A right decision
Mar. 23rd, 2009 06:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
desayunoencamaFor a number of reasons, I had already decided to skip my planned trip to the US for BookExpo/The Lammies, even though it's in NY this year. On the one hand, is simple finances. Another is I'm exhausted from so much travel, in general, but especially so many working trips across the puddle. Especially trips like this last, where I'm not just going to NY (exhausting in and of itself) but the internal travel to Chicago, while exiting and all, just knocked me out.
Mostly it was this self-imposed feeling of obligation that I wanted to get rid of.
Sure it would be nice if I went and maybe even useful, but it's not actually necessary. In terms of what I manage to achieve, in terms of contacts with editors or promoting my work, the benefits are negligible. And this year, so many publishers are pulling out or scaling back their participation because of the economic stiuation, etc.
(I regret more not going to the Bologna Children's Book Fair, which started today and which I've attended for the past five years, but again I think it was the right decision.)
Anyway, today I was invited to a poetry festival in Palma de Mallorca for the first few days of June. So deciding not to force myself to make this work-related trip (and one that comes out of my pocket) for BookExpo was obviously the right decision since I'm now available for this serendipitous invitation. (And while it is another trip, it's something I'm looking forward to, and it's also a short hop and in the same time zone--same country even. Quite a difference, having to go to the US for work or to a Mediterranean island to be feted as a poet!)
Mostly it was this self-imposed feeling of obligation that I wanted to get rid of.
Sure it would be nice if I went and maybe even useful, but it's not actually necessary. In terms of what I manage to achieve, in terms of contacts with editors or promoting my work, the benefits are negligible. And this year, so many publishers are pulling out or scaling back their participation because of the economic stiuation, etc.
(I regret more not going to the Bologna Children's Book Fair, which started today and which I've attended for the past five years, but again I think it was the right decision.)
Anyway, today I was invited to a poetry festival in Palma de Mallorca for the first few days of June. So deciding not to force myself to make this work-related trip (and one that comes out of my pocket) for BookExpo was obviously the right decision since I'm now available for this serendipitous invitation. (And while it is another trip, it's something I'm looking forward to, and it's also a short hop and in the same time zone--same country even. Quite a difference, having to go to the US for work or to a Mediterranean island to be feted as a poet!)
