When I decided to form the Toronto Indie Publishing Meetup group, I was warned (by Meetup) to expect only two or three people to attend the inaugural meeting. I figured that would be okay, so I boldly took Meetup’s suggestion to have a get together within the month, and I booked the first event smack in the middle of summer. So what if our Meetup consisted of just two or three die-hard fans of indie publishing having a beer?
Okay, make that 32 die-hard fans of indie publishing. The group mushroomed to 50 members over the last couple of weeks, and many e-mailed to say they would’ve liked to attend, but they were away on summer adventures. Thirty-two have RSVPed that they will attend. I’m awed. I knew there was a hunger for information about indie publishing, but it’s already taken off beyond all my expectations.
I’m amazed and delighted. I’m working on my hand-outs, surveys, and Meetup name tags so that I can make this worth while for members. I don’t get paid for it except in the satisfaction of working on something I’m passionate about: publishing.
Today I’ll meet people who share this passion, and I’ll be able to reconnect with friends who, like me, have already taken the plunge and indie published. I hope to meet other writers of course, but I also want to meet editors, cover artists, and publicists. The goal is to produce better books and have fun doing it.
So if you’re in Toronto tomorrow, and you’re interested in the indie publishing scene, come on down to Paupers for a pint and a chat. We’ll be in the piano bar on the second floor. I’ll be the guy in the startlingly orange shirt.
Housekeeping note for Beyond the Slushpile. I’ve got a bunch of announcements about my books coming up. Stay tuned.
