Someone on Good Reads created a list of the most anticipated literary fiction books of 2016 and Native Moments  has been included. If you have a Good Reads account please follow this link and give Native Moments a vote.  I promise I’ll ease up on the self-centered posts in the future, but I’m learning all these new websites that I apparently need to be active on.

Up until about 5 months ago, I assumed being a writer meant writing entertaining and engaging stories and by focusing on learning the craft to the best of my ability something would eventually open up. Then I met a writer, Victoria Wilcox, who was in Pensacola for a book signing and visited Emerald Coast Tours and I took her and her daughter on a Segway tour of the city. As I do with all my guests, I asked why she was in Pensacola and when I found out she was a writer, we spoke more about that then about  Pensacola’s past. I told her about a novel I’ve been working on for way too long and that I was on the 6th or 7th rewrite of it and she said, “I bet you think getting a book published is all about writing really well. Don’t you?”

I was not expecting that. Of course that’s what I thought. What else would it be about? If you wrote well enough, you would eventually get published, right?

She then said, “Have you ever walked through a large book store and wondered why there were so many poorly written books getting published?”

“I have,” I said.

She then asked if I’ve built a platform yet.

“I have no idea what a platform is,” I said.

“Do me a favor,” she said. “After this tour, google author platform.”

I did. That night I started this blog. And then an instagram account. Then a twitter account. Then a facebook account. And there is still so many more I’m learning about everyday. I wish I would have known this years ago.

If you are on Good Reads, please consider voting for Native Moments as most anticipated novel of 2016.

Thanks.