Mikey Brooks's Blog, page 10

Cover Reveal: Princess and the Prom Queen

Trifecta Books is proud to announce a fun YA urban fantasy by author Jaclyn Weist— The Princess and the Prom Queen.  Jenny’s had it with her life. Six siblings in an overstuffed house are enough to drive anyone crazy, and sometimes she dreams of escaping to some fantasy world. When she suddenly wakes up to find herself being kissed by a strange—but very handsome—prince, Jenny knows her life just got a lot more exciting. Now stuck in a medieval land of castles and royalty, when Jenny learns that the queen has agreed to marry her off to the prince, it’s time to take matters into her own hands. She goes on a quest to find out who dragged her to this time while trying to keep from falling in love with either of the boys vying for her attention.
Princess Genevieve has only known life under her mother’s rule. She wants to do more than go to battle or deal with suitors. She wakes to find herself in a new world filled with gadgets, electricity, and moving carriages. She finally has the freedom to be who she wants to be with a family who cares deeply for her and a boy worth any sacrifice. It’s more than everything she always wanted. 
As Jenny and Genevieve settle into their new lives, they face an unknown evil which threatens everything they care about and makes them face tough questions—like who they are and what they really want their lives to become.
The Princess and the Prom Queenwill be available on Kindle April 29th, 2014, with print to follow shortly. You are invited to attend the online launch party on Facebook by clicking here at 7:00 pm on that day. https://www.facebook.com/events/312279742253197/

Book Feature: Trusted

I am happy to introduce you to Krista Wayment, author of the middle-grade adventure: Trusted , book one in the Dragon's Trust series. I have been following the progress of this book for sometime and I am happy to finally see it come available. I asked Krista to share her journey in writing her first middle-grade book. Don't forget to check out the GIVEAWAY at the bottom of this post!

Guest Post by: Krista Wayment
My first attempt at writing a novel was an adult fantasy. And it was not my best work. After I finished it I started several projects but couldn't stick with one long enough to finish it.

While researching publishers I came across Shadow Mountain which publishes a lot of Middle Grade fiction. I read several of their books and fell in love with Middle Grade--so I started reading as many as I could find. It occurred to me one day that I should try and write a middle grade book.

Then, I attended the LDS Storymakers conference and attended a class about writing YA and another about writing MG. That sealed the deal for me. I wanted to write a Middle Grade book. And I wanted to write something with a male main character. I've always been a tom boy so I thought it might be easier for me to write something like that.

So, I asked myself: What kind of middle grade book do I want to write? The answer was--it has to have dragons. Next I asked, what kind of dragons--wise and smart like humans? Or more animal-ish, like horses. To which I thought--why can't I have both? And that is where it all started.

I began crafting a world where both wise and dumb dragons could exist. I asked myself why their were two kinds and the history of the world started to take shape. I asked what the people in this world thought about the differences and soon I had a story on my hands.

Basically, I said to myself: I want a middle grade fantasy book with dragons in it that would appeal to both boy and girl readers--and Trusted was born.

About TRUSTED Renick, the fifth son of a dragon breeder, crashes into an unexpected adventure that challenges everything he thought he knew about dragons, history, and himself.
Stranded in the massive Helath forest, Renick meets two other passengers: Thane, a noble training to be a dragon knight, and Lainey, the orphaned niece of a healer. Together they survive an attack by vicious wolves, rescue a baby dragon with a broken wing, and escape from a band of dragon hunters as they make a perilous climb into the mountains. What they discover there will change everything.



About the Author
Krista Wayment has been making up stories since she learned to talk. Writing naturally grew out of that. Krista is an avid Fantasy and Science Fiction fan, and a total nerd. She is also a software engineer and loves playing video games. Although, curling up with a good book is still one of her favorite past times. Visit her website at: www.kristawayment.coma Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Feature: The Spark of a Feudling

Hate can start a war, but a shattered heart can fuel it for centuries. 

Everything Ada does is wrong. She’s the daughter of a Duke but she isn’t proper or formal. She prefers the company of her servants—particularly Christian, the boy she’s loved since she was six years old, and his sister, Charity, Ada’s very best friend in the entire world.
Ada isn’t just the daughter of a Duke. No, she’s the daughter of one of the most powerful Edren sorcerers alive, and no matter how strong she is, it isn’t strong enough. Ada will give up almost everything to earn her father’s pride.
Christian has loved Ada since the day his mother became her governess. But two societies are determined to keep them apart—the aristocracy who say a groom will never be good enough for a Duke’s beautiful daughter, and the sorcerers who say a Carules and an Edren can never be together. Christian will do anything to make Ada his—even drive himself to madness.
When Ada suspects her father of hurting Charity and Christian in his quest for knowledge, she is torn between loyalty to him, and a fierce determination to protect them. The division tears her soul and breaks her heart.
The pieces of her broken heart will start a war that can only be stopped by the death of the most powerful warrior alive by the hand of the boy who loves her.
******Bonus Story – Feudlings in Peace**Join  Ari, Shane, Ada, Christian and everyone they love as they chase their happily ever after.
Excerpt:  He sprinted down the path, into the forest, leaping over huge rocks and tree roots and through streams he couldn’t see but his magic told him were there. He had no idea where he was going, but there seemed to be a tether from his heart to hers — he always knew where Ada was. He ran straight to them, nearly colliding with her father’s guards as he raced through the thick trees.

“What happened to her?” he bellowed, jerking Ada out of Davis’s bloodstained arms. “She was hit, saving me,” Harrison answered. “Can you help her?” If there had been time, any time at all, Christian would have paused at that. How exactly had his tiny little Ada saved the giant Harrison? But there wasn’t time. He laid her on the thick grass, searching for the wound. But there was so much blood. “There!” Davis snapped, jabbing the air above her stomach. Flames roiled across Christian’s hands and he held them above her, letting the flames soothe the skin before he tried to touch it. They swirled through the air, seeping and mending the broken, charred skin. “Does she breathe?” Harrison asked, crouching close to put his face next to her mouth. Christian ignored him. He didn’t care if she breathed or not. She would breathe, or he would die with her. “She does.” Harrison sat back, relieved. “Can you not heal at all? Stop the blood flow from her shoulder!” Christian snapped. Harrison gaped at him. “We’re Edren. We don’t heal.” “I’m Carules and I can throw a lirik if need be,” Christian muttered under his breath, but he couldn’t argue with them now. She moaned. They all froze in shock, and then redoubled their efforts. Davis jerked his shirt off and held it to her shoulder while Christian’s blue flames leaped and danced from his hands, fighting the poison eating through her body. “Christian. I knew—” she whispered as her skin healed, leaving only pink burns behind. “Shhh. Don’t speak. You’re still very weak.” He moved from her stomach to her shoulder, pushing Davis’ shirt out of the way. It was stiff with dried blood and she shrieked when he ripped it from the wound. “Forgive me, dear one,” he whispered, his mouth near her temple, kissing the pain away. “Forgive me.” “I knew… you would come. I knew you… could heal me.” Her eyes fluttered open, dazed with pain, dark orbs barely reflecting the moonlight. “Always, Ada. Forever.”
Author Bio and links: Wendy Knight is the bestselling author of the young adult series Fate on Fire and Riders of Paradesos. She was born and raised in Utah by a wonderful family who spoiled her rotten because she was the baby. Now she spends her time driving her husband crazy with her many eccentricities (no water after five, terror when faced with a live phone call, no touching the knives…you get the idea). She also enjoys chasing her three adorable kids, playing tennis, watching football, reading, and hiking. Camping is also big—her family is slowly working toward a goal of seeing all the National Parks in the U.S. 
You can usually find her with at least one Pepsi nearby, wearing ridiculously high heels for whatever the occasion. And if everything works out just right, she will also be writing.
Social Media Links:
Blog: www.wendyknightauthor.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorWendyK...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wjk8099
Instagram: http://instagram.com/wendyjo99
Where to Buy it:http://www.amazon.com/Spark-Fuedling-Fate-Fire-ebook/dp/B00J2I06E6/

Choose Your Own Adventure

Today’s post is part of a Choose Your Own Adventure Storywritten and hosted by T. Isenhoff and M. Isenhoff on their Storyboys blog. T. is in 3rdgrade, and M. is in 6th grade. This story was their winter homeschool project. Travel over to their blog to start at the beginning. Have fun!(Here’s the permalink to the boys’ first post, if it didn’t come through on the hyperlink above: http://wp.me/p2bspO-5A)

TONY
 Tony flung open the wooden door. They stepped into a cavernous room richly decorated with wooden panels etched in gold. Tapestries hung from the walls. Heavy wooden beams held up the ceiling high above. A single window perched beneath the peak of the roof. It was large and round and made of stained glass. The colored sunlight filtered into the room and settled on heaps and heaps of treasure.The glittering piles were contained in open trunks. Rubies, emeralds, diamonds, gold and silver ornaments, coins. Trunk after trunk lay open in rows, sparkling in the sunlight. The boys were dazzled by the sight. Another roar snapped them out of the spell. Tony said, “Grab as much as you can and run!”Pockets bulging, they raced to the far side of the room. “There’s no way out!” Ed cried.Tony tripped over the end of a trunk and slammed into the wall. One of the panels slid away. “Over here!” Behind the wall, Tony pointed into a dark hole in the floor with the top of a ladder protruding from it. “Climb down, quickly!”They had no choice. The colored light grew dim. The ladder ended at a narrow passage. Made of stone, it ran in only one direction. Ducking their heads, the boys plodded on. They heard the ladder scrape against stone behind them and then the sound of loping footsteps.“Our friend is right behind us,” Ed warned. The passage dead-ended at another ladder. Climbing quickly, Tony pushed against the ceiling. A trap door opened. They climbed into a tiny, dark room. Ed clicked on a flashlight. The beam landed on shelves of skeletons wrapped in fine cloth. “Um, Tony? I think we’re in a mausoleum.”“Oh, gross!” Tony exclaimed. They pushed against the door but it wouldn’t budge.The zombie’s head popped up through the floor. He took off his cowboy hat. “Friends?” he growled. “Dance?” A grotesque smile showed a few teeth still hanging in the mouth behind the beard.“He’s friendly!” said Ed.“Can you get us out of here?” asked Tony.The zombie gave the door a mighty push. They exited into a graveyard and the zombie led them back into the mansion’s ballroom. “Dance?” he asked again and did a few steps of his linedance.“I can dance,” Ed said, joining him.“You know,” Tony said to the monster. “with all that treasure in there, you could afford to hire live music and put on a real party.”The zombie grinned and nodded. “Dance!” he said.The next weekend, Ed and Tony rode to the mansion in their jeans and cowboy boots. The suits of armor had done a fine job of decorating. They followed the sounds of electric guitars and found Luke Bryan singing in the ballroom with his band. The boys joined the armor, the ghosts, and the zombie and linedanced until morning.The End

Middle Shelf

I am pumped that Emblazoners 
are in the March issue of Middle Shelf!
"Middle Shelf is a digital-only magazine featuring the best books for middle grade readers. Each bi-monthly issue includes author interviews, reviews, excerpts, and photo essays."
Subscriptions are free!

Look at this gorgeous ad they ran for Emblazoners! The Emblazoner AdThe folks at Middle Shelf offered us a great discount for our ad (Middle Shelf is new and they're just getting started, but they're an off-shoot of the larger Shelf Unbound company). This is where having an indie group of authors is a great advantage - the ad was more than any one of us would spend individually (even at the discount) but together, it was a no brainer. Plus we're (hopefully) building some brand-recognition for our group, as authors who strive to emblazon our stories on the hearts of children. Check out our group and subscribe to receive our catalog to see what other great things we're doing! Check out Middle Shelf's Facebook page to see how to advertise with them.
 One of our Emblazoners was Spotlighted!Faery Swap by Susan Kaye QuinnAnd a full-page excerpt for Faery Swap!
The Faery Swap ExcerptSusan was surprised when Laurisa, Editor-in-Chief at Middle Shelf, reached out to her, saying she had read the sample chapter of Faery Swap and thoroughly enjoyed it! And wanted to feature an excerpt in their March edition! Of course, Susan was happy to do that, and she couldn't be more pleased with how it came out. It's possible she may be in a future issue as well with an interview about being an indie MG author.
Two things impress Susan about Middle Shelf - that they're actively reaching out to indie authors and that they have the super-glossy, top-shelf look a professional magazine should.
From their premiere issue last fall:

"Good books have the power to entertain, to spark imaginations, and to transform lives, which is precisely why Middle Shelf came into being. We want to connect middle grade readers to the very best books, whether they're on the bestseller lists, published by small or indie presses, or self-published."

Amen!

Idea Creations Press: AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Mikey Brooks

I got interviewed on IC Press! Check out this fun interview!!



Idea Creations Press: AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Mikey Brooks: MIKEY WILL BE AT THE  WRITE HERE IN EPHRAIM  CONFERENCE COMING UP THE END OF MARCH! CHECK  THIS SITE FOR DETAILS! Another great intervie...

Blog Tour: Faery Swap

March 3rd - March 21st
I am super excited to share this amazing book on my blog. This is one of those books that grabs you and doesnt let you go. I have enjoyed reading this book! Susan Kaye Quinn is an awesome writer! Feary Swap is funny, well paced, and filled with adventure. It's a book no kid will want to miss. But you don't have to take my word for it. Check it out yourself:
A little about Faery Swap... Kindle, Nook, PrintWarrior faery princes can be very stubborn. Especially when they possess your body.Fourteen-year-old Finn just wants to keep his little sister out of Child Protective Services--an epic challenge with their parentally-missing-in-action dad moving them to England, near the famous Stonehenge rocks. Warrior faery Prince Zaneyr just wants to escape his father's reckless plan to repair the Rift--a catastrophe that ripped the faery realm from Earth 4,000 years ago and set it adrift in an alternate, timeless dimension. When Zaneyr tricks Finn into swapping places, Finn becomes a bodiless soul stuck in the Otherworld, and Zaneyr uses Finn's body to fight off his father's seekers on Earth. Between them, they have two souls and only one body... and both worlds to save before the dimensional window between them slams shut. NOTE TO TEACHERS: Check out the Virtual Author visit video and Common-Core-Aligned Teacher's Guide for Faery Swap here.
2 minute book trailer

Excerpt
[Author's Note: Faery Swap is told in alternating points of view, between Finn, the human boy, and Zaneyr, the faery prince who tricks him into swapping places.]
Finn's Excerpt:He looked up at the blanket of haze hiding the sun. The sky had been blue when he had dropped off Erin. How long had he been out? He wrestled his arm around to look at his watch8:44The second hand was dead still, frozen between the five and the six. Whatever McFreaky did to knock him out broke his watch, too. The watch his mom gave him. She had strapped it on his wrist that day he was late for the bus and told him that being on time was important. Part of growing up. She drove him to school. The wreck happened on the way home.It was the last thing she ever gave him. And McFreaky broke it. Finn clenched his fist and slammed it into the grass.Then the grass punched him back.The hit to his shoulder was so hard, it flipped him onto his back. A tinkling of glass sounded all around him.“What the…?” Finn scrambled to sit up. The grass couldn’t have punched him. That didn’t make any sense. Something under the grass then. He jumped up to his feet and stared at the ground, frozen, waiting for it to move again.Nothing happened.Finn stomped his foot on the grass where he’d been lying a moment before, just to be sure. The grass kicked back, knocking him off his feet and landing him with a thump on his backside. The tinkling glass sound rushed up, like a thousand tiny voices laughing.“Ahhh!” Finn jerked up off the ground. A narrow dirt path was just a dozen feet away, so he ran toward it. Tiny insects rose up wherever he stepped, making the tinkling sound, then falling back down. He teetered on the safety of the path, which seemed clear of the insects. The path was just wide enough for a sheep to pass. A very small sheep.What was this crazy place?
Zaneyr's Excerpt:Zaneyr peered at the young sister of Finn. He vowed to respect that kin bond, as a brother would. It was the least he could do, having banished her brother to the eternal changelessness of the Otherworld. And perhaps the House of Finn would serve as good a hiding place as any.She awaited his answer with an impatience too large for such a small thing.“No, lass, you cannot stay home with me.” He gestured to the loud guardian of the stone structure. “You need to stay here. But I will be back at the appointed time for you.”Erin’s shoulders sagged with defeat.“But I think I will return home now.” Zaneyr looked around at the many dwellings that crowded the path. “Which one would that be?”Erin fixed that glare upon him again. “I memorized our address, already! When are you going to stop quizzing me?”“It is the sickness,” Zaneyr said with a smile. “It is stealing my memory like a thief.”“Dude, you are sick.” She suddenly shot her hand toward his face. Reflexively, Zaneyr leaned away, but she managed to land a tiny, warm hand on his cheek. He froze. What sort of magick was she working by touch? Then he remembered she was only a child, and a human one at that. It had been so long since he had felt the warmth of any touch.The tension flew away.“You’re not running a fever.” Her face was a picture of seriousness. “But I should go home with you.”“Erin!” the woman called again, closer now. “You all right, love? I’m closing the gates.”“You are summoned. You must go.” Zaneyr glanced again at the dwellings, stacked like cubes on top of one another. He pointed to one. “Is that our home? I don’t believe you truly recall.”Erin’s shoulders drooped again. “It’s 842 on Earls Court.” She speared his chest with a small finger. Don’t forget to come back and get me.”“I could hardly refuse an order so imperiously given.”
Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card Signed Paperback of Faery Swap Two Faery Wands ENTER TO WIN
a Rafflecopter giveaway Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction. Faery Swap is her foray into middle grade, which is her first writing love. Her business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist" and she always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can subscribe to her newsletter (hint: new subscribers get a free short story!) or stop by her blog to see what she's up to. Faery Swap Kindle | Nook | PrintFourteen-year-old Finn is tricked into swapping places with a warrior faery prince and has to find his way back home before the dimensional window between their worlds slams shut.

Author Interview: Bonnie Gwyn

I am thrilled to have my guest on the blog today. I have made several appearances on her blog so it's only fair she come on mine. I'd like to introduce you to Bonnie Gwyn. She is a debut author of the book Escaping Safely , a distopian book that is sure to make a hit in the YA market. Bonnie is also one of the host on the Authors' Think Tank Podcast. I'll first hare a brief synopsis about the book then it's onto a terrific interview with her.
Book Synopsis: Christina has grown up literally ‘sheltered’ in a sanctuary run by mysterious Officials who offer safety in exchange for captivity. She’s already suspicious of the Officials when she meets Tyler Andrus, commander of the T-Squad: a group of rebels on a quest to destroy the sanctuaries and bring light back into the world. Having yearned for freedom all her life, she joins them in a journey of hope, terror, and self-discovery.
What first inspired you to write Escaping Safety?
Bonnie Gwyn: It started as a really simple idea I got after a nap – regarding bubbles. The more I thought about it, the more those bubbles grew into a world of their own, and they became the sanctuaries. It really just grew a little every day. I had no idea where it was going at first – or if I’d even write more than the first page. But look at it now!
I am always curious to see authors’ creative process. How did you start the book; with an outline, a scene in your mind, or like me with a character’s name?
Bonnie Gwyn: I started with the opening scene in mind and, thanks to NaNoWriMo, jumped right in and (truly by a miracle) wrote the book. :)
What did it take to get this book to where it is now? Do you use beta readers, proof readers, or editors?
Bonnie Gwyn: I honestly wasn’t very traditional with this book. It happened so fast! But I did have a couple beta readers and my editor was absolutely amazing.
If you could pick a favorite character from your book who would it be and why? Is there a favorite line they say you’d like to share?
Bonnie Gwyn: Wolf. I think I’ve been in love with him from the very first. ;) He’s a really goofy fellow, but has serious potential for greatness. One of my favorite lines: “Don’t call me little doggie.” Hehe
What do you hope readers take away after reading Escaping Safety?
Bonnie Gwyn: I want this book to serve as a reminder of the value of freedom, and of agency. Sometimes “safety” sounds really nice, but as those in the sanctuaries have found out, it can have a price. To put it simply: Keep your eyes open, and don’t let visions of perfection blind you towards the beauty of reality. :)
Okay, it’s the question everyone is dying to hear. If you could be any flavor of ice cream what would that flavor be and what’s the name you’d give yourself? Personally I’d be a very sweet vanilla bean with jelly beans, gummy bears, and sugar cubes. I’d be called “Sugar, Sugar, Buzz, Buzz, Buzz”.
Bonnie Gwyn: I’d like to be peppermint with a topping of Dove chocolate. Just because that sounds really good! I’d call myself “The Birdy Surprise” or something cheesy like that. ;)
What should readers expect when they read this book?
Bonnie Gwyn: Escaping Safety is fast paced, and as one of my most recent reviewers mentioned – there are no guarantees. Expect characters that will win your heart and a story that’s truly just beginning. :) There are two more books in the making!
This book is dystopian. What kind of mindset do you have to be in in order to write this genre?
Bonnie Gwyn: You have to think a lot about what can go wrong in society – and what problems we have now that can be adapted to a futuristic, fictional atmosphere. Anything can happen. And you can’t underestimate your characters. Sometimes it’s truly shocking to see how far they’ll go. That’s part of why it’s so awesome.
Is there anything else you’d like to share today about you or your book?

Bonnie Gwyn: Escaping Safety is my debut novel, and I’m very excited to share it with the world. :) I have another series that's been in my mind for years, and I hope to get that written someday soon as well. But for now, this trilogy is my focus, and it’s thrilling!
Where can we find more information about you and your book?
Bonnie Gwyn: My website, Bonniegwyn.com, is currently under construction. But feel free to visit my blog: Bonniegwyn.blogspot.com. Most of my posts there are spiritual and revolve around my LDS (Mormon) faith, though I do intend to start blogging more about my writing as well. :) Also, stop by my Facebook page! (Facebook.com/AuthorBonnieGwyn) – I’ll be keeping my fans updated throughout this blog tour and the writing of Sanctuary 2. :) Thanks so much for having me! :)
Author Bio: Bonnie Gwyn wrote her first book, about a talking grandfather clock, when she was six–and hasn’t stopped writing since. In fact, she can’t “not write,” and she wouldn’t have it any other way. She hasn’t missed a day of writing in her journal for the past four years! As a winner in this year’s National Novel Writing Month challenge, Bonnie produced her latest dystopian novel, Escaping Safety, and is now working on its sequel. She is also close to completing a fantasy romance series, The Legends of Elldamorae, whose characters have captured her heart and can’t wait to have their stories revealed. Bonnie’s mantra is, “I write because I believe every story deserves to be told.” You can learn more about Bonnie, and read her inspirational blog posts, by clicking on the links below:
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonnie-Gwyn/299732350087400Twitter: https://twitter.com/bonniegwynBlog: http://bonniegwyn.blogspot.com/Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/bonniegwyn/
BUY HER BOOK:http://goo.gl/bQmVf6

Go Vote!

YOU DID IT! Thanks to you The Dream Keeper has been officially nominated for The Best Children’s Indie Book Award. Now we need to see it WIN. Please take a second to vote (it literally take a second). Voting ends Thursday. Please share with your friends or those that have read this book. Just follow this link to vote: http://ircbin2014.blogspot.com/2014/02/children-4-dream-keeper.html

Middle-Grade Week, Day 5

This week is all about Middle Grade: writing it, indie publishing it, and especially marketing it! As you may know, reaching those elusive middle grade readers is tough, doubly so when you're indie published. Plus there are giveaways (see below)! Here's the schedule:
MONDAY: Warrior Faeries and Math Magick: How Susan Kaye Quinn is using a Virtual Author Visit video and Teacher's Guide to reach readers with her MG novel, Faery Swap.
TUESDAY: Faery, Fairy, Sweet and Scary: a discussion with MG author Kim Batchelor on writing about Faeries in kidlit.
WEDNESDAY: Sci Fi for the Middle Grade Set: a post with MG author Dale Pease about writing SF for kids.
THURSDAY: Writing Indie MG: a roundup of indie MG authors (Michelle Isenhoff, Elise Stokes, Lois Brown, Mikey Brooks, Ansha Kotyk) about why they write MG and how to reach readers, including their indie MG author Emblazoner's group catalog.
FRIDAY: Marketing Indie Middle Grade - The Hardest Sell - about reaching MG readers as an MG author.
Marketing Indie Middle Grade - The Hardest Sellby Susan Kaye Quinn
As we've been mentioning all week, reaching middle grade readers isn't easy.Let's talk first about hurdles, then about ways to overcome them. Middle Grade Hurdles: Paper Distribution, Reviews, Discovery Paper Distribution is the first obvious hurdle. It's very unlikely you will be on the bookshelves of the B&N, and that is where a lot of middle grade books are discovered. Plus, middle grade readers, even with the proliferation of cheaper-and-cheaper ereaders, still read paper books. A lot of paper books. Add in the price factor (Print On Demand books tend to be more expensive than trad-pub print runs), and it's tough to get those paper books into kids hands.Why this is changing: More people are buying print books online (vs. browsing in the bookstore). As bookshelf space continues to shrink, the bookshelf in the bookstore counts less and less as a discovery tool... even for children's books.Reviews are always difficult to get, but reviews for middle grade books have been even more important, because major review channels like the School Library Journal, Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist  serve as social-proof to parents, teachers, and librarians, that middle grade books are good to pass onto their children. These review channels either exclude indie books (School Library Journal), are indie-unfriendly (Booklist wants paper books months in advance), or charge indie authors a hefty fee to be reviewed in a segregated section that librarians and teachers are much less likely to read (Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus). Why this is changing: Goodreads and other online media are reaching these gatekeepers (parents, teachers, librarians), so while the kids themselves are not online, the gatekeepers are. Review services like NetGalley are now open to indie books, providing an end-run around the review channels. I can personally attest that you can use Netgalley to reach teachers and librarians that are otherwise inaccessible. Discovery is the constant challenge for all authors everywhere. Adult and young adult authors have an advantage because their audience peruses the online bestseller lists, subscribe to Bookbub, and go on Goodreads to see what their friends are reading. For middle grade, once again, it's the gatekeepers who are doing these activities, and usually not looking in those places for middle grade books.Why this is changing: Libraries are more and more open to stocking indie books - much more so than bookstores, in general. The gatekeepers (parents, teachers, librarians) are becoming more aware and more open to indie books - each time they have a positive experience with indie books for themselves, they are more willing to take a chance on those with their students and children. Kids themselves are starting to use services like Goodreads in their schools, reviewing books and adding them to their TBR lists. They are slowly bypassing the gatekeepers to discover books on their own.  This all points toward indie middle grade slowly finding its way into kids hands.

 How to Market Indie Middle Grade Reaching Teachers and Librarians  School visits put you in direct contact with your audience, but there's a limit to how much of that you can do. More teachers, librarians and booksellers interested in MG can be found on NetGalley - they may not be interested in reviewing as much as finding good reads to recommend to their patrons or stock in their libraries and classrooms. You can entice these "gatekeepers" even more by creating online materials (teacher's guides, games, book trailers) that help them bring your book into the classroom. Teacher's Guides - With the help of a teacher-friend, I created my own activities, games, and Teacher's Guide for Faery Swap. Another MG-author-friend hired Blue Slip media to create hers. Either way, it's important to emphasize the educational component of your story (including linking to Common Core, as that is a requirement for many schools).
 


I also created a 9 minute Virtual Author Visit video to use in conjunction with the Teacher's Guide, so that any teacher, anywhere on the planet, could share my message about Math Being Magickal with their students.

Book Trailers - teachers and librarians use them to entice kids to read, so having a book trailer is much more useful to MG authors than to most other authors. Book bloggers also like them, and they're a good, quick way to introduce readers to your book. Just make sure they're as exciting to watch as your book is to read (see here about how to make book trailers).


This Faery Swap trailer was made with iMovie, artwork from my book, music from Pond5.com, and an intro from a guy on fiverr who makes them. 
Bookmarks - Teachers and Librarians love to have swag to hand out to kids for prizes, so having high quality bookmarks can be a great way to get your book seen by kids.
Reaching Middle Grade Book Bloggers They're not as abundant as bloggers for other genres, but they exist.  Direct queries can work, especially if combined with a blog tour/giveaway. I don't actually recommend using a blog tour service for MG, because most people who arrange blog tours are not MG-focused - you're better off arranging your own MG blog tour. For example, the letter I've been sending out to book bloggers, querying them about reviewing, has included an offer to join the blog tour:

Faery Swap Blog Tour (March 3rd – 21st): review copies are available, as well as excerpts and a guest post “Warrior Faeries and Math Magick” about how Faery Swap can be used in the classroom to get kids excited about math and science. GIVEAWAY: paperback copies of Faery Swap, $25 Amazon Gift Card, and TWO Magickal Faery Wands. SIGN UP HERE

That link goes to a dedicate Blog Tour page that includes this (feel free to sign up!)Blog Tour Giveaway$25 Amazon Gift Card Signed Paperbacks of Faery SwapTwo Faery Wands
Loading... Advertising Advertising MG works is trickier than other genres. Bookbub has a middle grade list that reaches 170,000+ readers. The ads are pricey, but most people (even MG) seem to make back the money in sales. (Note: Bookbub is difficult to get into and you'll have to discount your book). Putting a book up for giveaway on Goodreads or LibraryThing is much like posting an ad (for the small price of the book giveaway). Joining Forces With Other Authors My indie MG author group, the Emblazoners, is a great resource: we share information on what works (and what doesn't!), we join forces for things like NetGalley subscriptions and buying ads in MG specific sites like Middle Shelf, and we put together our own catalog of works, marketing jointly to build a list of teachers and librarians interested in MG works.
Get our catalog here.Patience, Reasonable ExpectationsThe hard truth is that MG books are a small market. This graph pretty much sums it up:
source: authorearnings.com
Children's books are simply a small wedge of the ebook pie. Most MG authors will tell you they sell as much (or more) in print as they do in ebook, but it's hard to move large numbers of print copies if you're not in bookstores (and with POD prices high relative to mass market print runs).When I published Faery Swap, I hoped to break even on the book... eventually. If you publish indie MG books, I think you're doing well if you break even. If you can turn it into a money making venture, you're doing very well. Most other genres are easier to sell - if you want to make a living as a writer, I suggest writing in a genre that sells to pay the bills, then publishing your middle grade because you love it.
Do you have other marketing ideas for MG? Share your knowledge in the comments below and we can all benefit!


Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling Mindjack Trilogy, which is young adult science fiction, and several adult fiction stories. Faery Swap is her foray into middle grade, which is her first writing love. Her business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist" and she always has more speculative fiction fun in the works. You can subscribe to her newsletter (hint: new subscribers get a free short story!) or stop by her blog to see what she's up to. Faery Swap Kindle | Nook | Print
Fourteen-year-old Finn is tricked into swapping places with a warrior faery prince and has to find his way back home before the dimensional window between their worlds slams shut. Faery Swap is on tour March 3rd - March 21st with a $25 gift card and magick wand giveaways! Sign up here.Last day to enter!a Rafflecopter giveaway