Interview with Jodi Meadows

I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em! Today’s guest is my editor-sister (hooray!) and internet omnipresence Jodi Meadows. Jodi's debut YA novel, INCARNATE will be available from Harper Collins / Katherine Tegen on January 31, 2012.

INCARNATE is about Ana, a new soul in a world where everyone is reincarnated. Did you do a lot of research on reincarnation in order to write it?

I did a little research on reincarnation in various cultures and to see what type of reincarnation books are already out there, but I came to the story with a very clear idea of the world I wanted to write about. And because it was the entire society being reincarnated, I had to consider a lot of the potential consequences and drawbacks, too.

As a result, I did a TON of daydreaming about the way the society might work around these problems. (Jobs, laws/punishment, inbreeding, etc...) Lots of the worldbuilding won't find its way into the story for lack of relevance and room, but I did try to leave little clues throughout. For example, they are *fierce* about keeping track of genealogies, and no one has siblings!

You've described Ana's personality as "prickly." What made you decide to create an MC that might not be the type you crush to your bosom in a soul-hug five minutes after meeting?

Ana's personality came from the way she was raised. As the only new person, she was viewed not as special, but a bad omen. She replaced one of the old souls! Understandably, many (including Ana's mother) were afraid of what that might mean for their existence, and frightened people aren't always very nice.
Ana is an abuse victim. Her mother abused her emotionally and physically, and while Ana has managed to hang on to a little innocence and hopefulness, she's defensive and untrusting. She doesn't read people very well (like spoken language, body language is something you learn by immersion), and until she meets people who *don't* hate her like her mother does, she tends to assume everyone is out to get her.
I do hope people like Ana -- she's a good girl, overall -- but I also really hope they understand her.

You're very active online, including your own site, Twitter, and the amount of time you donate over on Authoress' blog - Miss Snark's First Victim - to help aspiring writer's attain their goals. Do you believe having an online presence helps boost your readership? Do you recommend aspiring writers begin an online platform before, during, or after the agent/editor hunt?

In some ways, yes. It definitely didn't hurt to have a relatively popular blog and Twitter feed before my deal, but I don't think it's necessary for success, either. Hanging out on social media and helping with Authoress's blog occasionally is something I enjoy doing. If I didn't enjoy it, I definitely wouldn't bother because it can be pretty time consuming!

For authors looking at jumping into social media, I'd say start when you're ready (and only if you want to). You can't have an audience too soon, and if you have a popular blog or Twitter, your agent may use that as a selling point. "Look, she comes with an audience!"
The only other reminder I'd give is to remember your "audience" is made up of people. Treat them like friends, not potential buyers.

Who is your agent and how did you land her?

My agent is the smart and lovely Lauren MacLeod (@bostonbookgirl on Twitter). I got her the old fashioned way: I developed a major agent crush with her on Twitter, queried, sent her manuscripts, and kept trying until she said yes. Now we do normal agent/author things together, like holding baby tigers. Wait, that *is* normal, right?

You blog, tweet, knit, raise ferrets, and write. Any time management tips for writers?

Give up sleep. To be serious (sort of), I'm in the very lucky position of not having another job, so I can write full time. I also don't have kids, the ferrets sleep 15-18 hours a day, and my husband goes to work. This leaves me with lots of time to create and destroy worlds with my brain.

I've had to learn very little time management so far. I'm driven to write, and I will work hard to meet deadlines. Occasionally I have to prioritize things, and I try to get to emails and other obligations quickly so they don't pile up, but writing always comes first.

Interview with Vicky Alvear Shecter

I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em!

I've got a different brand of SAT for you today, with Vicky Alvear Shecter, author of CLEOPATRA'S MOON. Typically my SAT's revolve around the author's writing journey to success, and their writing process. In talking with a historical fiction author, I found some salient points that I wanted to bring to the table for readers and writers alike.

CLEOPATRA'S MOON is historical fiction featuring Cleopatra Selene, daughter of the well-known Cleopatra VII and Roman general Marc Antony. How long did you research and what kind of sources did you delve into?

First of all, thanks for having me. I love this site! To answer your question, I spent about a year researching Cleopatra’s story for my mid-grade biography, CLEOPATRA RULES! I was so fascinated to learn that of the queen’s four children, only her daughter survived to adulthood.

Sadly, I discovered that there was very little written about Cleopatra Selene’s life. The only way to tell her story was to delve into fiction. Most of the ancient sources were Roman, by the way, and they had an axe to grind with Cleopatra, whom they blamed for the war between Octavian and Antony. Roman men weren’t that interested in the lives of girls and women so Selene barely got a mention. But I felt her story needed to be told. It took me another two years to finish researching and writing the book.

How much of CLEOPATRA'S MOON is fiction, and how much fact?

The nature of her relationships with people was fictionalized because all I had to go on were the barest outlines of her life—when she was born, who her parents were, when she was taken to Rome, when she was married off, when she died. So as long as I worked within the facts of period, I was free to create her inner world.

You did a fantastic job of portraying both cultures - Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome - while explaining the politics of the time in terms YA readers would be able to relate to. Was it difficult to translate all the plot complexities (cultural, political) for modern readers?

Thanks!  Any success in making this story “relatable” to modern readers comes from my conviction that we humans never change. It seemed to me that there were plenty of parallels to modern politics. For example:
Octavianus  “took down” a powerful woman (Cleo) by calling her sexually demeaning names and spreading wild rumors and negative propaganda about her. Still happening? Oh yeah. Just ask any high-school girl how often that happens to strong girls.  Or watch TMZ.

In Rome, citizens exhausted by war and a teetering economy looked the other way as civil liberties were slowly stripped in the name of keeping the state “safe.” Happening today? Just look at TSA and Guantanamo.
A teen girl stunned to learn her freedoms are curtailed in another culture. Happening today? Of course. Just imagine any American girl having to live in, for example, an extreme culture where she can’t drive, go to school or dress the way she wants. It wouldn’t be pretty!

I could go on, but the larger point for me is that there’s nothing new under the sun. History gives us a fascinating and entertaining way to look at our own lives. And choices.

One of Cleopatra Selene's most endearing qualities is her fierce loyalty to her own religion and patron goddess, Isis, even under threat of death. How realistic are the rituals and scenes portraying Cleopatra's religion?

We actually don’t know exactly how the rites of the Mysteries of Isis went because no one ever wrote them down. As with so many “Mystery cults” of the ancient world, the rites were secret. And people kept them secret! (Kind of remarkable, when you think about it.) However, most scholars believe that the rites include some form of dying to your old self and being “reborn.” I went with that idea and expanded it.

Some of the more disturbing aspects of ancient life are mentioned the book. For example, even noblewomen were married off very young for political gain, slaves could murdered at their master's will, and the Ptolemies (Cleopatra's Egyptian line) had a long history of marrying brothers and sisters. As a historical writer, what aspects were important to keep in the narrative for accuracy, and how did you weigh what to include for your young audience?

It was important to be true to the history.  We do teens a disservice when we try to sugarcoat reality.
Plus, there’s the issue of being historically accurate! For example, one reviewer wondered why I didn’t have Cleopatra Selene question the practice of slavery.

My editor and I had actually discussed this because we knew slavery is a cultural hot point. But the truth is, NO ONE in the ancient world questioned the morality of slavery. The closest we get is the Roman writer Seneca cautioning slave owners not to abuse their slaves because that would be wrong ethically. That’s it.
The awareness of slavery as morally wrong didn’t actually take hold until the 16th century and beyond. So, if I’d made Cleopatra Selene suddenly question the practice, it would have been anachronistic.

I did, however, have her be disgusted when someone jokes about beating a slave. But doing anything else would’ve been historically false.

Cleopatra Selene was fortunate to be born into a culture that valued women. Do you think writing historical fiction portraying strong female characters is important to the modern YA reader? What do you think they can learn from it?

Portraying strong female characters is very important, especially in YA. Girls and boys need to see strong women taking action in their lives rather than being acted upon.

Here’s a perfect example of the importance of seeing/reading about strong women. When my son was very young, we had a female mayor in Atlanta (Shirley Franklin) and I’d bought a picture book biography of her to read with him. Years later, when another mayor was selected—this time a man—my son’s reaction was this: “A man mayor? That’s funny!”

When I explained that it was pretty common, he added, “Oh. I thought all mayors were women!”

I was stunned. But there it was—the power of seeing strong women in the world! Sadly, I have to add, there hasn’t been a female mayor in Atlanta since.

With Cleopatra Selene, I hope readers see that even as power was stripped from her externally, she ultimately maintained/discovered the power within herself.

Success in Self-Publishing

I'm lucky (or cunning) enough to have lured yet another successful writer over to my blog for an SAT - Successful Author Talk. SAT authors have conquered the query, slain the synopsis and attained the pinnacle of published. How'd they do it? Let's ask 'em!

Calista Taylor took a deep breath and a big plunge a few weeks ago. She made the decision to self e-pub her steampunk romance VIRIDIS - and it paid off. I wanted to bring her onto the blog today to talk about her decision to take this leap, and how she went about making sure it was done correctly.

Do you currently have an agent?

I do have an agent for my non-fiction work, but do not currently for my fiction manuscripts.  I had been agented for my book, VIRIDIS, and we started the submission process, but unfortunately, part way through submissions, the agency I was with made the decision to deal with YA and MG novels exclusively.  This left me without an agent to complete the submission process, so I was forced to shelve my novel.

What made you decide that it was time to self e-pub?

A few years back, I would have waited to get another agent with the hopes I’d eventually be able to dust VIRIDIS off—and I did just that for a little while.  However, the ebook revolution has changed things.  With more and more people reading ebooks, I figured I had nothing to lose.  VIRIDIS could either collect dust on my laptop, or online, where it might actually make it into readers’ hands.

Did you do a lot of research into e-pubbing before making the plunge? What resources do you recommend

To be honest, I tend to take an experimental approach with most things I do, and this was no different.  For the most part, I used the method outlined in Agent Query’s guide to epublishing, and also followed the information on each website, regarding the best way to format a manuscript.  So far, there have only been a few bumps, and those were out of my control.

The cover art for VIRIDIS won an award! Did you do it yourself or hire it out? 

When it comes to visual things, I can be quite picky, and I know I’d drive a graphic artist insane if they had to actually deal with me.  Since I enjoy experimenting with that sort of thing, I figured I’d try my hand at making a book cover.  The first few tries were very basic in design and not terribly good (floating heads, Monty Python hands, warped perspectives, etc.), but eventually I picked up enough tricks to get a cover I was happy with.

What was your publication strategy for VIRIDIS? What platforms did you use? Do you recommend one over the other?

I uploaded directly to Amazon, and then used Smashwords to distribute my novel to all the other sites.  Since I really wanted my novel to be available for free (as part of my marketing plan) I found by using Smashwords, I was able to post my novel for free on sites that don’t normally allow it, which in turn sort of forced Amazon to also make it free.

What was your marketing strategy? How did you get the word out for VIRIDIS?  

I decided I would put out VIRIDIS for free, with the hopes that it would get me enough readers who may actually want to pay for the next book in the series.  The key seemed to be going free on Amazon, which isn’t something they automatically allow you to do.  Despite promoting on Facebook, Twitter and a variety of blogs, the number of sales I had on Amazon when VIRIDIS was just .99 compared to the numbers once it went free, were night and day (about a 1000 times higher during those first days—it has since come down to about a 100 times more per day).  To be honest, going free has been my most successful marketing strategy.  If even a small percentage of those that downloaded VIRIDIS end up buying the second book - DEVIL ON A SPARROW'S WING - it’ll still be a far greater number than those that would have bought my books otherwise.

Any last tips for self-publication success?

I think you need to be willing to take a chance.  The publishing world is changing rapidly, but I think as writers, the ball is in our court.  Just make sure your story is the best it can be, and that it looks, reads and feels professional.  Though it may be self published, a reader doesn’t want to be reminded of that with a multitude of formatting and editing issues.