This is the first in what I hope will be a periodic, recurring series featuring authors whose works I've read and reviewed. I've noticed the quality of indie-published works for middle grade is rising, and after COVID shutdowns of schools, my library has been quite receptive to buying indie-published middle grade works, which is a major shift from years past. As always, I have to receive the book through my library before I'll read and decide whether to review it. I hope you enjoy. And keep reading, always!
10 Question & Answer Interview with Jennifer Gladen, author of Souled
1. What was your inspiration for writing Souled?
My son’s obsession with video games. As a technology teacher, I saw that my son was definitely not the only one. As a parent I was really worried about how nothing else seemed to matter to my son other than gaming. My writer's brain kicked in at that moment and I wondered, “What if there’s some evil entity behind the screen trapping kids of all ages, making it impossible to resist? What if this entity wanted to steal these souls?”
2. What were your most significant challenges when writing Souled?
The biggest challenge was keeping the story moving forward. Every level of the game had to have some importance to the story. Another challenge was trying to get my message across without seeming like I was nagging about gaming. :)
3. What was the easiest part of writing it? Why?
While writing Souled, I let my characters “tell” me their story. I had my outline and plans, but it was their story to tell. Many times I’d write a scene and Ethan was just like, “Nope. Not what happened.” Of course, sometimes that posed an issue as well.
4. Souled is indi-published. Did you pursue traditional publishing at any point? Why or why not?
I did not pursue traditional publishing at all for this book .While I’m also traditionally published, I needed full control over this story.
5. What led you to go the indie-publishing route, as opposed to traditional publishing?
I intentionally chose indie publishing this time. I wanted a full say in everything from the writing of the story all the way through to the artwork. I had a specific vision for this book. That’s not to say it was easy. If you’re doing it correctly, indie publishing is a lot of work and can be harder. You’re the author, but also the designer, formatter, publisher, typographer, etc.
6. What do you most hope Souled readers will walk away with from Ethan's story?
I hope that first they say, “I absolutely loved this book!” I also hope they felt like they connected to the characters or that they see themselves in them. I want readers to learn to not let gaming control them, but for them to control their gaming.
7. Can you discuss, briefly, some of the challenges of the indie-publishing process? What was most difficult, and why?
Indie publishing is very hard work. You have to pay for everything yourself: editors, artwork, ISBN numbers, and soi much more. The biggest challenge is getting word out about the book. As a self publisher, you don’t have those big publishing companies showing the world your book. Traditionally published authors also have to promote their books, but they also have the publishers’ highly visited websites and blogs. The world is a “noisy” place. Everyone has something to say, share, or promote. Getting your book to stand out is very difficult without spending lots of money on advertising.
8. My blog features books that kids can get through the public library. Many indie-published works, unfortunately, are not approved for library purchase. Did you make any publishing choices to consciously ensure Souled could be bought by libraries? If so, what were they?
First and foremost, I wanted Souled to be a professional book. In addition to having beta readers, I had peer critiques as well as hiring a full editing workup by a professional editor. I had to be aware of what booksellers and libraries need. Something as simple as making a hardcover available helped. In addition, where you choose to self publish matters. I decided going against having the book printed in bulk by a private printer. Instead I chose to use a Print-on-Demand service. It made sense for me. I did not have thousands of dollars to do a huge print run (nor did I have the space for that.) I used IngramSpark because of their distribution network. They have the ability to make the books available to bookstores and libraries. If I did a huge print run, I would be the only point of sale of the book, which I know can be risky on their end.
9. What middle grade books and authors inspired your writing?
My absolute favorite MG books are Harry Potter Books and the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. I just wanted to stay in those worlds forever. I wanted to create a similar experience for my readers - to love the stoy’s world so much that you just want to be there all the time.
10. Let's talk reviews. How important are they, and where / how can readers help authors, besides buying books?
Reviews are critical. They’re critical for every product, but especially for independently published books. It helps other readers decide whether or not to take a risk on purchasing that book. There will always be a negative review or two as the amount of reviews increases, but it’s that overall picture that helps.
The biggest way to help authors is to share what you know. If you liked their book, tell your friends, teachers, and librarians. Find out if that author does school visits ( chances are they do). Visit the author’s social networking sites to connect and like their posts. That sounds like an odd request, but with tech, algorithms are everything.
Bonus question
11. If you have any words of wisdom for new / budding authors out there...please share.
First, start building a social network - Facebook page or Instagram page. This is perfectly fine to do well before your first book is ever published. Building a following early will help spread the word about your book when the time comes.
Next, after writing and revising your work, set it aside for a few days and then come back to it. Revise it again. Your fresh eyes on the manuscript will help you weed out the little things you missed earlier. After that you’re done, right? No! If you invest in nothing else for your book, invest in a good, professional editor. Be sure to get a developmental edit as part of it. This part of the process is worth your book’s weight in gold...likely more.
Finally, don’t just be a writer. Be a reader too. So many times while I was reading, part of my brain was paying attention to the storytelling. How did this character achieve what he or she did? How did they get over the impossible obstacles? How did the author make this fantasy world seem real? This goes hand in hand with learning and practicing your craft.
Overall, you as the author know the heart of your story. Believe in it. Then, share it with the world.
