It's been a couple months since my last routine Q&A, so here we are! Ask all the questions you'd like—I am here for you today. Need advice on writing? I got it. Want to know sekrit stuff about my books? Ask away! Want an opinion on something totally random? Sure! Interested in book, anime, Kdrama recs? I have plenty.
I will take questions on comments below, on my Facebook page, on Twitter, AND on Tumblr (this is new I just got a tumblr like a month ago!).
Holiday Swag For You!
The holidays are upon us, guys, and it's kinda freaking me out because how in the world is 2013 almost over? It went by so fast! But anyway, I wanted to do a special offer because I think the holidays are a great time to gift books, and I hope some of you might consider my own for yourself, your friends/family, or a teen in your life.
So if you decide to buy TRANSPARENT or pre-order BLINDSIDED or HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW, please fill out this form—and I will send you both a hand-drawn, personalized book plate for the novel and bookmarks to go with it. Then your gift can be that much more special!This offer will only be available now through December 31st, and it is US/CAN/UK only.
Happy holidays, everyone!
All The Decisions
If you've been following me at all this week or last, you've probably noticed a lot of references to the cover I've been working on for my self-published novel, RELAX, I'M A NINJA. I've been lucky enough to work with my close friend Michelle Argyle (who designs under Melissa Williams Cover Design), and it has been quite the interesting experience.
You see, I've been in traditional publishing for the past two and a half years since I sold TRANSPARENT. And as anyone who works with a publisher knows, you just have to let go of a lot of control. I never had much of a problem with that. I didn't feel like I needed to be intimately involved with cover design or marketing or whatever, and I've honestly really lucked out so far in the design department. I've LOVED the covers my publishers have given me.
So approaching a cover on my own was a foreign thing for me to do. Obviously I didn't do it ALL on my own—I hired a wonderful designer—but for the first time the direction of the cover fell solely to me. The approach from a marketing standpoint, the mood of the cover, the target demographic—these were things I had to decide. Little ol' me.
As I started working with Michelle, I gave her very vague directions and pretty much free reign. Then she kept coming back to me with a question that would surprise me every time she asked:
"Well, what do YOU want?"
And the variation: "What do YOU think?"
Each time I'd be like, "Me? What? Really? I have to decide these things and tell you what I want and what to do?"
I've never been asked for my opinion on a publishing thing so much in my life! It's both terrifying because the responsibility is all mine, but liberating because I'm in charge of my own work. This became another moment when the difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing was a huge contrast. Neither necessarily bad. Just different. (Because if you've been in publishing at all, you probably know that no situation is ideal and every path has pros and cons.)
As I've said, I've loved having my covers designed for me by publishers. But I've also been pleasantly surprised by the process of personally collaborating with a designer myself.
Having this creative freedom is a refreshing thing, and I feel like it's injected a much-needed dose of fun, experimentation, and joy to my writing life. I'm learning new things, and that's exciting. It's also been very nice to have A Project to distract myself from being on sub on the traditional publishing side.
I can't wait to show off my new cover next year. It's going to be very hard to sit on for a couple months, but I know from my traditional publishing experience that releasing it nine months before launch is way too soon. So I will exercise self-restraint.
You see, I've been in traditional publishing for the past two and a half years since I sold TRANSPARENT. And as anyone who works with a publisher knows, you just have to let go of a lot of control. I never had much of a problem with that. I didn't feel like I needed to be intimately involved with cover design or marketing or whatever, and I've honestly really lucked out so far in the design department. I've LOVED the covers my publishers have given me.
So approaching a cover on my own was a foreign thing for me to do. Obviously I didn't do it ALL on my own—I hired a wonderful designer—but for the first time the direction of the cover fell solely to me. The approach from a marketing standpoint, the mood of the cover, the target demographic—these were things I had to decide. Little ol' me.
As I started working with Michelle, I gave her very vague directions and pretty much free reign. Then she kept coming back to me with a question that would surprise me every time she asked:
"Well, what do YOU want?"
And the variation: "What do YOU think?"
Each time I'd be like, "Me? What? Really? I have to decide these things and tell you what I want and what to do?"
I've never been asked for my opinion on a publishing thing so much in my life! It's both terrifying because the responsibility is all mine, but liberating because I'm in charge of my own work. This became another moment when the difference between traditional publishing and self-publishing was a huge contrast. Neither necessarily bad. Just different. (Because if you've been in publishing at all, you probably know that no situation is ideal and every path has pros and cons.)
As I've said, I've loved having my covers designed for me by publishers. But I've also been pleasantly surprised by the process of personally collaborating with a designer myself.
Having this creative freedom is a refreshing thing, and I feel like it's injected a much-needed dose of fun, experimentation, and joy to my writing life. I'm learning new things, and that's exciting. It's also been very nice to have A Project to distract myself from being on sub on the traditional publishing side.
I can't wait to show off my new cover next year. It's going to be very hard to sit on for a couple months, but I know from my traditional publishing experience that releasing it nine months before launch is way too soon. So I will exercise self-restraint.
Blindsided! Less Than Two Months!
So today while I was working on the cover for RELAX, I'M A NINJA, it hit me that BLINDSIDED is less than two months away.
And then I promptly freaked out.
There's something about that two month mark that injects all the feels into an author. It means the book is going to be out there soon, not my own anymore. And that is a strange thing when I started said book this year and haven't had nearly as much time with it as my others.
But there's no stopping time. All I can do is ride the roller coaster and hope my readers will like where I took Fiona's story. I do, at least.
Enough of that, though. I have EVENTS to announce! I really hope to see you at these, especially my out-of-state signing that makes me fairly nervous.
BLINDSIDED Launch Party:
January 2, 2014
The King's English
Salt Lake City, UT.
7PM
(If you want to pre-order a signed copy—or you can't get there and want a signed copy—call the store at 801-484-9100 or order online.)
Southern California Signing—With Kiersten White and Shannon Messenger!
January 23, 2014
Oceanside Barnes & Noble
Oceanside, CA
6PM
And then I promptly freaked out.
There's something about that two month mark that injects all the feels into an author. It means the book is going to be out there soon, not my own anymore. And that is a strange thing when I started said book this year and haven't had nearly as much time with it as my others.
But there's no stopping time. All I can do is ride the roller coaster and hope my readers will like where I took Fiona's story. I do, at least.
Enough of that, though. I have EVENTS to announce! I really hope to see you at these, especially my out-of-state signing that makes me fairly nervous.
BLINDSIDED Launch Party:
January 2, 2014
The King's English
Salt Lake City, UT.
7PM
(If you want to pre-order a signed copy—or you can't get there and want a signed copy—call the store at 801-484-9100 or order online.)
Southern California Signing—With Kiersten White and Shannon Messenger!
January 23, 2014
Oceanside Barnes & Noble
Oceanside, CA
6PM
Vegas Book Festival
If you're in the Vegas area this weekend, I will be at the Vegas Valley Book Festival! It's free to the public, and will feature a horde of amazing authors. Check out more info here. If you're just coming for me (because of course you are, right?), my panel is at 2:15 on November 2nd, and my signing is at 4:15 the same day.
Also, you should probably know I will be giving away a copy of BLINDSIDED and a copy of HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW while I'm there. You just have to be able to answer a TRANSPARENT trivia question to get the chance. So if you are gunning for those books, if you see me please feel free to ask for the question!
Also, you should probably know I will be giving away a copy of BLINDSIDED and a copy of HOUSE OF IVY & SORROW while I'm there. You just have to be able to answer a TRANSPARENT trivia question to get the chance. So if you are gunning for those books, if you see me please feel free to ask for the question!
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