I toiled on my first novel for years, endured years of rejection and even more years of rewriting. I wore down the soles of my shoes walking the aisles of book expos and conferences trying to generate interest in my manuscript from small presses, this after emailing every literary agent it made sense to contact to no avail. After so many “no’s” I finally get the one “yes” that I…
It’s my pleasure to introduce guest blogger Barbara Conrey today. Barbara is a top-notch writer and an A+ literary citizen. She goes out of her way to serve the greater good and has become a friend to many debuting authors during this unpredictable year. I’m thrilled that you’ll get to hear her voice, too. Read on to learn more about Barbara’s debut (at age 70!) and how she’s navigated the…
Phew, what a surprising adventure it has been to debut The Goddess Twins! Talk about ‘Lit in the time of Corona’. The path of writing, publishing, and now marketing this book has truly been its own hero’s journey for me. I am grateful for this blogging space and future opportunities to share what I have experienced and learned with others who may need it while embarking their own paths. Last…
I simply can’t believe it’s been a whole year. This week, we’re talking about what we learned as a Debutante. To be honest, this entry was hard to write, because my expectations about what I thought would happen this year debuting Architects of Memory and what actually did happen were so incredibly different. Like Pluto-versus-the-Sun different. When I applied to be a Deb, my release date was January. I was…
Many years ago, our family stole a page from the Obama playbook and added roses, thorns, and buds to our family dinners. It’s the high, the low, and the something we’re looking forward to. Here are a few from my debut year: Roses: So many times, I shook my head in disbelief that I was actually launching a real live novel I wrote myself. Like, what?! How did this even…
Greetings and salutations and welcome to the Debutante Ball! I was so excited when I read the first words of the email I received on a Sunday morning in early August of 2019 informing me that I’d been chosen as one of the 5 debut authors who would chronicle her “big dance” toward publication. I had been following the Debutante Ball blog for more than a year and eagerly…
I’m so pleased to present Alia Volz, our guest blogger this week! She is the author of Home Baked, a humorous memoir of a ‘sticky’ family business, which launched April 20th. I met Alia at AWP, pre:pandemic, and her energy and storytelling talent have burned bright in my mind since. I’m honored she will share some stories with us. About Alia Volz: Author of Home Baked: My Mom, Marijuana, and…
Yo, this year has been full of surprises to say the very least. I had absolutely no inkling that when I was given my publication date of May 19th 2020 it would mean my book launch would sit in the midst of a global pandemic! Last year, I envisioned my launch as a fury of flights and book signings and interviews and readings. I had planned to do a 6…
For Immediate Release: August 6, 2020—Debutante Lisa Braxton, author of the debut novel, The Talking Drum, is a recipient of an Outstanding Literary Award from the National Association of Black Journalists. The award was announced today at the organization’s virtual convention where she was interviewed about her book during The Author Showcase. The Showcase selection committee considered The Talking Drum compelling and socially relevant and notable for its inclusion of…
Well, our official topic this week is lauch parties and swag. I think I’m the only member of our 2020 class who got a launch party. Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes released on Feburary 2nd. Covid was front-page news at that point, but it still seemed awfully far away. No one here in Minneapolis fully grasped the threat. At my launch, 150 people jammed into my local indie. Gretchen Anthony…
