On Tumbling for Tumblr

I've fallen in love with Tumblr.  Do you guys know about this thing?

In case you don't, it's another blogging platform (*looks around, shifty-eyed, for the Blogger Re-education Enforcement Agents*).  But here's the thing with Tumblr:  You can put up ANYTHING.  It's got built-in functions to make posting text, pictures, videos, quotes, links, chats, and audio as easy as clicking a couple of buttons.  You can e-mail things directly to your Tumblog without even logging into the thing.

And there are lots--I mean lots--of amazing Tumblogs to check out and follow.  There are Tumblogs with themes, like one I could weep over on a daily basis called Eat Sleep Breathe Dance, or the fascinating I Love Charts.  Others are whatever strikes a person's fancy, like The Monica Bird.

I've fallen for the ease of use, the amazing things to find and share around the Interwebz.  I love the search feature on the Dashboard, where you can type in any old thing and find someone, somewhere, who has posted something about it.

So, now I want to know:  Who else Tumbles?

You can find mine here, where I post about writing, funny stuff, beautiful stuff, my cousin and his rockin' accordian, and other fascinatin' rhythms.  Check it out.  And if you haven't tried Tumblr, might I suggest you put on your big girl panties and dive in?  It's not at all scary if you just take the first step off the diving board.

- Liz

On the Awesomeness of J.A. Souders

This weekend, I got the only news I can think of that might excite me more than getting a publishing contract of my very own:

My awesome crit partner, best-friend-I-never-met, future-superstar, natural redhead, and all-around cool person Jessica Souders sold her amazing book RENEGADE to Tor Teen!!!

Seriously, I could not be more excited for her if she was chosen to be the Princess of Florida (that's a thing, right?).  And I could not be more excited that soon all you people are going to get to read her story.  This thing is going to blow your mind.

Here's the announcement from Publisher's Marketplace:

Jessica Souders's RENEGADE, about a female assassin in an underwater Utopia who realizes her memories have been altered and her mind and body aren't under her own control, to Melissa Frain at Tor, in a nice deal, in a three-book deal, by Natalie Fischer at Bradford Literary Agency (World English). Translation: 
taryn.fagerness@gmail.com 

Are you in?  You're so in.

So now, your job is to go fan up.  Trust me, you're going to want in on this when this story hits the shelves.  You're going to want in on it early so you can make like a hispter and say you totally heard about it before anyone else.

Go to her website, follow her blog, follow her on Twitter, and Like the RENEGADE fanpage at Facebook.  Got it?  Great!

How was your weekend?

- Liz

Interview with MJ Heiser

Today I am delighted to bring you my first author interview! My first guinea pig is not only a debut author with a unique publishing story to tell, but a good friend of mine, MJ Heiser.

If, after this interview you can't stand yourself and you simply must know everything there is to know about MJ, please visit her website, her blog, her Facebook fanpage, her author page at Amazon.com, on Twitter, or at Canonbridge's (her publisher) website. You can also learn more about her at JA Souder's blog, where she kicked off her blog tour* last week.

LC: MJ, thank you so much for being my first interviewee. For readers who don't know, let me begin by saying that your debut novel, CORONA, is an adult fantasy novel that combines some of the best of urban and classical fantasy elements to create a unique read. And, if I may say so, it's one of the most beautiful written stories I've had the pleasure to read in a long time.

What was the inspiration for CORONA?

MJ: CORONA actually has pieces inspired by several different traditions, starting with warrior monks (translated into the all-female order of the Travellers) and carrying through into my love of the Chronicles of Narnia, which was a large part of the foundation for Jaenrye. The spark that got the project moving, however, was a documentary I saw on Father Oliver O'Grady, a pedophile priest who was moved from one parish to another in California by the Catholic Church. He was never disciplined, and he evades punishment today. I dragged him into Jaenrye as "Father Rey" to punish him myself. --After all, one of the benefits of writing is the ability to mete out justice as you see fit, right?

LC: No kidding. It's the God complex we all secretly harbor. Now, CORONA has a couple of follow-ups coming out soon. The first is actually a prequel, CANTICLE. The next will be a sequel, CRUCIBLE. Did you always plan on a trilogy, or did the plan develop as you wrote CORONA?

MJ: The prequel demanded itself as I wrote CORONA, but the idea for the trilogy didn't come up until the Epilogue was being written. The prequel is about one of the heroines of the book as a much younger woman, and the sequel was a plot device -- at first. The plot device ended up intriguing me so much I feel the need now to make something of it.

LC: Speaking of the actual writing of CORONA, I know you wrote it in a really short time-span, what kept you going?

MJ: Apart from the fact that parts of the story seemed to have been percolating in the back of my head for decades, what really kept me going was the fact that I was able to translate several of my writing buddies into the book -- and, of course, get their feedback almost instantly whenever I produced another chapter ready for consumption. I didn't want to lose momentum, either internally or externally.

LC: You released CORONA through Canonbridge with a really unique plan. Tell us more about that decision.

MJ: The uniqueness of the plan actually belongs to my cousin, Wilette Youkey, who is also a writer and an excellent graphic artist. She suggested to me that this is a new day and age for the publishing industry; thanks to e-readers, changes are happening fast, and if a writer could only be so bold as to take advantage of those changes, that writer might buy him or herself a real shot at new readers. The suggestion boiled down to opportunity; e-readers allow price points to be set by the author and/or publisher (at least they did at the time), and if you offer a book for free, or as close to free as is feasible, you could draw the attention of people eager to try out this new technology without having to commit to a pricey new bestseller. If enough of those readers like your book, review it, and recommend it to friends -- well, that kind of readership can help get an unknown author and publisher into the big bookstores, like Barnes and Noble. (Even being published through well-established publishers can't guarantee a new writer that part of the dream.)

Admittedly, I didn't want, at first, to make myself or my book the butt of this experiment, but I also know that great successes are often the result of great risk. Besides, I'd only recently encountered Canonbridge, LLC, and acquisitions editor Maggie Stewart-Grant, who was enthusiastic and as much of a maverick as I'd have to be to take the chance. Together we plunged into the deep water. We've been treading that deep water together ever since.

LC: As much as I'm dying to know how the plan is working, I'll leave my purile curiosity at the door. You and your fans did an amazing job of rallying new fans in the days leading up to your release. If anyone in your network didn't know you were a writer, you all but exploded out of the closet with that debut. Now that you've got your very own ISBN and Amazon author page, are your friends/family reacting differently to you as a writer?

MJ: I'm laughing. Actually, yes. I get a lot of comments that I've never gotten before. My friends and family are often introducing me now as "published author," and that's just crazy. I may have offended a few people by reacting badly to it -- for example, one friend I accused of being sarcastic. I couldn't deal with the attention. However, now that it's been a few weeks, I find that the conversations started by that new description -- "published author" -- are very enjoyable.

LC: You and I have discussed having musical influences for our writing. (I have soundtracks for each of my books.) What were some of your musical choices for CORONA?

MJ: First and foremost: "Viva La Vida," by Coldplay. I don't even *like* Coldplay, but that song went straight into my heart. I've also quoted a couple of other songs in the book itself: "Groove is in the Heart," by Dee-Lite, and "All Star," by Smashmouth. Beyond that we start getting into really weird stuff, like "Vicarious" by Tool and "Cursum Perficio" by Enya.

LC: Quick: who's your favorite character from CORONA?

MJ: The fairy Yvette. Her wise silliness sank deep into my heart.

LC: What practical advice do you have for aspiring writers?

MJ: Read. Read again. Write. Write again. Learn about your craft; buy writing and editing guides, or borrow them from the library. I'm not saying you have to take other people's rules for your own, but I am saying read with an open mind and an open heart. You'll discover you're already doing a lot of things right, and you'll also start to notice patterns of advice on things you may not be doing correctly. Then -- edit. Edit again. And again. When you're ready, share your work with other writers by joining a writing group or an online writer forum, like www.webook.com. Find people like you -- if you want only to write for the love of writing, don't get too involved with the super-aggressive, constantly submitting crowd. Your heart will tell you when it's time to start publicizing yourself, so push, push, push. Hiding your art is soooo 19th century.

And never forget that you love doing this.

LC: As fun as it would be to virtually cast the fictional movie version of CORONA, I have a more interesting question: Who would play you in a movie?

MJ: Whoever she is, I hope she's younger, thinner, and far smarter. --Actually, scratch that. Make it the opposite, so when people meet the "real" me, they aren't disappointed.

LC: Don't make me get out my can of whoop-ass. You know how I feel about people giving my friends a hard time, and that includes themselves. You've been wonderful, thank you for being here today. Before we go, is there anything else you want to share?

MJ: I'd like to share some cheesecake.

LC: Make it chocolate-raspberry and we've got a date.

Thanks for taking the time. Check out CORONA in e-book format for its low debut price. The hardcover version will be out in June through Canonbridge, LLC.

- Liz

* MJ's blog tour has been involuntary, started by J.A. Souders and me. If you'd like to have MJ visit your blog to talk more about her unique publishing experience, fantasy world-building or cheesecake, please contact her through her website.

SWF Seeks Literary Agent for Long-Term Commitment, Good Times

The other day it occurred to me that the whole pre-publication process is like dating. Maybe this association took me so long to see because I have such a thin dating history myself, and the rest of you are thinking, "Duh," but this is my blog, so I'm going to wax pathetic for bit, capisce?

A query is like a blind date with someone you met through a personal ad or an on-line dating profile. You might be able to learn a little bit about them, or maybe even a lot, but in the end, you're still left to put yourself out there and hope he or she likes you.

When an agent asks for a partial or full manuscript, a writer sort of feels like she's just been asked to go steady. An agent is probably seeing this as more of a second date. I suppose in the world of He's Just Not That Into You, writers are like women and agents are like men. (No offense intended to either gender in this instance.)

That grand shining moment when an agent offers representation can best be compared to a marriage proposal--every writer wants one, and the ones that have an offer and just as girly-squirrely as a newly engaged women. Trust me, I know two of them right now (the fabulous J.A. Souders and Kelly Gibian) and they're giddy. They practically have the vapors. And like a terminally-single friend of a newly engaged woman, I am thrilled to death for them, but not a little jealous.

After the wonder and glamour of the engagement/agenting, the writer "moves in" with her agent, digging deep into revisions and bringing her manuscript to a high gloss. And, together, they start planning the wedding, er, going out on submission. This is when the agent beings his or her own querying process, offering up the project to editors and hoping for that nibble of interest. Or better yet, those dozens of nibbles that lead a book to sell at auction.

So, now you've got a planned release date for your book (a.k.a. your wedding date), but what you never saw coming was how many details there are in planning a wedding. Quite frankly, I'm a little fuzzy on this part, since I'm still in the blind-date phase, but from what I hear, the work has only just begun once you've got a fiancee, I mean agent.

A lot of this is probably self-evident. (Thank you, Captain Obvious.) We could probably overlay any number of application processes, or relationship-based models onto the pre-publication phase. The reason that the dating metaphor rings so true for me is seeing how I, and my writing friends approach the querying process. We really are like women deep in the trenches of dating.

We check our e-mail obsessively, we stalk prospective agents on-line, we dissect every word over every rejection with our friends. We are filled with hope when we get asked on that second date and devastated when a partial or full request ends in rejection. Probably we could all do well to read He's Just Not That Into You and realize that some writer-agent relationships are just never going to work. Both people have to be just as interested in one another. And as any sensible woman will tell you, begging, insulting or continued stalking are not welcome by the object of your affection. It's time to move on.

There are plenty of fish in the sea.

- Liz

Anyone care to extend this metaphor? Share a story of agenting heartbreak?

How to Be Interesting, or Everything I Need to Know About Twitter I Learned from Maureen Johnson

The key to "getting" Twitter for me, was following people who already knew how to use it. And the person I learned the most from the fastest was Young Adult author Maureen Johnson (@maureenjohnson on Twitter). To be fair, there have been others who have taught me a lot (check out my Twitter list of people I'm following for some prime examples), but Ms. Johnson is a Twitter tour de force. So, here it is:

How to be Interesting

1. Tweet often. Not so often that we know your every potty break or bite of sandwich, please, but keep your followers curious about what you might be up to.

2. Don't be a Twitter Pimp. Don't use Twitter purely to promote yourself as an author (or whatever). Tweet about funny experiences, current events, other people's tweets, etc.

3. Share helpful information. Tweetdeck (and other platforms) are great for this, because they auto-shorten URLs. You can tweet about anything useful you stumble across that people with similar interests might like to know.

4. Share entertaining information. You can post photos, youtube videos, links...anything that gave you a good laugh is sure to do the same for someone else.

5. Don't be too vague. When you share information, be sure to include a line in your tweet about what your followers should expect. No one likes a mystery link.

6. Interact. With your followers and people you follow. Maureen Johnson is a pro at this. She takes time (almost) every day to let people ask her four questions. And then she posts the questions with her answers. Sometimes she'll give the Twitterverse a fill-in-the-blank just for funsies, too. Tweet to people you don't know, say thanks for any mentions you get from someone else. Join the party!

7. Use hashtags. You never know who might be following a designated #hashtag and will want to comment on something you've said. Plus, they can be funny. I loves me some funny.

8. Be yourself. It's hard to take off our protective armor and let it all hang out with a bunch of strangers, but in the end, you're an adorable, likeable person. Be you and you'll find people who like that sort of thing.

- Liz

Any other suggestions for Twitter Happiness?

Random Acts of Bravery

Today, I committed random acts of bravery. Well, for a writer anyway. See, as a breed, we are largely introverted (though general charming when you get to know us) and writing is by nature a solitary endeavor. To be fair, the very idea of querying was terrifying to me at first, because it meant I had to seek someone else's approval [rejection].

But, I digress. To the list.

1. I did my first "pitch." It wasn't in person, but it was still an experience worth having. The competition is stiff, but we should have answers tomorrow.

2. I internet stalked a number of my fellow pitchers. Why? Because they, like me, are writing contemporary YA, or Women's Fiction, and in the current market [all fantasy/paranormal all the time], it was nice to know I wasn't the only square peg.

3. My stalking resulted in some new e-mail contacts, a couple new followers at Twitter and some fun new blogs to haunt.

4. I wrote a synopsis, which most every writer I have ever met/read about/can imagine dreads the way most people dread a root canal.

5. I sent out four queries. My hands didn't even shake when I hit send this time. [Personal growth!]

So, now we're back to our regularly scheduled program of waiting, obsessively checking my e-mail and trying to tamp down hope. Now if THAT was a career path, I would be the frickin' CEO in no time.

- Liz

image courtesy of: http://www.supermanhomepage.com/images/george-reeves-biopic/s-cost-tb.html