It is amazing how much there is to write about one expo. I know that I didn’t use BEA to my best advantage.  Going in I was not certain how I wanted to represent myself.  Did I want to be press, author or publisher? All of these are hats I wear in one way or the other. But press was my easiest access into the Expo and it allowed me freedom in meeting authors and chatting with publishers. I do want my version of a media empire. Given the tools offered now this vision is entirely possible. I consider myself a creative person with multiple interests.

There are many writers I know who don’t have one clue about the publishing world. They fully believe they will be discovered at the counter of a soda fountain, sipping a shake, with their novel in their back pocket. They can’t use the computer, email or up/download anything. They don’t know a blog from a cog in a wheel. Never mind tools like Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin.  They will dutifully write and wish for publication and never submit somewhere because the can’t use the Internet.

I understand there are people who operate successfully off the grid. They are happy people and will never read this post. But, if a writer wants publication in the mainstream world now is the time to get a grasp on some basic technology and learn to upload a manuscript and see what the world has to say about your work.

Which brings me back to BEA and meeting one of the guests on my radio show. David Mathison has a wonderful self-published book called, Be The Media: How to Create and Accelerate Your Message…Your Way.  It is over 500 pages long and full of information for every kind of artist, musician, writer, filmmaker….

Be the Media is for anyone who wants to harness technology to spread his or her message or products inexpensively, whether to a global or a local audience. David Mathison

There is a lot of information in this book. GET IT NOW. Especially if you want to build your empire strategically and successfully. You want people, like David, on your side. You want to follow and read about people like Gary Vaynerchuk and Chris Brogan who have real value to offer you.

Unless you have a patron, creating is the first step, and then doing the promotional hustle is necessary to succeed. If someone told you creating is easy- they were lying. I don’t know of anyone who finds writing a book, painting a portrait, or any other creative act, a walk in the park. It can be fun, exciting, thrilling, gut-wrenching and damn scary, but it’s work. Creating, in any form, will kick you out of bed in the morning, drive you to drink a little, and make your heart beat a bit faster.

Here is my interview with David: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/SandraLeeSchubert/2009/04/07/Wild-Woman-Network-Radio