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This post is part of an ongoing series at The Open Book answering questions about book marketing and publicity.
With the 2015 American Library Association (ALA) conference just around the corner, many first-time authors are probably starting to get nervous, wondering what’s in store for them. Going to your first trade conference, book event, or signing can be incredibly daunting. It marks a transition from the very private and solitary process of creating a book to the very public process of interacting with readers directly and getting your book out into the world. This is by no means easy, but being in a public space with your book can be incredibly rewarding. Here are a couple things to keep in mind as you make the transition:
1. Your primary goal should be tolet people know about your book. Signing at a well-attended event like ALA is as much about visibility as it is about book sales. Your goal should be to engage with as many people as possible to let them know who you are and what your book is about. Sales often come naturally out of this engagement; and if they don’t, don’t be discouraged. Many book sales don’t happen on the show floor, as most librarians and other professionals order books through their systems. But a good conversation with a librarian can lead to copies being ordered for his/her branches.
2. Have something to hand out with your information on it. Many publishers create bookmarks or postcards for new titles – you should ask your publisher before the signing what materials they will be bringing. If they are not bringing handouts, or even if they are, you may also want to create your own postcard or brochure with more information and your own contact information. If you are looking to build your school visit business, consider creating a brochure about what you offer. This is a perfect opportunity to spread the word.
3. Come up with a one-liner “elevator pitch” about your book. The most common question people will ask if they stop at your signing is, “What is this book about?” Even though you have labored over your book for a very long time, this is sometimes a hard question to answer if you haven’t practiced. Before the conference or signing, have friends and family help you shape a one-sentence quick description of the book that you can offer to pique the interest of passersby.
4. Share more if someone looks interested. Your one-liner should draw people in, but if they are lingering and paging through your book, don’t be afraid to offer more information. Tell them about the process, the research you did, or what inspired you to write this story. Ask them questions about their interest and to build connections (“This book is about a jazz musician. Are you a jazz fan?”; “This book takes place in California – are you from California?”). These lines may sound cheesy, but delivered earnestly they can form a welcome bridge to further conversation.
5. Don’t be afraid of the actual ask. If you’ve been engaging with someone for a while and they seem reluctant to put your book down, it’s OK to ask them, “Would you like a signed copy?” For some authors, this can be a little scary, but the more you do it, the easier it will get. Some people will say yes; some will say no. Remember that it’s not a judgement on you or the quality of your book either way. If they say no, follow up by handing them a postcard or brochure to take with them. That book sale may come at a later time.
Valynne Maetani, author of Ink and Ashes, at a signing
6. When you are signing, be fully present – even during lulls. There are so many things going on at once during major conferences that competition is fierce, and you may well find yourself with a lull during your signing when no one is at your table. This is normal, and even very experienced authors sometimes face this. Don’t feel bad or be embarrassed – this is just a reality of book signings. During quiet periods, you can talk to the staff helping with your signing but be sure to stay open and receptive – i.e. don’t retreat to your phone, or turn away from the aisle. You never know when someone interested may wander past, and if you’re checked out, you will likely miss them.
7. One person brings more. It is a truth universally acknowledged that crowds breed more crowds. You may go a few minutes with no one at your signing, followed by a line of 7 or 8 people all at once. One interested person will attract others who are wondering what’s going on. Embrace this chaos. If you do have a crowd forming, respect the line and make sure you’re not spending too much time talking to any one person. If someone wants to have a long conversation with you, politely tell them, “I’m sorry, I need to sign for the next person but perhaps we can continue this conversation at a later point.”
For some great insights from the author end, I encourage you to read this series we asked experienced authors for their advice on planning a successful book signing:
Apart from these things, just remember to bring your lucky signing pen and you’ll do fine! The more events you do, the more comfortable you’ll get, and you may find that these opportunities to interact with readers inspire and motivate you as a creator in new ways.
In this joint guest post, librarian Jane Levitan of the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Public Libraries and author/illustrator Lulu Delacre give their takes on a quiet event that turned into a great success.
Librarian Jane Levitan: It was the worst of times; it was the best of times. I admit it. It was my fault. Who would schedule an author visit the day before Easter? Me. When I contacted author/illustrator Lulu Delacre and she mentioned that she had a Saturday free, I jumped at the opportunity to host her in our library as part of our El Dia grant. Realizing my pre-Easter mistake, we spared no opportunity to promote the event.
We had advertisements and the FREE book provided by the grant displayed at the circulation desk (including one that literally hit the patrons in the head when checking out), we also used radio, newsletters, Facebook, websites (ours and Lulu’s), personal contacts (ours and Lulu’s again), etc. Still, when the program started it was ill attended. Lulu, undaunted, presented an engaging session filled with fun, dance, travel and music. She signed books and the young participants had their pictures taken at their dream worldwide locations via green screen technology.
Then it happened: we looked out the window and there they were—kids in the plaza across the street greeting the Easter Bunny and a few other costumed critters. Lulu launched a full-on musical parade with staff and patrons and serenaded the Bunny and his young friends with Latin instruments. She introduced herself and her FREE books, and did a surprise encore presentation. Leading the group back to the library, she sang, danced and traveled the world again for a packed audience.
She did not leave until every child received a signed book and posed with her in front of the green screen. Her favorite background was her native Puerto Rico. The hour program stretched on to four hours. An ill-fated program was now a success.
We even issued some cards to new members of our community who were coaxed into the library with the promise of diversity and fun.
The moral of the story? Check the calendar. Second moral, invite Lulu: she will deliver the best program possible, sometimes twice, including rounding up her own audience. Did I mention that she wanted the El Dia pin to wear proudly throughout the month? Third moral, DO NOT compete with the Easter Bunny!
Lulu Delacre: I believe that a good-sized enthusiastic audience has a positive influence on a presenter. I also know that public libraries are at the mercy of circumstances beyond their control. Weather, weekend sports and sudden family plans play a role in attendance to a children’s program. Often, library patrons do not feel the consequences of skipping a free event.
So, it did not catch me by surprise when I arrived the Saturday of Easter weekend at the Martingsburg downtown library to find that six librarians and a handful of children were my only audience. Waiting for latecomers, I sensed heavy disappointment in the room. Still, I delivered the liveliest session I could. What could we have done differently? To whom could we now give the free copies of my book?
After the last game-dance, one librarian suggested to go parade outdoors. I led the group up the street singing De Colores to the rhythms of güiro, maracas and palitos. At the corner I saw dozens of families hovering around the Easter Bunny. They were at the plaza right across from us! Suddenly, the thought of rounding up the kids for an encore program at the library crossed my mind. With the librarians on board to do just that we fanned out to invite all the families to the impromptu session.
How marvelous to see our efforts’ success on the smiling faces of the children as we traveled the world in my program! The kids were as thrilled with the autographed copies of How Far Do You Love Me? as I was to see the change of demeanor in the organizers.
What’s sweeter than an Easter chocolate egg? A gift from your public librarian: a beautiful book for your very own library!
0 Comments on How to Turn a Quiet Author Event into a Big Success as of 1/1/1900
I don’t know about you, but so far, 2015 has been a good year. Okay, so we’re only nine days into it, but hey, it’s nice to start out on a good note! For starters, next week is the Celebration of Local Authors which I’m excited to be a part of. I’ll be there all […]
Hi, everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend. I am still recovering from a bit of a cold and from the LA Times Festival of Books. Today I am coming to you with a recap of a fun event that I was a part of a couple of weeks ago. A couple of weeks ago on April 5, 2014 Bridge to Books was lucky enough to host picture book author an illustrator Salina Yoon at Unwind Yarn in Burbank, CA. The event fell on the weekend of the LA Yarn Crawl which made for a doubly fun event. There were cake pops, yarn, exclusive Penguin knitting patterns and lots of laugh. (All photos courtesy of our friend Katie Ferguson. Thanks, Katie!)
As part of the festivities we had amazing cake pops made by Alethea's cousion Adri, owner of Maskipops. They were delicious and so cute to boot. Obviously my favorite was Penguin but there were also hearts and yarn balls.
This is an awesome DIY cookie jar that Salina made. She bought the jar but added her own Bear sticker. Adorable!
There was a nice crowd there of both adults and children. After everyone settled in, Salina read from her book Penguin in Love. Penguin is an adorable penguin who knits and has many adventures. In his newest book, he finds a new friend. After reading Penguin in Love, Salina read from her newest book Found (pic above).
After reading time, it was drawing time. Here, Salina is showing the audience how Penguin and Bear are based on really similar shapes.
Then Salina signed lots and lots of books. All in all a very fun day. Big thanks to Unwind Yarn for hosting and to Salina for being a wonderful speaker as always. Also thank you to volunteers Katie, Kimberly, Laura, Cris, Dornel and to Once Upon a Time for being on hand to sell books. If you'd like to see more photos from the event, check out the Flickr set here.
Hope you enjoyed this brief recap. Happy Tuesday!
0 Comments on Salina Yoon at Unwind Yarn Recap as of 4/15/2014 2:23:00 PM
Hi, everyone! Just a quick heads up that there is an awesome YA author event happening this weekend at Mysterious Galaxy Redondo Beach. I'm not sure if this event was recently added or if we just missed it, but it's definitely happening. Come meet Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows at 2:30pm on Saturday March 29, 2014. From the Mysterious Galaxy website:
"Celebrate the joy and angst of young adulthood, complicated by the paranormal and the romantic, with a trio of authors whose works embrace these themes. Brodi Ashton’s final novel in the myth-inspired Everneath trilogy, Evertrue, will determine the fate of teen Nikki and the Underworld. Publishers Weekly called the series “complex and intriguing. Drawing inspiration from such myths as Osiris, Orpheus, and Persephone, it explores the nature of loss and longing and what it means to be alive.” Cynthia Hand concluded her tale of part-angel Clare Gardner and her Unearthly trilogy with last spring’s Boundless. She just completed non-Unearthly standalone The Last Time We Say Goodbye, and may be enticed to share some tidbits about that book with attendees. And Jodi Meadows asks in her Incarnate trilogy, “What if everyone you knew could live forever . . . except you?” Infinite provides the conclusion to the compelling questions of this world, where one new girl is the key to the lives of millions."
For more info, please visit the store event page here.
Hope you can make it out to this awesome event!
Mysterious Galaxy Redondo Beach
2810 Artesia Blvd. Redondo Beach, CA 90278 310-542-6000
0 Comments on Upcoming Event: Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand & Jodi Meadows at MGRB 3/29 as of 3/25/2014 9:53:00 PM
Hi, everyone. I meant to write this post a couple of weeks ago but somehow time got away from me and I suddenly realized that more than 2 weeks had gone by since this event. So apologies for the delay.
On March 6, 2014 Holly Goldberg Sloan (I'll Be There, Counting by 7s) did a talk and signing at Buena Vista Library in Burbank, CA. This is actually one of my local libraries and the one closest to my house. They get a great lineup of authors and I know to keep an eye out for their fliers in the YA section for upcoming signings.
I showed up about 45 minutes before the signing and made my rounds in the library before settling in to see Holly. My friend Kimberly also came to the signing and we snagged a pair of great front row seats. The room was pretty crowded and was an eclectic mix of readers of all ages.
Holly started off by telling us about how she had recently found a bunch of old papers and projects from her childhood. Within this collection she found and old report card from her 2nd grade teacher which said that he hoped that, for the rest of her life, Holly would tell stories. Seems like her teacher saw Holly's potential early on. Holly spoke about her childhood and how her experiences as a child and teen really shaped her outlook on life. Her father was a test specialist (think SATs and such) who was always trying out his tests on his children. Because of his job, Holly's family moved around a lot and she often had to start over in new places with new people. Holly has lived all over the world and says that she loves to meet people and to learn about new cultures.
Holly decided to write her newest book, Counting by 7s, and set it in Bakersfield, CA because she felt that it was an overlooked city in California. The book took her 2 years to write. It was too painful and she kept quitting. Though the book is about grief, she hopes that the book is still a hopeful one.
This is where things get fuzzy because Holly is so engaging and funny that I stopped taking very good notes. So I will just list a few more things that I learned during her talk.
She doesn't outline at all. She starts with characters and knows how her books will end but doesn't know how they will get there.
One of her favorite secondary characters is Riddle from I'll Be There which is based on 2 people.
A character in Counting by 7s is modeled after Zach Galifinakis's character in The Hangover.
She started writing I'll Be There after an ill-fated trip to Mexico where her husband was so ill she had to vacate the room they were staying in. To occupy herself she started writing.
Holly began her career in Hollywood and has written several screenplays including Made In America and Angels in the Outfield.
There will be a sequel to I'll Be There, call Just Call My Name. These are lyrics to a Jackson Five song (I'll Be There), which Holly obtained the rights to for this purpose.
One of Holly's rejected stories is going to become a Hallmark Christmas movie (I know someone who is going to be so excited about this).
After all the talk, it was time to sign books!
Holly was super gracious and funny. There was a long line behind us so we didn't chat for long. If you ever get a chance to see Holly somewhere, you should definitely go. She's very funny and outgoing and it's just a good time. Holly is going to be at the Pasadena Teen Book Festival on April 26 and I hope to have read Counting by 7s by then. If you're local, we hope you can come out for it.
Thanks to Holly Goldberg Sloan and Buena Vista Library for putting on a great event!
0 Comments on Holly Goldberg Sloan at Buena Vista Library Recap as of 3/22/2014 5:47:00 AM
Don't forget, everyone, that Saturday May 11, 2013 is the Ontario Teen Book Fest. This is a really awesome FREE event. A huge lineup of authors will be there and you will be able to buy books and get them signed. Lunch will be served so you don't have to worry about that. Again, this is a free event. If you love YA and live in the area, you should definitely go. I can't make it, but @frootjoos will be there. Let us know if you're going to be there!
Teen Book Fest 2013
Sat May 11 - 9am-5pm (ticketed event - free but RSVP for room capacity) Door open at 8:30 am, arrive early to purchase your books! Merton E. Hill Auditorium on the Chaffey High School Campus 211 W Fifth St, Ontario, CA
Just a quick post to let everyone know that Gayle Forman (Just One Day, If I Stay) will be reading and signing at Burbank Library Buena Vista this coming Monday April 22. Sorry for the short notice but I had no idea this was even happening until late last week when I popped into the library to return a few things. Luckily I saw the flier at the checkout desk. Details below.
I actually haven't read any of Gayle's books yet (for shame, I know) but I may stop by. I literally drive by this library to and from work. There will be books available for purchase as well. If you live nearby, definitely come check it out. I love this library and I hear great things about Gayle. Carry on with your weekend!
2 Comments on Upcoming Event: Gayle Forman at Burbank Library, last added: 4/22/2013
Had a terrific visit last week with the St. Peter 8th grade English classes. The students were wonderful listeners and had great questions. They had all read Chasing AllieCat, so it was much, much fun to get to talk with them! Thanks, Ms. Hughes!
Time is flying past! It's April 10 already! And look at the ground! Freya's happy--she was crazy this morning, playing "Grab Mom's warm stuff and run." (Question of the day: How many exclamation marks can one writer use in one short blog post?)
Time is flying! I'm not keeping up with my days...I put out fires at school, work on the details we need to iron out for our trip to South Africa, try to keep up grading and reading ahead of the students, and try to squeeze in a little writing and a little cycling.
South Africa approaches, and it's getting more and more exciting as it does. Will keep you posted...might have more news by the end of the week! (There--I had to end with another exclamation point, of course).
0 Comments on April 10? What? And St. Peter 8th Grade as of 4/10/2013 11:08:00 AM
Hello, dear friends. Good to see you again. Today I am doing a brief post about The Mortal Instruments panel that I went to at WonderCon over the weekend. Let me warn you that these pics are alright at best and I took no notes, so I am going to try and remember as best I can some of the fun tidbits that I heard at the panel.
The panel was in the Arena (which is the biggest space I think at the Anaheim Convention Center). We thought we were going to have to get there super early to get seats but it was surprisingly not too full and we were able to grab good seats. The hall started filling in at that point though and, by the time the panel started, it was pretty full.
Panel started off with some questions by the moderator (writer from EW magazine). Cassie talked about how she didn't expect to be consulted about the movie after she sold the rights. But she asked for the casting director's number and they gave it to her. She in the casting director were in close contact over a period of months where she got to weigh in on the casting process which included watching audition tapes. She was also consulted in the look of the film was really involved in helping make the world a reality.
the cast of the mortal instruments
lily collins
Lily Collins was really great. I don't know much about her, having only seen Mirror, Mirror, but she was really well spoken and passionate about the movie and playing Clary. She said that she experienced a lot of emotional growth during the movie and that it will always remain special in her heart because of it. She also said that, while she wanted to be true to the character, she didn't focus too much on thinking about what people's expectations were of how Clary should be because that would only prevent her from being in the moment and really doing Clary justice.
jamie campbell bower
Jamie Campbell Bower was seriously hilarious. He was really fun and just seemed like he was having a good time. He said that his favorite character from the books was probably Isabelle. He thinks she is pretty badass.
kevin zegers
I don't know what rock I have been living under but I had no idea that Kevin Zegers was in this movie. I kind of loved him in The Jane Austen Book Club (yeah I own it). Anyway, Kevin was really cool and he talked about how all of the cast really bonded making this movie. He and Jamie got along really well and the cast was like family. He also talked about how the tattoos were kind of a pain and took several hours to put on each day.
cassie clare
The floor was then opened up to Q&A from the audience. A lot of people asked really specific questions about the book and series. I think some of the questions may have been a bit spoiler-y but Cassie kept it cool and didn't divulge anything. The best part was at the end of the panel when a woman came up and didn't have a question but wanted to introduce the panel to her son, Jace. So cute.
I was kind of on the fence about seeing this movie but, after watching the panel, I really want to see it. It just looks like a lot of fun and the cast and Cassie were so cool. It also makes me want to catch up on the series since I am a few books behind by now. Anyone else excited about The Mortal Instruments? The film hits theaters Aug 23, 2013. And if you're interested, we have a few more pics up on our FB page.
2 Comments on The Mortal Instruments at WonderCon, last added: 4/9/2013
You know, the first book in this series is the only one I've read... it's not that I disliked it, just haven't picked up the rest... no good reason, maybe the movie will ignite a fire in me to finish the series XD (I even own them -_-)
i kind of eel the same way, heather. i have only read two books and usually i wait years in between reading them. i am supposed to read book 3 soon (and i want to) but now it's been like 2 years and i totally forgot what happened. haha maybe i will try to start up again before the film hits.
I am really looking forward to this weekend when I can finally read some books and write some reviews! And maybe catch some shut-eye which has been just so difficult to schedule in this past couple of weeks :( Too much to do!
have fun tomorrow. takes some pics! you can do a mini write up. (hint hint) wish i could go but shall be at work. going to make myself write some reviews for the blog this weekend. really i will. what book are you going to read that you've been dying to read?
Siege and Storm! I especially want to read it b/c someone's waiting after me but I put everything else down last week to read our book club book which was... not horrible, but not awesome or I would have read it and/or finished it.
I really (really, really) wanted to go to the event near me, but really only to see Sarah Rees Brennan. I just couldn't get it to fit into my schedule. Hope you had a blast! Feeling a bit jealous, but I can't be too jealous because they did visit here.
I went to the Boston Author Event yesterday at the Omni Parker Hotel right on Tremont Street in Downtown Boston. I had such a wonderful time meeting all these amazing authors that have started out as self-published authors and have made it big. SC Stephens hit #1 on the NY Times Best Seller list with RECKLESS. I wish I had taken more pictures, I don't know what I was thinking!
I got a really big hug from Colleen Hoover who instantly recognized me (I was recognized by quite a few authors). It was simply amazing and I bought SLAMMED (for ME) and she signed it. Normally I don't have them personalized because I've done this rodeo before with BEA. I got to talk to Tina Reber for a little while and she does have a new book coming out but she didn't say when :(.
I got to meet J. Sterling (who wrote THE PERFECT GAME) and let me tell you, Mets shirt aside, she was awesome. I was able to talk to her for quite a while and she signed my bag! (Bloggers got a free bag from Denise Grover Swank, which included her book AFTERMATH and some really cool swag. Jenn was having a great time, and has a kick-ass tattoo on the back of her neck that I instantly fell in love with. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out!
From there I got to talk to Tarryn Fisher for a few minutes. She was exceptionally busy as everyone wanted to meet her. She is absolutely gorgeous. Simply stunning.
I stopped by to meet Kendall Grey who has become my BFF on Facebook, she understands me and knows that I'm not a terrible person at all. I was a bit nervous with this bunch of authors because well I managed to piss off one (she wasn't there), but still, word travels. I also got to talk to Jessica Park who brought her son and he is an adorable little boy. He looked bored, but he had his iTouch so I think it was all good for him. If you haven't read FLAT-OUT LOVE, well get on it. (It starts off in my hometown of Jamaica Plain, which is a section of Boston, MA.) She's got a novella coming out soon (no date I think) called FLAT-OUT MATT, which I want in my hot little hands like yesterday.
From there I met Kyla Linde (KA Linde). Who wrote the AVOIDING Series. She flat-ironed her hair and looked absolutely gorgeous! (I flat-ironed my hair and think I looked pretty cool too!) I didn't get to talk to her too much because there were people waiting to chat and get books signed (I only bought two books).
From there I got to meet the Goddess of Authors (In my mind), SC Stephens. I absolutely do not want any bad blood between us and hope that she knows this. My interview with the D-Bags in November remains my second-most popular blog post behind my review of Gayle Forman's WHERE SHE WENT. I admire Shannon beyond words and think she has an amazing career ahead of her. I wish that happened a few months ago, didn't happen. I think some people like to use certain things as leverage, and maybe that is what happened. I still have a great repoire with my contact at her publisher and they have been very amenable. So with this I say, Shannon, you rock!
Madeline Sheehan. Absolutely effing gorgeous. Her book UNDENIABLE was probably one of my favorites last year, and it has a new cover! We got to talk and I met her sister who is equally as gorgeous. Madeline has asked me to review another book of hers that is a trilogy: THE SOUL MATE. I will be getting to that soon. It's part of the HOLY TRINITY series. I cannot wait to DIVE in!
Georgia Cates. Another gorgeous southern belle. Her accent just won me over, but I think she appreciated my Boston accent just as much (although, I try hard to NOT sound like I'm from Boston.) She was a busy bee signing books and as soon as she saw me, she instantly knew who I was. I've adored Georgia since I first read GOING UNDER sometime last year and I saw that she was a Blue October fan. Since then we've become Blue October buds and I'll be holding a contest with her in the upcoming weeks.
I stopped by RL Mathewson's table and of course, she had NO clue who I was even though we chat on FB all the time and she likes my posts ALL THE TIME! Especially when they have to do with Lily. (Inside joke for RL. :)
I never got to stop by Katie Ashley's table, CJ Roberts, although her books THE DARK DUET, are AMAZING. Never saw Tara Sivec either. All those tables were so packed!
I wish I had taken a picture of the line of people waiting to get inside! It was beyond ridiculously crazy. I waited 90 minutes outside (yes, it was cold), but I met the most incredible people outside. We all have the love of reading and it was so nice to know that I'm not the only one who's obsessive about books! I need to give a shout out to Livia, Melissa, Heidi, Rachel, Dawn, Kristina, and Amy! Who made the wait in the cold bearable. Plus I got to have lunch with Heidi, Lori and Rachel. It was a great time. I understand that there were people who could not get inside, and I feel badly for them. It really was a magical time.
I wish I took more pictures. I don't know WHAT I was thinking! But here are two:
Tina Reber with Autumn (From Autumn Reviews)
Georgia Cates signing a poster she had (why didn't I grab one?)
1 Comments on Boston Author Event 3/16/13, last added: 3/20/2013
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Hello, everyone. Today I have a recap of a surprise author event. I say surprise because my friends and I went down to Mysterious Galaxy Redondo Beach this weekend to do some shopping and realized when we got there that Mindee Arnett, author of The Nightmare Affair, was signing there that afternoon. Awesome surprise since I have been wanting to read her book. Luckily we arrived about 20 minutes before the signing started and had time to grab coffee and books before settling in to hear Mindee talk.
Mindee began by telling us that writing a book is a little bit like having a baby. You give birth to something that you love and it takes quite a long time. Weight gain is acceptable. Mindee said that she thinks the number of people you are eating for as a writer is proportionate to how many characters are in your book. Then she said she was glad she didn't write Game of Thrones, cause you have seen George R.R. Martin lately (total joke)?
Then Mindy read a bit from the first chapter of the book which sounded really fun. After that she opened it up to questions from the audience.
When asked about her inspiration for the book, Mindee said that she had been doing research one day and came across the painting The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli. It depicts a woman laying on a bed (presumably having a nightmare) with a demon figure sitting on her chest as she dreams. Mindee began to wonder what it would be like if, instead of a demon, it was a normal looking girl. Then she thought what a crappy job would be...and Dusty was born.
Last book read? Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (OMG so jealous!)
What is the editing process like for you? Mindee says that she is a natural "taker-outer" writer, meaning she tends to edit and cut a lot of things out herself. So her editing notes usually tell her to expand on an idea or scene more instead of cutting things out. She said that her notes for The Nightmare Affair were short and to the point - more magic and more romance.
Mindee believes that editing is a collaborative process and doesn't mind when she's asked to make changes. The editor is the outside view and, unless the changes are really against what she believes is right for the book, she will usually make them. She then told a funny story about how her (young) editor thought that she should remove a reference to Freddy Kreuger and A Nightmare on Elm Street since she had not heard of it and thought other readers might not be familiar with the reference either. However, after speaking with a few other editors and friends, was told that the Freddy reference was totally relevant and would be a cool addition. (Side note to say that Freddy used to scare the crap out of me as a kid. I mean, you can't sleep or he'll get you. Terrifying.)
Did you do any research on dreams or nightmares when writing this book? Mindee says that she loves research. While she did not to a lot of specific research on nightmares, she did research the meanings of names and a lot of folklore and legends. Each book in the Arkwell Academy series will be based on a folk tale.
Why do you think series are so popular, particularly in YA? Mindee said she wasn't sure why series were so popular and prevalent in YA. But she did have a theory that maybe teens are more obsessive in nature, which is why they are more attracted to series. They want more of what they love. Sci fi and fantasy also tend to go the series route. She thinks this is because the writer takes so much time building a world and they just want to live in it for a while.
Favorite and/or authors who influenced you? Laini Taylor, Maggie Stiefvater, Roald Dahl, C.S. Lewis, Frank L Baum, Stephen King, Jennifer Roberson, Mercedes Lackey
Are those streaks in your hair? (asked by an adorable teen) Yes! The streaks are fake and removable, which you can have with long hair. Mindee had in reddish streaks but noted that her press pic has blue streaks.
Mindee is super fun so definitely go see her if you can. Thanks to Mindee and Mysterious Galaxy for turning our trip to the bookstore into a special event. Sweet dreams (or nightmares), everyone!
1 Comments on Surprise! Author Event with Mindee Arnett, last added: 3/11/2013
Earlier this week, Read Now Sleep Later had the awesome honor of being the official bloggers for the Breathless Reads Tour stop at Mrs. Nelson's Toy & Book Shop in La Verne, CA. RNSL's very own Alethea moderated the Breathless panel the day before at B&N and told us how great it was. Kimberly and I were super excited to cover this stop on the tour. (Note that this is going to be a pretty long, picture heavy post.) I (Thuy) will be posting in black while Kimberly will be adding her comments in blue.
Kimberly: Did we mention we both took the day off from work to attend? No, day jobs! You will not get in our way! Onward!
We arrived a couple of hours early and were able to get our shopping done before the panel began. After a short break for dinner, we returned to the store to meet Beverly from Mrs. Nelson's and Kathryn, the moderator of the panel. Mrs. Nelson's always goes above and beyond for events and this was no exception.
Kimberly: For real.
There was a candy station at the back of the room where guests could create their own survival packs filled with M&Ms, Skittles, and candy hearts. That's totally my kind of survival food.
Kimberly: I might, might, have eaten my weight in Skittles that night. Just saying.
The turnout for the event was very good and everyone seemed very excited to see things get started.
Kimberly: I'd like to state that I thought this panel was exceptional. All of the talented authors are articulate, charming and positive. There was real excitement in the room and when the panel started- Standing Room only!
After the necessary intros, we got right down to the questions (please note that I am paraphrasing so please don't quote me. Hopefully our audio recording of the panel comes out well and we can put that up at a later date). I am not going to recap all the questions, just some of our faves.
What was the biggest lesson or surprise you had when getting your first book published?
JK: Jessica was surprised by the sudden rise in esteem in the small town she grew up in. A teacher who always had to discipline her for fighting or reading during class called to ask her to come visit their school. Being a published author changed people's perspective of her.
ML: Surprised by how much of a writer's job is not writing. There are events, interviews, Facebook and Twitter. Surprised by how solitary writing is for half of the year and the other half is extremely social.
BY: Surprised that writing her second book was not that same as writing the first book. She thought that after the first book, she had it down, but then realized that she had no idea how to write the next book. She learned that each book is different and she won't know how to write it, but she will learn and grow from each one.
AC: Agreed with Marie that the extreme dichotomy of solitude vs the world of social media for an author surprised her. She also learned how little most people know about the publishing industry itself.
If you could choose one author to have dinner with, who would it be and what would you ask them?
AC: Neil Gaiman. Andrea is a huge fan of Neil Gaiman and told a funny story of how she used to live across the river from him and had to sometimes tell herself that she was not going to go stalk him. She also said that she had a funny blog post from a long time ago where she talked about wanting to meet Neil Gaiman at the grocery store (I totally found it - here). She would ask him about world building and mythology.
JS: Jessica would love to meet fantasy author Lois McMaster Bujold. She would love to pick Lois's brain and ask her about how she writes such great characters.
ML: Though deceased, Marie chose fantasy author Brian Jacques as her dinner date. Marie would love to ask him about world building and about the food in his books. Apparently there are a lot of food references in his books and Marie wants to know if these foods are real and if Brian could make them for her.
BY: Brenna chose Christopher Pike to invite to dinner. Brenna read a lot of Pike's work when she was a young adolescent and she wants to tell him about the odd perspective his books gave her adolescence.
kind of love this pic of andrea kimberly took
What is your advice for aspiring writers?
AC: Write the book. She quoted Neil Gaiman saying that the difference between a published writer and an unpublished one is that the published author wrote the book. Don't give up and keep writing.
BY: Don't tell yourself "No." People will tell you "No" every day but don't start to doubt yourself.
ML: Write, even if the words are bad. Just get it out. Sometimes you have to write a bad scene to get through it, but don't stop.
JK: If Jessica had to tell her younger, aspiring author self something, it would be to go out and do something. Live life. Find out who you are. It's so easy to get wrapped up in a book and imaginary worlds, but you need to get out there and experience life for yourself.
If you couldn't be a writer and had to choose a "normal job," what would it be?
There were a few more questions after this, but then the signing started. We hung out near the end of the line because Kimberly and I both had a giant stack of books.
Kimberly: And because we were having so much fun, even though it was getting kinda late, we didn't want to leave.
All of the authors were really fantastic and fun. They signed all the books and posters and I think everyone had a good time. Here are a few last tidbits that I got while speaking with the authors during the signing session.
I got Jessica to give me a quick pronunciation guide to her book Origin. So Eio is pronounced Ee-oh (not Ay-oh as I've been saying it, though Jessica admits that she forgets sometimes as well). And Ai'on is said like Iowa. She also said that the Ai'on tribe is not a real tribe but is based on a real tribe from the Amazon.
Since Marie had expressed an interest in being a fighter pilot, I asked her if Kaede in Prodigy was her vicarious way of being a pilot and she said yes. During the panel, Marie also mentioned that her editor named her baby Primo after the Elector Primo, who is named after her boyfriend.
Brenna said that she loves all of the covers to her books (yes - so gorgeous!) but admitted that The Replacement might be her favorite because it was her first novel and the cover exceeded all of her expectations.
I asked Andrea about her new adult series coming out this fall. She said that her publisher had approached her about writing an erotica novel and she came up with the idea for the series. She says that she is a very fast writer (she writes a book every 3 months or so) and says that she often comes to her publisher with ideas for new books or series. She also said that it would be extremely smutty (yay!).
Phew! And that was the end of the evening. Many thanks to Mrs. Nelson's for putting on such a wonderful event as well as the authors and Penguin for putting on the tour. Thanks to my co-blogger Kimberly for being my partner in crime. Kimberly recorded the audio for the panel. We're going to take a listen to it and hopefully it will be good enough to put up. We will definitely let you know if and when that happens.
Shout out to our friends who were also at the event - Crystal (Elegantly Bound Books), Nicole (The Reader's Antidote), Stacee (Adventures of a Book Junkie), Lindy and Ro (A Bookish Escape), and Lolly. I am sure there were other bloggers there as well. You should definitely go to one of the tour stops if you can. We had an awesome time. For more photos please visit our Facebook album for the event.
Kimberly: Also want to mention that Thuy and I did purchase some beautiful SIGNED books that night that we are planning on giving away to you, Lucky Readers! So keep an eye out on Read Now Sleep Later, and on our solo blogs Nite Lite and The Windy Pages. You may also be interested to know that Mrs. Nelson's has signed books ready to be purchased! So if you missed the event, but still want a signed copy, visit their website or give them a call!
Who's your favorite Breathless Reads author? Are you going to any of the events?
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1 Comments on Author Event - Breathless Reads at Mrs. Nelson's, last added: 2/13/2013
4139 Park Road
Park Road Shopping Center
Charlotte, NC 28209
Bring the kids! We’ll have snacks!
“This entertaining early reader features Fiona, a girl who really, really likes to stop and smell the roses…The text is interspersed with black-and-white illustrations that do a stellar job of conveying both leisure and frenzy. A clever early reader with challenging vocabulary and some food for thought to boot.” –Kirkus Reviews
“Pearce’s succinct text will amuse emerging readers with her only slightly exaggerated references to the hectic pace of modern life. Ritchie’s fluid, cartoon-style illustrations are equally adept at conveying the story’s speedy absurdities (Mom consuming an entire plate of meatloaf in one gulp) and its more relaxing moments (Fiona smelling the flowers). Best of all, everyone gains an appreciation of the other’s sense of timing—including where and when each is appropriate.” –Booklist
0 Comments on Book Signing at Park Road Books in Charlotte: Saturday, January 26 as of 1/17/2013 1:42:00 PM
I just spent two SPECTACULAR days in Clive, Iowa. I visited CRESTVIEW ELEMENTARY and INDIAN HILLS JUNIOR HIGH. The kids were wonderful, and we had so much fun talking about writing, dogs (Freya got to go with me!), and bikes.
I have to get ready for another school day at South Central College, so I don't have time to write much, but I'll post more as soon as I have some pictures. I had a TERRIFIC time. So did Freya, but she's pretty tired right now!
Thanks, Clive students. You ROCK!
0 Comments on Clive--Crestview and Indian Hills as of 11/30/2012 8:39:00 PM
Philadelphia native Ben Taylor turned his lifelong interest for film into his first book APOCALYPSE ON THE SET: Nine Disastrous Film Productions. In this compendium of legendary catastrophic productions, Taylor demonstrates that when disaster strikes the movie set, the resulting consequences—sometimes hilarious, sometimes tragic—will rival even the most sensational storyline of the film itself.
0 Comments on Philadelphia Event Alert: APOCALYPSE ON THE SET as of 1/1/1900
British comedian, actor, playwright, and author Stephen Fry graced New York City and the Overlook Press office with his warm and magnetic presence last Tuesday, January 24. We invited Fry to the States to promote his newest autobiography, THE FRY CHRONICLES, a witty and brutally honest stunner that we’ve praised here before. Yet the novelty of having the real life Jeeves from the comic series
0 Comments on Stephen Fry Visits NYC as of 1/1/1900
Slowpoke has gotten a couple more positive reviews, from Booklist :
“Pearce’s succinct text will amuse emerging readers with her only slightly exaggerated references to the hectic pace of modern life. Ritchie’s fluid, cartoon-style illustrations are equally adept at conveying the story’s speedy absurdities…and its more relaxing moments”
Also, I just found out that Slowpoke now has an Accelerated Reader test (you have to enter the title into the search feature to see it).
Last week, I did a Skype author chat with Carver Elementary School in Florence, SC. It was really fun. The students are third-graders and had all read Slowpoke ahead of time. Their teachers helped them compile questions about the writing process. I missed being able to interact in person with the kids, but it was a good experience. The learning goes both ways with these kinds of things, and it’s always great to hear from readers. I’d like to do more of them in the future. For tips on hosting a Skype author chat, check out this article. If your school wants to host me, please contact bettyasmith (at) bellsouth (dot) net and put “author visit” in the subject line.
The picture above is me on the big screen in Carver’s library. Special thanks to librarian Debra Heimbrook for working with me on this inaugural Skype chat.
2 Comments on Slowpoke Update and Skype Author Chat, last added: 11/29/2010
Slowpoke’s pub date (October 1st) is fast approaching. Enter to win your very own free copy by clicking here at goodreads.com. Spread the word, and do it fast, because the giveaway ends tomorrow!
Don’t worry, I will not add you to any sort of mailing list.
0 Comments on Enter to Win a Free Copy of SLOWPOKE on Goodreads.com as of 1/1/1900
I’m having a thoroughly chaotic couple of weeks, mostly not writing related. School finishes in two weeks, and I’m in the midst of writing reports, rehearsing for three presentation night items, ferrying the Murphlets to various events, attending end of year functions and so on. I counted eight functions I need to attend in the next two weeks – more than I’ve been to in the whole year to date.
your book. Signing at a well-attended event like ALA is as much about visibility as it is about book sales. Your goal should be to engage with as many people as possible to let them know who you are and what your book is about. Sales often come naturally out of this engagement; and if they don’t, don’t be discouraged. Many book sales don’t happen on the show floor, as most librarians and other professionals order books through their systems. But a good conversation with a librarian can lead to copies being ordered for his/her branches.
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so want to go!
depending on how tired i am, i may stop by.