Last year I attended a book festival. For authors it’s a wonderful networking opportunity. For a reader, your favorite authors are right there ready to sign and explain their motivation for their book.

You’re able to take pictures and get to know the author a little.

I encourage anyone who enjoys reading books to attend either a book festival or a book signing. It’s a wonderful way to ask the author all those pressing questions you had while reading your favorite book. It’s one of the things I personally like about being an author, being able to interact with you the reader.

But here’s something pretty interesting that happened to me at the festival I wanted to share.

I was sitting at my author table. It was pretty early in the morning and the attendees hadn’t arrived. Authors were walking around to each others tables, taking pictures and exchanging business cards. A lady walked up to me, introduced herself and we began to talk. We discussed our experience. I expressed to her that it was my first time attending a book festival and that it was also my first book. She told me she had written over twenty books and then she said, something like:

“If you’re looking to make money from writing, it’s not going to happen.”

She might as well have been speaking to me with duck tape over her mouth. I heard nothing else she said. If you know me personally, you know I try to be as positive and optimistic as I can. It’s worked for me. I wondered why as a veteran author she wouldn’t have offered more positive words. Even if she felt that were true. Why wouldn’t she say something instead like, “Here’s what I’ve learned over the years…”

And I know she didn’t mean any harm, she was just stating her experience. But to some, this could be the killing of a dream. I personally feel there is no limit to what I can achieve.

But I know for some aspiring writers this breaks their spirit.

Someone shared with me that they were told when they were very young, by a teacher, they would never be able to become a writer. As a result she internalized those words and its only been in recent years that she continued her passion to write.

She’d given up on her dream because someone told her she wouldn’t be able to accomplish it.

I cannot express enough how important it is to receive words of encouragement from someone who’s been doing something you wanted to do for many years. Sharing what you’ve learned over the years in a positive way comes off so much better. I’ve come in contact with many people who’s asked me for advice.  I’ve tried to be as positive as possible because the writing process is not easy. I want them to succeed and having supportive words you can think back on goes a long way. It might make the difference between a person never typing another word and writing a bestseller.

What has been the most encouraging words someone has said to you? Have you ever been to a book festival? What was it like?