Five Questions for Shannon Greenland. Plus, how to land an agent with a margarita

Today's interview features Shannon Greenland. She is the author of THE SUMMER MY LIFE BEGAN (Penguin/Speak, May
 2012) and THE SPECIALISTS series (Penguin/Speak, 2007-2008). To learn more about
 Shannon's work, visit her website at shannongreenland.com.



Q: You started out writing for adults. What attracted you to YA, and how would 
you describe your experience in both genres now that you've published three 
adult mysteries and six YA titles?

A: Wow, you've done your homework! Yes, I started out writing adult novels but
my critique partner told me I had a young voice and that is what led me to 
writing YA. I have to tell you, about five pages in to my first YA, I knew I had
 found my genre.

Q: We all love a good "how I got my agent/publisher" story. Can you share yours?

A: Weelll… I was at a writer's conference having a margarita in the bar chatting 
it up with the person beside me. When we were done yip-yapping she extended her
 card and said she'd like to see my work. Literally two weeks later I signed with
her and two weeks after that she'd sold The Specialists to Penguin. The whole
 story is kind of crazy when I look back on it.

Q: I'm curious about your teen series, THE SPECIALISTS. Penguin published the
first four books, and you self-published the fifth on your own website. Can you 
tell us how this came about and what sort of response you received from 
readers? 

A: My editor at Penguin actually suggested I offer the fifth book on my site as 
a free download for my readers to conclude The Specialists series. And I'm so 
glad I did because that offer garnered readers for the first four books that I 
didn't have before. I saw a bump in sales for the first four from the free
download.

Shannon Greenland

Q: Your new novel, THE SUMMER MY LIFE BEGAN, is a stand-alone. How do you
 compare the experience of writing a series vs. writing stand-alone novels. And 
what are you working on now/next?
 

A: Writing a stand-alone is harder than people think. I had the luxury of 
stretching out The Specialists through five books. It's difficult to wrap up a
whole story in one book and I'm already in major creative mode of a follow up to 
The Summer My Life Began. It seems my readers adore Gwenny, the sister in the
book, and want her story now. I aim to please. J
 


Q: What is one thing you've learned about writing and publishing that you wish
you'd known when you started out?
 


A: I wish I had known more about marketing and publicity from the start. Know
that getting published is a huge deal, but maintaining the momentum is even
bigger. Get the marketing and publicity figured out and hopefully the deals and
sales will continue to come.

Thank you, Shannon, for sharing some of your experiences with us. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'll be ordering a Margarita at the next writer's conference I attend...

Katie McGarry is Pushing the Limits (Dare You To!)

Today's interview features Katie McGarry, author of PUSHING THE LIMITS (Harlequin Teen, July 31, 2012) and DARE YOU TO (coming in 2013). Learn more about Katie's writing on her website, or visit one of the two blogs to which she contributes: Ya Fusion and The Apocolypsies.

Q: Tell us a little bit about your path to publishing... when you started writing, how you found your agent/editor, etc.

A: Writing has always been a passion of mine, but I didn't start pursuing it until a few years ago. I'm a stay at home mom of three active children (twins and a younger child). When my youngest child began sleeping through the night, I began writing.

After I finished my first manuscript, I was interested in finding out what I needed to do to become published. I joined my local Romance Writers of America chapter and realized I had a lot to learn when they asked me what genre I wrote and the only response I could give was, "I write books."

To help me, they then asked where I would consider my book to be shelved at a bookstore and the light bulb flashed on when I answered, "The Young Adult section." My RWA chapter mates taught me how to seek an agent, write query letters, and about entering writing contests. I floated my first manuscript into a contest and discovered that while there were some aspects of my story that were good, there was a lot I needed to work on.

I focused on reading craft books and taking on-line classes offered by other RWA chapters. I learned a lot and decided to start a new project. This project turned into PUSHING THE LIMITS. I began querying agents in the spring of 2010 and landed my agent, Kevan Lyon, the following fall from a slush pile query. After reading the query, she requested a partial, then eventually the full. Shortly after I accepted her offer of representation, Kevan submitted my manuscript to several publishing houses. Within a few weeks, my manuscript went to auction and was acquired by Margo Lipschultz at Harlequin Teen.

Q: Your debut, PUSHING THE LIMITS, just hit bookshelves. What has the experience been like... preparing for the release, any promotional activities, seeing your book on shelves and reviews coming out?

Katie McGarry

A: Exciting! Terrifying. Exhausting. Busy.  And a whole slew of other emotions thrown in for kicks.

Over the past few weeks leading up to launch, I've been quite busy filling out blog interviews or guest posts. My motto has been to say "yes" to whatever promotional idea has come my way. I'm treating this as a once in a lifetime opportunity. I'm so blessed to have a book being published and I want to look back and know I took advantage of every opportunity placed in my path.

As for seeing my book on shelves…it's been a surreal experience. The first time I saw PUSHING THE LIMITS on the shelf was by accident. A bookstore had shelved it early and I was chasing one of my kiddos through the store and the book caught my attention. I stood there like a deer caught in headlights. I just couldn't believe that my book was on a shelf…in a bookstore!

Q: You write contemporary love stories. I'm curious to know what you most like to read. Do you have other favorite authors in this YA romance genre?

A: I'm a huge fan of Simone Elkeles and Jennifer Echols. They are brilliant writers. Stephen King and S.E. Hinton have been favorites of mine since high school.

Q: Tell us about DARE YOU TO, your next novel scheduled for publication sometime in 2013. Where are you in the publishing process with that book?

A: DARE YOU TO follows the story of Beth, a secondary character from PUSHING THE LIMITS. Beth is one of Noah's (my hero from Pushing the Limits) best friends.

My editor and I are currently in the revision stage of this book. We're fleshing out some of the big picture issues in the novel, then we'll tackle smaller things. I have to mention that it is an unbelievable honor to work with Margo. She is brilliant, funny, friendly, and easy to talk to.

Q: You contribute to two blogs, YA Fusion and The Apocolypsies. Tell us how you got involved, how often you write for these blogs, and if you've found them to be effective promotional tools.

A: I founded YA Fusion a few months after I accepted the offer from Harlequin Teen. I belong to a critique group and one night I asked if they were interested in forming a group blog and they jumped on board. We've extended out from our original group and we're thrilled with how the blog has grown. I post once every thirteen weeks for YA Fusion.

Someone, and I wish I could remember who, told me about the Apocalypsies. We are a group of debut YA, middle grade, and children's book writers. After the suggestion, I found their website, sent an e-mail to the group explaining that I was also a 2012 debut, and they soon welcomed me to their family. I've posted twice on this blog.

YA Fusion has been helpful in teaching me how to craft entertaining blog posts and it has been a blast collaborating with my fellow bloggers.

As for the Apocalypsies…oh my, they have been fantastic! We are extremely supportive of one another, whether we are helping each other by tweeting about a new book cover or by offering each other encouragement.

Q: Final question: What are you working on now/next?

A: I'm currently focused on promotion for Pushing the Limits and will soon be directing my attention back to revisions for DARE YOU TO.

Thank you, Katie! 

HELLO GORGEOUS! author Taylor Morris talks tweens, 12-steps, ghostwriting & more

Please welcome today's featured author, Taylor Morris! Her books for teens and tweens include CLASS FAVORITE, TOTAL KNOCKOUT: TALE OF AN EX-CLASS PRESIDENT, BFF BREAKUP (all published by Simon & Schuster M!X) and the HELLO, GORGEOUS! series (Penguin's Grosset & Dunlap). Taylor has worked as an editor for a teen magazine, writer of the non-fiction book ORIGINAL DIVAS for Girls Press, and as a YA book reviewer (three books a month for five years!) for Romantic Times Book Club. She's also written short stories for Girls' Life magazine. 

Learn more about Taylor and her work at www.taylormorris.com.

Q: I've read the very fun bio on your website, but for those who have not… can you tell us a little bit about your path to publishing?

A: The best thing I did to get my writing started was to take a novel writing workshop. I did the 12-week intensive course through Media Bistro—this was actually before they had a YA or children's series, too. My poor classmates! I'm so glad I got that early feedback and help with structure and plot because I really had no idea what I was doing or even what I was writing about.

Through the 12-week course I wrote a little over 100 pages, then took maybe a year to finish writing it as well as have good friends read it for feedback (including one of my new friends from Media Bistro). And let me tell you, it was a mess. Thank goodness for that feedback.

As for getting an agent—I literally bought a book of children's book agents. I wish I could remember what it was called. I also went through novels I liked by authors I admired who thought I might be compared with and read the acknowledgements to see who their agents were (an old trick). Then I simply looked up the agent's query guidelines—and I followed them to a T. After sending out a few queries (and being rejected), one named Steven Chudney bit! He suggested lowering the age of my characters from 15 and 16 to 13, changing from high school to junior high. I took his advice and eventually sold to a two-book deal. That book I worked on in the Media Bistro class became my first novel, CLASS FAVORITE.

Q: The main character of your HELLO GORGEOUS! series is 13 years old, and you note that you write for tweens. Are your books considered Young Adult or Middle Grade? How would you describe your typical reader?

Taylor Morris

A: My books are definitely considered tween. I think within tween there are different levels and ages of readers. Hello, Gorgeous readers might be a bit younger than my BFF BREAKUP readers, for example, but it's all under the tween umbrella.

As for my typical reader? I'm not sure but from the readers I've met and heard from online I think they're a bit like me—slightly shy girls who like makeup and such but also don't mind getting their knees dirty. Girlie girls with a slight tomboy edge.

 Q: HELLO GORGEOUS! is described as an "ongoing series." How many more books are planned? Can you tell us a little bit about the process of writing a series like this?

A: The series will land on five books total. The fifth book, "Do's and Don'ts," came out in May. I signed on for a four-book series and although there was talk about having six total, the publisher has settled on five.

The process of writing a series like this? Well, if you have a full-time job like I did through most of the writing, it is insane. The pace is relentless. Theoretically I'd have three months to write the first draft; while my editor edited it, I'd start conceptualizing and outlining the next. Then, she gives me her edits while I give her my outline for the next one.

It rarely went this smoothly and there were many times I was working on two books at once. And with my full-time job—it was exhausting and I wrote the five books over a year and a half or so. I often worked for an hour or so before work, getting up at 5:30 or 6, then another hour when I got home. Weekend days were always for writing. I'm not saying I gave up all of my Saturdays or Sundays but it was rare that I didn't work six to seven days a week.

Now, though, my life is a very different. My husband recently joined the Army—he's a music conductor—and we left New York City in November and are now living in Virginia. All along I'd been saving most of my book money so now I'm able to write full-time, especially with my husband's steady job and our low-cost of living. I also recently got a ghost writing job (more on that below), so it's all working out nicely for us so far.

Another important thing I should mention is how I got the Hello, Gorgeous series. This was a good-old fashioned case of connections. One of my writing instructors at Media Bistro (I took two more courses after that first one) knew Penguin (the publisher) had been looking for a writer for a series about a girl who works at her mom's hair salon. She put the editor in touch with me and I wrote a sample for them about how I thought the characters would be and how the story would go and—they chose me! So I guess I can say I've gotten published by not knowing a soul in publishing (Class Favorite) and later by having a connection (Hello, Gorgeous).

Q: Can you tell us about the promotional support your books receive from your publisher, and if/how you supplement with your own efforts?

A: I think my answer is the same as others on this loop have talked about. Not a ton of publisher support in terms of marketing (but lots of excellent editorial support). I'm terrible at self-promotion (aside from posting pics of my books on Facebook as they come out) and I think most authors feel this way.

Also, because I'm not a huge author with name recognition, there's a level of humiliation to anything I try to do. I've been turned down too many times by schools, libraries and festivals that there's really only so much a girl can take. I do giveaways on Goodreads and I promote on Facebook. The good thing about Facebook is a lot of my friends from high school now have kids who are my readers' age, so I've definitely sold books and gained fans that way. I suspect that, in big publishing houses, you have to be a part of the 1%—meaning, the best sellers and award winners—to get that great promotion we all dream about.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I'm currently ghost writing a series for my publisher. I wish I could say what celebrity I'm ghosting for but it's a secret! After my HG series ended my publisher was looking for someone to work with this person on a tween series and asked me, along with several other authors, to create samples from the concept they had—similar to what I did for Hello, Gorgeous but more involved. The editors and celebrity liked my sample and one other. From there I had a phone interview with the celeb and editors to see how all our chemistry worked and then…well, I was shocked when I was chosen. I won't get any name recognition (maybe a bit in the acknowledgments) but it's great work for someone who just went to full-time writing. The money is decent and having a contract certainly gives me a sense of purpose as I stay home each day when my husband marches off to work. Also, the series (four books) is a lot of fun to work on.

(Ask me any questions about ghosting. I knew nothing about it before this began in February so I'm happy to answer any questions I can.)

I'm also working on a YA book that I started before Hello, Gorgeous but had to put aside because of the grueling schedule. I've also started coming up with new tween ideas and running them by my agent.


Thanks so much, Taylor.