Whew! What a crazy year, am I right? I know I'm not the only one who didn't expect it to turn out this way. Like with many others, 2020 has managed to mess with all my carefully laid plans.
First, the release of the third book in my trilogy, WARREN THE 13TH AND THE THIRTEEN-YEAR CURSE. The book's publication had already been delayed due to production issues, so I was so excited for it to finally come out on March 24th! I was also looking forward to going on another 3 week book tour with illustrator Will Staehle to promote it.
Here I am at the beginning of the year with all my book-babies, together at last! So guileless. So happy. I had no idea what was coming.
As you probably recall, March is when all the Covid-19 stuff began ramping up and Stay-at-Home orders were announced. Almost overnight all our planned events were cancelled. Bookstores and schools were shut down.
Not only that, but my husband lost an entire year's worth of work as a touring sound engineer too! Talk about stress.
Granted, it's been a struggle for everyone, especially those who have actually dealt with the virus and illness firsthand. Thankfully my loved ones and I have managed to stay healthy through all this, knock on wood.
But on a purely professional level I have to say it really sucks to release a new book at the start of an unprecedented quarantine. I tried my best to rally and I took part in a lot of virtual promo events and zoom panels and such. But...it just wasn't the same. More events were cancelled, including the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, where I was supposed to be a panelist. That one stung - it's always been one of my favorite events, and to take part was an honor I was really looking forward to.
Oh, yeah. And during this time we also learned that a major studio that had been developing a Warren TV series decided to not renew the option. Absolutely heartbreaking, especially after getting a glimpse of what was in the works.
Soooo....I fell into a bit of a funk for a while. But the quarantine turned out to be a bit of a blessing in disguise. During the initial lockdown when I wasn't able to go to my day job, I found myself with a lot more time on my hands than usual. Which meant I got to write more. (And play World of Warcraft, but we won't talk about that.)
I even joined a few zoom writing sessions, which was so motivating, even though I was just quietly tapping away on my computer alongside other people quietly-tapping on theirs. Before I knew it, I was making great progress on my WIP, a Latinx middle grade fantasy novel that I've been struggling with for the past five years or so.
After writing and scrapping and re-writing several drafts over the years, I finally hit the draft I was aiming for. The synopsis snapped into place. The words flowed. It was glorious! And before I knew it, I was typing "The End"!
Of course, that didn't mean I was done. I did another fairly extensive revision and sent it out to a couple trusted readers. Then I revised some more and sent it out to more people, including some of my Spooky Middle Grade colleagues who were so kind to read and give me additional notes and suggestions.
And now, after even more tinkering and revising, I think it's finally ready to query!
Just to dip my toe into the water, I decided to take part in #PitMad earlier this week, just to see if I got any interest. I really set my expectations low. I know a lot of people who have participated without much success, so I wasn't getting my hopes up at all. If anything, it was just a way to practice my elevator pitch and put myself out there after being in writer-recluse mode for so long.
Here's my pitch:
I was stunned when, by the end of the day, my pitch had received 200 retweets and 82 likes, 20 or so of which were interested agents!
Holy cow! I can't tell you how much my heart is bursting over this. I just feel so incredibly grateful for all the kind and supportive tweets I've received, and for all the boosts. Now my Labor Day weekend will be spent looking into these agents and sending out my first round of queries - I can't think of a better way to spend it!
This book is the book my heart. That's why it was so hard to find the right way to write it. I wrote it for my 10 year old self who craved a story with Latina heroines, magical animals, sparkling snow, golden pyramids, mouth-watering food, and ride-or-die friendships. Now I have hope that it's a story other people will want to read as well.
Of course I know the road ahead is long. Just because an agent liked my tweet doesn't mean they'll like my book. Rejection is part of the game, and it will likely be years before my story ever hits shelves, if at all. But right now, I'm just hanging onto the glowy feelings. They come so rarely! I just hope my little book finds a home one day!
The end of 2015 was so crazy I didn't have a chance to write about everything that was going on, so here's my official recap. It's going to be an honest post, and I'm going to reveal a glimpse at my writer-neuroses that I think most writers will relate to.
So, the biggest thing to happen was that WARREN THE 13TH AND THE ALL-SEEING EYE was released on November 24th, right before Thanksgiving.
It was such a whirlwind - and pretty surreal. I think I was walking around in a haze for the first week after its release. Actually seeing it in stores for the first time felt like a dream. Like, How did this get here?
We got some amazing recognition: Amazon featured it as one of their Best Books of November, and it was the #5 pick on the Top Ten Kids' Indie Next List for Winter 2015.
Despite these accolades, realizing that the book was finally out there for people to buy and read was more than a little intimidating. Many authors have warned against the perils of reading reviews because it's a slippery slope - you read some good ones that boost your ego and make you feel great... and then comes your first negative review. And suddenly it doesn't matter how many awesome reviews you have. All you can think about is that one awful review where some random stranger ripped apart your work.
It's almost laughable how easy it is to read one bad review and make the leap to feeling like you're the worst writer to ever walk the planet. I felt myself going down that rabbit hole, so I did my very best to avoid reading reviews after a few initial peeks after the book was released. I really do appreciate readers sharing their opinions the book, and I'm thrilled that so many people have given it good ratings on Goodreads and Amazon... but I've learned my lesson about opening that Pandora's box!
I'll still read professional reviews posted by certain places, such as Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and the New York Times (all who gave positive reviews to the book! AHHHHH!!). Not only that, but WARREN has just received a STARRED review from the School Library Journal!!
The main thing is, the book is out there. It can't be changed. People will either love it or not and I can't control it either way. There is a serenity that comes with letting go of the outcome... but that's easier said than done.
I also had an amazing launch party with Will Staehle at Vroman's book store in Pasadena on November 30th. We set up a snack table with a Warren the 13th standee cut-out and had a Keynote presentation and live reading planned, as well as a raffle with lots of prizes.
The event started at 6pm on a Monday which, as anyone familiar with Los Angeles traffic will tell you, is the WORST time to have an event. Not to mention that Pasadena is pretty far east for a lot of people living in L.A. Needless to say, at 6pm the room was virtually empty. I've heard many a horror story about authors showing up to book events where no one was in attendance, and I began to fear this might be the case. We waited until about 6:20, but only a few people had trickled in by then.
We had to get started anyway, so we did. We went through our slide show introducing the book concept and the characters and then I began reading a section from the book with the assistance of my actor friend, Mat Lageman (who provided some hilarious character voices!).
And something amazing happened. As soon as I finished the reading, I glanced up to realize that the room was completely full! In fact, all the seats were filled and some people were even forced to stand in the back!
Will followed with a funny look at the torturous process of designing the cover, and then we had a Q&A with some great questions from the audience.
Afterwards, we began the signing and raffle. And guess what? We sold out of all 50 copies of the book that Vroman's had ordered. The signing line stretched to the back of the room. It was incredible - especially since I got to see so many old friends who showed up to show their support.
I never felt so much warm, glowing gratitude as I did that night. I felt like the luckiest person alive, supported by friends and strangers alike to celebrate the result of a dream that I've harbored for years - to write a novel and have it published and widely available.
I was still riding my high as the holidays approached in rapid succession - Thanksgiving, and Christmas, and New Year's Eve. And with it, traveling to see family while also trying to finish revisions on Book 2 (which is currently almost twice as long as the first book!).
And now here I am on the other side of 2016. Things have died down a bit. My book's been out for a little over a month. My second book revisions are with my editor, awaiting notes.
...And I think I'm fighting a case of the post-publication blues.
I know. I know. How is that even a thing? Before I was published, I would read accounts from other authors going through this very thing, and I remember thinking, "I WISH I had that problem. At least they HAVE a book on shelves, which is more than most people ever get."
And it's true... it's a very first-world problem. One that I honestly didn't think I would allow to affect me.
Shortly before my book's release, I went to an event where I mingled with some local authors. One of them kindly told me to enjoy it, but warned me not to get my hopes up too much. She said that a book release is like a wedding where you're marrying yourself. There's all this anticipation and buildup leading up to the big day where YOU'RE the star... and then... it's over. The book is out. New books will be out the following week. And more books the week after that. She said it was easy to pin too much onto your book and feel adrift with despair when the buzz dies down and your book doesn't do as well as you'd hoped.
I listened to her advice and thanked her for it... but I admit, it didn't really sink in. Because I was still in the anticipatory stage of my pre-release, that magic time where anything was still possible. There have been so many people, both strangers and friends alike, who have said, "this could be big" in relation to WARREN that I really believed it.
In fact, I still do.
Because I do believe in what Will and I have created. I'm incredibly proud of it. I think it IS special and still holds a lot of potential.
The thing is... how do we reach all the people who have yet to discover it? One of the struggles that we've had is in reaching our intended audience: middle school kids. They're simply not online as much as older kids are, in part due to the strict COPA laws that exist to protect kids on the internet.
I'm not sure I know the solution, other than Will and I trying to set up school and library visits where we might be able to interact with kids one-on-one. On the plus side, I have been having fun chatting with young readers on the COPA-compliant site, DOGObooks, which is a start!
So, yes, my buzz has worn off. I'm realizing the book isn't an instant best-seller the way I envisioned it might be. New books are coming out and everyone's looking forward to what's next for 2016. (On that note, I'm anticipating the release of my friend Paul Krueger's wonderful book, LAST CALL AT THE NIGHTSHADE LOUNGE, which comes out in June!)
So... how to fight through this self-manufactured doubt? The main piece of advice I've heard repeated is to KEEP WRITING. No matter what.
Querying a project that's not going anywhere?
Keep writing.
On submission for months on end?
Keep writing.
Awaiting notes from an agent or editor?
Keep writing.
Book's out on shelves?
Keep writing and writing and writing.
So that's what I'm doing. I'm writing new stuff. I have a couple projects I've started recently... one is a YA fantasy that's been percolating in my mind for some time and I feel like it needs to come out. Another is a MG adventure for girls that I've been excited to write too. I'm also wrapping up a horror short that's pretty weird, but a fun departure from what I normally do.
I'll share more about all these as I get further along, and I'll update you with anything new regarding the Warren series.
In the meantime... I'm going to keep doing the only thing I can do:
It's May! Which means that there's only six months left until Warren the 13th comes out. It's not long now before promotion officially kicks in. As I write this, ARCs have been printed and are in Quirk's hands in time to be handed out at BEA at the end of the month. I can't wait to get my hands on one! (Luckily, I don't have to wait long - I'm flying to Philadelphia tonight and am going to visit the Quirk headquarters tomorrow!)
Here's a look at the ARC pre-printing, marked with all my notes and changes. Mostly minor stuff, luckily!
I'm so excited people to see what Will and I have been working on, but I'm also a little nervous to have our beloved project in the hands of early readers and critics. Granted, it's just an ARC and not the final book, but not all of Will's art is completed yet, so more pressure falls upon my writing. Fortunately, I think it holds up, even though I didn't add as much visual description as I normally would (due to the fact that Will's art will be supplementing the text).
In fact, of all the projects I've completed in the past (both published and otherwise), I feel the most confident about this one. Maybe it's because I'm surrounded by such a supportive team - between my editor and the folks at Quirk, and Will lending his creative vision, I've felt so buoyed all throughout this journey. I DO feel like we've created something special, and I'm confident that we have something that people will love.
In fact, my main "problem" with Warren so far has been convincing myself that this is actually happening. I've been dreaming of a project like this for so long that I don't think my brain has yet caught on to the fact that it's REAL. I remember after the initial offer was made for Warren I was so careful not to get my hopes up because a part of me was certain that they'd call up and say "Oh, psyche!* It's not YOUR project we want, it's another one!"
*my imagination is stuck in the 90s apparently
I told myself that once the contract was signed I could rest assured that this was, indeed, real. But even after the paperwork was finalized, I was still pinching myself and fearing that someone would say it was all a big mistake.
Even now, just six months from publication, a part of me is waiting for the the curtain to be raised, revealing that this is all part of an elaborate prank show, You Thought You Had a Book Deal! (That would be a cruel show).
Honestly, I think this will only become really real once people start reading Warren the 13th. Because stories gain power the more they are told, the more people hear them. Before books are released into the open, they exist in some nebulous ether, like a dream. That's why I'm so eager to hear what people think of Warren (those that are fortunate enough to get an ARC in their hands!)
And despite all the self-doubt that pops up now and again (a writer's curse), I actually kind of hope this feeling of wonder doesn't go away because I don't ever want to take it this for granted. I don't want to become complacent or forget what it feels like to manifest something I've been striving towards for so long.
Well, I must be off to finish packing. I'm on a red-eye tonight and have a long convention weekend ahead of me. If you're attending Wizard World Philadelphia by chance, stop by my table B5 in Artist's Alley for a Warren the 13th bookmark!
I realize it's been a while since I've posted. Time flies when you're busy! I've been itching to give an update on my middle grade novel for Quirk Books, but it's a little tricky as the project is still under wraps at the moment. I can't wait to reveal the title, which I believe will happen very soon!
Buuuuut here's a little hint in the meantime ;) :
As I mentioned previously, I'm collaborating with illustrator and designer, Will Staehle, and we have a phone meeting set up with Quirk's marketing team next week. I'm looking forward to this because it means we're going to start the process of book-promotion before long! Woo!
The manuscript is just about done and ready to go to - after cranking out the first draft during NaNoWriMo, I've been spending the last few months doing revisions. The downside of rushing to complete an entire novel in the span of a month means that it isn't going to be perfect. It also means MANY revisions/tweaks are needed to transform it from a first-draft to a polished manuscript fit for publication.
I've going back and forth with Quirk publisher/editor/man-of-many-hats, Jason Rekulak, to make the story as tight as possible. This has been my first time working with an editor who is so hands on, and it's been a wonderful learning experience. Jason is a writer and author as well, so his insights have been really valuable. It actually reminds me of being in a writing group, which I was until recently (sadly, it disbanded because, life).
There's still been the pressure of a time crunch because Will is going to need as much time as possible to do his portion of the book if we want this to be released on schedule. You see, it won't just be a novel with a few spot illustrations - this is going to be a really cool looking book with a unique interior design and lots of art! If you look through some of Will's other design projects, you'll have some idea of what he's capable of! But Will can't get fully started on his art and design duties until the text is 100% complete - and we're very, very close! The final manuscript should be wrapped up within the next week or so!
Watch this space, because once we get going with marketing and promotion I'll be able to post a lot more! I can't wait to share more of this project with you guys! :D
That's right. This year I'll be taking part in NaNoWriMo to work on my first full draft of my project for Quirk! It works out well because my project is pitched at 50k words and the manuscript is due by the end of the year.
I've always been attracted to the idea of NaNoWriMo. Mostly, I love the camaraderie and support between all the different people all over the world all striving towards one goal. I love the celebratory air and the nonstop cheerleading and motivation. I love how even though not everyone "wins", there's no shaming involved. So many people bounce back, year after year, determined to try and again and succeed.
I'm one of those people. I signed up to do it for the past couple years but never actually ended up writing anything. I guess you could say I got cold feet. It's one thing to write when you're simply writing for yourself and there's no pressure, and another when you put your progress out there for the world to see. Taking part in NaNoWriMo means holding yourself accountable. And, while I've always been pretty good about meeting deadlines in my professional writing, my personal projects tend to get extremely drawn out over time. (It took me almost 5 years to write and revise my YA paranormal novel, Winter Wilder, and even that's not fully revised to my satisfaction yet.)
The fact that this Quirk book is a professional project gives me more motivation to finish it on time, and it helps knowing that the 50k goal at the end of November isn't just an aspiration... it's a requirement. In other words, I have to win.
But that doesn't mean I won't be sweating over my daily word count and it doesn't mean I won't need the support and encouragement from the rest of the wrimos out there. I'm looking forward to taking part in group writing sessions in Los Angeles and getting to know other people jumping into this crazy month of writing.
If you're taking part, be my writing buddy, and we can fight our way to the finish line together!
One of the projects I'm currently wrapping up right now is a professional manga character design tutorial book that will be published by Focal Press next year.
This book will go beyond the typical "follow-along" format of most tutorial books and will focus more on storytelling and building characters from the ground up. It's been an enormous project but I'm excited to see how it all turns out.
Here's a little snippet of the cover image which I just finished recently!
