Why author networking events are crucial for indie authors

Indie author Laura Catherine (left), and me (to the right of Laura) chat with Victoria from Titlepieces. Image by Curves and Lace Photography.

As mentioned in the subheading, this author networking event was run by Aussie based event operation, The Book Booth. It is “The home of A.M. Nelson & Indie Bookworm Events”, run by Ashleigh who aims to give back to the author community where she can. It’s these event organisers, for which Ashleigh is also an indie author, that are crucial for fostering community between other indie authors.

And give back she does. The event that I and many other authors attended, was superb. There were many areas in particular that made this event so enjoyable. From the location choice to the vendors, every part of this event was well thought-out and certainly gave back to the hardworking indie authors out there.

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As an indie author, I often feel isolated since my interactions with other authors are mostly online. When opportunities arise to attend in-person events for authors, I make it a point to attend whenever I can.

The offerings and itinerary, Author Network Event. Source: The Book Booth Instagram page.The location

Held at Cargo Hall, South Wharf, Victoria the room was both spacious for the amount of attendees, and intimate for conversations with vendors. The location was close to parking and public transport options (tram and train). I will note that the closest parking is at DFO South Wharf, where it is worth pre-booking tickets to get a lower price (approx $18 for the day).

The vendors were arranged in four rows, providing plenty of space for visitors to roam freely. The panel was positioned at the front, making it easily visible to all when the chat started.

To me, the location was well chosen. While a CBD event might be challenging for some attendees to access due to city parking, holding it on a Sunday helped ease some of these difficulties. The South Wharf and Convention Centre area is a well-known location. This makes it a little easier for people from all over Melbourne, the surrounding suburbs as well as regional Victoria, access the space.

The vendors The Author Networking Event held at Cargo Hall, South Wharf VIC. Front table is the vendor ‘Titlepieces’.

It was clear that a lot of thought went into the selection of vendors for this networking event. Not only was their a diversity of offerings, but also an opportunity for purchasing book related goodies and such. This could also be a testament to the venue, but despite the large turnout, the space never felt cramped or overcrowded. It allowed me and others to easily engage in conversation with the vendors.

Indie authors are often on the lookout for trusted vendors to help bring their project to life. Whether it be editing services, marketing services and/or cover art. Having all these services in one location made it convenient to speak with vendors about all your self-publishing needs.

I could imagine that if you had your completed manuscript ready, all you would have needed to do is chat to the relevant vendors, who fortunately are all in one location, and if you’re happy with their offerings, lock them in. Heck, you could have walked away from the event having organised your editor, marketing strategy and cover art all in one day!

And that is why author events like these are amazing, and so helpful for indies. It can be overwhelming to scour the internet/social media for editors, marketing specialists and artists. Having them all in front of you is an accessible and trusted option to make your life just a little bit easier when publishing your book.

The event offerings

Along with food included, headshots. Opportunity for tattoo

The panel from 10:30-11:30 held space for authors and publishing gurus to share their perspectives numerous topics. Some of these topics included, how to market your books, writing motivation, writing schedules and balancing “day jobs” with writing work.

Other offerings included at the event were plentiful. There was delicious food, pastries and savoury bites a plenty. For the authors, there was an opportunity to receive a headshot, complimentary with the event ticket. The photos were taken by Curve and Lace Photography, and turned out great!

Complimentary headshot taken at the author event.

Oh, and I also got a tattoo! How good is it having a fine line tattoo artist at a book event, specialising in fantasy themed tattoos.

Final thoughts

Networking events are invaluable for indie authors. The Book Booth’s event provided a unique opportunity for collaboration, learning, and exposure for both indie authors and the attending vendors.

Through chatting to the vendors and other authors alike, the conversations had can lead to new opportunities for marketing, connecting, and cross-promotion. These opportunities to connect in person, are why I believe these events are crucial and delightful for anyone in the self publishing space. Thank you to Ashleigh and everyone that aided in this event, it was amazing!

Special shout out to my wonderful bookish pals, love you all:

From left to right: Laura Ibic (Hummingbird Editing), me (MG Hunt), Laura Catherine, Krystal from Aussie Indie Reads, and SK May.

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