Alison Stuart - Writer
  • Home Page
  • Alison's Books
    • Gather the Bones
    • Australian Historical Romance >
      • The Postmistress
      • The Gold Miner's Sister
      • The Homecoming
    • English Civil War Books >
      • By the Sword (GOTC 1)
      • The King's Man (GOTC 2)
      • Exile's Return (GOTC 3)
      • Secrets in Time
      • And Then Mine Enemy
      • Her Rebel Heart
      • Box Sets_Book Bundles
    • Regency Romance >
      • Lord Somerton's Heir
      • Sebastian's Waterloo
      • A Christmas Love Redeemed
    • Alli Stewart (Contemporary Romance)
    • Free and Short Reads
    • Anthologies
  • A.M. Stuart Books (Historical Mystery)
  • BOOK STORE
    • AUDIO BOOKS
  • About Alison
    • Media and Press
    • The English Civil War
    • Gallery
  • Alison's News
  • Moments in History (Blog)
    • Alison Stuart Blog Archive
    • Hoydens and Firebrands (Archive)
  • Workshops and Talks
  • Readers List Page (password protected)

Moments in History...

Welcome to Alison's archive blog page.
To find out more about Alison and for a chance for free reads and contests click the link below.

Click Here for a free book

On Jetlag and Conferences... #RWA17

8/5/2017

 
I have just returned from a 6 week jaunt around the entire continent of North America and I have to say I am crippled with jet lag. I am now intimately acquainted with 4.00am, 5.00am and 6.00am... and on Thursday hit the wall with what I can only describe as 'jetlag' vertigo. Ah, the joys of modern travel!

As I last wrote, my journey began with the Historical Novel Society Conference in Portland... it ended with the Romance Writers of America Conference in Orlando, Florida (26-29 July). As my travelling companion said... the rest was just filling in time!
Picture
I am an infrequent attendee at the RWAm conference (my last being Anaheim in 2012) and it is interesting to look at the programme and reflect on how the industry has changed in a few short years.

My observation is that this year there was nothing on blogging or, indeed, the nuts and bolts, how to of indie publishing. In fact Indie Publishing now warranted a whole stream of its own (how that worm has turned!). The shift seemed to be toward marketing and promotion - something all authors, traditionally published or otherwise, now need to do. 

In terms of 'What Next?' for the industry, it seems that the emphasis is on writing series, rather than single, stand alone stories. 
For me, personally, the conference was timely. With my retirement from regular employment at the end of March, I have had to do a great deal of soul searching about where I want to take this new full time writing career. With 8 full length novels now 'on the shelves', I can either going on doing the same thing (and expect a different result!) or look at taking my writing in a slightly different direction. 

So with that being my mindset, I attended several sessions that spoke to me, articulating precisely the questions that had been going around in my mind, namely: Can I reinvent myself and yet still remain true to the sort of story that I like to write. Thank you, Suzanne Brockmann, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Jayne-Anne Krantz and Virginia Kantro. Your sessions have convinced me that ... yes, I can! (This decision entailed a great deal of 'thinking' by the pool with a Margerita in hand...)  

And as if a cry went out to the universe, the answer was waiting in my Inbox on my return. At the risk of doing a thing I loathe...'vaguebooking'... I will have to leave it at that but watch this space for some exciting news in the near future!
 
Picture
Thinking by the pool... assisted by ducks!

Comments are closed.

    FREE BOOKS and READS

    Click the Button below for more details  

    FREE READ

    Archives

    October 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015

    Categories

    All
    Alison Stuart
    Amy Rose Bennet
    And Then Mine Enemy
    Anzac Day
    A Person Of No Consequence
    Archer
    Aubrey Wynne
    Author Spotlight
    Battle Of Worcester
    Belinda Williams
    Beverley Eikli
    Blue Stocking Belles
    Book Giveaway
    Book Sale
    Book Sweeps
    Box Set]
    Brugel
    Bunyip
    By The Sword
    Charity Anthology
    Clean Read
    Contemporary Romance
    Convict Ancestor
    Cover Reveal
    Dante's Gift
    Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire
    Ebony McKenna
    Edward Gibbons
    English Civil War
    English Civil War Fiction
    Escape Publishing
    Etienne DeMestre
    Eurovision
    Exile's Return
    Family History
    First World War Fiction
    Flying Into The Mist
    Free Kindle Book
    Friday Fun Facts
    Gather The Bones
    Ghost Stories
    Gift Card Giveaway
    Guardians Of The Crown Series
    Gwydir Castle
    Halloween
    Halloween Ghosts
    Historical Fiction Giveaway
    Historical Novel Society
    Historical Romance
    HNS Conference 2017
    If I Kissed You
    Jo Beverly
    John Black
    Louise Reynolds
    Mary Hyde
    Matthew Hopkins
    Melbourne Cup
    Mistletoe Marriage And Mayhem
    MJ Logue
    Modern Heart
    New Release
    Ondine Series
    Organic Writing
    Plotting Or Pantsing
    Pozieres
    Prosper DeMestre
    Rafflecopter Giveaway
    Regency Christmas
    Regency Christmas Novellas
    Richard Conway Lowe
    #RWA17
    Sasha Cottman
    Simeon Lord
    Spencer Percival
    St. Luke's Hospice Plymouth
    Tales From The Sergeant's Pack
    Tea Cooper
    The Commandery
    The King's Man
    Traveller Weddings
    Virginia Taylor
    Walhalla
    Warwick Assizes
    Williamstown Literary Festival
    Witches
    World War One
    World War Two Fiction
    Writing And Publishing
    Writing Career
    Wrtiing Craft
    Wtichfinder General

    RSS Feed

    Email Alison