My first book took me three years to complete and was out on submission for a year and never sold. It was devastating and demoralizing and caused me to listen to a lot of Norah Jones on repeat, while drinking tequila, but looking back I realize it was just part of the process.
Colleen Oakley doesn’t avoid heavy topics. Her books cover the spectrum of the human experience from life to death with all the highs and lows in between. A former magazine editor, about to publish her third book, we caught up with Colleen to talk about perseverance, the importance of speaking up and her number one trick for staying motivated to write every day.
One of the best things you can do to market your book is to write the next one. That way there’s always something for a reader to look forward to.
Patricia Tighe was always a voracious reader, yet she didn’t start writing fiction until she was almost thirty. Since then she has published six YA romance novels and is currently working on a YA contemporary. She fills us in on generating word-of-mouth book buzz, studying the craft of writing and the importance of having supportive critique partners.
Write for yourself. If you are writing the book you want to read that passion will shine through and it will help you stay motivated to get the writing done.
Briana Morgan is a YA horror and fantasy writer, playwright and freelance editor. She loves dark, suspenseful reads with angst-ridden relationships and complicated characters. We caught up with her to talk about the comparison trap, counterintuitive book marketing tactics and the surreal experience of having her play brought to life.
Read like your dream depends on it. Because it does. Read, read, read. Get a library card and read every book in your genre. You’ll pick up on subtle writing tips that you don’t even realize.
YA Author Cheyanne Young spent a decade working as a mechanical engineer before turning her attention to swoon-worthy love interests. We talk about how J.K. Rowling´s outlining method started her writing journey, the challenges of being a full-time author and her tips for slime-free book marketing.
If you have a story that intrigues you and the desire to tell it – take the leap. This has honestly been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.
Despite having a successful media career at a young age, for Mel Greenberg writing a book involved facing her biggest fear. Now having confronted and triumphed over self-doubt with the release of her debut novel, we catch up with Mel to talk about her grass-roots approach to book marketing and unexpected reader responses.
When I was nineteen, I lost a job that I thought I'd have forever and was totally crushed about it. I went to the library hoping to comfort myself with a big stack of books. When one of the books didn't end how I felt certain it would, it was like a light switch went off in my head. I realized for the first time that I was capable of writing my own story… It all came on very suddenly and out of nowhere, but it also felt very right.
Ever since she was little, Amy Lukavics was intrigued by horror books and movies. Yet it wasn't until an unexpected job loss that she realized that she could write her own stories. Now with a string of books, and literary award nominations, to her name she talks to us about the rollercoaster ride of publishing, including a catastrophic book rewrite that ended up being the being the biggest learning curve of her career.
Try not to compare your success with others. It’s way too easy to see someone’s books hitting lists or winning awards or getting star reviews and movie deals and feel dejected because your book didn’t… Success isn’t the same thing for everyone. Work hard and celebrate every good thing that comes your way.
After a year of querying her first book Abigail Johnson had given up hope. Discouraged, she resolved to shelve the project and move on. The following day a literary agent contacted her with a full request and within a few months her book was sold. Now awaiting the publication of her third YA novel, Abigail talks to us about the inspiration behind her books, a unique postcard book promotion campaign and finding a balance between writing and life.
Keep writing! Rewrite and edit and write a dozen more stories on top of it all. There’s honestly no better way to improve than to practice. It isn’t a fast process, but it doesn’t have to be! Just write and then write some more.
Australian author C. G. Drews grew up surrounded by books, so it was only natural that she would eventually want to write her own. With her debut novel launching last month we caught up with her to talk about breaking into the online writer community, self-doubt and how rejection makes her consider a career in cake testing.
Keep going. I think sometimes it can be easy to get stuck. I felt that way when I was revising and revising my first book. It helped to work on something new.
A third-generation native Arizonan, YA author Kelly deVos writes about strong, capable, feminist heroines. Following the success of her debut YA novel we catch up to talk about confidence, how she made the journey back to writing and making ALL the querying mistakes.
At one point I thought I would never be an author. It was my dream, but I doubted I’d ever achieve it. But then I got serious. I turned my dream into a plan, and my plan into a goal, and now I’ve written five novels. You can do this – just believe in yourself, and never give up.
Natalia Leigh almost gave up writing after a crushing rejection from her writing professor. Her determination severely tested, she persevered eventually publishing her first YA novel. She swings by WildMind Creative today to talk about overcoming rejection, establishing a writing routine that works for you and making book marketing fun.
Do what you love! If you aren’t loving it, take a step back and reflect. Figure out what makes you happy and do it!
Hot off the press: Our Bookstagram interview with Hopeless Book Lover (aka Giselle Gonzalez). We chat about how to build a bookstagram following, the importance of doing what you love and how authors can work with her.
Everybody sees the world differently, and I see the world in details. Sometimes it’s the hush of a pastel dawn that’s inspiring. Sometimes it’s the look in an old man’s eyes when he holds a sun-bleached photograph of his younger self. Sometimes it’s my own heartbreak.
Shyness and bullying was the impetus for Anna Vera to bury herself in reading. Reading led to writing and the release of her sci-fi novel When Stars Burn Out. Now working on the sequel we catch up with her to talk about dropping off social media, analyzing why you write and embracing the spiraling vertigo of vulnerability.
Do a lot of research. If there’s one thing I knew when I decided to go the indie publishing route it’s that I didn’t know much and had to learn how to do it. Get advice, read books and take advantage of services that are available.
YA romance writer Alia Rose is an indie author by night and full-time architectural designer by day. With her debut novel, My Lullaby of You released in June we catch up with her to talk about being guided by your ‘why’, her favorite book marketing methods and the beauty of to-do lists.
If I were to pick one single thing I look for in a book, I would go with love. I am a helpless romantic, so more often than not I find myself picking up books that promise a good, emotional, heart-wrenching love story.
In the first of our WildMind Creative Bookstagram Interview series we chat to The Bibliotheque, book blogger, die-hard romantic and professional page-twirler. She fills us in on getting started in bookstagram, how authors can work with her and her top reads of the year, so far.
I’m a strong advocate for finding your own process and being true to it. What works for me or your favorite author or your critique partner might not work for you, and that’s totally okay. Create the way you and your stories need you to.
Young Adult Fantasy author Joanna Ruth Meyer is a dreamer, everyone that knows her says she’s not allowed to drive a car with a sunroof because she’ll get into an accident staring up at the stars. We catch up with her to talk about finding and listening to your critique partner, the bliss of playing with words and fitting in book marketing.
Finish your story. First drafts can be defeating, but you need to hang in through the slog. Keep writing and pushing through until you can write 'The End'.
A lover of storytelling from a young age author Amy Trueblood fell in love with the world of publishing and writing after reading an advanced reading copy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Now working on her second YA novel, we caught up with Amy to chat about her publishing journey and the joy of finding untold stories in history.
Whatever our experience level, we have to surrender to writing what’s hard to write. Writing what keeps us up at night...A piece of writing should challenge something in its author. That’s where the juiciness comes in, the fire and the depth, where we can gain access to something universal.
Writer, actor, filmmaker, vocalist, Chris White is a woman of many talents. Born to a military family, with roots in rural Kentucky, she spent her childhood moving around the U.S. Now focusing on her second novel we caught up with her to talk about avoiding writing, standing out in the marketplace and the crash course of a debut novel release.
Embrace the fact that you are your biggest advocate. Don’t be afraid of it. While you will come across wonderful supporters along the way, it will always come down to you to advocate for your work.
Rae del Bianco is a former teenage cattle rancher, Duke University Robertson Scholar, and alumna of literary magazine Tin House’s summer workshop. With her debut novel releasing this year, she talks about building a strong social media following and being fearless above all else.
Don’t give up. Whatever obstacle is in your way right now, make it your life’s mission to overcome it. I promise, it will be worth it. Your story is worth it.
Ontario-based author Jessi Elliott writes ‘swoon-worthy romance with a dash of sass’. We catch up with her to talk about the steep learning curve of publishing, finding a critique partner through Twitter and juggling full-time work with book marketing.
Don’t be afraid to write crap. We all do it, and it’s always a weird, somewhat painful process but that’s how you learn and how you get better.
Michigan-based YA author Kim Chance didn’t always know she was meant to be a writer but once she put pen to paper she found she couldn’t stop. We chat with her about how to make your debut novel release a success, improving your writing and the role of literary agents.
