A lot happened
for me in 2013: I got an agent (yay!), I got a book deal for Becoming Jinn and its sequel, Circle of Jinn (double yay!), and I
started revisions with an editor for the first time. I also joined the YAtopia community in September of that year. Sharing my journey to publication with the
readers and fellow bloggers at YAtopia has been a privilege—and a blast.
With 2015 came
even more excellent stuff: Becoming Jinn’s
launch (ah!), finishing up Circle of Jinn
(woo-hoo!), and a long period of promotion—events, festivals, writing
workshops, giveaways, the Read Local campaign, and more. Marketing is a full-time job, as I quickly learned.
The one thing
2015 hasn’t been for me is a very strong writing year. Marketing and writing at
the same time became near impossible for me. Switching hats was less the
problem than not having enough heads…meaning I just haven’t had a lot of time
to dedicate to writing. While I did manage to write and finish a first draft of
something I’m very excited about, I haven’t been able to dig into revisions.
Since 2016 also
hold’s a book release with Circle of Jinn coming out on May 17, I knew it was time to make a decision, and that was to
start finding more time. Unless Hermione was going to let me borrow her time
turner, the only way to do that was to start easing things off my plate. It’s
with a heavy heart and reluctant fingers on keyboard that I am announcing my
decision to step down from the YAtopia blog.
But here’s a
hidden truth: I love blogging! Some of my favorite posts have been on this
blog. From my series on novel planning to my posts on finding your writing voice, to my favorite marketing campaign to date. I am sure I will miss it.
Thankfully the
kind folks at YAtopia have agreed to let me swing by for guest posts. But I’ll
also be blogging on my own Web site once in a blue moon, and the best way to
see those posts is to sign up for my newsletter, which comes out every one to
two months. It has writing advice, book news, event updates, giveaways, and critique opportunities.
I’ll be giving away some preorders of Circle
of Jinn exclusively for newsletter followers in the new year.
Another good
thing about making some changes is that I’m also now able to do more freelance editing. My roots are in copyediting, and I offer both copyediting and
manuscript consulting for all genres. I have query/submission packages as well
as marketing consultation services. The number of projects I can take on will
be limited, so if you are interested, best to hit me up soon to schedule! I
have a particular love for query critiques and have given many away over the past
couple of years, especially around Pitch Wars, and most of those folks have
found great success (triple yay!). As always, if you buy a new copy of Becoming Jinn or preorder a copy of Circle of Jinn and e-mail the receipt to summerofjinn@icloud.com, you get a free query or first page critique!
A huge thank you
to the YAtopia community—my fellow bloggers and all of you readers. I’d love to
stay connected, so please follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, my newsletter, or in person (though if you follow in person, please don't be creepy about it....)! And you can add Becoming Jinn and Circle of Jinn to Goodreads too!
One last shout-out:
My debut group, the Freshman Fifteens, will be doing a special end of year giveaway.
Be sure to follow me and the group on Twitter to see what we’re cooking up!
See you next time as a special guest!
Happy Holidays
and Happy Writing to all!
Best,
Lori
Lori
Lori Goldstein is the author of Becoming Jinn (Feiwel and Friends/Macmillan, now available!, sequel, Circle of Jinn, May 17, 2016, available for preorder). With a degree in journalism and more than 10 years of experience, Lori is a freelance copyeditor and manuscript consultant for all genres. She focuses on the nitty-gritty, letting writers focus on the writing.
I've experienced the same thoughts about the difficulties about both marketing and writing and wishing I had Hermiones' time turner. Best of luck!
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