Jon Blythe is sick of waiting for his Yoda. After years of hiding his magic, he's ready to retire from his mortal life, drop out of college, and jump into the world of demon hunters. He just didn't really expect a bleach blond bookstore clerk with light up toys for weapons. Unfortunately, Jordan is Jon's only hope. When rogue magic users come to Rochester with a malicious plan, the odd couple strikes out to save the day. Jordan might not be what Jon expected, but between demons and Econ homework, the demons win every time. Wild nights drag Jon further from normal into the world where his father vanished. Maybe he's becoming an addict. Maybe magic just comes with a price. Either way, he's hooked.
Blog Post:
Marketing
Marketing starts before you get a contract.
It starts before you’ve even finished your book. Where aspiring authors could
take off from a contract alone two decades ago, authors need more. We need a
platform.
Agents, editors, publishers – my feeds have
been inundated with demands for platforms. A platform is code for prior fame or
success. If you are a detective with some renowned writing about a cop, that’s
a platform. If you’re a celebrity with hundreds of thousands if not millions of
fans, that’s a platform. The former means you write within your field. A
detective submitting a medieval romance won’t have the success of a crime
thriller writing detective. However, the latter can writer whatever.
The proof is in the pudding. Shelves lined
with youtuber books in all genres. The latest socialite memoir flying to number
one. While this can be frustrating, it’s also a lesson. Marketing starts the
second you think about being an author.
1) Start
social media pages (Twitter, Instagram, whatever is the latest growing trend)
2) Follow
those who have built strong followings
3) Interact
with their followers and them
a. But
don’t stalk – interact when you have something dynamic to say.
4) Join
groups built for authors (aspiring or otherwise) and network
a. It
really does become about who you know. Again, human beings are social creatures
(even us introverts), so having a support group helps.
5) Listen
to advice in moderation
a. Everyone
has their 2 cents. Take it with a grain of salt and research like you do with
anyone you know.
Building a base before you query helps the
process. It means you have beta readers and the makings of a street team.
When my debut YA urban fantasy, High Summons,
came out, I was not nearly prepared enough. As an introvert striving for my
PhD, I avoided the distraction of social media. Problematic when I needed to
market my book. Also problematic in querying, agents had a hard time finding me
on the internet. I was left scrambling, and I’m still working to recover having
learned the above late in the game. My advertising for my book’s sequel, Grimm
Remains, is already in motion, and the interest I’ve drummed up already is
better than the last minute scramble I’d previously done.
Prepare as you go. You’ll thank yourself
later.
Good Luck.
Eli Celata was born in Rochester and is currently attending Binghamton University as a doctoral student.
