An Ode to YA Book Bloggers

As I approach my launch week (next week!) I am finding myself feeling all kinds of love. Which is a wonderfully overwhelming feeling. My family and friends have been super supportive. But, let’s face it, they kind of have to be. Plus there are all the booky people in NYC (who I have never met – am dying to meet – will meet one of these days) – my talented agent, my super-cool editor, and all the other people who work with them and perform tricky behind-the-scenes maneuvers that I’m not even aware of.

But all of these people know me. Care about me. Or have a vested interest in my success.

Since accepting my 2-book-deal with Egmont USA last summer, I have been working on my online presence. This has been fun, and crazy, and time consuming, and at times difficult to manage. But some very cool things started to happen last fall. I noticed that bloggers were talking about my book! I started to get some WOWs (Waiting on Wednesdays), and bloggers were commenting on my cover. I had several interview requests (really, you want to know about me?). Then ARCs (Advance Reader Copies) went out, and I started to get a few reviews.

I can’t tell you how nervous I was about this process. Little Secret: back when I was in high school I was assigned a huge poetry project. I completed the assignment, which was worth about a zillion points, but I never turned it in. I was too shy to allow someone to judge my creative writing. (This is a girl who would soon become a high school English teacher.)

Cut to a bunch of years later, and people I’ve never met have started reading my book and posting their thoughts on blogs. Like, public forums. Which anyone can read.

Deep breath.

I was scared to death.

But you know what? It was incredible! Even the reviews that stung. Know why? Because all this means I made my dream come true. I’m actually about to be published – officially. And there are people out there who are rooting for me, people I’ve never met in my life.

So, thank you, bloggers! For helping make this incredible moment in my life feel really real. For taking the time to read my book and offer up your honest opinion. For posting my trailer, coming up with diverse interview questions, and giving me the chance to guest blog. Thanks for holding contests on your sites, for giving away my swag, for talking up my book in your local communities. Thanks, in general, for everything you do. Because it makes a huge difference in the life of an author. Huge.

This entire process has been loads more fun celebrating with all the new friends I’ve made online. I just wish we could have a giant slumber party one of these days – bloggers, authors, readers – we’d have SO much to talk about!

Maybe one of these days we should plan a Caribbean cruise for this wonderful community of book lovers.

Oh, yes . . . that sounds nice!