Happy Monday Everyone!
Today I’m super excited to have debut author Adrian So here to share about his
MG chapter book The Groundworld Heroes. I’m really thrilled to have Adrian
here. He’s 15 years old and is already a published author! I know he’s going to
have lots of great advice to share. And his chapter book sounds like an
action-packed story that’s relevant to our world today. I’m looking forward to
reading it.
Here's a blurb from Goodreads:
When Benjamin, a junior mole digger, witnesses a human invasion of his homeland, he must find his long-lost courage and unite two culturally distinct realms to fight the intruders and save his kind from extinction. What perils lie before him as he ventures into the unknown? Can Benjamin go up against a rough bunch of illegal animal trappers before it's too late?
Meet the Groundworld heroes as they defend their country's sovereignty and save their fellow citizens from capture and extinction.
Perfect for fans of Kate Dicamillo and Roald Dahl.
Follower News
Before I get to Adrian’s interview, I have
Follower News to share. Melissa Maygrove has a new release of her western historical
romance, Battered Pride. Here’s a blurb: When a Mojave clansman insists on helping a struggling widow whose
husband was scalped and murdered, survival isn’t the only battle on the
frontier. Here are a few links: Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJ1MRFDZ Website: http://www.melissamaygrove.com/
Interview With Adrian So
Hi Adrian! Thanks so much
for joining us.
1. Tell us about yourself
and how you became a writer.
My name is Adrian So and I
am a high school student from Markham, Canada. I began writing when I was in
grade 5, during the pandemic when there was nothing much to do. I soon
discovered that I quite enjoyed making up stories so I kept at it, until I wrote
The Groundworld Heroes.
2. Where did you get the
idea for The Groundworld Heroes?
The idea for The
Groundworld Heroes came when I was working in my backyard, where I saw some
holes in the lawn and wondered how some animals could manage to live
underground. So I started typing away at my laptop and it didn’t take long
until I finished the first few chapters of my manuscript.
Your Writing Process
3. It’s cool how we
writers get ideas from random things in our life that we ask questions about. Did
you plot out or were you a panster for The Groundworld Heroes? Will you change
your plotting process for future manuscripts?
I have always been a
pantser when I’m writing this book because I usually couldn’t stick to a strict
plot outline and thought the most effective way would be to write first, then
edit later. This gives me more room for creativity and ensures that I don’t
limit myself when I draft.
4. You have to follow certain guidelines on vocabulary, chapter length, and the overall length of the book when writing a chapter book. What rules did you use to be sure your story was a chapter book vs. a longer middle grade story? What tips do you have for other writers wanting to write a chapter book?
At first I thought I was
writing a middle grade story when I finished the first draft of my novel. But
when I submitted it to my current publisher Dr. Jennifer Lowry, she told me
that it would be more suitable for younger chapter book readers. So after we
signed our publishing contract, the editing team at the publishing company
helped me with changing the vocabulary and tailoring it to fit a younger
readership. We made the sentences shorter and easier to comprehend and added
more action scenes throughout the book to grab the kids’ attention easier.
My biggest piece of advice
for other writers who want to write chapter books is to try to add humour if
you can. When I was younger, I enjoyed reading books that are comedic more than
books that are not. Also try not to talk down to your readers because kids
actually know more than you may think.
5. That’s great that your
publisher helped you with changing your story to be a chapter book. And thanks
for the great tip. You’re in high school. How have you juggled your writing
deadlines, writing a new manuscript, and marketing your debut book with the
demands of high school?
I was lucky that The
Groundworld Heroes is released during summer break, this allows for me to
focus more on my book without worrying about studying as much. But normally
when I’m in school, I tend to prioritize school work over my writing hobby, and
all hobbies. When I do need to market my book, I usually do it during weekends
or in my spare time, where I could do interviews like this or talk to potential
book buyers.
Your Road to Publication
5. It sounds like you have
your priorities straigt. What was your road to publication like and how did you
get your publishing contract?
The road to publication
for me is quite difficult, but when compared with other authors, I actually
think I had it easy. It took me a little more than a year shopping my
manuscript around until I found the right home for it. The Groundworld
Heroes first garnered no interest at all because I was too quick with
querying it. I remembered submitting it to literary agents and publishers
before I even completed the draft. I was, and maybe still am, an amateur
writer, I used to always make the most fatal mistakes when it comes to writing,
such as telling instead of showing and using too many adverbs. But I did
finally get my publishing contract after I learned how to query the hard way,
and one day, after a few back and forth rounds of revising and resubmitting, Monarch
Press said they are interested in acquiring my book.
6. How has it been working
with your publisher, Monarch Educational Services? What advice do you have for
other writers considering working with a publisher on their own?
My publisher Monarch Press
was really great and professional. They assigned me two highly skilled editors,
Ashley White and Haley Hwang, who helped me all the way from major structural
edits to copy edits to final proofreads. We also had a supportive community of
authors who help each other out with all things publishing-related. I also had
a publicist, Carol Baldwin, who created press releases and sent them out to
different media outlets on my behalf. The Groundworld Heroes has been
selling quite well since its release on August 6, and it’s all because of these
people.
My advice for other
writers considering working with a publisher is to get your manuscript in the
best form possible before sending it out. Submitting your work too early would
actually do more harm than good to you.
Promoting Your Book
7. That’s great you had so
much help. And Carol is awesome. I’d like to talk about how you marketed your
book because Carol Baldwin, a blogger friend mentioned in a guest post for The
Insecure Writer’s Support Group that you’re the king of marketing and
spreadsheets. Can you start out by sharing your basic marketing plan and what
you felt worked and didn’t work?
I made a spreadsheet with
Ms. Carol Baldwin, where we listed key contacts to reach out to, categorized
into different groups, such as library contacts, reviewer contacts, influencer
contacts, podcaster contacts, media contacts, and a lot other categories. The
categories that worked out the least are the media and the library, with only a
handful of responses and even less interest in covering/acquiring the book. The
reviewer and influencer contacts worked out the best, with about a 50%
acceptance rate to be featured.
8. Tell us about the
marketing spreadsheet you created. What information do you think authors should
include in theirs?
List the contacts that you
think may be useful or relevant to your book(s) and maybe you can use the
categories I talked about as reference.
9. How did you discover
bloggers and book influencers on TikTok and Bookstagram who might be interested
in your book? Do you have recommendations of ones we should connect with or
follow?
What I did was I searched
up books that are similar to mine, then saw which influencers or reviewers
promoted them. Then I can get a rough idea on who to contact about my book and
I thought that trick worked pretty well.
10. That sounds like a
good approach we could all try. How did you decide on which libraries to
contact and how have you reached out to them?
I mostly start local. I
think about the libraries in my city, my province, and my country. To a lesser
degree, I also reached out to libraries that are in English-speaking countries
to see if they would be interested in adding my book to their collections. I
usually find the person who is in charge of collections or acquisitions and
contact them instead of the average library clerk.
11. What are you working
on now?
I am currently working on
another children’s chapter book called Mr. Troublemaker. It’s another
fantasy book for an even younger age group than The Groundworld Heroes is
for.
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Adrian. You can find Adrian at https://x.com/Adrian62852188
https://adriansotheauthor.my.canva.site
The Groundworld Heroes could be found at:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-groundworld-heroes-adrian-so/1145464831?ean=9781957656625
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211903613-the-groundworld-heroes
Giveaway Details
Adrian is generously offering a
paperback of The
Groundworld Heroes 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 October
26th. If your email 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 follow Adrian 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. This book giveaway
is U.S.
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg
Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.
Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts,
and Blog Hops
Wednesday, October 16th
I have an agent spotlight interview with Samantha
Wekstein and a query critique giveaway
Wednesday, October 16th I’m
participating in the Silly Pumpkin Giveaway Hop
Monday, October 28th I
have a guest post by author Abbi Lee and a giveaway of her MG Ghost Town
Treasure Hunt
Friday, November 1st I’m
participating in the Thanks a Latte Giveaway Hop
Wednesday, November 6th
I have an interview with author Jan Gangsei and a giveaway of her YA Dead Below Deck and my
IWSG post
Saturday, November 9th I’m participating in the Super
Stocking Stuffer Giveaway Hop
Monday, November 11th I have an agent spotlight interview
with CoCo Freeman and a query critique giveaway
Saturday, November 16th I’m participating in the In All
Things Give Thanks Giveaway Hop
I hope to see you on Wednesday!
22 comments:
Congratulations to Adrian! I'd imagine the pandemic probably spurred a good number of writers to put pen to paper.
Thanks for the shoutout!
This is awesome! What a great idea for a chapter book, too. Thanks for sharing this really intriguing interview. :)
I enjoyed reading and reviewing Adrian's book last summer. Such a fun, unique story. Thanks for the great interview and much luck to Adrian on his new writing project. I'll let someone else have the chance to win a copy who hasn't read the story yet. Happy MMGM!
So excited for Adrian, I really enjoyed reading his book. Happy that he has a new book in the works too. No need to enter me in the giveaway. Happy MMGM
Great interview with Adrian! What a neat concept for a chapter book - can't wait to read it.
Best of luck to Adrian!
That's a great tip to create a list of people to reach out to. I'm sure it took a lot of work to create the list, though.
Congratulations Adrian! Amazing to publish at age 15. Love the idea of this book. It sounds like a perfect gift book for teens who may try their hands at writing! Look forward to reading this one!
It's quite an accomplishment to get published at such a young age. Congratulations!!
Congratulations, Adrian! I love that you thought of the book while noticing some holes in the backyard. I love the advice you provide for chapter books. Kids really do know more than you think and I believe that they have a better sense of humor in many instances so I can see why you would advice adding that. I had no idea that you needed to reach out to libraries yourself but it does make sense. My library has a spot where I can recommend a book that they should shelve so I can see why you would reach out as the author.
Covid did help a lot of us find our passion. I'm only 14 and I am working on editing my manuscript to it's best. This is a good motivation. Congratulations to you!
Good interview. I enjoyed the backstory.
Excellent interview. Adrian sounds like a pro already. And the book sounds good too!
Sounds amazing! Positive.ideas.4youATgmail BonneVivante on X Gadget Goodreads
Honestly, Adrian is giving me too much credit. By the time I started working for Monarch he had already built his amazing spreadsheets! But i learned something new from this interview--that he heard back more from bloggers than librarians! Interesting... Thanks for featuring Adrian. At Monarch we're all proud of him! No need to enter my name.
The GROUNDWORLD HEROES looks like an interesting read! Thank you Adrian for this give away. Carol, please enter my name.
Gail Hurlburt
Congratulations to Adrian! Super achievement! Wishing him all the best! :)
Carol, you are right, my grandson would enjoy it! Great book.
Wow. Most kids Adrian's age never finish reading books. Writing one is a real accomplishment. Congrats. It sounds like a fun story. Thanks for the post. I will pass on the giveaway. I'm swimming in books.
Excellent tips, Adrian, and congrats on your debut book. I have a feeling we’ll be hearing a lot more from you in the future.
I’m definitely going to use your marketing spreadsheet idea. Thanks for being so generous about your process.
Congratulations to Adrian! He should be so proud of himself. What an accomplishment!
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