Author Showcase, Book Expo (scroll to end for memoir), Blog Tour, Genre Tour and two memoir panels.
Check out the Panel #1 and Panel#2 where we gathered around the table to explore the theme of how reading memoir contributes to healing in the reader and wherever else our minds and hearts flowed.
While there was a frenzy of activity going on around me, I chose to stay focused on my selected events. The main point being, it is your choice how much or how little you do.
And no one kept attendance so if you got tied up on the days of the convention as I did (buying a new car and tending to family), there are no consequences. The beauty of it is that the information I prepared is out there in cyberspace for the next year.
As far as tangible results, I’ve seen increased website traffic, met some wonderful new friends and been introduced to some fascinating new memoirs which are on my TBR list.
Book sales remain to be seen.
Making meaningful connections is always the highlight for me in any marketing event.
Would I do it again?
Yes, without hesitation, especially now that I’ve had a trial run and now know what to expect.
It’s a wonderful opportunity for new and experienced Indie authors who want to find a way to get their work out there on the international stage.
My hat is off to Angela, and her amazing staff who pulled together all these authors and events into one fun-filled and frenzied weekend of books,books,books.
Here’s the link to the 2018 B2B convention information.
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How about you? Would you consider taking the leap and participating in B2BCyberCon 2018?
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Next Week:
Monday, 4/17/17:
“How Writing About Grief Became My Sacred Ground by Lisa Irish”
Lisa is a board certified Chaplain, Spiritual Director and Retreat leader in central Connecticut. Her first book is Grieving with a Grateful Heart. Her second book, Grieving,a Scared Art will be published in 2017.
