Self-Publishing 101: How to Write a Fiction Novel. Reserve Your Spot!
If you are a YA fiction author close to revising the first draft of your first book, you may be wondering what your readers might think of your story. An excellent way of finding out is by reaching out to beta readers. A beta reader is someone who reads your manuscript to provide honest and…
Despite the strength of the digital age, print books are still going strong. In 2020, as the world settled in to weather the global pandemic, the print book market saw a considerable boost, and sales rose 18% in the US. What about young adult (YA) fiction? Sales were slowly ticking up in the year before…
In many ways, writing is a solitary endeavor between authors and their writing implement of choice. However, even one of the seemingly simplest crafts has been iterated over the years. Aspiring authors have access to numerous tools to help them in every facet of publication. Even since I started writing Getting By, new tools have…
Self-discipline can be the bane of anyone’s existence but is especially tasking for aspiring authors. Until you sign a book deal, there’s no actual deadline for a first-time writer to worry about. You can self-impose one (ideally), but it’s too easy to keep pushing and pushing it. I mean, even with a likely colossal publishing…
Every story has a voice that speaks to the reader. Whether it’s the main character narrating or someone else looking in on the lives of your novel’s characters, YA authors (well, ALL authors) need to decide how they want to tell their story. It sets your reader’s expectations, as different tenses and points of view…
When you set out to write your manuscript, you expect people to read it. It’s rare for an author who wants their book to exist in a vacuum (I mean, no one does that, right? I hope?) So it behooves you to figure out who will be reading your book so you ensure as many…
I mentioned in a previous post that I wasn’t an avid reader of fiction books until high school. Once I started reading books on my own time, I made it through a handful of Young Adult (YA) novels. I guess I gravitated toward books by YA authors because of how relatable they were. Since I…
The intention of using a hook is to keep your reader’s attention when they read the first chapter of a story. You want to grab their interest as soon as they begin reading your novel because, if you’re successful, readers will not want to put your book down. Perhaps you have encountered this with a…
When you look at the target age of your average young adult fiction (YA) reader, it makes sense that many of the stories they read feature the classic coming-of-age journey. Our teen years mark some of the first steps into adulthood, and reading about it in books is a fantastic way for 12-18-year-olds to learn…
When it comes to publishing, there are two basic schools of thought: traditional and independent. As you wrap up your manuscript revisions, you’re likely starting to think about how you want to share your story with the world. I wanted to take control of my YA book’s journey, so I went the self-publishing route, choosing…
Teens have a lot going on in their lives. Sure, they likely haven’t started their career nor own a house, or (hopefully) aren’t raising children yet, but it’s a massive stage in life. Our teenage years start to see us shaped into the adults we will likely become as we navigate complex emotions, commit to…