Ancient City. New Horizons.
Matera and the Indie Unconference Europe 2023
After an epic night in the Trastevere district in Rome, I picked up my rental car at the Rome Termini Train Station and drove approximately 4.5 hours through the gorgeous Italian countryside to the historic city of Matera for the Indie Unconference Europe, 2023.
Holding this event in Matera was a stroke of genius by the sponsors, including the Book Whisperer, Reedsy.com, and Draft2Digital. The city is one of the oldest continuously inhabited communities in the world—over six thousand years—and its magnificent, ancient architecture and winding cobblestone streets and stairways are nothing if not exotic and inspiring. No wonder the producers of the James Bond Franchise chose Matera as a location for "No Time to Die," and the organizers of the G7 held their 2018 conference there.
One of the best parts of planning this leg of the trip was choosing a place to stay from among the many unique and beautiful options for accommodations Matera has to offer, from ancient cave homes and stone buildings in various states of rehab to 4- and 5-star hotels with pools and spas.
For my Matera pad, I chose a rather deluxe Airbnb in an old stone structure with a loft bedroom, an amazing—and much-needed—jacuzzi in the living room, and a private terrace with an unbeatable panoramic view of the ancient city called "The Sassi di Matera," a UNESCO heritage site known for its magnificent Rupestrian Churches, winding walkways, and homes literally carved into caves.
I was so thrilled with the view from my terrace when I first arrived that I immediately stepped out and started filming, not realizing that about 50 people on a nearby public terrace had, if they noticed, a panoramic view of an excited American in his boxer briefs. I didn't call attention to myself, but who knows? Perhaps I made it into some hapless tourist photos from that day. I hope so, er, NOT!
An Unconference is a unique concept wherein the attendees set the agenda, which is then brought to life by the experts who sponsor the event and conduct the daily sessions. During the three packed days of seminars, fueled by copious amounts of coffee, delicious breakfasts, lunches, and dinners—as only the Italians can prepare—I learned a lot about independent publishing from the experts and attendees alike, including many successful indie authors. I also made some fantastic new friends.
I learned that, as a writer—and now publisher—of literary fiction, I'm a bit of an outlier. "Literary" tends to be the domain of the trades, whereas most successful indie authors work in genres like Romance, Thriller, Crime, etc., or in the non-fiction realm. The thing is, I had no idea I was blazing a trail! I was just doing what I needed to do to achieve my vision.
Because, after sending out hundreds of queries to literary agents for my novel, The Tyranny of Desire, and dozens to the few remaining independent publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts, I decided, finally, that these literary "gatekeepers" were an anachronism at best, and obsolete at worst. The ONLY reason traditional publishers might be helpful to me is for the literary "cred" they provide when competing for reviews in major publications and qualifying for the most prestigious end-of-year lists and awards. That's not nothing, but it is no guarantee of success.
Case in point. One particular title I competed with in the Absurdist Fiction category on Amazon, where my book has performed well, was traditionally published AND had a write-up in the New Yorker. But, The Tyranny of Desire still beat it out on release day.
Ultimately, I created my own publishing company and hired freelance professionals to do everything a traditional publisher would do. The only difference is that I'm the boss and keep all my rights. Moreover, I achieved my little red Amazon "Best Seller" badge not by permission from some corporate gatekeepers in Manhattan but through my own efforts—and those of a brilliant team of freelance editors, designers, and marketers who comprise the entity I call "Flying Bed Books."
For this, I must thank Shaun Loftus and everyone at the Book Whisperer who successfully brought my book to market and encouraged me to visit them in Italy, where they welcomed me with open arms. And special shout-outs to Ricardo Fayette at Reedsy.com, who helped create the online platform where I found my freelance all-stars, and to Dan Wood at Draft2Digital, who, along with Shaun, David, Rachel, Daniela, Ricardo, Liz, David, Vittoria, and all the talented writers I had the pleasure of learning with—and from, were so welcoming and generous to me during the conference.
Grazie!
