Digi-lit. What is it? The new buzz word for digital publishing. This past Saturday I attended the first annual Digi.lit Conference in San Francisco created by the folks at Litquake.

For many years being self-published was the equivalent to being a kit car, interesting to a select few and not a real car. Today, the internet and Indie publishers have changed that. In the next 12 months, 50% of all books sold will be e-books.

The Digi.lit Conference offered two tracks, one for the novice to introduce the possibilities of digital publishing versus traditional and a second track for those who were already tinkering with the tools of digital publishing.

The speakers came from all parts of the publishing world: agents, authors, editors, e-publishers, traditional publishers, designers, distributors, and booksellers. Some of the subjects covered were: Is Digital Publishing the Best Option for Me? Author Branding & Marketing. Printed vs. the Digital World. Reinventing the Literary Career for the Digital Age. Etc.

It was a day of learning and motivating. I walked away with many of my questions answered. I also learned I just don’t write fast enough. If I need to publish at least one book a year plus keep in touch with my fan base through facebook, Twitter, goodreads, Google+, Pinterest, etc, I’d better get busy. One of the most valuable questions asked was: What are you ready to commit to?

Before the conference, I was willing to commit to 8 hours at the computer 7 days a week, writing and revising and editing my manuscript so it would be the best I could make it. I’m also committed to hiring editors because I know that I’m the world’s worse speller and my grammar…well, it’s getting better. But that’s not enough of a commitment. If over 3 million books are published each year, how do you get yours noticed?

Just typing out the question gives me butterflies in the stomach. It’s scary and enough to make most people stop writing. And it should. If you aren’t ready to get out there and fight to get your work noticed, you should stop writing, now. Go to the movies or better yet, buy someone else’s book and read it.

So how do you get your work noticed? Here it comes…wait for it…close your ears because you really don’t want to know…yes, it’s…SOCIAL MEDIA. Blogs, webcast, facebook post, Twitter post. But don’t think you can just bombard every social media site with your promotion. No, no, no.

It’s about community. Like the garden club. But instead of cultivating lilies, get out there and meet—through social media—like minded readers. Find your tribe. People who read and/or write what you like to read and write. Communicate with them. Share information with them and support them.

Think about this and then I’ll ask you again:

What are you willing to commit to?