Amy Reed On Letting Go Of Control Once You Are Published

It’s time for a new interview series… like NOW. No really, actually it’s called NOW (Newly Omniscient Authors). This blog has been publishing since 2011, and some of the earlier posts feel dated. To honor the relaunch of the site, I thought I’d invite some of my past guests to read and ruminate on their answers to questions from oh-so-long-ago to see what’s changed between then and now.

Today’s guest is Amy Reed. Her new novel, The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World (July 9, 2019/Simon Pulse) is about two teens from the wrong side of the tracks whose lives crash into each other and start a surreal series of events that may lead to the apocalypse. Amy is a feminist, mother, and Virgo who enjoys running, making lists, and wandering around the mountains of western North Carolina where she lives. You can find her online at amyreedfiction.com. 

Has how you think (and talk) about writing and publishing changed, further into your career?

I think the biggest thing I’ve learned is that I have very little control over what happens once my manuscript is out of my hands and turns into a real book, like how much marketing support it will get, how much it will sell, and what kind of praise or criticism it will receive. Writing and publishing is just a long bumpy process of letting go. The less I depend on external validation, the more at peace I am on this crazy ride.

Let’s talk about the balance between the creative versus the business side of the industry. Do you think of yourself as an artiste or are you analyzing every aspect of your story for marketability? Has that changed from your early perspective?

My first couple of books (Beautiful and Clean) felt very authentic to me as an artist (or artiste, I suppose—I was still very much living in the wake of my MFA preciousness), but unfortunately my response to the success of those books was to become a lot more focused on writing what I thought I was supposed to write, what was “on brand,” and writing lost some of its magic. Then my daughter was born and I moved across the country, and something shifted for me.

The Nowhere Girls was about me reclaiming my passion for storytelling, my own voice, and my love for the lives of my characters and readers. My new book The Boy and Girl Who Broke the World (July 9, Simon Pulse) was the most fun I’ve ever had writing because I allowed myself to really play with fantasy and surrealism for the first time. And my next book--which will remain mysterious for now since it hasn’t officially been announced yet—is the weirdest (and maybe best) thing I’ve ever written. 

The bloom is off the rose… what’s faded for you, this far out from debut?

Planning my own book tours. I don’t do that anymore. I pretty much just do one release event at my local indie, and I’ll do local events with friends when invited, and of course whatever my publisher plans for me, but I’d rather put my energy into my writing.

Likewise, is there anything you’ve grown to love (or at least accept) that you never thought you would?

That my books are not for everybody. I write about dark stuff because those are the stories that resonate with me, and they are the ones I needed to read as a teen. But not everybody wants to read those stories, and that’s okay. I have never been a conventional person, and my books are not conventional. And as we evolve, we are both getting even more unconventional.

And lastly, what did getting published mean for you and how has it changed (or not changed!) your life?

For the last six years, I’ve (mostly) been able to write full time, which is a great privilege and gift that I really try to not take for granted. I’ve also made some incredible friends along the way, which has been a lifesaver in this often very solitary profession.

Continuing To Write For Yourself... Seven Years After Publication: Jodi Meadows

It’s time for a new interview series… like NOW. No really, actually it’s called NOW (Newly Omniscient Authors). This blog has been publishing since 2011, and some of the earlier posts feel dated. To honor the relaunch of the site, I thought I’d invite some of my past guests to read and ruminate on their answers to questions from oh-so-long-ago to see what’s changed between then and now.

 Today’s guest is Jodi Meadows, who debuted in 2012 with Incarnate. She wants to be a ferret when she grows up and she has no self-control when it comes to yarn, ink, or outer space. Still, she manages to write books. She has also authored the Orphan Queen Duology, and the Fallen Isles Trilogy, and is a coauthor of My Lady Jane.

Has how you think (and talk) about writing and publishing changed, further into your career?

Definitely!  

Over the years, my perspective on writing and publishing has absolutely changed. It’s had to. I’ve had books my publisher has gotten behind and supported . . . and books they have not. I’ve said good-bye to editors and publicists, and gotten to know and appreciate new ones. I’ve written books I thought would be my next book, only to find out they would not, and later found myself writing books I hadn’t imagined would be on my Also By page. 

The seven years since my first book came out haven’t killed my hopefulness, nor my love of writing, but some days it takes more of an effort to find my optimism. I have a lot better sense of things that can go wrong (and right!).

Now, the way I talk about writing and publishing is still hopeful, but tempered with carefully measured reality.

Let’s talk about the balance between the creative versus the business side of the industry. Do you think of yourself as an artiste or are you analyzing every aspect of your story for marketability? Has that changed from your early perspective?

 Both. Can I choose both?

When I have multiple ideas I’m excited about, I often consider which one will be easier to sell—which one might be the best next move for my career.  

There’s a book I’ve been working on off and on for years, but I won’t dig into it and finish it until I don’t need money anymore; the book is unlikely to bring me riches . . . or even pay a few bills. I joke about it, but it’s also not a joke.  

When I decide what to work on, I follow the characters as I’m writing and editing, but I also keep in mind what I want the book to be. It’s my job to find a balance between those two things.

In a way, I learned this lesson pretty early on in my career. Incarnate was my first published book, but it was the seventeenth novel I finished writing. I’d spent a lot of time before that writing to trends, following whims, and trying to produce what I thought other people wanted – instead of writing what is the most me. And I always, always remember that when I’m making choices. Ultimately, I am my own target audience. If I’m not happy with the book, no one else will be either.

The bloom is off the rose… what’s faded for you, this far out from debut? 

I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my career so far, and because of those, I’ve had to learn how to do a lot more than just write a book; I’ve had to learn how to sell it, too.

In some ways, I like feeling as though I have even a crumb of control over how my book performs, but it’s also upsetting to realize that I have to do so much of my own promotion and marketing, or it just won’t happen. (Most authors are in the same boat.) It’s also made me aware of just how limited my reach is. 

Sometimes, I think about that time our debut group had a chat with the group ahead of us. It struck me how disheartened – how world weary – the other group sounded when they talked about the business, and I couldn’t understand it. They had books out! Their dreams had been realized! But even just a few months after my first book released, I completely understood how the shine rubbed off the dream.

Likewise, is there anything you’ve grown to love (or at least accept) that you never thought you would?

Travel and public appearances.

I’ve always been a shy introvert, much more comfortable at home than anywhere else. But over the years I’ve overcome a lot of travel anxiety (I do not miss those sleepless, panic-filled nights before the airport) and figured out how to speak in front of people without wanting to curl up and die. I’ve learned how to fake being an extrovert for a little while (and how long I need to recover).  

All that was not easy for me, but absolutely worth the effort. I still get nervous, but the reward is seeing readers and other authors. That is truly one of the coolest parts of being an author. 

And lastly, what did getting published mean for you and how has it changed (or not changed!) your life? 

Before I got published, I believed having a book or nine out in the world would make my life different. Maybe even better in some ways. But so far, my life is relatively unchanged. I do travel more, people read my books, and when I’m anxious it’s pretty easy to trace it back to publishing now (thanks, publishing!), but as I answer these questions, I’m still in my pajamas (they have holes in them), I want more coffee, and the cat box needs to be cleaned. My life did not spontaneously morph into movie deals and people who are paid to clean the cat box for me.

 And really, I’m glad about that. It keeps me grounded. 

Growing A Thicker Skin with Ryan Graudin

It’s time for a new interview series… like NOW. No really, actually it’s called NOW (Newly Omniscient Authors). This blog has been publishing since 2011, and some of the earlier posts feel too hopeful… er, dated. To honor the relaunch of the site, I thought I’d invite some of my past guests to read and ruminate on their answers to questions from oh-so-long-ago to see what’s changed between then and now.

Today’s guest is Ryan Graudin, who debuted in 2013 with All That Glows. She famously did not have a smartphone in 2011 when she got notification that she was going to be a published author… and so had to borrow someone else’s to check her email.

Has how you think (and talk) about writing and publishing changed, further into your career?

Early on, I placed a lot of emotional energy on little things. Marketing swag. Cover changes. A one star Goodreads review. Especially during my debut year, there was this attitude of “make-it-or-break-it” that haunted my brain space. As the years—and the books—have gone by, I’ve realized that even things that feel huge, such as a rejected manuscript or an Amazon snafu on release day, are simply a part of the game. They say if you’re in publishing long enough, everything will happen to you. And for some reason, 8 years feels oh-so-long in this industry! The highs are high and the lows are low and it all evens out in the end. I hope to keep writing and publishing, so for my own sanity, I try to keep this perspective.

Let’s about the balance between the creative versus the business side of the industry. Do you think of yourself as an artiste or are you analyzing every aspect of your story for marketability? Has that changed from your early perspective?

Both? I’m certainly aware of what readers seem to gravitate toward in my catalogue, and it’s a good thing to keep in mind going forward. I recently had 200+ pages of a fantasy novel that I was working on, and when I went back and read it, it was good, but I knew it wasn’t the kind of story that readers would obsess over, so I decided to strip it back down to the roots and rework it. I’m still reworking, and let me tell you—I LOVE IT. It’s still art, but I think it’s super marketable art, which is the best kind.

The bloom is off the rose… what’s faded for you, this far out from debut?

The joy of that very first acquisition is something that’s so hard to recapture. Now, new contracts feel more like relief (I get to keep my job, hooray!) instead of the giddy high that comes with first finding out you’ll be published.

Likewise, is there anything you’ve grown to love (or at least accept) that you never thought you would? 

I’m less impacted by negative reviews. Notice I didn’t say NOT, but my skin has definitely gotten thicker with each book. Back when I was first starting out, certain one stars would make me physically ill. I’m better about protecting my mental space and understanding that no one book is universally loved. 

I’ve also found that I’m pretty good at public speaking, which I hadn’t had too much of an opportunity to implement before going on tour and doing school visits!

And lastly, what did getting published mean for you and how was it changed (or not changed!) your life? 

Getting published was a dream come true, and whenever I find myself frustrated with set backs or industry quirks, I remind myself that this is still the dream and my stories are important. Meeting readers, visiting schools, talking to producers, doing book events in different countries… There are so many doors publishing has opened for me, and I hope to keep going through new ones in the years to come.

(Also, I have a smartphone now. I don’t have to use my friend’s to check emails like I did eight years ago! Lol.)