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. 

Jen Nielsen tackles princes, pixies, goblins and... in her spare time, the 6th Infinity Ring book

Jennifer Nielsen

Today's Q&A features Jen Nielsen. She is the author of The Ascendance trilogy, beginning with THE FALSE PRINCE (Scholastic Press, April 1, 2012) and The Underworld Chronicles (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky), including ELLIOT AND THE GOBLIN WAR (Oct. 2010), ELLIOT AND THE PIXIE PLOT (Aug. 2011) and ELLIOT AND THE LAST UNDERWORLD WAR (April 1, 2012). She will write the sixth book of Scholastic's Infinity Ring series (other authors writing for the series include James Dashner, Carrie Ryan, Lisa McMann, Matt de la Pena and Matthew Kirby… Jen's book will be published in Dec. 2013). 

To learn more about Jen's work, visit her website: www.jennielsen.com.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your path to publishing?

A: The Teen Lit Authors forum is actually central to my path to publishing. I had been writing on and off for nearly ten years, between full time mommying and part time employment. Then a few years ago I submitted a manuscript to an agent who really liked it but asked for a pretty significant rewrite. So I posted a question to this list asking if anyone else had been in this situation. Several members here gave me excellent advice (pausing here to send out hugs for that), but even more exciting was that a newer agent was quietly lurking on the list, Ammi-Joan Paquette of the Erin Murphy Agency. She emailed to say that the project I had described sounded very interesting to her and if things didn't work out with the agent I was querying, that she'd love to see the manuscript. Well, things didn't work out with him, but by then I had researched Joan and already knew of her agency. I couldn't get pages to her quickly enough, and when she called to offer representation, it was a very happy day.

Q: I'm curious about the process involved in publishing a trilogy, the timing and juggling of it all. Could you tell us about your experience with your first trilogy, THE UNDERWORLD CHRONICLES?

A: I actually enjoy working with series books. I tend to think in bigger story concepts and so I love the freedom that comes with knowing I can explore a character's arc in a wider format. But you're right; there is a lot more juggling involved.

For example, there were a few weeks last summer when I was finishing up writing the final UNDERWORLD book, working on copyedits for THE FALSE PRINCE as a new series with Scholastic, and writing the second book in THE FALSE PRINCE trilogy. It was um, a little crazy.

Q: The first book in your new trilogy just came out, and is receiving kudos from readers, book bloggers and reviewers, including Kirkus and Publisher's Weekly. How important are those reviews as a part of a successful promotional effort?

A: The response so far to THE FALSE PRINCE has really been wonderful and exciting. Not only the places you mentioned, but also very kind reviews in places like the LA Times and Hollywood Reporter. Scholastic did a wonderful job early on by sending out bound manuscripts signed by their entire sales team to targeted booksellers to get them excited for the release, and I can definitely see the results of those efforts now.

Book marketing can be very competitive, and the reality is that there are many great books that somehow pass under the radar. But I really believe that authors ought to consider the Serenity Prayer whenever we work on self-promotion. We need to accept the things we cannot change (Whether a book gets a "big" mention, or a starred review, or some celebrity has their picture taken with our book in their hand), and gather courage to work on the things where we can have an impact. Above all else, I believe this means always working on our writing to deliver the best possible book.

Q: You posted covers of some of the foreign editions of THE FALSE PRINCE on your blog. Gorgeous! What's it like to see your words in print in other languages? And what have you learned about the process of publishing internationally… what's involved?

A: I love the foreign covers that I've seen so far, and there are a few more covers yet to be revealed. I can't wait to get copies of them all because I'd love to find a way to display them. The idea of having my words move to an international audience is incredibly exciting. Already, I'll see a blog or Goodreads post in another language and wonder what they're saying about the book. At times I've tried plugging it into a translator, but I can't always figure out the language, and even when I can, it doesn't always do a great job.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I have three projects ahead of me right now. The first is to continue writing the rest of the FALSE PRINCE trilogy. The second is working on a proposal for another series for down the road. And finally, I'll be one of six authors writing for Scholastic's new multi-platform series INFINITY RING, a middle grade time travel adventure. I'll be writing book six and am buried now in research for that project.

Thank you for the interview Sharon!

And thank YOU, Jen. Keep us posted on THE INFINITY RING and perhaps you can visit the blog again when it comes out!

Cheryl Rainfield taps painful memories to write novels that speak to troubled teens

Today we are featuring the amazing Cheryl Rainfield. Cheryl is the author of SCARS (WestSide Books, March 2010), HUNTED (WestSide Books, Dec. 18, 2011; F&W Canada, Feb. 2012), and the upcoming STAINED (Harcourt, 2013). Visit Cheryl's website to learn more about her work.

Q: Cheryl, you have been very open about your own terrible experiences as a teen victim of incest and ritual abuse, and how you turned to self-harm as a coping mechanism. Can you tell us a little bit about the experience of writing SCARS and putting something out there that was so personal to you (including the cover image of your own arm)? 

A: Writing SCARS was painful at times, because for much of the first years that I was writing and rewriting it, I was living the pain I was writing about. I felt like I was pouring my pain onto the page. It didn't feel like a relief or a release at the time, though I think it would have been much worse if I hadn't had that outlet. I also found it painful and hard to receive rejections for so long--10 years--when I so desperately wanted to be published. I was okay with the rejections the first few years, because I knew it can take time to get traditionally published, but when it got to be eight years of rejections, then nine, then ten, I was feeling pretty despairing and hopeless.

But when I got the offer to publish SCARS (from two different publishers at once) it felt so good to me! And then the reader letters started pouring in, and that also felt so good. It was one of the most healing experiences of my life to have SCARS published and have it reach people, resonate with them. For me, it disproved some of the lies that my abuser parents had repeatedly told me--that I would never succeed at anything I cared about, and that if I spoke out no one would listen to me or believe me.  It wasn't hard for me to publicly share about being an incest and ritual abuse survivor or using self-harm to cope because I've been open about those things since I was a teen. I think that talking about painful issues can encourage greater healing in ourselves and in other people, and can help break painful silences. And I also don't like and can't bear keeping secrets; it reminds me of the incest and ritual abuse that I had to keep silent about. For me, talking about those things in SCARS was an extension of what I've done for years--be open about some of the major things that have affected me, and try to encourage healing in others and myself.  I was delighted when my publisher agreed to use a photo of my arm on the cover of SCARS. It felt like it made SCARS even more my own story (even though it's fiction), and it tells the reader immediately what the story is about--and to me says you're not alone and you don't have to feel ashamed. That's important to me.   

Cheryl Rainfield

Q: What has the response to SCARS been like from readers, including those who are self-harming and reaching out to you for help?  

A: The response to SCARS has been wonderful! Two years after SCARS was first published, I still receive letters every week from readers telling me that SCARS helped them stop cutting, get into therapy or get help, tell someone for the first time about their own self-harm, sexual abuse, or being queer, or helped them feel truly understood, often for the first time in their lives. I've had readers tell me they feel that I wrote about them.  

I also hear from people who have never had any of those experiences who tell me that now they have more compassion and understanding for people who have, and that they really "get" self-harm where they never did before or may have judged it harshly before.   I'm so glad for both of those types of responses; they're both what I hoped for when I wrote SCARS--to have people know they're not alone, and to have others have more compassion and less judgement. It has been incredible and rewarding to get that feedback over and over again.   

Q: Your latest book, HUNTED, is a YA paranormal fantasy/dystopian. How was the experience of writing this novel different than SCARS, and how was it similar?  

A: Writing HUNTED was similar to writing SCARS in that I again drew on my abuse and trauma experience to write it; I wrote my emotional truths; and I focused on oppression. It was different in that HUNTED is a fantasy, and because I wasn't in as much emotional pain as I was when I wrote SCARS it was much easier to write (though some parts were painful). I also felt lighter and had more hope because my editor was immediately interested in HUNTED--something I didn't have while I wrote SCARS--so I knew it was more likely to get published. But mostly, it felt very similar to me. Yes, HUNTED is a paranormal fantasy (or a dystopian or a thriller, depending on how you look at it), but for me it was another way to talk about oppression in an accessible way.  

Q: I often ask authors about how they found their agent, and wonder if you could touch on that but also tell us about the experience of working with your agent… what the interaction is like, the support/guidance, the process… 

A: I got my wonderful agent, Andrea Somberg of Harvey Klinger, once I had an offer of a contract for SCARS. I'd submitted another manuscript to Andrea before that, and received the nicest, personal, most encouraging rejection letter from her, telling me that she'd love to work with me on another project. Her belief in my writing stood out to me amid all the other personalized (and non-personalized) agent rejection letters I'd received. So when I got an offer for SCARS, I wrote and asked if she'd be my agent and work with the contract, and she accepted. I'm very happy she did! I'd read that that was one way to get an agent--once you had an actual offer from a publisher, so I'm glad I remembered that. 

Andrea has fought hard for me for rights, money, and all sorts of things that I'd never have known about and never have had the courage to fight for, for myself. I also knew from the editing course I took that publishers have two standard boilerplate contracts--one for authors without agents, and one for authors with agents, and the one for authors with agents automatically starts with a higher advance, higher royalty level, and more rights, so I knew it was important to get an agent.  

But I didn't want just any agent. It was important to me that I like the person who would become my agent, since I plan to be with them a very long time; they represent me professionally; and your agent gets a percentage of all your work that they negotiate, even if you part company. I had a very brief experience with another agent before Andrea that scared me, so I was so glad and relieved to find Andrea--someone I liked and respected and who I felt good about. Andrea is friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and she gets back to me incredibly fast on any question I have. 

Another thing I really love about Andrea is that she gives me feedback on my manuscripts. She tells me when she doesn't think they're ready, and gives me suggestions on how to make them better (which I so appreciate) before we send them out. That's something I really value. She knows the market and the writing business, so  I feel good about getting her feedback. She's always ready to answer any question I have, or to be the go-between for me and a publisher if I need it. It's a great buffer, and allows me to work on what i need and want to work on--my writing and book promotion.  

Q: What are you working on now? And can you tell us a little bit about STAINED?

A: I am working on an edit of STAINED (Harcourt, 2013), an edgy realistic YA about Sarah, a teen with a port wine stain who is abducted, and who must find a way to rescue herself. I'm really enjoying working with my new editor, Karen Grove at Harcourt, who has given me wonderful, thoughtful, insightful feedback and helped me make STAINED a more powerful book. I also love that she trusts my instincts for my manuscript!  I am also working on another edgy realistic YA novel, as well as a sequel to HUNTED, and I'm getting ready for my Toronto in-person launch of HUNTED (this Saturday at Bakka-Phoenix Books, 4-6pm).   I also work every single day on book promotion. It is tiring and takes a lot of time--I think of it as a full-time job, on top of writing! But I really believe it helps make a difference in getting books out there.

UPDATED (Sept. 17, 2012): Cheryl reports that HUNTED is a finalist for the Monica Hughes Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy. The winner will be announced in November. 

Good luck, Cheryl!

Shhh... Holly Cupala is about to Tell Me a Secret (Don't Breathe a Word!)

Please welcome today's featured author, Holly Cupala. She is the author of TELL ME A SECRET (HarperCollins 2010) and DON'T BREATHE A WORD (Jan. 3, 2012). Holly gives ten percent of her proceeds as an author to World Vision's Hope for Sexually Exploited Girls. Read more about Holly and her work on her website. 

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your background and education, and how it led you to writing YA? (We all seem to come to it from so many different and interesting places!)

A: I pretty much did everything you’re supposed to do when you want to be published—joined SCBWI and RWA, took classes, formed writing groups, went to conferences and timidly offered up my pages for critique…

Holly Cupala

All of that changed when a tragedy struck our family. I almost quit writing, but some very good friends wouldn’t let me. A few months later, the idea for TELL ME A SECRET came out of nowhere. It compelled and terrified me. I knew it was something I was meant to write.

Q: Congrats on your Jan. 3 release. I'm curious to know what goes into the selection of a specific release date, and how much information publishers share with their authors about that. What can you tell us? Are certain times of year considered better than others for book sales? (I'm thinking Jan. 3 is an awesome release date because everyone has gift certificates to bookstores to spend!)

A: Thank you! DON’T BREATHE A WORD was originally supposed to be released in October 2011, but the word (at least from my wonderful and loyal editor) was that the sales and marketing team at Harper loved the book so much that they wanted to focus more attention on it. And personally this was fortuitous because I spent most of the summer on the couch with morning sickness! I definitely wasn’t ready for an October launch. I think you’re right about January releases—I’m hoping teens will use their holiday money on books, maybe mine!

Q: You've gotten many wonderful reviews in the press, book blogs and from other authors. While you are able to share that feedback with us, I expect the response from readers is even more amazing. Can you tell us a little bit about that experience... seeing how your work has affected your readers?

A: That was probably the thing that surprised me the most—that these stories, so very personal to me, would speak to teen readers and be meaningful to them. I have been so grateful for readers of all ages, and honored to have the support of my peers. It makes me tear up! I think it may be the pregnancy hormones.

Q: We all love a good "squee!" story about how authors found their agent and/or first publisher. Can you share yours?

A: My first novel, TELL ME A SECRET, received a Work-In-Progress grant, which lit a fire under me to finish and start submitting it to agents. I ended up meeting my agent, Edward Necarsulmer, Children’s Director at McIntosh and Otis, at in SCBWI conference in NYC at the Writer’s Intensive. I read my first 500 words, and he said, “W-w-w-wow.” (Which totally wowed me!) A few weeks later, both he and another agent made offers. But Edward and I had completely hit it off—plus he was really passionate about the story (which didn’t stop him from telling me it needed revision). We spent three months getting it ready to go, and immediately he sold it in a pre-empt two-book deal to our top choice. I was floored. Both of my editors have turned out to be wonderful.

Q: Can you tell us about the promotional efforts for your new book, including your blog tour?

A: My husband and I are closet graphic designers, so we have been known to go crazy over creating countdown graphics, posters, stickers, websites, blinky buttons, videos, blog tour, trailers...and there are so, so many things you can do to network online that it can be endless. After everything we learned from TMAS, we went for the highest impact efforts for the DBAW launch. We created a downloadable sneak preview booklet, we’re working on a trailer with incredibly gorgeous graphics from our friend Realm Lovejoy, and a blogger fan generously put together a tour. With the guidance of a couple of wise fellow authors, I enlisted the help of a street team to get the word out, so of course we’ve made stickers and posters and fun stuff to send to them. I’ll be doing a few local and national events as well. Right now I’m making a video with cameos from lots of author friends. Watch for that around January 16th!

Q:  What are you working on next?

A: I’ve joked around that TELL ME A SECRET took four years to write, DON’T BREATHE A WORD took four months, and I hoped this next book will take four weeks…which sort of turned out to be true minus the ending—partly because I’ve learned to outrun the internal critic (at least in the crucial first draft stages) and partly because I have this imminent life event looming! It’s another contemporary YA, sort of like TMAS and DBAW on steroids in that it’s very emotionally charged and suspenseful and hopeful. Four voices, four terrible secrets, one explosive murder that will connect them all. At this point, I have about a month or so to finish it…

Thank you, Holly, and good luck with that imminent life event!