Cynthia Leitich Smith on Staying Sane, Good Vibes & Author Platforms

Today, I am sharing my conversation with Cynthia Leitich Smith.  Cynthia is the author of the YA TANTALIZE series, the FERAL NIGHTS series, several YA short stories and books for younger kids as well as the popular Cynsations blog. 

Debby: Cynthia, thank you so much for spending some time with me today.  I wanted to ask you about writer's platforms.   My agent talks about the importance of a writer building his or her platform with blogging, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr.  I reached out to you because your platform is so well-established, and you have given me wonderful advice.  Can you share some of the ways an author can build a platform?

Cynthia: Authors should begin by setting up home base on an official website. This will be the foundation and launching point for everything that follows. It should look professional and remain up to date with regard to new releases.

Then check out what's available in terms of social networks and think about your goals and what appeals to you. You don't have to be everywhere, do everything. You probably don't have that much time, and you'll burn out if you try. Do what you do well rather than going scatter-shot all over the Web.

A blog is like a puppy. It's always hungry. If you blog, think about your reasons why, your content focus, and most importantly, your blogging schedule. At the risk of sounding vaguely gastrointestinal, it's better to be regular than frequent. Most other options are a lower commitment, and keep in mind you can always guest blog for someone else (and probably should do that on occasion regardless). 

As for the social networks, teens may be migrating from Facebook, but at this point they have too much real estate on the site to abandon it completely. It also hosts a terrific community of dedicated children's-YA book professionals, making it a preferred spot for industry networking.

Twitter is a blessing to the attention-challenged. It's the ultimate short form, and more young adults appreciate the lower-drama vibe. It's also a natural for pointing followers to your site or blog. Consequently, Facebook and Twitter are my top recommendations. But if you enjoy visual learning, try Pinterest. Or whatever speaks to you.

Not every expedition will be a long-term success. I had a significant fan following on MySpace, back when teens were on MySpace, but it's fallen by the wayside. Google+ seems to be struggling to get a foothold, but the Hangout video feature offers wonderful opportunities for online author events. It's okay to pivot. If you abandon a blog or network, just make sure it's clear you're gone and let folks know where to find you from there.

Debby: The hardest part for me is thinking of things to say-do you recommend that an author have a strategy or theme to their posts? 

Cynthia: Start with Author You. Who is your audience? What kind of books call to you? What topics? What are you passionate about?

If you are a YA fantasy novelist, write about the craft of creating that kind of book. Invite fellow authors in that arena to chime in with their thoughts. Highlight those books that you love. Post photos of dragons.

If you're a nonfiction writer, highlight articles and breaking news related to your topics. Interview experts in those respective fields and authors coming to those subjects from another angle. Include photographs of your research trips. Do you write about bees? Give away a jar of honey!

If you're a Writer Mom, offer tips to parents who're likewise trying to balance childcare and the creative life. Share the occasional book tie-in activity or recipe or décor coup or article on gender and toys.

Mitali Perkins is passionate about India settings, multicultural children's-YA literature, and social justice related awareness-raising as it impacts young readers. You can glean all of that from visiting her site, Tweet deck, etc.

My husband, Greg Leitich Smith, writes adventure stories-most recently on about three young Texas teens that travel back to the Cretaceous to rescue their sister and solve a family mystery. He has an ongoing feature wherein children's-YA book pros send him photos of themselves with images of dinosaurs - museum displays, stuffed toys, Sinclair signs, whatever. He did a Dino-A-Day T-shirt celebration, modeling dinosaur T-shirts at various Austin settings.

Libba Bray's blog, like everything she does, is a tour de force. An exercise in her awesomeness. You can do that -- just rock on with Amazing You and share it, so long as you have the confidence.

You could also combine forces with a team blog or promotional group. Just keep in mind that the branding often goes to the team at the expense of all of the individual contributors.

Debby: How do you balance the time you spend writing with building of your relationships?

Cynthia: Setting aside travel/event days, on average I'm on the computer at 8 a.m. as Author Cyn.

Then I work out for an hour or two between 10 a.m. and noon, and then Writer Cyn takes over for the afternoon. The two Cyns vie for dominance in the evening. The winner is typically contingent on what's going on in terms of my global workflow.

Debby: Writing is such an isolated career, yet we are expected to have connections.  I have found other writers, even really successful ones to be extremely accessible and helpful.  I have also made many writer friends through SCBWI, can you share some of the ways an author can network? 

Cynthia: First, I'd say that community is crucial. Words on the page are most important. But community can keep you going in both great and challenging times.

You mentioned SCBWI, and it's wonderful. There may also be additional writing organizations in your area. Here in Austin, I'm likewise active in The Writers' League of Texas.

I strongly recommend attending local book events, including launch parties. Support your colleagues and learn from them how to do marketing and public speaking.
You can take the incentive to organize a private workshop or get together. I've made some of the best friends of my life by simply inviting them to (bring food and) write around my dining room table.

Or simply say "howdy" on Facebook (or wherever) and strike up a conversation there. 

Debby: One thing I have to ask you about social media and building a following-should one pay attention to their numbers-and what do they really mean?

Cynthia: Pay attention but don't obsess. If you're losing followers in droves, you might want to take a look at your recent content and ask why. If you're not building steadily, you may want to amp things up a bit. But don't make yourself crazy. Networking is a long-haul proposition. Building quality relationships, offering solid takeaway to friends, followers and visitors is the priority. 

Debby: I also wondered about changing your photo tag.  I see some people changing their photo often, and others never change them.  Do you have an opinion about this?

Cynthia: Ideally for branding, it should be consistent and standardized. But that's a bit stagnant. Go for something appropriate, so long as it's a recognizable photo of you (not your cat, not you and someone else, not your latest book cover-the latter being a bit too on the nose these days).

Debby: If you had to give authors one piece of advice about building their platform, what would it be?

Cynthia: People buy what you sell them. Think about how you want to be viewed. What you want to say. How you can lift up your audience. In the end, that's what it's all about--not just work but life--having the courage to share the best of yourself and doing it in such a way that it empowers others.

Debby: Cynthia, your words are encouraging and hopeful, and you have broken down the building of the writer’s platform into understandable tasks.  Thank you for sharing your experience and your talent with us today!  For more information about Cynthia, visit her website http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com, Twitter @CynLeitichSmith or her blog, Cynsations http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com.

D.L.

Authoring Change with Terri Farley

Debby:  Today, I am honored to host Terri Farley, author of the PHANTOM STALLION series and SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA. 


Thank you for being here today to talk about giving back.  I know you speak and write of Authoring Change.  As I understand it, you use this term to describe how you are creating change through your writing and actions. How did you come up with this term--and can you explain more about it?

Terri:  A few years ago, one of my young readers -- Christy from Texas -- emailed me that national legislation had just slashed the protection of America's wild horses. I told her it was probably just an Internet rumor, but I was wrong. Mustang slaughter, hidden in an appropriations bill, was voted in. Within the hour it took me to discover Christy was right, I'd received an avalanche of emails from Phantom Stallion readers asking what I was going to do about it.  Those readers had a lot more faith in my ability to "do something" than I in fact had, but, together, we launched a Hearts for Horses campaign, and I ended up taking over 1,000 heavily illustrated Valentine's Day letters to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.  

Terri working with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid

When writer Lori Conforti interviewed me about the campaign, she talked about "authoring change." I loved the succinct way her phrase described what was happening between me and my readers. I asked if I could please borrow it and she generously said "yes."

Debby:  Your readers have faith in you because they know you care and not only that, but they know you will take action.  You have worked so hard to save mustangs from slaughter.  Can you tell us more about the plight of the wild mustang?  

Terri:  Wild horses are being killed every day, and we (American taxpayers) are footing the multimillion dollar bill for it. Since 1971, when mustangs were declared endangered, the Bureau of Land Management was appointed to protect them. Since then, BLM has rounded up over 270,000 wild horses with helicopters. Many die. Many miscarry their babies or have them run to death. Most of the others are separated from their families and confined in pens for the rest of their lives. 
I've been there. I've seen it. I've tried to stop it with a lawsuit.

Kids are known for saying "That's not fair!" to decisions they don't like, but in this case they're right. Many children live with parents who don't take good care of them and they identify with the horses in ways that are touching and sad.

Debby:  I know of a local program that allows kids from difficult home environments to work with abandoned dogs.  It gives them a great sense of accomplishment and in some cases, more love with these dogs than they have ever known in their homes.  Can people own wild mustangs?  And what is the difference between purchase and adoption of a mustang?

Terri:  People can and do own mustangs. I own two and a half. I failed to stop the round-up of the Calico Mountain mustangs, the bands which inspired the wild horses in my books. So, I decided the least I could do was rescue two of them myself. I adopted Sage (named by a reader) and bought Ghost Dancer. The two mares were captured in the same place on the same day, but Sage was only 2 years old, so she was "adoptable." That meant I had a year to prove I would take good care of her before I gained title to her. Ghost Dancer was vulnerable under a law that says mustangs can be sold for any purpose, even meat, if they're 10+ years old. Most vets say an equine ten-year-old is equal to a human 35-year-old. Not exactly ancient. In addition, horses of any age can be "sold without limitation" if they have been offered for adoption three times and failed to find a family.

My half horse is the real Phantom stallion. I share him with a wild horse advocacy group. They notified me that because he was on state, not federal land, he was considered "stray livestock." He was on his way to a slaughter auction when we were able to raise the money to save him and move him to a 5,000 acre sanctuary.

Debby:  I remember reading about the round ups the first time many years ago--the loss of the wild mustang is tragic and permanent.  What can people like me do to help? 

Photo by Elaine Nash www.elainenash.com

 



Terri:  First, watch NBC's short news clip, "Wild But Not Free" http://nbcnews.to/150xilq
It's the quickest way to learn what's happening now.  Next, talk about it! The women at the gym, in my critique group, the plumber, my friends and relatives ask me for updates. Once they know they're financing this cruel disaster, they care.  Then, check out http://wildhorsepreservation.org/. It is the organization I trust to give me the facts and tell me how to take quick action online.  The Internet makes it possible and easy to stand up for what you believe. This month, 30,000 people told the new Secretary of the Interior they want her to stop the runaway round ups and listen to the National Academy of Sciences.  Watch for my Tweets or be my Facebook friend. I share lots of wild horse news.

Debby:  Terri, the NBC clip is heartbreaking.  Thank you for sharing these links so people can learn more.  What do you think people will discover about themselves when they take steps to cause change? 

Terri:  You know that saying "Speak up for what you believe, even if your voice shakes"?  That totally applies to me.  I'm more comfortable writing than I am lobbying senators and testifying in Federal court, but my readers count on me and I've discovered I can do it.  Kids who read have a knack for writing.  They know the power of words, but they need someone to listen.  One of the coolest things ever was when I took reader letters into a BLM board meeting that was streaming live online.  When it was time for public comment, I asked if I could read a few letters for the record. I was told I couldn't even read one.  I knew my readers were watching, so I did it anyway. I got about six in before they cut off my mic and the kids loved it.  They discovered they could stand up for wild horses, and I would stand up for them—they got a standing ovation from those attending the meeting.  The board could not overlook that.

Debby:  What an inspiring story—and how wonderful to share your readers’ letters.  What would you tell other authors who want to reach out and make a difference though their work?

Terri:  Do it. Don't preach, of course, but write from your head and heart and people will join you.  HarperCollins sent out over 200 press releases about my work to help wild horses.  Marine Mammal Rescue used autographed copies of SEVEN TEARS INTO THE SEA as a fund-raiser, even though it's a fantasy.  Other humane and literacy organizations have done the same.  It's good for your career as well as your legacy as a caring human being.   We are one book away from changing the world; it might as well be yours. 

Debby:  I am printing your last sentence out and hanging it on the wall above my computer so I can see it every day!  Thank you so much, Terri, for inspiring me today.  For more information about Terri's books and Authoring Change, visit www.terrifarley.com. 

D.L.

 

My Conversation with YA Author Sydney Salter

 

Today I am honored to welcome my friend, Sydney Salter, author of YA novels, My Big Nose and Other Natural Disasters and Swoon at Your Own Risk to talk about summer romances and reading, not necessarily in that order.

Debby: Both My Big Nose and Swoon take place during the summer—and both main characters have summer jobs that allow you to really work your comedic skills. Did you plot these books with summer settings from the beginning or did they evolve?

Sydney: Summer always meant freedom for me as a teen. No homework. More time with friends. Lounging in the sun with a trashy novel. And the possibility for romance… possibly inspired by those, um, novels.

I figure that hasn’t changed much over the years.

Debby: I think all of us love the idea of summer romances, real or imagined. Now, of course, I have to ask about summer romances. What do you think makes them ideal for YA novels?

Sydney: Because everyone wants one!

Debby: So true. Any favorite summer romance stories you want to share?

Sydney: I wish. The closest I ever came to a great summer romance were the couple of days I spent sweeping around my house imagining that I possessed Scarlett O’Hara’s charm while reading Gone With The Wind.

Not that I didn’t try for the real thing. I spent far more time than I should admit showing up, oh, at the end of summer football practice wearing a cute little outfit, driving through certain neighborhoods at the “right” time and shopping and eating where certain people worked.

Romance seems to be one of those areas in which trying hard doesn’t work, however.

Debby: I remember lots of days spent driving around certain neighborhoods with my best friend the summer between junior and senior year. I thought we were the only ones who did that!
I was wondering if you ever worked as a lifeguard when you were a teenager? What summer jobs did you have?

Sydney: I’ve never been a lifeguard, but it always seemed like the dream job to have as a teen—working on your tan with cute lifeguards AND getting paid.

I put my actual summer job into My Big Nose, maybe to reset my karma or something? All the things that go wrong for Jory went wrong for me. Except it only took me four days to wreak that kind of havoc on my employer! One of my favorite author moments was meeting my old boss again and handing her a copy of the book. We had a really good laugh about my status as worst employee ever. That’s one of the best things about writing. I can turn my worst, most embarrassing moments into something funny.

Debby: I’m sorry that was your embarrassing moment! But I have to say it did work really well in the book—I laughed so hard I cried. As we head into the first weeks of summer break, what is your favorite thing about summer?

Sydney: Warm weather! I also love the quiet mornings while my teenagers sleep late. I still feel like the summer is full of possibilities. Learning new things. Going new places. Slowing down. Hanging out with favorite people. Reading good books!

Oh, and I still like wearing cute outfits, but I no longer stalk boys. Everyone can be grateful for that!

Debby: Your books are perfect summer reading—so I am re-reading both on the beach. What are you reading now?

Sydney: Oh, I would love to read on the beach. Sigh. I’m reading The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima. It’s a classic Japanese novel, gorgeously written, but without a smidgen of romance. Seventeen-year-old me is shaking her head with disgust, I’m sure!

Debby: Sydney, I’ll send you a good romance to read when you are finished. Thanks so much for being here today! I hope you have a wonderful summer filled with lots of cute outfits and reading good books.

Sydney: You too. I’m still jealous that you get to read at the beach!

For more information about Sydney and to read her blog, visit www.sydneysalter.com

Chatting with Joy Preble, YA Author

Today, I am thrilled to welcome my friend Joy Preble, a fellow alum from the Class of 2k9 and author of the DREAMING ANASTASIA Trilogy (Sourcebooks) and the brand new YA release THE SWEET DEAD LIFE (Soho Press).

Debby: Joy, many congrats on your new release, THE SWEET DEAD LIFE. Before we discuss anything else, I have to ask if you miss Anne and Ethan. It’s always really difficult for me to let go of my characters once a book is finished. I can imagine that would be even more difficult with a trilogy. You have been living with these characters for so long.

Joy: Thanks, Debby! I do miss Anne and Ethan… sometimes. Theirs was such a long and wonderfully twisty story—made longer by the fact that the DREAMING ANASTASIA trilogy sold one book at a time, so after each one there was this great unknown. Would I get to finish their story? Pull all the many pieces together for my readers? And what’s been fun is that the series continues to find new readers, especially now that I have a new book out, even if it’s a different series. So I guess Anne and Ethan aren’t quite gone!

Debby: I know you just finished your blog tour for TSDL and I wanted to talk a little bit about blog tours. Blog tours are so interesting to me because there is a system and a schedule to them, and I wondered if you can explain a little bit about how one works.

Joy: I read someone the other day talking about how blog tours are on the downswing, what with so many different types of social media for promotion. But I think they are still a good solid way to put a new project out on the interwebs for your fans and for new readers to discover. It’s still a good way to build buzz. Basically, you get different bloggers to sign on to post reviews or interviews or guest posts, etc. during a set period of time. Sometimes authors arranged this themselves. Sometimes the publishers arrange. Sometimes it’s a combination. Bloggers themselves sometimes arrange. The lovely Katie at Mundie Moms once did a post-HAUNTED/pre-ANASTASIA FOREVER blog tour for me. Usually they last about 2 weeks and often authors will give bloggers ‘exclusives’ – like book trailer releases or special deleted scenes or original short stories in the book’s world. The longest blog tour I ever did was with DREAMING ANASTASIA. I was the first YA book for my then publicist and he wanted to prove his mettle so he created a month long 80 stop blog tour! It was crazy. But I will say that EVERYONE knew about that book. And I think it’s part of why that small book from a then small publishing house is still regularly stocked on B&N shelves!

Debby: I also wanted to talk about book trailers. Your trailers are so compelling. They tell enough about the books to make someone want to read them, but you don’t give anything away. I know you have worked with the same company several times. Can you tell us a little bit about how you create the trailers? Do you come up with an outline?

Joy: I was ‘matched’ with Marianne Nowicki of NoWicki Production through one of our fellow Class of 2k9 mates, Jen Dutton. She and Mar are long time friends, and Mar was starting up a new business when DREAMING ANASTASIA first came out. She’d done a trailer for Jen’s FREAKED, and subsequently for her STRANDED and I really liked her work. With DA, Marianne read the full book first and we discussed concepts and she basically did the whole thing: script/images/music. Since then we’ve been more collaborative. For ANASTASIA FOREVER and for THE SWEET DEAD LIFE, I wrote the scripts – with some editing on Mar’s part. She came up with the images and music, which we then agreed upon, and then she did the ‘heavy lifting’ of putting it together. This last time, Soho Press, my publisher for THE SWEET DEAD LIFE series, also had some significant input because we were building my new brand for a new series as part of a new imprint and we really wanted everything to be coordinated. Together we decided to make the TSDL trailer very short. It is only 30 seconds, just long enough for the basic concept to come across. And Soho enjoyed Marianne’s work so much that they hired her to put together the hipster/tongue in cheek Soho Teen teaser.

Debby: Here are the links for both the videos mentioned above:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=xH7frI6XEoA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TEoLaYvilb0

Debby: I also wanted to know about the images in the trailers. They look like they are part of your covers, but they aren’t always the same images. Are you provided additional photos by the publisher or did you come up with the images separately?

Joy: Some of the images used are from the publisher, but not many. The logos, obviously. And in the DA series, at least once we used the same Ethan from the cover. But otherwise it’s all stock photos.

Debby: It’s a different world for writers today from ten years ago. We have so many ways to reach readers through blogs and trailers and websites. But sometimes it can be overwhelming for a newly published author to navigate through all the options for promotion. Do you have any advice?

Joy: I say do what you enjoy doing. If you hate blogging, then don’t blog. If you love it, then blog away. If you like Twitter, then tweet. But find something. You MUST have an online presence. Especially in YA, your readers want to know where to find you. They expect you to be a part of the kidlit community. And honestly, you SHOULD be part of it. The YA community is a smaller world than you’d think. Be present and active in it however best suits you!

Debby: Joy, thank you so much for sharing your time and your wisdom today. I wish you much success with The Sweet Dead Life. And I am looking forward to reading your next book!

You can find out more about Joy by visiting her at www.joypreble.com.

D.L.

Summer Reading List

My Fourth Grader and I are making our summer reading list. Here's what we have so far. If you have any good suggestions, let us know! D.L.

Horse Crazy

Continuing with my horse theme. Here's another photo taken by my daughter. The last photo was hers, too. And here's a link to something really special. Wild horses! My good friend, Suzanne Morgan Williams (author of the deeply moving and inspirational Bull Rider) has posted photos of these beautiful wild horses taken at her home. http://tinyurl.com/ljyevdt Check it out! D.L.

Horses Forever

I can't remember a time in my life when I didn't love horses. When I was eight years old, I had the chance to ride a real horse for the first time. I was working on a television series called "The New Land" about an immigrant family settling on a farm in America. My character fell in love with a plow horse the family couldn't get to pull the plow but would follow me anywhere. One day, Kurt Russell (who portrayed my uncle) sat me up on the horse's back and led us down the dirt path. That was the first time I rode a real horse, and even though it was a long time ago, I can still remember how happy it made me. After that, I worked on other films with horses, and the wranglers always let me ride in between scenes and on my lunch breaks. Movie horses are really special because they are trained to behave on sets. It was a real blessing to have the chance to ride like that. At home, my dad continued my riding training by taking me on trail rides in Los Angeles and Palm Springs. We rode all the time. My favorite horse was a Palomino named Melody, and I can still remember laughing and talking with my dad as we cantered through valleys and looked at wildlife. Some of my happiest moments growing up were spent on horseback. Recently, my dad and I returned to Palm Springs and took my daughters for a trail ride. Life came full circle for me on that ride. It is a memory I will cherish. I hope one day to have a Palomino of my own or a Dappled Gray Warmblood or perhaps a Mustang. Until then, I will have to settle for writing about them. If you have a horse story of your own, please share it! I'd love to hear from you. D.L.