RS, Author, Novelist, Prosaist<blockquote><p><a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/WordWeavers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>WordWeavers</span></a> 2025.07.12 2/2 — Are you comfortable promoting your own work [<strong>in person</strong>]?</p></blockquote><p>GAH! Okay, having reread this prompt, I realized I attended an SF and Fantasy convention (BayCon / WesterCon 41) over the July 4th weekend. Do I like promoting my work? Again, I repeat, GAH! I am a shy person and the amount of mental energy necessary to roll that boulder up the hill and over the crest is Sisyphusian.</p><p>But.</p><p><em>I did it!!!</em></p><p>Strangely, turns out, as a number of you writer-author folk pointed out in your replies to me (thank you!), other writers, authors, artists, readers, and fans are or have been in situations that have made them supremely anxious, too. I was <em>surprised</em> at how many people asked questions or led me into conversations. I <em>talked</em> a lot that weekend, and asked <em>questions</em> that let me listen to also sorts of wonderful things about craft of writing, and living that life. My palms did not betray me and remained dry when I shook hands. I did talk about my view on gender and feminist fiction, and my works, and shared about Mastodon. I even ended up pitching a small press about <em>Mars Needed Women</em> (not actually realizing that I was) and got instructions how to submit even though they are not accepting submissions until next year. I'm hoping the beta readers give me enough feedback that I can make it acceptable before open submission time…</p><p>Wow. Okay, I won't say I was <em>comfortable.</em> It was <em>work,</em> and I burnt out for an hour here and there, but not in front of anybody I wanted to talk to. I. Did. Not. Blather, either. It was gratifying. I should work on having a higher opinion of myself and a kinder opinion of others.</p><p>[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]</p><p><a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/BoostingIsSharing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BoostingIsSharing</span></a></p><p><a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/gender" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>gender</span></a> <a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/fiction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>fiction</span></a> <a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/writer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>writer</span></a> <a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/author" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>author</span></a> <br><a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/writing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>writing</span></a> <a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/writingcommunity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>writingcommunity</span></a> <a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/writersOfMastodon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>writersOfMastodon</span></a> <a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/writers" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>writers</span></a><br><a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/RSdiscussion" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>RSdiscussion</span></a> <a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/RSMarsNeededWomen" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>RSMarsNeededWomen</span></a> <a href="https://eldritch.cafe/tags/RSStory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>RSStory</span></a></p>