Whether she’s writing for teens or middle scholars, the themes of Angie Frasier’s stories usually revolve around difficult choices, family drama, and love in all forms. The author of EVERLASTING, set in 1855 Australia, lives in New Hampshire with her husband and three daughters, their big black lab, and a pair of highly destructive cats. The sequel, THE ETERNAL SEA released in June 2011, and her first middle grade novel, THE MIDNIGHT TUNNEL: A SUZANNA SNOW MYSTERY gave Angie the chance to remember what it was like to be an eleven-year-old with big dreams. Catch her on her website or on Twitter.
The Importance of Making Hope Happen
by Angie Frazier
It’s difficult to believe that it’s been over three years since I accepted an offer for my first book. I went from being an aspiring author with huge hopes and dreams to a certified, OMG-I’m-actually-getting-published (!!!) author. After a few weeks spent rolling around in my good fortune, I started to wonder: What does one do after their dream has come true?
I had two years to wait before EVERLASTING would be published and I wanted to make the best use of that (seemingly endless) time. In retrospect, I think I did a lot of things right.
First, I almost immediately started writing the second book in my contract, which was the sequel to EVERLASTING. My goal was to complete the first draft before my revision letter and notes came in from my editor, something I was able to pull off due to the glacial pace of publishing. That way, I was able to have a full year to carefully revise before handing the sequel in to my editor.
Second, I joined The Tenners, an online community of debut 2010 YA and MG authors. This might have been the single best thing I did to get my book and my name out into the online book blogging community. To have the unwavering support and enthusiasm from fellow authors, and from readers who love books enough to devote their time and energy to review blogs was invaluable.
I saw the importance to blogging, networking online, and building relationships with other writers, but I also didn’t want to lose focus on the most important thing: Writing.
So, with a year and half to go, I wrote another book. It was a middle grade mystery and the total opposite of EVERLASTING and its sequel, THE ETERNAL SEA. Hesitantly, I showed it to my agent. He was thrilled and being the savvy agent he is, was able to sell it to Scholastic. So even though my first book hadn’t yet published, I was already on the way to building a diverse readership.
As the two-year wait started to whittle down to six months, I held ARC giveaways, contests, created bookmarks, planned a launch party and a few group signings and panels, went to New York to take part in the Teen Authors Festival—things were crazy busy and I loved every second of it.
But while I was doing a lot to get my book out there, I also was making a huge, silent, mistake. I was depending far too much on my publisher to market my book for me. That’s why I’d gone the traditional route, wasn’t it? So I wouldn’t have to push my own books; so I could spend more time writing and less time marketing.
So, while I think I did a lot of things right in preparation for my debut, I now know I made some errors. I allowed my expectations of publisher support to cancel out my own responsibility to set up a rash of book signings throughout my local area and surrounding states. The fear of no one showing up to them might have also played a role in my psyche!
It took me some time to get over the disappointment that my book wasn’t going to be marketed widel Add a Comment
Thanks for sharing your advice. It's good to know what went well and what didn't. I appreciate your honesty. It's so awesome all the book deals you've made. Good luck with your books.
This is priceless advice, and I thank you for sharing. Everyone makes a mistake or two along the way, but you have helped others avoid at least one today! I think it's great that you kept writing instead of waiting, and wow, look what happened! Congratulations and best of luck!
Writers who follow blogs (especially those who follow AYACP) know the expectations places on us once we are published. We know we're the ones responsible in the end for our book's success. Thanks, Angie, for the reminder and the advice. :D
No one can do everything perfectly right in this business. You just have to learn from mistakes to make better decisions in the future. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Thanks for writing this, Angie. It has given me new aspects to consider. I'll remember to bring a battle plan with me when I enter the publishing world! Also, I'm in the wrong country for my series, I was planning on skipping Ireland entirely because I don't think it's the place my books will take off. Makes future marketing a little more tricky...Oh well! It must be done.
Thanks again, you're a light hovering over the dark places of the publishing world :D
Excellent post. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for your honest sharing! It doesn't all end when you get a book contract, I guess. I haven't given it much thought, since I'm not quite there yet. So thanks for letting us know book promotion is very important!!
Thanks for sharing your experience, Angie!
: )
"Keep on...writing on the heartlines..." Wait, that aren't the lyrics.
Good story, though.
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. It's posts like these that may help a few of us as-yet unpubbed authors see the process more realistically.
Becca @ The Bookshelf Muse
Thanks for sharing your experiences with us, Angie! Interesting that the responsibility to publicize and market still falls on the author, even when her book is out with a traditional publisher. Very valuable information!
Amen! Glad you are getting the word out about what truly happens in the published world. And here's to seeing more fantastic books from you, m'dear, and seeing them publicized up the wazoo! (Although I think it's 19% publicity and 81% luck that breaks a book through.)
--Susan, PW :o)
A lot to chew on here--thank you so much for sharing your strategy and giving us a window as to what you would do differently. :)
Angela
Thanks and Congrats!