My debut novel, ADORKABLE, comes out on March 31, 2016! That’s next week ICYMI (hip-hip hooray!!!), and to keep from freaking out too much, I’ve been doing some research. I found this article by Kimberly Grabas that said to market your book you have to:
1) Know Yourself.
2) Know Your Audience.
Now, I’m probably the worst marketer in the history of indie publishing. Besides being an introvert (I’ve discovered this carries over into online interactions as well. Just my luck!), a first-time self-pubbing author (again, fun times, but man…the learning curve is steep), and just an overall awkward person (to quote Lady Gaga, “Baby, I was born this way”), marketing myself has never been easy. It’s like constantly fighting a battle against my inner-Self Doubt/Critic–and she is a nasty piece of work. Never shuts up, always present, always trying to hold me back.
But regardless, this article helped me. I may be crap at marketing, but I do know myself and my audience. So, let me break it down.
I write YA. I write in this genre because I love young adult books. My high school years, though filled with way-too-much Awkward (yes, with a capital “A”), were some of the best years of my life. Middle school sucked. Period. But in high school, I had a great group of friends that were a total mixed bag. Some were over achievers; some were popular; some were boy crazy; most were bandies or drama geeks–and all of them were true friends. None of them ever stabbed me in the back, and that’s why in my books you’ll read about real BFFs, who have each others’ backs, who would go to war together and fight off the monsters and mean girls/guys. Those were the friends I knew growing up. So, those are the friends I write.
I write romance. Not only that, I strive to write believable happily-ever-after romance because, in my opinion, real life sucks enough. There are too many tragic endings. If my characters are going to live, they will struggle. They will go through some awful times, sometimes physically, sometimes emotionally, because that’s just life. But in the end, they’ll come out on top. In the movie Becoming Jane, Anne Hathaway put it like this, “My characters, after a little trouble, shall have all that they desire.” So yeah, this. Absolutely, one hundred times this.
I write for the nerd in all of us. This is not just a line. I’m a nerd–which basically just means that I like things and get excited about life (see John Green’s quote below). I love nerdy people, passionate people, the ones who may be awkward but are excited by life and books and movies and music. And if they love Harry Potter, well…those are my people.
I also write for the girls/guys who are in love and too afraid to speak up. I write for the teens experiencing love for the first time and the adults who want to experience it again. Being in love, it is beauty and torture all wrapped up together. In my books, it’s not so much about “if” the characters will end up together. It’s about “how.” I write the journey, the first kiss, the misunderstandings, how the heart breaks, and how we piece it back together.
So, this is me. Why I write, what I write, and the readers who I’m writing for.
I hope you’re one of them :).
Cookie O’Gorman
You are awesome…you need to kill that inner critic bitch.
She’s pretty resilient. But I’m trying to ignore her ;).
I’m shocked this is a first novel. U have done a fabulous job, sister. I was really hoping to come on here and find this was ur 10th novel and read all of them this week–imagine my disappointment! And my surprise! It’s not often I find a debut novel I like as much. Keep it up.
This is such a great comment, Tracy! Thank you so much. I wish it was my 10th novel lol. I’ve actually written 4, working on the 5th now, but have only published the one :). I’m thrilled that you enjoyed ADORKABLE, and thank you, again!
I absolutely adored Adorkable. Downloaded it at 04:00 this morning and finished it by lunchtime. Literally couldn’t put it down. I also went searching for all your other books, so excited to get stuck into a new book, only to read this article and learn it’s your debut. I can’t wait to read your next novels. Bummed I have to wait though, ha ha.
Hi Jo Jo! I’m so happy you enjoyed ADORKABLE :). Right now, I’m trying to get Ash’s book together–it was actually a lot of fun to write, and I can’t wait to see if anyone else loves it like I do lol. I’m hoping to have it ready to be released by either the end of this year or beginning of next. Thank you so much for your comment, and I hope you have a great day!
Cookie O’Gorman
Hi , I love love love harry potter . I think this will do but I wanna say more . I can’t stop myself .
Adorkable – Is really adorkable when I first
saw thiw book I knew this is it . Its like I smelled some good stuff . So I took my time to read it . I read it a chapter a day . And every night it was just like the happy pill to my exhausted self . Yeah I am a nerd . nerd with a heart . I loved your book .
I loved Sally I loved Becks I loved hooker I loved even holy ass striker .
Thank you for this sweet time of my life .
You are my huckleberry .
and Special note . I want your book to be a movie . And I want Maisie Williams and Alexander Ludwig to play bally . If you have time please have look at it . They are perfect bally . Seriously consider this As for the love of our house Gryffindor . If possible swear me an oath (just kidding If I freaked you outv) . love your words and thoughts .
Hi there, thank you so much for this amazing comment! I love everything about it, and your enthusiasm is contagious. I’m so so so happy you read and liked ADORKABLE! 🙂 you really brightened my day. I will definitely be checking out Maisie and Alexander. Hope you are having a great week, and again, thank you so much!!!
You are my huckleberry.. I love you ..adorable is so sweet ..I enjoyed it so much ..I wanted to read further .. After finishing the book I was like .. Where the heck are the other pages you know like when you just want to fall in the sweet spot ..OMG!! .. I’m gonna make my friends read it ASAP cause I NEED SOMEONE TO FANGIRL WITH !! I just want it to be made into a movie ASAP please please pretty please .. you are so amazing .. ingrid Nelson can be the heroin ( she is a YouTube blogger) And it would be so awesome with a cute beck and awesome beck and athletic beck ..Omg I love beck .. I’m so happy .. Please keep writing .. I want to read more by cookie O ‘gorman .. I’m waiting for your next book ..And Please see my comment ..I wish you do please I love your book .. And you also have a great blog .. Maybe I’m going a bit crazy but I would love to hear stories about your school years .. as I’m in high school .. I’m really curious about your years … At last again ?
..
Keep.writing
Keep being awesome
..
~Anu ( I know my name is damn weird)
Thank you so much, Anu! I definitely know what you mean about getting to the end of a book and wanting there to be more pages and just wanting it to go on :). I love fangirling lol, so I hope you can find a friend who likes ADORKABLE as much as you do! I will tell you in my high school years I had a great group of friends, but I don’t think it would be nearly as fun to read about as Sally’s years :). I hope you have a great week, and thank you so much again. Your comment really means a lot, and also, I think your name is pretty cool!
Adorkable is probably my new favorite novel, I literally reread it the second I finished it. I need to know what happenes after the go to college,etc.. Pleaseee a second book would be amazing!!! Me and my sister are obsessed with adorkable and we love becks.. You ate an awesome writer and I will definitley tras Your future novels the second them come out.
Love, Ana
Hi Anaa! I’m so happy you and your sister liked ADORKABLE (and Becks ;))! Someone else actually mentioned a possible college story for Sally and Becks. I don’t know if I’ll ever do it, but it would definitely be interesting to see where Sally and Becks’s story goes <3. Thank you so much for your comment, and I hope you have a happy new year!