Links Galore

Lots of links for your perusal:

Links Galore

So many links!

Links Galore

A few good links for the middle of the week:

In Which I Cuddle My Author Copies

Another step on the road to publication–The Chance You Won’t Return author copies! The real book, just as it’ll look in bookstores and libraries, arrived at my door the other day. Actually a whole box of them. Check them out in the video below!

As always, Candlewick did a beautiful job–the cover and the binding and the layout is awesome. I love my publisher!

Walt suggested that I dump out the box and swim in the books like Scrooge McDuck, but maybe next time.

New Title Reveal!

One of the first things I learned about being a debut author was “Don’t get attached to your title.” Even if it sounds perfect to you, it’s still part of the book’s editorial journey and, just like particular scenes or characters, is very likely to change*.

That change was part of my book’s journey. I’m happy to announce my brand new title…

…dramatic pause…

…suspense…

…drum roll…

THE CHANCE YOU WON’T RETURN

Tada!

I’m feeling really good about the new title, and I think it suggests a lot of the themes/emotions from the book–loss and hope and grief and uncertainty and searching. I really liked Queen of the Air, but ultimately I think The Chance You Won’t Return hits the vibe of the book way more, and feels more like YA.

With any luck, that means lots more reveals to come. (Covers! Blurbs! More kittens!) Major thanks to my wonderful editor and agent for working through the new title process with me; you guys are the best!

*Check out where some classic titles came from; one famous book was originally called Something That Happened.

Links Galore

A few links for today:

The Fourteenery: Fourteen 2014 Debut YA Authors in One Awesome Place

avatar_d1fc23efc31c_128One of the cool things about the YA/children’s lit world is the strong sense of community. Overall, people want to help each other and connect over this common bond of writing for young readers. This can be especially helpful for debut authors just starting to navigate the publishing world and all that entails.

I was lucky enough to join one particular 2014 debut author group–the Fourteenery. We’re a group of fourteen 2014 debut YA authors who’ve bonded over our love of YA lit, Lucille Bluth gifs, and hilariously bad fake book blurbs. From the Fourteenery About page:

14 perfect lines in every Shakespearean sonnet,
14 lazy days in every fortnight,
14 racing horses in every Preakness and Belmont Stakes,

…there are 14 amazing, crazy ridiculous, insanely entertaining 2014 debut YA authors in THE FOURTEENERY, your 100% fresh, not-from-concentrate source for witty, wildly bookish fun.

Yes, there will be interactive Q&A and mega-giveaways and flash fiction, but The Fourteenery is so much more than a debut group.

It’s a gang of 14 friends plus YOU.

When I was first invited to join this group, I had no idea how awesome it would be. Although techincally the Fourteenery just launched, we’ve been a group for almost a year and I freakin’ love these ladies. They’re all so smart, so funny, so talented, and so good at de-stressing everyone. Once, an email thread made me laugh so hard I had to walk away from my computer.

We’re officially live on Tumblr, so make sure to follow us for insights into the publishing process, giveaways, gifs, fandom,, fiction, and more. Trust me–these are some of the coolest, most fun authors around. You want to get to know them.

The Glamorous Movie Life of Editoral Assistants

From the Onion, the movie version of publishing:

“After being offered her dream job as an editorial assistant at a high-powered, nationally syndicated magazine last week, area film character Eleanor “Eddie” Edison moved into a beautiful brownstone home in the heart of Brooklyn, sources confirmed. “This place is perfect!” said the attractive, if naively hopeful, protagonist, who graduated with a degree in English/Creative Writing from a well-known northeastern university and now lives in a 5,000-square-foot waterfront property overlooking lower Manhattan.”

Change that around to “writer” and you’d have the same movie scenario, too. For anyone who wants to get into publishing/writing for the money, Amy Poehler has a suggestion:

Okay, so those of us in the book world may not have perfect brownstones, but we sure do love literature!

Contemporary, with a Hook

From this post about the state of the YA market by agent/author Mandy Hubbard:

Things that ARE working:

-Contemporary, MOST ESPECIALLY with a hook. Think: THIRTEEN REASONS WHY, anything By Ally Carter, etc. The usual “coming of age” or romance is tough, but if you can find a way to zero in on a big hook, you’re in GREAT shape.

Heck yeah, contemporary! A few years ago, you’d be way more likely to hear about how contemporary wasn’t selling in comparison to bigger concepts like dystopian or paranormal. I’m glad to see things shift back a little; stories about real life can be just as powerful as anything in a dystopian landscape.

That said, I think Mandy makes a good point that everything–whether or not the market’s ready for it–has to be done well. If you have a kickass vampire series that takes the genre somewhere new and exciting, that’s going to connect with readers. If you’ve got a cool sci-fi novel or a touching contemporary story, those will connect as well. It’s all about the story and the writing.

Traditional and Self-Publishing: It’s All Okay, Guys

Fellow 2014 debut author and all-around awesome person Livia Blackburne has a great post up about why she chose the traditional publishing path instead of self-publishing. Her reasons for going the traditional route are pretty similar to mine–working with an established house and their team of talented editors/designers, etc; more potential to connect with readers without having to do all the legwork yourself; brand recognition. Livia also looks at why people might choose to self-publish, like having total control and a higher profit per book.

What I like most about Livia’s post is that she gives credence to both sides. So often, the discussion about traditional and self-publishing ends up being a shouting match between which path is better. Why do we need to divide into teams? Sometimes your career and book work better with what traditional publishing can provide. Some people benefit more from driving their own book path.

So far, I’m really happy with the traditional publishing experience. My editor is amazing and the depth of my work has grown based on her comments. And I’m really excited to work more with the other members of the team. But I think the book industry is opening up more toward self-publishing, and that’s going to continue to be a great option for writers.

Make sure to check out Livia’s full post. She lays it out way better than I could.