an indie love 2017 post mortem

I woke up this morning missing yesterday.

For months I have been anticidreading the IndieLove event. I don't get nervous, y'all. I'm not easily frazzled but this had me SHOOK. I don't know why because I attended last year and it was nothing but a super dope collision of positive energy, but it's different when you're on the other side. All these thoughts kept swirling in my mind about whether or not I brought too many books, if people were even gonna know who I was, blah blah blah bullshit. I was a mess the morning of the event. Thank God for my friends. Their energy was a temper to my crazy high nervous energy. They kept me from jumping off a ledge multiple times that morning, lol. Trina, Sarah, Ashley...y'all are just...I love y'all infinitely.

But then the event started and folks started streaming in and my energy shifted. My table was pretty near the front so I was one of the first faces people saw. I knew I needed to be on. All of that previous nagging doubt started to fade as soon as the first person stepped up to my table. It disappeared almost completely when I made my first sale (shoutout to Marshall--the real MVP!). The afternoon was a little hectic with a panel discussion breaking up the time sitting and signing and selling. The panel discussion was such a good time. Sharee Hereford moderated and listen...y'all, I wish I had the foresight to have had the entire panel recorded because a) Sharee's questions were fantastic & 2) there were so many gems dropped by the brilliant women beside me on panel (shoutout to Té, Phyllis, DL, & my romperbewtwin Alexandra). 

As the day progressed I met so many amazing people who read and liked my work. Hearing how people have connected with my work was a little overwhelming, I won't lie. But overwhelming in a good way. It wasn't the same as seeing words in a review or on a Facebook post. That face to face when you get to connect a name from a screen to a face and the connection is just...my Gs, I can't even describe it. I got to meet one of my favorite young journalists/fiction writers (shoutout to Bria!), stan for my faves who were shilling books besides me (shoutout to Bailey/CCJ/Alex/Phyllis!), meet a few authors I'd wished to connect with a little more but simply did not have the time to (shoutout to Mercy B & Rae Lamar!) and catch up with a reader I met at Girl Have You Met - Houston who was a hometown homie (shoutout to Trina!). It was also a whole bunch of black women hugging. LOL! 

Jos-Renee and crew once again did a fantastic job with the compilation and organization of this event. The sheer brilliance to put together a FUBU ass event like this is unmatched. I tip my hat to the IndieLove staff for doing the damn thang, one mo' 'gin.

And when it was all over? I felt full...satiated...relieved...and low key ready to do it all over again. *counts down the days to Behind the Pen in NYC*

If you're unable to make to any of the places I'll be doing signings this summer/fall and want a signed book? I have a few for sale! 1 for $10 or 2 for $15--shipping included. So hit me up via email if you'd like to purchase: authornicolefalls [at] gmail [dot] com