Now that I have a new young adult novel coming out, people keep telling me I need to do more on Twitter (where the influencers are) or Snapchat (where my readership is) or some other variation of social media. But, see, Twitter and me? We have a complicated relationship. I’m too verbose to restrict my thoughts into a character count.
It may sound crazy, but I kind of resent it. And I’m already on Instagram, so Snapchat feels redundant. I’ve decided to choose social media options that work best for me. So far, that includes Instagram and my new favorite, Quora.
OMG, I Love Quora!
Why? Because it plays to my strength, which is teaching and editing and giving advice to those who want and need it. I’m also on Facebook, though that’s a more personal than private forum for me. Yeah, I’ll still tweet every now and then. It’s an incredible way to meet people in my industry such as librarians and teachers, but it’s not nearly as much fun for me as some of the others. I can’t drum up a desire to actively pursue followers. (Hey, if people want to follow me, they will.) We all have limited time, so writers, give yourself a break. Choose what speaks to you. Your future fans want to know you, not just your books. My thought is that if you’re having fun, they will, too.
I mean, really, it’s about so much more than the first ten pages or the opening line. What about the middle muddle or the ending or deepening character or scene structure? And what a lineup of faculty we have this year–Emma Dryden (founder of Drydenbks, a premier children’s editorial/publishing consultant company), Harold Underdown (independent editor/publishing consultant), Stephen Fraser (senior agent at the Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency), and Tiffany Liao (editor: Henry Holt Books)–and just 25 accepted writers to keep it all intimate and personal. The application period has now officially opened until May 31st, so if this is what you’ve been looking for, much like we once were, head over to 
When I told my friend about my lovely box of books, she texted that she would love to review my “Ark.” I laughed at first, thinking of course of Noah’s Ark, but then I realized that her typo was a more accurate depiction of said product than correct acronym. My ARC is very much an ARK. For starters, I have a lot riding on this thing. I want my ARK to stay afloat in a sea of wonderful book. And finally, I am hoping for a miracle (from reviewers.) I have now officially entered a time where I must patiently plan for my ARK’s journey. Soon, Boyds Mills Press and I will launch them to people who will either help the book float or sink. It’s terrifying, to be honest. But, like Noah, I have something going for me: faith. And so I build on, praying for sunny days ahead…
If that’s you, drop me a line. I am so excited to share this book. It’s been a labor of love for so long, I don’t dare admit the years of marination out loud. Let’s just say the idea has been circulating in my head for longer than some of my target readers have been alive. Truthfully, the concept was overwhelmingly wonderful, and it took me ages to get the courage to actually write the thing. But now it’s almost done–the final round of edits comes any day now. Soon, it will be out of my hands and into yours. Oh, and hey, you are invited to my launch party at Book Passage on Saturday, September 23rd at 5 p.m. Let’s celebrate together.