WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN
YOU’RE EXPECTING YOUR NEXT YA/MG BOOK RELEASE
Let’s be honest
with ourselves- kids don’t care what the critics say. We can cheer ourselves
and pat ourselves on the back, but getting a fabulous review from a critic
simply does not impress a kid reader.
Unlike adult
fiction (a world where the readers read the reviews and buy accordingly and, thus,
books impossible to get through become best sellers because they are the books in vogue to buy) where you can send your book off into
the world and visit occasionally, YA books demand full-time attention, loving
care, focus, engagement, and presence. Kids want to read, well, a good book, and they will like a book whether a critic tells them to or not.
That’s why it can be more of a challenge to write for kids than adults. It is important to tour for any book, but it seems more so with YA/MG. Being out
there on the road,speaking to kids, connecting with kids, is truly vital in the world of
YA and MG. It is the life’s blood of the YA/MG book. As The Ravens of Solemano (Young Inventors Guild, Book 2) is poised
for release in September, my publisher has basically kicked me out of the house
and sent me packing. Well, that is not exactly… no, wait…that is exactly true!
They have said the spikes in sales and attention on the web were shocking,
every time I was on the road for the last book. But last time, I sauntered back
to the US months after the release of The
Atomic Weight of Secrets to an audience that had to reread the book to
remember what to ask. Word of mouth is so important for all books, but more so
for kids books. This means kids need to know you’re there. You need to make
introductions for your literary baby. Loving care and attention are needed. While The
Atomic Weight of Secrets held its own, it was
really a neglected child. This time, I am ready to go. ARCs went out last month and
events have already been planned. And, unlike with adult books, the long haul
is not a fast delivery. A great review can shoot an adult book through the
roof, but kids need time to get to know the book. My publisher told me to
expect to work hard a lot longer than with books for adults. This was meant to
encourage, as well as demand pavement pounding.It means they will stand behind the book much longer than one might expect. They believe that it simply can
take longer and that the second book sells the first.
So I am ready.
After what seems like ages carrying this baby inside of me, Ravens is kicking. I am taking deep
breaths and doing yoga stretches. I feel like an expectant mother with a suitcase
packed, waiting for labour to begin.
