Since I've decided to e-publish my own work, I've been reading many books on successful self-publishing, like Smart Self-Publishing: Becoming an Indie Author, and marketing, like ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income and Author 101: Bestselling Secrets from Top Agents. Nowadays it's all about platforms and branding, which are basically nice, tidy little boxes readers can put writers in, so they know what to expect when they buy one of that writer's books or check out her blog.
That's all very well and good for someone who just writes picture books, romantic ghost stories for teens, illustrated books for middle graders, epic fantasy for girls, or funny, geeky ironic-vampire Science-Fiction novels. But what do you do if you write all of that and more?
Ask me what my favorite color is, and I'll tell you it's rainbow. It's not that I'm indecisive and can't choose a favorite color. I honestly like a variety of colors at the same time. Blue is nice. Red is nice. Pink is nice. Yellow is nice. Green is nice. Purple is nice. But I wouldn't buy a painting that was all one color, and I wouldn't want to paint something that was all one color. That's a wall, not a work of art.
So how does a writer create a brand when her favorite color is rainbow? How can I help you stick me in a nice, tidy box so you can know what to expect when you visit my blog or buy one of my books? I've been puzzling over this question for the last few weeks, and it wasn't until this morning that I came up with the answer: the rainbow is my brand.
And in that rainbow you'll find a variety of colors like none you've ever seen before. Colors to entertain and inspire. Colors to make you laugh, think, dream, fall in love, and embrace your inner magic or your inner geek.
I hope that somewhere in my many mixed-up worlds, you’ll find a color that you like.
That's all very well and good for someone who just writes picture books, romantic ghost stories for teens, illustrated books for middle graders, epic fantasy for girls, or funny, geeky ironic-vampire Science-Fiction novels. But what do you do if you write all of that and more?
Ask me what my favorite color is, and I'll tell you it's rainbow. It's not that I'm indecisive and can't choose a favorite color. I honestly like a variety of colors at the same time. Blue is nice. Red is nice. Pink is nice. Yellow is nice. Green is nice. Purple is nice. But I wouldn't buy a painting that was all one color, and I wouldn't want to paint something that was all one color. That's a wall, not a work of art.
So how does a writer create a brand when her favorite color is rainbow? How can I help you stick me in a nice, tidy box so you can know what to expect when you visit my blog or buy one of my books? I've been puzzling over this question for the last few weeks, and it wasn't until this morning that I came up with the answer: the rainbow is my brand.
And in that rainbow you'll find a variety of colors like none you've ever seen before. Colors to entertain and inspire. Colors to make you laugh, think, dream, fall in love, and embrace your inner magic or your inner geek.
I hope that somewhere in my many mixed-up worlds, you’ll find a color that you like.
By Shevi Arnold
Have you ever been swept away by a story? If you have, you know the magic of the storyteller--and you know that magic is real. That is seventeen-year-old Toren's magic . . . but is she brave enough to accept the power that lies within her?
When Toren returns home, her little sister, Noa, is full of questions. Noa demands to know why Toren wakes only at night; what causes her almost constant pain; and above all, why, after completing her apprenticeship, she has decided not to become a wizard. To answer, Toren weaves a tale about a journey that leads her to discover the greatest source of magic in her world--herself. It is a revelation that comes at a high price. Through her darkest years, Toren finds solace and strength in the stories she tells. But her greatest tale is not yet finished. Together with Noa, she sets out on a new adventure. And in the end, she must choose: will she continue to cling to her dream of an ordinary life, or will she dare to let her own magic shine?
When Toren returns home, her little sister, Noa, is full of questions. Noa demands to know why Toren wakes only at night; what causes her almost constant pain; and above all, why, after completing her apprenticeship, she has decided not to become a wizard. To answer, Toren weaves a tale about a journey that leads her to discover the greatest source of magic in her world--herself. It is a revelation that comes at a high price. Through her darkest years, Toren finds solace and strength in the stories she tells. But her greatest tale is not yet finished. Together with Noa, she sets out on a new adventure. And in the end, she must choose: will she continue to cling to her dream of an ordinary life, or will she dare to let her own magic shine?
TOREN: THE TELLER’S TALE is more than an inspirational fantasy. It is a philosophical tale about the enchantment of literature, because in Toren's parallel world there is no greater power than the magic of storytelling.
TOREN: THE TELLER’S TALE is intended to be the first book in the Toren the Teller series.
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