Let's hear it for the testy and dejected!

Or, OK, truth be told, its the REjected and not DEjected I am rooting for today.

See, you work hard, you write a book. You send it to publishers for months or years asking them to like it. You get so many demoralizing rejection letters, while your very-patient friends reassure you that even J.K. Rowling got rejected dozens of times.

Finally one amazing, wonderful publisher does like your book, and even publishes it! And the elation fills you with a fever pitch to keep writing, and keep going, and you write another book and then...

... start another round of rejection letters. I got my latest this yesterday, on a day I was already home sick with a cold.

And I am a "professional" writer. I KNOW form letters saying "thank you for sharing... not for us" are not a reflection of my talent or lackthereof. Furthermore, I work in marketing! I 100% know that there is a vast difference between "good" and "marketable" in the type of fiction I write.

But it still makes me sad.

So, I think we should all do something nice for the writers out there, just in case anyone is having a day like me and is feeling a little dejected.

What's that you say? A contest?

Yes! Of my normal ilk! Go to Amazon, find a book you like that was self-published, or written by a first time writer, or published by a small press, and leave a review about how much you liked it. You will make some author's day, for sure....

... and then come back here, leave a link to the book, and you're in the contest. One winner will get a $20 Amazon giftcard. I'll announce a winner by 1/31.

If you would like some independant or small press publications to consider, think about maybe:

• Twisted Velvet Chains by Jessica Bell, amazing poetry by an up and coming star. Its available for Kindle for only .99, or paperback as well.
• The War Master's Daughter by Elly Zupko, strong and engrossing historical fiction. On Kindle for only $2.99, or available on Paperback as well.
• String Bridge by Jessica Bell, which also just rocked my world
• of (of course) Max and Menna or Listening In, bother available on Kindle for $3.99 and $1.99 respectively. Max and Menna is also in paperback and hardcover, and Listening In will be available in paperback soon.

Come on, make someone's day... and maybe win a prize as well :)

Exciting happenings!

The fall is shaping up to be very exciting for me, and my writing career! I have more movie reviews, some book reviews, and some travel notes coming, but I wanted to take a break and talk about some upcoming events, about which I am very excited.

This coming Friday, I will be in the author's tent at the Baltimore Book Festival fromm 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. with copies of Max and Menna for sale, and time to talk. The line up for the festival is unbelievable! Sherman Alexie, one of my heroes will be there Sunday (I have to go to Indiana for work, unfortunately), and some other nationally-known names like Laura Lippman and Common are also attending. It runs Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 12-8, so stop by! More information here: http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/

Next month, I am thrilled to have my first Barnes & Noble signing! I am speaking at a Diversity Festival they host with Bel Air High School in Bel Air, MD. The organizer read Max and Menna and felt like it would be a good fit, which is such an honor. The event is October 15, and I speak at 2 p.m.

Still, almost a year after Max and Menna launched, I cannot get over the awe and honor of having my work out there for people to read! And I am thrilled beyond belief at all the good feedback... take a peak at these Amazon reviews and see why I am humbled... Amazon Reviews

And there is more coming... I am in the midst of the long, arduous process of finding a publisher for my second book, and hard at work on book #3. Stay tuned for details.

Seriously... one taker?

Hey all,

So, I am a few days late on my leader board, but that is because up until yesterday there WAS no leaderboard. And today it is very short. "Charlanne" <--That is the leaderboard. Come on people, free stuff! And all you have to do for a chance at free stuff is go to Amazon, Goodreads, Facebook, or your blog, and tell the internet about a writer who's book inspired you. OR if you're new here, click "follow" in the upper right hand corner. Then, whether you reviewed a book or are a new following, post a comment and tell us about it. Do that between now and midnight on December 15, and you may win a FREE hardback copy of Max and Menna.

I am very much in earnest when I say that as readers you shouldn't underestimate the influence you have. There are some amazing communities online that are here solely to help readers find awesome stuff to read, and you should add your voice! Never before in the history of mankind have we had this option, and it really is exciting.

And since its dinner time, you should all know that the most amazing dinner you could seek out on this cold, blustery tuesday, is the apple and venison soup on special at Joe Squared. No, I get no kick back, thanks, or retribution at all from Joe for constantly recommending the restaurant. But seroiusly, the specials blow me away every week and I have to tell SOMEONE...

Holy Jolly FREE Stuff on my Blog!

Ladies and Gentleman, Last Night= Momentous Occasion! Shauna Kelley's FIRST public speaking engagement as a published author. And it wasn't as terrifying as I thought. I only had to talk for five or ten minutes, so I really had to focus on the book (fun to talk about) instead of me (awkward to talk about... and listen to me talking about). Sold a few books, met a few authors, and all in all enjoyed it immensely.

What I did learn (building on something that I've noticed these past few weeks while reading the blogs of my fellow authors) is that I don't have schwag! And by schwag, I mean cool free stuff to get people excited to READ!

So, I am jumping on the bandwagon and playing copycat to some of my esteemed fellow writers by joining something I am passionate about (getting readers to share their thoughts) and something I am lacking in (stuff to giveaway).

Thus, the first Shauna Kelley Blog Contest.

Here's how you enter:

1. Between now and December 15, post a review of a book that inspired you on Amazon, your own blog, or GoodReads. Then, comment here (Not as a reply to the Facebook notification) with a link to your review. For every review, your name goes in the fishbowl once. But there are rules: To qualify, though, I am talking a review of at least 3-4 sentences about how the book inspired you. "I liked it, it was good" won't gain you entrance into the fishbowl. And you are certainly welcome (and encouraged always) to review Max and Menna, but the point of this contest is not to garner me reviews. It is to encourage everyone to take their love of books viral!

OR

• Become a new Shauna Kelley Blog Follower (and comment to let me know about it) and your name goes in the fishbowl once.

On December 15, I will pull a name out of the fishbowl, and that person wins a signed hardcopy of Max and Menna.

For those of you who already own Max and Menna, you're probably thinking "so what, I already own that book..." But Christmas is coming. You could give it away for Christmas! Or donate it to a library! Or use it to prop up that shaky dining room table!

And even if its something you've already got, everyone likes winning, right?

On December 11 I will post a stats update, but I am tracking through comments left on this blog ONLY so make sure you comment and let me know you're in the running... Ready, Set, Go!

Being a new author necessitates all manner of begging

I have had the laziest of weekends! Thursday was crazed, as any holiday is to someone with a family as big as mine! But, since then, I have done little else but loaf around, eat leftovers, dabble in some writing, watch movies, and sleep. Such a lazy long weekend was very long overdue.

But, alas, I am up early this morning working on book stuff. For those of you unfamiliar, making a book (particularly your first) successful is a ton of work! "Success" in this case really comes down to building name recognition for myself outside of those who already know my name. That way, when book #2 comes out, you're starting from a better position to get that one out... and so on until one day, I am a well-known, professional writer and have the amazing opportunity to focus more on what I love.

Nonetheless, as a new author of one book who's only true following at the moment is friends and family, I must resort to all manner of begging, compliment fishing, and general egregious ego boosting! It's an odd feeling and activity for me.

Here's the interesting part of the social media age-- your words are more important than the creator of any product. Think about it-- if you're buying a new product is it the product description that sells you, or the customer feedback? This is especially true of books. In particular Amazon reviews, but also posts on Facebook, blog comments, and even endorsements to friends, carry an amazing amount of weight and are instrumental in the success of a book.

I have a sudden new appreciation for authors working today who live and die by those reviews. There are hundreds if not thousands of compatriates out there in exactly the same boat I am in-- with a work they are passionate about trying to create a name for themselves. But you are one title, one voice in a sea of billions and billions of other voices trying really hard to be heard. It's a fulfilling, wonderful, and exhausting pursuit!

Since I've been poking around figuring out venues for promoting my book, I've noticed how crucial this is to all authors. And so, this is my post to encourage all of you to review books! For all of you avid readers, when you read something that moves you, post a review to Amazon. Mention it on Facebook. Blog about it. Your voice is crucial to a community of authors, and to readers. Your reviews will help readers distinguish which books will move them.

Of course, reviews of my work are always welcome, but I promise you that I encourage this on more of a global scale. The internet has given us all a voice, and I think its critical to the advancement of our art that we use it!