Upcoming Agent Spotlight Interviews & Guest Posts

  • Agent Rachel Orr and Author Cathy Carr Guest Post and Lost Kites and Other Treasures Giveaway on 3/25/2024
  • Paula Weiman Agent Spotlight Interview and Query Critique Giveaway on 4/8/2024
  • Hillary Fazzari Agent Spotlight Interview and Query Critique Giveaway on 4/22/2024
  • Miriam Cortinovis Agent Spotlight Interview and Query Critique Giveaway on 5/6/2024
  • Jenniea Carter Agent Spotlight Interview and Query Critique Giveaway on 5/8/2024
  • Caroline Trussell Agent Spotlight Interview and Query Critique Giveaway on 5/20/2024
  • Jenna Satterthwaite Agent Spotlight Interview and Query Critique Giveaway on 6/10/2024
  • Bethany Weaver Agent Spotlight Interview and Query Critique Giveaway on 6/24/2024

Agent Spotlight & Agent Spotlight Updates

  • Agent Spotlights & Interviews have been updated through the letter "H" as of 5/11/2023 and many have been reviewed by the agents. Look for more information as I find the time to update more agent spotlights.

Tips on Using Social Media as an Author by George Jreije and Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have debut author George Jreije here to share about his MG contemporary fantasy Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria. I’m definitely hoping to read it because it is a contemporary fantasy and has alchemists.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

Twelve-year-old Shad Hadid is an aspiring baker whose life is uprooted when he discovers he’s descended from a long line of alchemists and sent to the mysterious Alexandria Academy. Only, his arrival at the school awakens a nefarious force long lurking in the shadows, and he’ll soon learn he holds the key to either stopping—or unleashing—their evil plot.

 Now here’s George!

Sometimes, when I’m sitting at the edge of the water a sandy beach, I like to imagine corny analogies I can make to the rise and fall of the tides. Here’s one. All social media platforms are like a tide, rising to prominence for a time and then retreating into obscurity once the next platform comes to take over.

If you’re done cringing, I’d love to talk a bit about where that leaves us as we scramble to keep up with bookish social media and what we can do to stay ahead, whether that means finding the largest audience to market ourselves or simply keeping up with trends. There are three bits of advice I’m going to offer that can be summed up with one phrase that extend the analogy from before…

 Ride the waves.

What do I mean by this? Simply put, us in the literary community must be open minded, attentive, and most of all, purposeful.

Beginning with being open minded, we need to allow ourselves to embrace new platforms as they come along. I shied away from joining TikTok for the longest time, even when I knew it was going to be big. And not just big, but the largest platform by far, coming to rival giants like Google and Amazon in terms of traffic. Joining just months earlier could have had a major impact on my followership. I wasn’t open minded. Luckily, I swallowed my pride and made an account, and while I’m not the biggest TikToker (or Booktoker, as they call us in the bookish community there), however, I do have a nice following. Moreover, I’ve met influencers on that site who are promoting my work, which is huge!

Being attentive means not only noticing what new social media platforms are surging in popularity, but which ones are dying. If we remain in our echo chambers and don’t heed what is happening around us, we’ll fail to notice things like TikTok becoming so big that there’s a table dedicated to titles recommended on the platform in every Barnes & Noble. Even some independent bookstores are following suit now! We’ll also fail to notice that Clubhouse wasn’t the big new thing that we all thought it would be a year ago. Not that there is something dire about missing the news, but it can lead to investing hundreds of hours in a site no one else is on. That is why we need to be present, not worrying about the future so much that we create whole strategies around one site that end of useless. Nor can we dwell on the past and find ourselves left behind. Things can quickly, and so you must be ready to respond in kind.

Finally, be purposeful in which platforms you stick to and what you do on them. This is the most critical tip for me. Social media is not meant to be something, like Netflix, where you watch a show before bed. No, there are teams working behind the scenes to make sure you’re checking your account on a phone or computer all the time. They want you hooked. For that reason, be very honest with yourself about why you’re on a particular social media platform and use them accordingly. Remembering to be one using them and not the other way around will help make sure you’re nimble and able to adapt long term. Otherwise, they can and will suck up all your time.

I hope these three bits of advice are as useful to you as they have been for me. Know that, if anything, I’m thankful for social media bringing us together. Swing by one of my pages and say hello, though be sure to also take breaks and do other things…like reading! And if you’re looking for your next book, check out SHAD HADID AND THE ALCHEMISTS OF ALEXANDRIA. I promise you won’t regret it.

Bio: George is the Lebanese American author of Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria, a children's fantasy novel with HarperCollins. He has also written short stories published in collaboration with UNICEF. When not writing, George enjoys trying tasty Arabic pastries, messing with new yoga poses, and mentoring other writers.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ByGeorgeJreije

Instagram: https://instagram.com/ByGeorgeJreije

TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@ByGeorgeJreije

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/george.jreije.9

Email: ByGeorgeJreije@gmail.com

Giveaway Details

George’s publisher is generously offering an ARC of Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by November 5th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter or George on his social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. The ARC giveaway is U.S.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog. 

Upcoming Interviews and Guest Posts

Wednesday, November 2 I have an agent/author guest post by Marlo Berliner and Charity Alyse and a giveaway of Charity’s YA contemporary Other Side of the Tracks and a critique query by Marlo

Monday, November 7 I have an interview with debut author Elaine Kachala and a giveaway of her MG nonfiction book Superpower? The Wearable-Tech Revolution

Tuesday, November 8 I’m participating in the  Super Stocking Stuffer Giveaway Hop

Monday, November 14 I have an agent spotlight interview with Adria Goetz and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, November 16 I’m participating in the In All Things Give Thanks Giveaway Hop

Monday, November 23 I have a guest post by author Jessica Vitalis and a giveaway of her MG fantasy The Rabbit’s Gift

Hope to see you on Wednesday, November 2!

 

 

22 comments:

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

"Ride the waves." I like that! Thoughtful take from George on handling social media.

Danielle H. said...

I liked the social media discussion and advice. This book is high on my reading list, so thank you for the chance to read and review an ARC. I shared on tumblr and Facebook as well as follow the author on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I also follow Natalie on Twitter.

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

If I could do Tik Tok without me in the video, I would.

Kate Larkindale said...

Great social media advice. Not my favorite thing in he world, but so necessary these days.

Patricia T. said...

Great insight on social media accounts. Something to think about as a blogger, as my goal is to promote the books I like and the author's work. Your book really sounds like an exciting read. Best of luck!

Greg Pattridge said...

Happy MMGM! Very interesting discussion on social media. It does feel like a wave at times. This new story by the author sounds like one that will successfully ride that wave to success. Can't wait to give it a read.

Brenda said...

This sounds amazing. I follow Natalie via twitter and blog and also follow the author via Twitter. As always thank you for the opportunity. Hope you a lovely week Natalie.

Liz A. said...

Oh yes, social media platforms are all about keeping the eyeballs glued. Very distracting. But good advice.

Linda Browne said...

This is very timely for me, as I'm interested in investigating Booktok. I agree that it's necessary to be aware and nimble. Luckily, I enjoy being a life long learner.

Valinora Troy said...

I'd love to read this book so I am very disappointed that I'm not eligible for the giveaway! I am not a fan of social media and it is so time consuming, so thanks for the good advice!

Angie Quantrell said...

Great tips about social media, George. Thank you! I've been considering dropping one of mine quite a bit lately...I NEVER go there to read around...and many of my people are not on there. Good incentives. Thanks for sharing. And congratulations on your book! Yay! Best wishes. :)

I follow you by email, Natalie.
angelecolline at yahoo dot com

Computer Tutor said...

Good advice, George. Thanks!

Elizabeth Varadan, Author said...

Really great advice about social media. I confess, I am not on TikTok — yet — but I do get why it's smart to join. Meanwhile, Shad Hadid and the Alchemists of Alexandria sound like an intriguing tale.

Leela said...

I'm an email subscriber.

tetewa said...

Sounds like a great read and I love the cover!

Karen K. said...

This book sounds fantastic! I'd love to win a copy.

Tonja Drecker said...

OOoo...alchemists! I'm going to keep my eye on this one. Best of luck!

Rosi said...

What an interesting and useful post. Thanks for that. I will pass on the giveaway. Buried in books!

Deniz Bevan said...

Those are really useful tips, thank you!
Love the sound of this book, I'm adding it to my wishlist!

Miriam G said...

Good advice and the book sounds very fun! boragrove@aol.com

Kasey @ The Story Sanctuary said...

Great advice! I hadn't heard of this book-- it looks like a really great adventure. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity. :) There are always so many cool things happening here on this blog!

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing this guest post! George makes some great points about social media and being adaptable!

Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction