Let’s see, what have I been up to these last few months where I’ve been MIA? I got married in June, went to Ireland for two weeks for my honeymoon, and landed a new apartment the second we got back. Oh, and on a totally unrelated note, I chopped twelve inches off my hair and dyed it blue.
“You did…what?!”
Yes, you heard me right, I got married, went to Ireland, and got an apartment…Oh! You meant the hair thing? Yes, I really did cut my hair and dye it blue 😊
“But why? Your hair was fine!”
For one single reason…marketing.
“Marketing? What kind of marketing is that?”
Allow me to explain. For the longest time, I’d go to events and many people would stop by my table. We’d strike up a conversation and then they’d pick up my book to read what it was all about. Sadly, the majority of them put the book down and politely thanked me for my time. Now, why is that? Well, I noticed that the first thing people noticed about my table wasn’t my extreme space theme, it was in fact, me! I didn’t match what I wrote at all. Yes, I wore similar clothes to represent space, I had make-up, and I even did my nails all spaced-out.
But when I spoke with people, I was young, bubbly, and energetic. Completely opposite of my dystopian writing. So, I had this crazy idea to represent one of my characters. It was a HUGE and calculated risk as I had no idea how I’d look with blue hair.
Turns out…I LOVE IT!
With this new appearance, I gained more attention for my books, and even from just total strangers in the grocery store! It made for an excellent talking point. I even got the attention of a TV producer at my last event. She calls me, “The Girl with the Blue Hair”! And I even landed a spot on her show!
Now, I’m not saying go out and do something radical to get attention. Far from it. I believe this “new do” brought out a side of me that I was too afraid to unleash—a side that I only revealed in my writing. I was able to show people exactly who I am, what I write, and why I write. It gave me such a confidence boost, that I felt on top of the world. Sadly, blue dye only lasts six weeks, but it was a lesson to me. Be confident, be fearless, and above all take a chance!