I teach self-publishing workshops. Some of them are facilitated by writers’ organizations or festivals, and some of them I organize myself or with my business partner. Usually, they sell out. Late last year I had a major event planned. I was at half capacity with six weeks to go, and sign-ups stalled. So, I posted on Facebook, tweeted on Twitter, and wrote an article detailing the content and posted it on LinkedIn. No matter what I did I couldn’t fill any more seats. My workshops aren’t expensive. They’re priced so that authors can afford to attend. My goal is to spread the word that many of the tools needed to self-publish are readily available to authors and it isn’t necessary to hire outside agencies in order to publish your work. I didn’t think cost was a problem and I was offering valuable information. Vancouver is a city of last-minute decision-makers, but I didn’t want to wait. I wanted to sell out before the day of the event.
I sought out other ways to reach authors. I ran ads on Craigslist giving details. I gave a webinar giving away some of the content and inviting authors to attend. I dropped off flyers at libraries and bookstores. I spoke on podcasts. I filled a few more seats from these efforts, but I still wasn’t at capacity. That’s when I found MeetUp, and became a MeetUp attendee. Continue reading “My Meetup Adventures – Connecting with Writers AND Readers!”
