It’s taken me a few days to wrap my head around my experience at the LA Times Festival of Books and to come back here and write about it for you. Needless to say, the weekend was mind-boggling, potentially life-altering (in a good way), and all the good stuff in between. Here are just a few of my observations. 

The LATFOB is Big. I mean, REALLY big.

If I’m being completely honest here, I hadn’t really heard of the LA Times Festival of Books before I was invited to attend. That’s partly due to the fact that I’m Canadian. Here in the north we have a few *ahem* “large” literary festivals here – the Blue Metropolis here in Montreal, as one example – but nothing that remotely compares to the size and scope of the LATFOB.

I thought I knew what I was in for. And then I arrived. 

I don’t know that I’d ever seen so many people in one place. According to the literature, the LATFOB is the largest literary event in the U.S. — which also makes it, by default, the largest in North America. We’re talking 155,000 people. Yep, you read that right — 155K people who love books as much as I do. 

When you add something like 1,000 exhibitor booths, a handful of public stages, and pack it with people, it becomes a gigantic merry-go-round blur of faces and cool t-shirt slogans

The USC campus where the festival is held is massive. But when you add something like 1,000 exhibitor booths, a handful of public stages, and pack it with people, it becomes a gigantic merry-go-round blur of faces and cool t-shirt slogans. “I’m with the banned,” was one of my favourites. “Don’t bother me, I’m reading” also comes to mind. In fact, there was a non-stop stream of slogan shirts. I took notes. 

For the entire weekend I camped out at the booth organized and staffed by the Los Angeles Romance Association, a chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Aside from my signing, I stuck around and volunteered, brought folks in, and generally, just hung out with the authors and organizers. 

And let me tell you, business was brisk. People stopped in to take their pictures with Ken or the Duke of Hastings (think Bridgerton), and sometimes even Fabio. But mostly, they stopped because they love romance novels, and there were romance novels for the getting. Many novels, by many awesome, talented writers. And Ken. Did I mention Ken? 

Festivals are inspiring

One of the major highlights of the weekend, for me, was getting to meet so many of my fellow writers. Living here in Montreal, I don’t get to cross paths with many of my writing sisters. This was an absolute boon. I feel like I made a large pack of new BFFs. 

But I was also there for the readers, and readers there were! My stack of free books went like hot cakes, and so did the postcards, buttons and bookmarks I’d brought. I was delighted to have a chance to connect with so many readers face to face. It’s been a while. One woman I spoke to mentioned she’d even seen the True Born Trilogy on Kindle Unlimited (be still my heart!). I asked everyone who took a book or postcard to let me know how they like the books, and I sincerely hope every one will get in touch. 

Life is funny that way

Here’s where I get deep and philosophical, and maybe even a bit mystical on you. One major reason why I jumped on a plane and travelled across the continent from another country was to figure out where (or how, or IF) next to drive my career as an author of books. It’s a difficult time for traditionally-published authors who have not quite made it as big as Rebecca Yarros and Leigh Bardugo and Sarah J. Maas (bless them. I’m a serious fangirl myself). 

It’s not that I’ve run out of ideas. Far from it. Starling’s Weave will soon hit digital shelves, and I’ve got another novel, Ramble & Cross, out for consideration. I’m also working on one of the most ambitious book projects I’ve ever dreamt up. It’s an urban fantasy set in Toronto and Montreal (yep, you heard me right), and I couldn’t be more excited. I think you’ll love all three of these projects. 

I quickly realized I had stumbled upon an entire community that I didn’t just want to connect with — I needed to.

Yet, with the traditional publishing route, projects can sometimes take years to get to readers. Once a book is finally released, that doesn’t mean that it will sell or be seen. I’ve been wrestling with this existential dilemma for some time, knowing deep in my bones that for me to take my career as an author to the next level, I’ve got to put all my chips in. Here’s why.

Like most writers I know, writing books has been something I’ve done on the side — before work and during holidays and weekends. It means I’ve been less productive than a full-time author, and I have had way less time to reach out to readers as I would like. 

My experience at the Festival showed me I wasn’t alone. There are so many writers out there in the same place I am — different places, even, but all of us struggling to reach the same goal. 

In fact, I quickly realized I had stumbled upon an entire community that I didn’t just want to connect with — I needed to. They welcomed me with open arms. 

While I haven’t quite fully solved my existential dilemma, I have been deeply inspired by the entrepreneurial, savvy, smart women I had the pleasure to hang out with last weekend, as well as the dozens and dozens of super-readers. With a little Cali breeze in my sails, I’m moving as quickly as I can to the next phase of Figuring It All Out, and I hope to have more book news — like, maybe a release date for Starling’s Weave – very soon. 

And in the meantime, there’s Ken. 

Are you a writer yourself? Blogger? Fiction, non-fiction? Traditionally or self-published? How are you doing? Let me know in the comments! 

Image: Ken welcomes all at the LARA booth, credit: L. E. Sterling,