2019 is here and bookish things (will) continue to happen
Welcome to my blog/website/platform everyone! 2018 has been quite a year! Thank you all who've stuck around as I've morphed from an anxious forthcoming author to an anxious published author. Plus, I'm now an anxious published author with another book on the way. And... an anxious published author who is writing more books and hopes to sell more books so that she can keep writing them. The cycle never ends.
I won't lie to you: it's tough, this author gig. But I'm grateful. And happy. But It's TOUGH. Putting your first book out into the world is an experience like no other. I thought doing PhD was tough. Haha. I mean, yeah, it was, but... putting a book out is a totally different jam. Like, it's indescribable (haha, but Katya, you're an author, I should be able to describe it! Nope. I refuse to).
So I've been doing a pretty good job chronicling WTWK digital adventures on this blog, so I won't go into a lot of detail about all the reviews, lists, and praise I've gotten, though it is tempting. But I will mention a few things that I've been particularly happy about. Namely:
My blog tour! Or more like tours, plural, because I had three. I've heard very differing opinions about blog tours and whether they are "effective". And you know what, they were effective *for me*. I love doing interviews and writing guest posts or mini features, so blog tours worked out perfectly for me. The wonderful Cherry from Tale Out Loud pretty much set up everything for my international blog tour and it worked so perfectly. I'm so grateful to all the bloggers who took part. They are all absolute stars.
Giveaways! I've done SO MANY of these! I've organized Goodreads to host a big one for 2 signed ARCs, but then I also gave away lots of ARCs, pre-orders and signed hard copies over the past few months - so many that I lost count! I have no idea whether it *worked* as a promo tool but I see everything I do as a way to connect with readers, whether established ones or prospective, so I think giveaways are a great way to do that.
Joining 1st5Pages as a permanent mentor! I'm so excited about this. I get to work my so many amazing authors and foster new writing talent. I really feel so privileged that I get to do this and it's also validating to me as a creative practitioner.
Features writing! I was so lucky to have two pitches accepted by YA interrobang and other digital platforms and I really loved writing it. I'm going to do more of this in 2019.
Podcasts! Jamie from the Giant Panda podcast reached out mid 2018 and though I was terrified at first, I really loved recording my first ever podcast. It helped that Jamie is a terrific host and actually engaged with my book on a deep level, so it worked great.
Pre-order campaign! A super talented friend of mine, Irina Ivanova, created a stunning visual art piece of WTWK themed art which I used to entice pre-orders. Pre-orders are super important, folks. They show publisher there's interest and that can really make or break an author, especially a debut. I felt like I was limited in what I could do for my pre-order campaign because of my location, but it worked out well. I wrote an exclusive short story set in the world of WTWK and bought some cool gifts from Etsy. Plus I offered query critiques and, as part of the top prize, a pre-order of Oasis and to name a character in the Oasis after the winner of the pre-order giveaway. I've gotten something like 23 pre-orders - a these are just those that emailed me, so there could've been more. To be honest, I didn't expect ANY, so I'm grateful that people actually pre-ordered my under-typed book at all.
Events! I've done my first ever festival (Swinburne Writers Festival) and visited a bunch of my local bookstores (and a few in Sydney and Geelong!) and signed copies of WTWK and met many lovely booksellers. I've attended Readings Teen Advisory Committee meeting, and it was amazing to chat with teen readers about books and life. I'm booked for at least 3 literary festivals in 2019 so far, with possibly more to come. It's overwhelming at times, but so worth it.
And finally.... I revealed the cover of Oasis! Or more like, my blogger friends helped me reveal it. Isn't this wonderful? It's eerie, spooky, shimmery with its mysterious, impressionist colors. Just look at her shine.
Plus just check out this absolute beauty at Novel Knight's IG
Or this lovely post at Tale Out Loud!
Or this one at Kat's Books!
Or this one at Literary Dust!
Or this one at Beautiful Bookland!
You can now pre-order Oasis, folks! I know it's hard to believe this is all happening all over again for me, but it is. My second book is very different from WTWK but it's also rather weird and dark. But it's also FUN. Yes, FUN. If you like archaeology-themed adventure like The Mummy or Indiana Jones, you might like this. If you like unsettling existential horror, like Donnie Darko or Annihilation, then you might like Oasis.
Amazon listing is up and you can pre-order Oasis now HERE. It's coming 15 October in the US!
I won't lie to you: it's tough, this author gig. But I'm grateful. And happy. But It's TOUGH. Putting your first book out into the world is an experience like no other. I thought doing PhD was tough. Haha. I mean, yeah, it was, but... putting a book out is a totally different jam. Like, it's indescribable (haha, but Katya, you're an author, I should be able to describe it! Nope. I refuse to).
Anyway, What The Woods Keep is out! YAY. It came out in the US on September 18th and then in Australia and New Zealand on October 1st. Czech rights have sold as well, so there will be a translated Czech edition in the foreseeable future. As for all the other foreign editions: the short answer is, I don't know. I *hope* there will be more news to share on that front soon, but the reality is, it doesn't depend on me. Same goes for movie rights.
Some truly amazing things happened to me and my book over the course of my debut year, and I'm so grateful. Lots of readers have connected with my weird, dark debut story and then some didn't. Which is the case for most books, and reading is so subjective, etc., etc., etc. But here's the thing: whenever someone reaches out to me to say they loved WTWK, whether it's a reader, blogger, or a fellow author, I fall apart and sob in the happiest way possible, because they *get* it, they understood what I've been hoping to achieve with my book. Their brain waves are similar to my brain waves, or something. And this is the best part of this being-an-author thing to me, to be honest.
 |
| Me while signing WTWK copies at Dymocks Melbourne |
Some truly amazing things happened to me and my book over the course of my debut year, and I'm so grateful. Lots of readers have connected with my weird, dark debut story and then some didn't. Which is the case for most books, and reading is so subjective, etc., etc., etc. But here's the thing: whenever someone reaches out to me to say they loved WTWK, whether it's a reader, blogger, or a fellow author, I fall apart and sob in the happiest way possible, because they *get* it, they understood what I've been hoping to achieve with my book. Their brain waves are similar to my brain waves, or something. And this is the best part of this being-an-author thing to me, to be honest.
So I've been doing a pretty good job chronicling WTWK digital adventures on this blog, so I won't go into a lot of detail about all the reviews, lists, and praise I've gotten, though it is tempting. But I will mention a few things that I've been particularly happy about. Namely:
My blog tour! Or more like tours, plural, because I had three. I've heard very differing opinions about blog tours and whether they are "effective". And you know what, they were effective *for me*. I love doing interviews and writing guest posts or mini features, so blog tours worked out perfectly for me. The wonderful Cherry from Tale Out Loud pretty much set up everything for my international blog tour and it worked so perfectly. I'm so grateful to all the bloggers who took part. They are all absolute stars.
Giveaways! I've done SO MANY of these! I've organized Goodreads to host a big one for 2 signed ARCs, but then I also gave away lots of ARCs, pre-orders and signed hard copies over the past few months - so many that I lost count! I have no idea whether it *worked* as a promo tool but I see everything I do as a way to connect with readers, whether established ones or prospective, so I think giveaways are a great way to do that.
Joining 1st5Pages as a permanent mentor! I'm so excited about this. I get to work my so many amazing authors and foster new writing talent. I really feel so privileged that I get to do this and it's also validating to me as a creative practitioner.
Features writing! I was so lucky to have two pitches accepted by YA interrobang and other digital platforms and I really loved writing it. I'm going to do more of this in 2019.
Podcasts! Jamie from the Giant Panda podcast reached out mid 2018 and though I was terrified at first, I really loved recording my first ever podcast. It helped that Jamie is a terrific host and actually engaged with my book on a deep level, so it worked great.
Pre-order campaign! A super talented friend of mine, Irina Ivanova, created a stunning visual art piece of WTWK themed art which I used to entice pre-orders. Pre-orders are super important, folks. They show publisher there's interest and that can really make or break an author, especially a debut. I felt like I was limited in what I could do for my pre-order campaign because of my location, but it worked out well. I wrote an exclusive short story set in the world of WTWK and bought some cool gifts from Etsy. Plus I offered query critiques and, as part of the top prize, a pre-order of Oasis and to name a character in the Oasis after the winner of the pre-order giveaway. I've gotten something like 23 pre-orders - a these are just those that emailed me, so there could've been more. To be honest, I didn't expect ANY, so I'm grateful that people actually pre-ordered my under-typed book at all.
 |
| Raven brooch design by BlueRavenDesignsAU - pre-order prize |
Events! I've done my first ever festival (Swinburne Writers Festival) and visited a bunch of my local bookstores (and a few in Sydney and Geelong!) and signed copies of WTWK and met many lovely booksellers. I've attended Readings Teen Advisory Committee meeting, and it was amazing to chat with teen readers about books and life. I'm booked for at least 3 literary festivals in 2019 so far, with possibly more to come. It's overwhelming at times, but so worth it.
And finally.... I revealed the cover of Oasis! Or more like, my blogger friends helped me reveal it. Isn't this wonderful? It's eerie, spooky, shimmery with its mysterious, impressionist colors. Just look at her shine.
 |
| Oasis is coming 15 Ocotber 2019 with Imprint/Macmillan |
Plus just check out this absolute beauty at Novel Knight's IG
Or this lovely post at Tale Out Loud!
Or this one at Kat's Books!
Or this one at Literary Dust!
Or this one at Beautiful Bookland!
You can now pre-order Oasis, folks! I know it's hard to believe this is all happening all over again for me, but it is. My second book is very different from WTWK but it's also rather weird and dark. But it's also FUN. Yes, FUN. If you like archaeology-themed adventure like The Mummy or Indiana Jones, you might like this. If you like unsettling existential horror, like Donnie Darko or Annihilation, then you might like Oasis.
Amazon listing is up and you can pre-order Oasis now HERE. It's coming 15 October in the US!
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