Book News: The Dryad of Fairmount Park, To Be Published Spring 2018

That bundle of images is from a #NovelAesthetics I tweeted last year.

And now that book is actually happening.

Before I moved away from Philadelphia, I spent every other weekend holed up with my YA writing group (hi Randy, Lauren, Katherine, and Julie, I miss all of you terribly), fussing over a book that was challenging the hell out of me.

Much like the drive to curate my adoption-themed anthology Welcome Home, I wanted to write a novel for adopted kids. Teens who were wrestling with finding a sense of identity, the way I did when I was younger. I wanted there to be magic, friendship, a diverse cast of characters. I wanted to talk about how we treat the world around us, and how it reflects on how we treat one another.

I wanted a lot.

I affectionately referred to this book as "The Nena Book" whenever I talked about it, as my wife pushed me to try and write this. To talk about transracial adoptees (like me), and to write a story that was incredibly close and personal to me.

It was absolutely the book of my heart. And now, it'll be published by Flux in the Spring of 2018.

Here's what it's about.

THE DRYAD OF FAIRMOUNT PARK is YA contemporary novel with a heavy splash of magic. In it, a recently adopted teen girl, Leila, discovers that her connection to nature and passion for environmental activism are part of her unique and magical genetic makeup, and a grove of trees that holds the secret.

With her best friend Sarika, she has to rally her environmental science club, passionate local activists from around the Internet, and a cute young park ranger with a one-winged owl, to save this magical grove in Philadelphia's large historic park.

All of this, while wrestling with bullies at her new high school, and struggling with words like “Mom” and “Dad” for Lisabeth and Jon, her new adoptive parents that want nothing more than to love her.

If she doesn’t, she’ll never get the answers she seeks, and the city of Philadelphia might face a catastrophic environmental collapse, as long-hidden magic fades from the city.

And there you have it. It's kinda like FernGully, but in the city. Though I should stop saying that. I'm not sure anyone remembers that movie but me.

I'm so thrilled that the book found a home with Flux. They're doing my adoption anthology this Fall, and they've published books by a bunch of authors I adore, like Fonda Lee, Emily Skrutskie, Helene Dunbar, and more.

Thanks for taking this one on, Mari and team!

Speaking of thanks, there are a lot of thank yous in the mix here, as Dryad came together as a result of a lot of people.

A massive thank you to my darling wife for pushing me to try and write something that challenged me, and reading the roughest of drafts. Dawn Frederick for saying okay when I said "I have a book about magic, adopted kids, trees, and some of those kids and trees are magic." Adi Alsaid for that inspiring Mexico writing trip. Zoraida Cordova for telling me to keep the magic. My writing group up top.

And the many beta readers who took the time to read this thing over the past year and a half, from when it was a loose rough draft to a manuscript I was trying to polish... McCormick Templeman, Heidi Schulz, Tristina Wright, Shveta Thakrar, Elizabeth Keenan, Laurel Amberdine, Alisa Hathaway, Rebecca Enzor, Brenna Ehrlich, Thomas Torre, Willa Smith, Natasha Razi, Leah Rhyne, Amber Hart, McKelle George, Jenny Kaczorowski, Nic Stone, Samira Ahmed, Kim Liggett, and Bill Blume, for taking the time to give me feedback, despite your wild schedules.

This is actually going to be the very first YA novel of mine to be in print, that you can pick up at a bookstore. It's true! The Geek's Guide to Dating was humor. My Inked series with Bloomsbury was all digital. The anthology might have my name on it, but it's not really mine. It's a collection of stories from many.

It's an intense feeling. My first in-print YA novel. I'm just so happy right now.

So. Here's to Spring 2018.

I can't wait for you to meet Leila and Sarika.

And a one-winged owl named Milford.

How to Nail an In-Person Pitch: Some Questions You Should Be Ready For

I love taking in-person pitches at publishing conferences.

It's how I found Lindsey Smith (her award-winning cookbook, Eat Your Feelings, came out with St. Martin's Press in 2017!), and I've had the wonderful opportunity to talk with numerous writers around the country. About their books, about their platforms, all kinds of good stuff, sharing advice as well as dishing out suggestions for their projects.

But without fail, at every conference I attend, there are certain questions I ask that seem to trip writers up. And sometimes, not having answers to those questions sends up serious red flags.

So I thought I'd do a little post, to dish out some tips for those of you pitching agents and editors in-person. Because while you may have polished that pitch to perfection, you're going to need to answer these kind of questions.

Leave Room To Talk

First, before we dig into any of these bits… leave room to talk. It can be tempting to spend the entire ten or fifteen minutes explaining why your book is amazing, but… what if the agent has questions? What if you forget to mention word count or talk about your platform? What if the discussion ends before you finish even explaining your book?

You might miss out on answering the questions the agent needs to really get hooked. Don’t spend the whole time talking. Leave room for a conversation.

What's Your Book About?

Right away, at every conference I go to, when I sit down with an author, this is what I open up with. Tell me about your book. What have you written? What's it about? Give me the details.

This should be the quickest and easiest question to answer, but sometimes it trips people up.

Every writer comes prepared to talk about their book at these things. It's why you are there, for the most part. But not every writer is able to talk about their book in a quick, succinct way. Remember, you've only got like ten, maybe fifteen minutes here to sum up your entire story.

Don't use this time to explain the entire intricate plot of the book. This isn't a book report. Treat it as though you're reading the back-jacket copy of a book to a friend in your local bookstore. You're shopping and you're trying to sell them on this book. That's what you would show them.

You can read the jacket copy of a book in a minute or two. You want to have plenty of time for the agent to ask YOU questions and for you to ask your own. Don't spend it explaining every little thing. Save room.

How Many Words?

Know the word count of your book. Agents and editors are going to ask this.

And that being said, before you even get ready to pitch, know what the typical word count is for your respective genre. If you show up boasting an enormous, unheard of word count for a book, it might tell the agent / editor that you're not familiar with the genre.

Writer's Digest has a great post about typical book lengths here. There are exceptions to every rule, of course. Just be savvy.

What Have You Read in the Genre Recently?

Speaking of genre... I get pitched a lot of YA, sci-fi, and fantasy at conferences, which is fantastic, because that is what I'm there looking for. But nothing makes me hit the brakes faster than when I ask what a writer has read recently in their respective genre, and they don't have an answer.

Or even worse, when they say they don't really read in their genre.

If you tell me that you don't actively read, that throws up a red flag. When potential YA authors tell me the last great YA novel they read was The Chronicles of Narnia (this happens a lot, this isn't a silly joke example) or that they don't really read YA at all, I immediately lose interest.

I want to work with writers who actively read where they want to write.

Be ready with an answer. And if you don't have an answer because you aren't actively reading the kind of books you want to write... maybe rethink what you're writing? The best way to be a good writer, is to read. If you aren't reading, you probably aren't writing anything worth reading.

What's Your Platform?

This is the kind of question you're going to get asked if you're writing non-fiction.

As I've rambled about on here before, platform doesn't really matter when it comes to fiction. It helps, sure. But, your story is what's important here. But with non-fiction, editors and agents want to work with experts. Writing memoir? They want to work with authors who can prove people want to hear their story. Writing a collection of essays? We're going to want to see where you've been published before.

And when it comes to that non-fiction book you're working on, be it about a major historical figure or how to be a good parent, you need to show your expertise. Where have you been blogging? Where have you been speaking?

Remember, platform isn't just your social media presence. It's your regular speaking engagements, the places you've written. Make sure you're established there, and have something to discuss.

What's Your Life Outside of Writing Like

Gasp! A question that doesn't have to do with your book? That's right.

Here's the thing about agents and writers, friends. It becomes a very personal relationship. For some. At least, for me it does. These become the people you talk to every day. Me and my authors, we talk in Google Chat constantly. We text. We gossip about non-book things frequently. The relationships often become friendly.

So be ready for an agent to want to get to know you a little better. Don't shrug and say "oh, nothing really interesting" when chances are, you do have something interesting. Share bits about yourself. Your hobbies. What you do for a living. What you're studying. Things like that. Making a personal connection is important here.

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And those are the usual things I bring up. So! Come ready with answers. Because we are going to have questions.

The Best of #CorgiYA, And The Benefits of Social Media Silliness

Back in August, my wife jokingly suggested that we make a Twitter account for our dog, Augustus. I'd been occasionally tweeting about him being my "assistant" at P.S. Literary, and she thought it might be funny to make a profile of him doing just that.

And now he has over 1,200 Twitter followers. For a corgi tweeting his life goal of being a literary agent. The Internet is a wonderful place.

One of the quirky things I've been doing with Auggie's Twitter account, is Photoshopping corgis into YA books. Poorly for the most part, and sometimes spending WAY more time than I should on others. #CorgiYA was born, and it's a fun way to distract myself.

To celebrate his 1,000 follower landmark, I offered up a query critique contest. The best #CorgiYA would win a query critique from me and Augustus. Mine will be real, Auggie's will be silly. And much to my surprise, a bundle of people jumped in to play along! Authors, editors, agents, publishers... it was a very fun few days on Twitter.

And I can't talk about doing a social media game without pointing at the analytics of the fun.

corgi ya analytics

With over one million impressions and the reach to over 600,000 people, over 250 folks participating in favoriting, retweeting, talking about and creating their own images... a lot of people were engaged in having fun with this thing. It pulled in about 100 new followers for Auggie's account and my own.

Remember, writers in the social media world. It doesn't all have to be "BUY MY BOOK" to get people paying attention to you and sharing your stuff. In fact, it shouldn't be. No one is on social media to be promoted at. They are here to have fun.

Do things like this. Have fun.

I also have to call out Ashley Ruggirello in particular here. She made some of my favorites in this game. I know she does freelance cover designs, and my goodness, her Photoshops during this were gorgeous. If you're looking for a designer, please drop her a line.

As for winners, my three winners were from Lyndsay Ely, Ari Faye, Ashley Ruggirello, and The Book Voyagers. "Eric wait that's four." I know. I may have seen a query from one of these folks and given them notes already. So one is an honorary winner.

Here are the best of the best, starting with my four winners. Enjoy!

treats you give

WINNER: From Ash Ruggirello

CORGKEEPER

WINNER: From Lyndsay Ely

WHEN THE MEAT WAS OURS

WINNER: From The Book Voyagers

wink corgi midnight

WINNER: From Ari Faye

Miss Peregrine Corgi

From @LyndsayEly

THE CORGI WITCH

From The Book Voyagers

CORGI GUIDE TO VICE

From The Book Voyagers

THE YOUNG CORGIS

From Riata Brown

THE SPINDLE CORGI

From Lexa Hillyer

TROUBLE FEATHERS

From The Book Voyagers

an abundance of corgis

From Ernie Chiara

the gilded corgi

From Kelly deVos

frost corgi

From Kelly deVos

tyranny

From Gwen Katz

corgi thousand skies

From Paper Lantern Lit

SIX OF CORGIS

From Ash Ruggirello

forgetting

From L. Ryan Storms

a corgi in time

From Ari Faye

fantastic corgis

From Ash Ruggirello

SIX OF CORGIS 2

From Ari Faye

infinite corgis

From Maria Vicente

this corgi song

From Ari Faye

our bark duet

From Ari Faye

corgi things

From Ash Ruggirello

simon corgi

From Ash Ruggirello

vicious corgi

From Ash Ruggirello

the corgi before

From Ash Ruggirello

sad perfect corgis

From Kelly DeVos

corgis on the edge

From Kelly DeVos

the black witch

From Kelly DeVos

the corgi races

From Lyndsay Ely

if i sit

From Ash Ruggirello

and i corgi

From Ash Ruggirello

against all barking

From Carrie Cuinn

the corgi king

From Ash Ruggirello

RESIST THE CAGES

From Jay Elliot Flynn

lord of the fleas

From Lyndsay Ely

hammers on bone

From 3D Pat

tiny pretty corgis

From The Book Voyagers

My First Full Year as a Literary Agent: Six Lessons I Learned

So last year was my first full year working as a literary agent.

I had a lot of awesome victories that I shouted to the social media winds and posted about here. I signed a number of rockstar authors, from well-established authors to debuts. You can check out my team in this handy Twitter list. They are all wonderful. I went to a bundle of conferences all around the country, so many that I can't remember all the places. I even sold some books I can't quite announce just yet.

And the ones I did announce? I'm so proud of them.

• Erica Cameron's inclusive space opera, Pax Novis, sold to Entangled Teen in a three-book deal for the entire trilogy. It's like Across the Universe, Star Trek Voyager, and The Expanse mashed together, with teens crossing the stars to find their way home and save humanity.

• Lindsey Smith's Eat Your Feelings, a kick-ass, body-positive cookbook, is off to St. Martin's Press. Because cookbooks that suggest new ways to eat, shouldn't make you feel bad about yourself. This deal surprised friends, because apparently no one knew I wanted to work on cookbooks? Please send me cookbooks.

• Samira Ahmed's incredibly needed and heart-wrenching contemporary YA novel about Islamophobia, Swimming Lessons, sold to Soho Teen. I met Samira on social media, and things happened really fast (more on that shortly). And I'm not surprised. Her prose is gorgeous.

• Rebecca Phillips' These Things I've Done, a YA contemporary novel that made me weep, sold to HarperTeen in a two book deal. I broke down and cried in a cafe in Philadelphia when this one happened, as witnessed by some friends who were there. I recently finished reading Rebecca's second book, and it is just so wonderful.

• Laurel Amberdine's high-concept, thrilling fantasy YA debut, Luminator, sold to REUTS. Whenever I explain this book to people, I mime holding up shields and talk about how it's a novel where people fight with light. I cannot physically explain this book without immediately acting like I'm in a LARP. And I love it, and Laurel's masterful world-building, so very much.

And while all of that sounds awesome, there were some big hurdles in the mix, and some major lessons I took away. Because for every author I picked up, there was another I didn't get to work with. There were conferences that were, sadly, not a good use of my time. And I'm going to try to get better at handling all of these things.

Here are some of the lessons I learned, that I hope you can learn from too.

jet

1. Traveling is Great, But Self Care is Better: Last year, for the agenting side of things, I traveled to conferences in Washington D.C., Nashville, Detroit, New York City, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Miami, and did several here in my new hometown of Richmond. I went to Mexico for a writing retreat for nearly two weeks.

Some months, I was going to a conference every other week. I had to search my Gmail to remember where I went, and I still missed a few.

I'd just moved to a new city, where my wife and I were (and still are) trying to start a new life. I was teaching several classes while in Philadelphia, and after we moved, was teaching three here in Richmond at a new school. I had deadlines for my own writing. Papers to grade. Manuscripts to edit and query.

I burned out fast.  This year, I'm trying to only do one big event a month.

Conferences are fantastic. It's a great opportunity to meet people in the industry, and if you're an author, pitch agents. And if you're an agent, meet authors! I met Lindsey Smith at a conference in Philadelphia, and wanted to work with her immediately. But if you're traveling for writing events, pace yourself. Don't jump on every single travel opportunity just because you want to go someplace new, or because you're eager to discover someone at the risk of your own physical and mental health.

No book is worth that.

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tenn

2. Workshops & Talks Aren't Just About Finding Writers & Agents: Speaking of those events. One of the big highlights of a lot of these conferences are those agent and editor pitch sessions. Authors come in, have about ten minutes or so to dish out an idea, and an agent or editor can ask to see pages or a query. Or they share tips, advice, etc. in those few minutes you have together.

But these workshops are about so much more than that.

I spend a lot of time at these workshops talking to writers outside these sessions. Sharing advice. Suggesting contacts. I spend time meeting other editors and agents, and listen to their stories. I ask what they are looking for. What they've learned.

Going to a workshop? Planning to pitch an agent or an editor? Great. But bring a bunch of business cards. Come ready to mingle, and meet more people than the one person you've booked time with. I met so many great industry people in the past year, one of whom even took on a project of mine (hi Laura!), Lindsey Smith's Eat Your Feelings.

It's about way more than making just one connection. It's about making dozens of them.

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pick-me

3. You Won't Get Every Book & Author, And That's Okay: There were several authors I desperately wanted to work with, but simply couldn't get to their books fast enough. Or, I dropped absolutely everything (ie: I read a manuscript while in Colombia for my best friend's wedding), read their book as quick as I could, and didn't get the opportunity to represent them. Sometimes we'd have fantastic, long phone calls, and still. Didn't happen.

At first, I'd whine a lot to my wife and bookish friends. And then when I'd see those books sell, oh man, the intense feelings. But something else happens after all that. Or at least, should happen after all that.

You get to become a fan.

The best thing you can do in this case, is become one hell of a supportive fan. So you weren't brought on to be the coach / cheerleader hybrid that an agent tends to be (is this sports metaphor working I don't watch sports). That's alright. Cheer from the sidelines. There are quite a few authors who queried me that I didn't get to represent, but now I talk to frequently as a friend. We've seen each other at conferences. They're friends with my clients. And I couldn't be more excited to see those books out in the world.

If you think I'm vaguely talking about you, I am. And I can't wait to have your book on my shelf.

Be a fanboy first, an agent second.

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powerpoint

4. Talk at People Less, Answer Questions More: One of the last bookish events I did in Philadelphia was with Chuck Wendig, at the Doylestown Bookshop. When he opened up, he said that these sort of events were way more interesting when he just answered questions.

And that's what he did. For like, a half hour, took questions from the audience, and then he read a little bit. And it was fantastic. I've since stolen this.

See, this is another conference lesson I quickly learned. A lot of these events ask you to come ready with a presentation. How to Write a Good Query. What an Agent Does. How to Do Social Media. Etc. At first, I rolled in with a sheet of paper and gave a long ramble of a lecture, like I do when I'm teaching. But when I opened up for questions, almost none of the questions had anything to do with what I covered.

At conferences, people are there to have these questions answered. They've come ready with them. So instead of spending time talking at people, spend your time talking with people. That's what they want.

You will never see me at a conference with a PowerPoint presentation. Don't invite me if you want one.

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cant-do

5. Be Persistent, Don't Give Up: I didn't really learn this. It's something I've always embraced. But I saw proof of it working in this year, when manuscripts I'd been pushing and fighting for finally got picked up.

Exhaust every damn option. And then find some more.

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tom-hav

6. Embrace Social Media & Community: I'll be honest. After I left a position where my job was social media, I planned on never really using it as aggressively I was once did ever again. I'd post still, sure. But I was done. I was going to keep working on my aging, slowing iPhone (I had an iPhone 4 up until a few months ago) and keep using my dying iPad until it just gave up.

But then, I found Samira Ahmed during a Twitter pitch event.

I'd done a few of these, scouring through the hashtags to find talented writers. But Samira was the first person I signed as a result of one. And her book went off to Soho Teen a few months later.

But there's more to it than just that. I met Erica Cameron thanks to Tristina Wright, an author I adore but I've only gotten to know as a result of Twitter. I met Bassey Ikpi after a friend sent me a Facebook Messenger note (thanks Steve!). Authors I've become friends with on the Internet, quickly turned into real-life pals who recommended clients my way... because of social media.

I really believe that social media is less about trying to sell books in the publishing space (I've talked about that here), and more about being part of the community. Getting buy-in, not sales wise, but personality wise. It shows readers, writers, industry folks... that you're someone they  might want to work with.

Social media quickly became something else for me entirely. Less of a way to do work, and more of a way to connect, and maybe eventually, do some work. I find I enjoy it way more when I'm having fun on it.

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So to conclude! In 2016, I learned to travel less, and nurture more. To make connections, and to talk with, not talk at. To have fun in the bookish social media space. And to keep being, as the youths like to say, "persistent A.F."

And I hope you'll do some of the same, in 2017.

Author Platform and Social Media: Four Ways to Build Platform That Have Nothing to do with Your Twitter Following

I'm not even sure what some of these are.

A few weeks ago, I was right outside Nashville for the Tennessee Writing Workshop, meeting with authors, agents, and editors from all over the place.

I love these kind of events. It's a great opportunity to talk to writers about the industry, meet people in the industry, and just have a lovely time talking about what everyone there absolutely loves. Making books happen.

It's also a chance to hear wrong things being said.

One talk that always comes up at these kind of events... is the ever popular "platform" discussion. I talked a bit about that in this post a few months ago, discussing how it's important to build a platform for YOU, and not just for an individual title, and how the discussion of platform often gets confused there.

A few authors asked me about getting their social media following up in order to improve their platform, and were surprised when I told them that wasn't the answer. This is another way the concept of platform gets confused. People thinking that platform means social media.

It doesn't. Though, it is a nice part of it.

I can absolutely see how this happens. You see people that have those visible online numbers, whether they are behind-the-scenes industry folks or authors with a big following, and it seems like maybe that's the answer. Or, maybe you're getting bad advice, from people who think platform is just social media, and likely have some kind of #social #media #influencer hashtag nonsense in their profile and follow an insane number of people.

"I'm a social media expert! Look at these 47,425 people I follow and #engage with! #influencer #brands!"

Get the hell out of here.

If that's the case, please delete that from your brain and maybe those people from your timeline. If you hear platform and think, "okay, I need to tweet, get followers, and figure out how to get a blue checkmark" I'm here to help you stop doing that.

It's super important to think about platform outside of just how many Twitter followers you potentially have, how big your Facebook fan page is, or what your Instagram engagement looks like. Especially as these free services quickly become more pay-for-play and frequently shift their algorithms.

"So wait, WTF is platform if it isn't my social media following?!"

Platform is about how many people you can potentially get your work out in front of, not how many people can potentially read your tweets. It's about how big your potential audience is and how easy it is for you to reach them, not how big your Twitter following might be.

I'm stressing potential because remember, there are no guarantees in this game. 100% of your audience is never going to buy your book. Let's just get that out there now.

Platform is about building that little bio in your potential future book, in the jacketflap copy, that says stuff like "[Author Name] has written for [Publication], [Publication], [Publication], and regularly appears on [Media Outlet] and [Podcast]."

It's about what you're doing off of social media. For those of you who think platform takes away from your writing... you couldn't be more wrong. Here are some ways to increase your platform, that have nothing to do with your social media following, and have everything to do with writing.

Takes work, it's not that easy. Image via Hover.

1. Blogging For Yourself (But Also For Others)

One of the many ways you can build your platform outside of using social media, is to focus on blogging and creating a home base for those blogs. I ramble a bit about that here, but to summarize? Create a website where you aren't just showcasing your work, but discussing the work of others. Yes, you can dish out advice (I'm doing that now!) and talk about your writing process (many authors do!), but the way to build traffic and a following? Talk. About. Others.

Absolutely perfect examples of this can be seen via Dahlia Adler, Ava Jae, and Chuck Wendig, who frequently use their personal sites to uplift others, and not just talk about their own books. This helps you develop an audience, which in turn, helps you develop a platform. There's a reason you'll see cover reveals on Dahlia's blog or guest posts on Wendig's site. Because they've developed a platform and an audience for more than their own writing.

And when it is time to promote their books, that audience is there, happy to about what they're working on.

2. Blogging For Others (But Also Yourself)

So you have your website going, it's doing well, but you want to extend your reach. One misconception when it comes to platform, specifically when it comes to people assuming platform is social media, is that you have to own your platform.

You don't. In fact, some of the best examples of platform are outlets that aren't owned by the writer.

Think about it. Do actors and musicians own the stages they perform on? Okay sure, a few probably do. But not all of them. And hundreds of thousands of people pass through these places week after week. Think of yourself as the musician, and other media outlets as your potential stage. You don't own the place, but your voice is welcome, and has the potential to reach a much larger audience.

Me? I write for Book Riot, Barnes & Noble's YA blog, Paste Magazine, and hell, anywhere else that will have me. That there, is an example of platform building. These are outlets that could potentially cover what I'm writing outside my blogging life, with a staff of writers who might consider it. There's obviously no guarantee there, but it's a possibility. Remember, platform is about potential. 100% of your audience is never going to buy your book.

Some more examples:

Michele Filgate: One of my favorite book people on the Internet, Michele writes for dozens of places. LitHub, BuzzFeed, The Millions, Salon. Check out her list of places here. And let me tell you. I will be one of the very first in line at my local bookstore when she has a book on the shelves. I don't even need to know what it's about.

Morgan Jerkins: A fellow Book Riot contributor, Morgan can be found on Catapult (along with Michele), BuzzFeed, LitHub, The Guardian, Electric Literature... the list goes on. She has a book hitting with Harper next year, and I can't wait.

Fran Wilde: Fantasy author extraordinaire, just had a huge piece in The Washington Post. You can catch her writing for GeekMom, Tor.com, i09, and tons of other places that are hugely on brand (frand?) for her, in addition to all her short stories (which would fall into the fourth thing I'll mention below) that get published everywhere.

Michael Waters: I'm waiting for this kid to become a bestselling author in the next few years. You can catch Michael writing for B&N Teens, The Guardian, MTV, The Establishment... the list goes on. He's 18. Future rockstar, keep an eye on him please.

You can also spot a few of my clients blogging in other places, like Mike Chen (The Mary Sue) and Diana Urban (BookBub).

Just don't drop it after. Or maybe do. Depends how well it goes. Photo via LinkedIn.

3. Speaking Engagements

What are you an expert in? Are you writing non-fiction? Take every opportunity you can to get yourself in front of people. See if you can rope yourself into a TedX talk. Nerd Nites, Creative Mornings events... opportunities like these, which often come with a video of your talk, will elevate your platform. Because hey, maybe you can come back. Maybe they'll dish out copies of your book at the next event.

One of my authors, Lindsey Smith, tours the country talking to people about health and wellness. When she presented that, and the incredible numbers in her audiences, I signed her immediately. It's an audience that wants her work, and will be there when something new comes out.

One of my friends from back home, Marisa McClellan, is another great example of platform done, particularly with speaking engagements. She does a TON of classes and workshops centered around her blog and popular canning books.

4. Publishing (But Not Blogs or Books)

"But that's what I'm trying to do!" You scream at me from across the Internet. I'm not talking about your book. "But I'm already blogging!" Nope. Not talking about your blogging either. I'm talking about short stories, bits of non-fiction, projects like that.

I get to rep someone as unbelievably prolific as Ilana Masad, and I'm extremely lucky. It feels like every other week, she's got another piece published someplace, or she's winning another honor from someone. I'm frankly intimidated by her, and it's great. She's published in an array of places. Split Lip Magazine, The Butter, Catapult, The New Yorker, Joyland, Marie Claire, Electric Literature, Broadly... from fiction to non-fiction. She works hard to be published often, and in outstanding places. Look at her bibliography here, which will likely update by the time I post this.

Having this fantastic roster of places you've built relationships is absolutely an example of platform.

By writing for outlets like this, getting published regularly, you have yet another place to potentially push your book when that time comes. Maybe they'll cover your book when it gets released. Maybe they'll give you an interview or a review. Potential, potential, potential. It's there.

Some more great examples:

Celeste Ng: Author of one of my favorite literary novels in forever, Celeste has short stories and non-fiction essays published in Gulf Coast, One Story, The New York Times, and more. Check out her bibliography on her website, and PLEASE go buy Everything I Never Told You immediately.

Robin Black: My former graduate school professor and mentor, before her two amazing books hit she had short stories published in The New York Times Magazine, The Chicago Tribune, The Southern Review, One Story, and other places. You can check out her list here.

Emily St. John Mandell: She wrote Station Eleven. Need I say more? You can see some of her amazing pieces in The New Republic and over on The Millions, where she's a staff writer.

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And there you go. I've prattled enough. I'll probably add to the "examples" list, and if you've got a few, add them in the comments!

TL;DR? Build your platform off of social media, by building yourself a website, blogging for yourself (but focusing on others), and working on other writing projects. It's about more than Twitter, you guys.

Build Your Platform For Yourself, Not An Individual Book: A Quick Note on Platform Building

Get it because platform? Photo via Pinterest

Lately, I've been getting a lot of queries through the ol' P.S. Literary inbox from authors who have, for one reason or another, built out entire websites and social media presences for their books.

Books that aren't out yet.

I see the same thing, again and again. Sometimes it's a fully fleshed out website dedicated to a book, complete with an about section, synopsis, detailed bits about the characters and the like. Other times, the author is using a Twitter handle, named after the book, with a link to the book's website in the bio. Or maybe even a Facebook fan page, for the book, with periodic updates about that book, and almost always, there are like, a dozen fans.

Please. You must stop this.

Not that this is a bad thing that'll turn agents and editors away (though they might think the book is out already, be careful!), but because it's a waste of your valuable time. Time that could be spent building something worthwhile.

Here's what I think the problem is.

I think there's something getting lost out there in the advice that gets dished out on writing and publishing websites. Because let's be real, the platform discussion is one that gets brought up pretty constantly. I mean, all the time. Always. Forever. I hear the same shtick again and again, no matter what conference I go to. Build a homebase. Work on your social media profiles. Build your #brand social-media-buzzword-nonsense-blah-blah-blah.

And while that advice is correct, and you should have an online presence and all that... it should be for you.

Not for your book.

Let me explain. Your online platform, as an author writing fiction or non-fiction, should (and can) do a few things. It should introduce the world to you, the writer. It should be a jumping off point for you, in terms of networking and interacting with the community (ie: writing blog posts!). It should help with buy-in, showcasing you as a person that's worth looking into. What are you like? What are you reading?

It should not be just for your book.

Here's the thing, after your book is published... there is a window of time that it gets marketed and pushed. And eventually, after that window between building buzz and post-publication, the push slowly stops. Unless you become a monumental bestseller, reviews are going to slow down. People will stop tweeting about it. And eventually, you'll move on to your next book.

Your next book.

That's the thing, you guys.

If you spend all this time building up a platform for an individual book, you are putting all your effort into something that, in the end, won't get utilized anymore. If you're constructing an entire Twitter persona off the title of your book... what happens when you're working on that next book? Do you make a new Twitter handle? Do you change your current handle, and consequently, complicate your links across the Internet because now none of them will work, and point to something outdated? What about that Facebook fan page for your book? What of that? Will your audience navigate over to the new fanpage? How many?

If you use your time creating a platform for an individual title, instead of working on yourself... you run the risk of having something totally useless down the line.

Look. I want you to think about the reason you create a community.

You do it because one doesn't exist, right? That's why you bother to build a community online. Because you see a need for it someplace. So... is there an absolute need for the website and social media presence for your individual, singular book?

No.

The communities exist out there for it already.

From bloggers to the mass media, BookTubers to well-established community reading platforms like Goodreads, LibraryThing, etc... these exist to be, in some way, the platforms for your book. People have built them, and they are incredible (especially book bloggers, I love you guys). Down the line, when you're published, your publisher's website will have details about your book, full of resources and valuable materials.

You don't need an individual site for it. The communities exist out there already. There's no need to create one.

When you're published, and maybe have a series? Sure. Then talk about building out a website. There are SO many great microsites out there for book series, that dish out stuff for die-hard fans and work as places to gather information for educators, librarians, etc. And those are generally created when there isn't a place to house that stuff. But, that comes later, you guys. Much later.

You will impress agents and editors far more with a solid online presence that's about you. In addition to your book, they are interested in YOU. Very much so. Remember, you're someone they want to build a career with. Sure, they want to sell your book, but that website isn't going to help.

Your prose will.

So refocus that platform. Create a website that showcases you as an author. If you're looking for absolutely stellar examples of that, here are a number of authors that have spectacular online platforms, who I bring up in just about every talk I give at conferences.

• Chuck Wendig (www.terribleminds.com)
• Dahlia Adler (dailydahlia.wordpress.com)
• Katherine Locke (www.katherinelockebooks.com)
• Susan Dennard (www.susandennard.com)
• Nova Ren Suma (www.distraction99.com)
• Anna Banks (annabanksbooks.com/blog/)
• Mindy McGinnis (writerwriterpantsonfire.blogspot.com)

Check them out, and learn a few things. Good luck, and remember... focus on YOU. Other people on the Internet will take care of your book's platform for you. I promise.

Four Reasons to Use Social Media as an Author That Has Nothing to Do With Selling Books

This semester, I had a great time teaching my first graduate-level publishing class at Rosemont College. It was a real thrill, spending so much time with students eager to get into the industry, and exploring different ways to venture in. Some were aspiring editors, others wanted to get into publicity. The class? A marketing course.

A lot of the course touched on social media, as well as discussing ways to utilize various publishing-industry-specific tools when working on publicity and marketing campaigns.

I loved it so much, I thought maybe I should start blogging about some of the stuff I dished out. Maybe take some lessons from my pals and colleagues Carly and Maria over at P.S. Literary, and start doing advice-type-things on the ol' blog.

So, this is the first of what I hope will be many.

There are a lot of reasons why I'm on social media. I use it to network with people in the publishing world, keep track of news both locally in Philadelphia, nationally in, you know, the world, and keep an eye on what's going on in the book industry. I meet new authors, both as a fan and as potential clients. I tweet out links to things I find interesting and hope others will too.

But I don't think of it as a place to sell books. Because social media seldom does that well.

Now, there are certainly a few exceptions to the "social media doesn't sell books" claim. When an eBook deal hits for a book that plenty of people love and an author is able to rally their friends around it... well, that can do wonders. But that's a $1.99 eBook we're talking about, not your $17.99+ novel.

"Then why am I even on here?!" You scream to the heavens, your finger hovering over the 'delete account' button in your Twitter's settings.

Calm down. This is why.

What social media will do, is make you part of a community. It'll endear you to readers. It'll serve as buy-in for someone thinking about covering you and your book. And later on down the line... maybe the result of that will sell a book. Maybe.

But again. That's not why you're on there. For sales. You should be on there for other perks. Let's dig in.

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Sometimes you just wanna hug your favorite authors.

1. ENDEARMENT & WHY I'VE BOUGHT THE SAME BOOK EIGHT TIMES: Like every book lover ever, I spend way too much time fussing over my personal library. Moving this book here or there, buying a new box set so I have to shift an entire shelf. Maybe I'm having a rough day, so I just decide to go all High Fidelity on the collection, reorganize it autobiographically or some such silliness.

It happens.

Whenever I do this, there are a few books that always stay in place. Two dozen or so. Written by authors that I've become pals with on the ol' social media. Some I've never even met, some I've only seen once or twice at a convention. But these are the books I talk about with people the most. And this is a huge takeaway for authors and social media that people don't consider enough.

Social media has the power to endear you to your followers and fans.

See, social media has endeared the authors and their books to me. And this, in my opinion, is the number one reason to be on social media as a writer.

Publishing is always trying to figure out how to get consumers to know about their books. "Discoverability" is a fancy buzzword that gets tossed around a lot. And the most powerful method of discoverability isn't big ol' ads, book trailers, microsites, marketing campaigns, etc.

It's word of mouth from passionate fans and book lovers.

Those two dozen or so books? They're the books I giveaway the most to friends who come over. The books I rebuy constantly. For example. Recently while looking over my expenses, I noticed I purchased Something Strange & Deadly by Susan Dennard SIX TIMES last year. Promise of Shadows by Justina Ireland? EIGHT times. The list goes on.

Following people that love your work, booksellers you admire, communicating with other authors. They'll keep those special books on their shelves, and tell their friends about them.

It's an emotional connection. That's something no amount of ad money can buy.

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Dude.

2. COMMUNITY & NOT BEING "THAT GUY" AT THE PARTY: When I have a bit of book news, there are a handful of authors I tend to send a big ol' BCC email to, or bug on gchat, or hit up via DM on Twitter. If we weren't friends and in the same community, chances are this would result in an irritated email back or a subtweet, and then zero results.

But when you're part of a community, the result is wonderful.

Signal boosting cover reveals, eBook sales, new deals, etc. Blog posts listing books, including maybe yours. Reviews on Goodreads. Group blogs for debut authors (lookin' at you, Swanky Seventeens). No matter your genre, there's a community out there for you, full of writers, booksellers, bloggers, librarians, and readers that will bolster you up.

And now, for a quick lesson.

One question I get a lot regarding joining a community, is figuring out how to actively participate IN said community. How do you build a following? Make friends? It's easy.

I want you to think back to every house party or college bash you've ever been to.

When you walk in, and people start talking to you... do you want to talk to the person who won't shut up about themselves, or to the person who asks you questions? Who inquires about your projects, wants to know you, wants to talk about you to other people? Who takes the time to introduce you around?

Think about social media and joining the online community like a party. Chances are, you'll make more friends and more connections by being genuine, by being curious, and by taking a vested interest in others. If you're just at the party to talk about YOU, no one will want to hangout with you.

Don't. Be. That. Guy.

There are a lot of reasons why writers write. To tell a story, maybe educate. But one thing you probably don't think about going into all of it, is the community that you'll inevitably discover. And finding your people, like minded folks... that's another reason to put pen to page.

When I announced WELCOME HOME back in February, I didn't expect to hear from several dozen authors and book lovers that were adopted. My entire life, I maybe knew a handful of adopted kids, who moved in and out of my life. Once that announcement hit, I suddenly knew close to a hundred. I might have cried a bit. Or a lot. It was probably a lot.

Joining a community makes you feel like you're part of something bigger. You discover a support system you didn't know you had. Social media is the perfect way to find your bookish people.

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Don't let this happen to you!

3. BUY-IN BUT NOT SALES, DON'T GET EXCITED: When I say 'buy-in' I don't mean purchasing.

When you have a book ready to hit the market, having an online presence is an important way to encourage people to learn more about you not just as a writer, but as a person. The books I love the most and talk about the most aren't just written by talented writers. They're written by good people I admire.

If you've ever been to a conference ever, you've likely been talked to death about platform.

Someone can check out your social media profile, your website that lists your writing, the articles you've posted on your site... and know a few things right away. Are you the kind of author who might draw people to their bookstore, if you're say, plotting an event? Are you someone that might be good on a panel? If you're unagented, and querying around, are you part of the community? If they are a person in the media, a book blogger or an editor at a magazine, can they learn about you quickly to help with potential pieces?

There are a ton of things that having an established online presence helps with, and this is a big one.

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They can be fun!

4. #HASHTAG: THE AUTHOR-CENTRIC ONLINE EVENTS: Still querying? Don't have a book out just yet? Besides all the other reasons I just listed (which yes, you should still be active on social media in the book community even if you don't have a book on its way), the author-centric hashtag events are a must reason to be on social media.

Since becoming an agent, I've requested manuscripts from SO MANY authors via social media, and signed quite a few as a result of events like #PitMad. I've offered to rep authors I've found on there, only to find numerous agents clamoring for that particular manuscript, which always fills my heart with joy.

Want to check out a success story? Check out Samira Ahmed's post about us connecting in #PitMatch, here!

If you're unfamiliar with #PitMad, you can learn more about it via Brenda Drake's website. It's an online pitch event, where editors and agents alike scour for projects they might be interested in. And there are many of these.

#DVPit is a new one that I'm excited to check out, specifically for marginalized authors.

#PitMatch was a Valentine's Day themed one, with editors, agents, and authors playing along. I hope they do it again.

There are also excellent resources like #MSWL, or Manuscript Wishlist, which allows you to read through book ideas agents and editors are excited about potentially finding. It's an absolutely incredible resource, and it all pools into this great website.

And then of course, some authors run them on their own. Dahlia Adler's Instagram hashtag campaign was FANTASTIC (I presented it in my class!), and helped scores of authors and readers connect. Learn more about it here.

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And there you have it!

Hope you liked this, you guys. I'll do more. Promise.

Book News: Welcome Home, An Anthology, To Be Published Fall 2017

Growing up, I could never find stories about adopted kids.

I always sought out other adoptees, to hear their stories, and as a teenager, wrestled with identity a lot. When people asked where I was from, I made things up. When kids poked fun at me for being adopted (that does happen), I got in fights. As an escape, I read. I read voraciously. And I wish that a some point, in all those pages, that I had been able to see stories about people like me.

"Aw, come on champ. Even Superman is adopted."

Okay, adopted kids hear that all the time. But adoptees can't fly away from their problems. There's no fortress of solitude to retreat to, and even if there was, being alone, feeling alone, is one of the biggest problems in the first place.

Which is why I'm really thrilled to be announcing my Young Adult anthology, Welcome Home. 

Welcome Home collects genre-spanning short stories centered around the theme of adoption, with tales about foster care, searching for birth parents, group homes, adopted siblings, struggling adoptive parents, and more by a number of amazing authors.

The list includes Adi Alsaid, Dave Connis, Helene Dunbar, Kate Leth, Lauren Gibaldi, Libby Cudmore, Matthew Quinn Martin, Mindy McGinnis, Shannon Parker, Randy Ribay, Nic Stone, and many, many more we're going to reveal over the coming months. Note the question marks.

There are even a few debut voices in the mix, including Hello Giggles staff contributor Sammy Nickalls.

The book will be out with Jolly Fish Press in the Fall of 2017. We'll be donating the book's royalties to organizations that work with adoptees and foster kids, and I can't wait to share those plans when we've got them ironed out, as well as other fun announcements with the book, from covers to contributors.

And speaking of.

You might have noticed those question marks in the image up above. Are YOU someone with a close tie to adoption, and possibly interested in writing a story? Let's talk. I'm still looking for stories, particularly from diverse voices. No, you don't have to be published before, we have some exciting debut voices we'll announce very soon. You can find my contact info here.

Update (6/15): The collection is finalized, but we will be taking stories for the online portion of the anthology, a website where we will collect adoption stories. If you'd like more info on that, drop me a line.

Want to keep updated on pre-orders, giveaways, and all of that? You can add Welcome Home on Goodreads. Please do!

Now, some thank yous.

When it comes to my writing and literary agent life, my wife pushes me. She does it all the time. Pushes me to try things that are difficult, to work outside my comfort zone. To tackle serious ideas. Growing up, I shied away from all that, but since meeting Kristina, I've really started to try harder. Welcome Home is one of the first projects to come out of that. Thank you, Nena.

Thanks to all the authors who jumped in to play along with this, and took a chance writing short stories for a project that might have never happened. It's a hard thing, putting together an anthology (there will be a blog post on this down the line). It's a passion project, and you never know if it'll get picked up.

And the YA community as a whole. I literally emailed over one hundred of you. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction, making introductions.

And my superstar agent, Dawn Frederick, thank you for reading my long rambling emails about this thing, and letting me prattle to you on the phone about it. I'm not sure how you deal with me. You're a saint. And McKelle George at Jollyfish, for taking this labor of love on.

And Mom and Dad?

Thank you for bringing me home.

Stay tuned. <3

Jolly Fish Press: Twitter (@JollyFishPress), Facebook (facebook.com/JollyFishPress)

Welcome Home: On Goodreads (goodreads.com/book/show/28902446-welcome-home)