Last night (9/15), I experienced a major milestone in my writing career: my first paid speaking engagement.

To say that it was a big deal for me would be quite the understatement. I’ve been writing for decades. I was always told that to be a “professional” at anything, you have to be paid for your services. As photographers, the Wife and I became “professionals” in 2003. The first time I was paid for my writing, I was 20 years old and I sold a poem. Strange thing was, back then I did not give much thought to it. In fact, I very nearly ignored the fact.

I’ve been a published author of novels since 2011. Two novels and two collections under my belt, I still feel a bit inadequate and I try and learn as much as I can every day. I feel horrible if I don’t write every day…even if it is only a sentence or two.

I have spent the past few years driving Dark Red Press, an independent micro-press that I started with three fellow authors. We’ve had some minor successes, but it is hard out there in the big, bad publishing industry. Still we get to see work that other publishers would most likely not even think about publishing, and we get great reviews on it.

I’ve been speaking publicly for a couple of years now, but last night was the first time there was a “payment” involved.

I refused.

Why? Not because I don’t think I am worth it. I feel I certainly shared quite of a bit of valuable information, advice and experience.

I refused because I had a fantastic time speaking with like-minded individuals, sharing and teaching and…I wanted to seal the memory in my mind. I wanted to remember it for what it was: the next step.

I could not have asked for a better audience.

In addition to great conversations about writing, my irrepressible Wife was a hit when she spoke about her perspective as a spouse/outsider looking through the writing window and the importance of being supportive to a partner who lives for the writing. I couldn’t keep the smile from my face!

Thanks to all for being awesome!

Also, here is the link to the page I will continue to expand upon that contains some good reference links!