What could happen when you try something new?

In early February, I ran across an advertisement for the 2024 Women in Publishing Summit. (I honestly can’t even remember where I saw it. Instagram, maybe?) For the previous few months, I had been entertaining the idea of getting started on writing a book. I had begun to read some online content about the process. I was intrigued. 

The Summit was advertised as a 4-day virtual conference at a very reasonable cost – especially considering all of the content would be available for replay for an entire year. 

At the time I was going through a brief “how do I fill my days?” moment, so I seized the opportunity to be scheduled for 4 days and interact with other professionals on something specific. (In hindsight, I’m a little bit embarrassed to admit that my main driver was to feel like I was doing something productive. But this is what happens after almost three decades of traditional work – if I’m not “on” all day, I must not be doing anything useful. Working on that!)

Regardless of my initial motivation, signing up for this Summit was THE RIGHT decision. The Summit served as a pivot for me – from toying with an idea to committing myself to it. From seeing writing as “something extra” to seeing writing as integral to myself and my business. I found purpose and connection, and most of all, people!

In the weeks following the Summit, I have found myself returning to three main takeaways:  perspective, connections, and confidence.

1. Perspective. People who know me well know that I am an avid reader. My son recently used my reading habit in an AP English Essay – describing my love for reading as my coping mechanism and sharing that I once read 10 books in a single vacation at the beach. I didn’t realize it at the time, but this Summit gave me new perspective as a reader. I find that when I am reading now, I sometimes pause and think about everything that went into putting these words on the page. I read introductions and prefaces and prologues more deeply. I even read acknowledgements to learn more about the person writing the book. And knowing what happens behind the scenes hasn’t ruined anything for me – it enhances the experience!
2. Connections. I wrote last week about the importance of networking events. Going into this Summit, I anticipated learning a lot, but did not anticipate building my network very significantly. After all, the sessions were completely virtual and most were done in Zoom Webinar format so you couldn’t see who else was attending a session. But the coffee and lunch break networking session provided an opportunity to meet people, and the community, despite being a virtual one, is tremendous. I have connected via social media many new folks, and have already had real live conversations with some of those people including a few of the speakers.  I honestly feel I have an “in” to reach out to anyone and everyone I could need at any point for advice and support during the book writing process. Worth every penny!
3. Confidence. I wrote a little bit about this in my networking post, but I went into the conference introducing myself as a “baby writer” and feeling like I might just be there as an observer. As I connected with these women, though, my confidence grew. I began to see myself as a member of this community, not someone outside looking in. I am now able to introduce myself as a small buness owner AND a writer.

Remember that trying something new can end up having a huge impact on your life. It won’t always, sometimes it’s just that – trying something new. Even that can build you up – so don’t be afraid to dive in!

With much appreciation to the Women In Publishing community ~ see you all next year!