101 Secrets of Indie Lit Success
Eric Nelson, Fireside Follies
81) Promote your events as much as you can through multiple channels.
82) Be careful whom you do favors for. There’s a balance between being an asshole who does everything quid pro quo and being a sucker who’s too generous. Don’t compromise your integrity, you’ll regret it.
Jason Diamond, Vol 1
83) Start writing and go meet people.
Jessica Stockton Bagnulo, Greenlight
84) Pursue what you love. But don’t assume you know where that will take you.
85) Be open to possibilities, be willing to work, and don’t forget that you actually like books.
Jenn Northington, Word
86) Stay flexible, and by that I mean, have different options for events, good partner locations, and an open mind about event proposals.
87) Make sure you know your audience. If you can’t imagine ahead of time the people who will come to any given event, you’re probably not the right person to host it.
88) Oh, and something I learned from a friend and former colleague, Stephanie Anderson (who is now working in the library world): If you’re not having fun, you’re doing it wrong.
Halimah Marcus, Electric Literature
89) The most important thing is to be supportive of your community. Go to readings, shop at your local independent bookstore. Subscribe to literary magazines.
90) Pay attention to people’s work and if you like it, tell them so.