Samantha Young is the best-selling author of several Young Adult novels and most recently an Adult contemporary, On Dublin Street, which I read in one night. It was worth the lack of sleep, because Sam writes amazing characters and really pulls you into her story-world.
On Dublin Street was released August 30 and has sailed up the chart, currently holding an impressive #9 on Amazon.
1. What author has influenced you the most in your writing?
I've always loved fantasy, and that definitely comes from reading C.S. Lewis when I was little. As I got older writers such as Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, Richelle Mead, Annette Curtis Klause and Cassandra Clare really inspired me to start writing coming-of-age stories inside paranormal/fantasy worlds.
2. You've been publishing your work since February 2011, what has changed the most for you since then?
Oh, so much has changed for me. When I first started self-publishing I was unemployed and more than a little disenchanted after university. Writing was a balm, but self-publishing gave me something to work toward. After six months of working my booty off I found myself gainfully employed in my dream job as a full-time writer. It's mind bogglingly fantastic!
3. Your first books were in the YA genre, what do you expect will be different when you release your first Adult Romance?
Not only is it my first step into adult fiction, it's also my first step into contemporary fiction. I expect (and hope) to attract new readers because of this. Despite the elaborate worlds I build around my characters in my YA series, I'm very much an author who believes in characterisation as the driving power behind a good book, and so I guess writing a contemporary adult romance novel will be a test of that... I expect the reviews will give me a good idea if I'm doing that as well as I want to be :) I also hope readers become as attached to Braden and Jocelyn (the main protoganists) as I am.
4. Self-published authors are making huge strides in the publishing industry, when you first decided to self- publish did you ever imagine things like that could happen?
When I first started self-publishing I knew of Amanda Hocking's story and was completely inspired by it. However, I also always believed that it was a rare phenomenon like Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series - I thought these things only came along once in a blue moon. But... I was pleasantly surprised to discover I could really make a career out of self-publishing and even more pleasantly surprised to see some of my favorite indie writers become HUGE publishing successes. It's inspiring.
5. What has worked best for you as far as promoting and marketing your books? (ie Goodreads giveaways, blog tours, paid adverts)
Promotion is all about hardwork. I don't pay for promotion because online social sites are free and excellent marketing tools. And they're fun! I use Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter and Blogger to connect with readers. I keep all my social pages as up-to-date as possible. By far the best thing I ever did was get in touch with all the book bloggers I followed and ask them if they'd be interested in doing a review or a giveaway etc. Book Bloggers are awesome. Don't know what I'd do without them. They help support me and my books, and I get to go all fangirl on them about books I love without them thinking I'm crazy because they totally get it.
Absolutely. When I first started out self-publishing I couldn't afford a professional editor and had a few friends look over my work before I published it. It helped but it isn't the same. I have an editor now (Ashley's Freelance Editing) and she rocks. I don't know what I'd do without her. Readers really appreciate a well-edited book, and they deserve to be able to enjoy your work without grammar and spelling errors distracting them.
There is a lot of stuff here, hints if you will, to what makes Samantha such a Breakout. She's quite like-able and accessible and that is the golden nugget, I think. Give On Dublin Street a shot, I really think it's going to be the next Fifty Shades!
Posts
Don't even compare ON DUBLIN STREET to that dreck aka 50 Shades. ODS is much better written, plotted and edited!
ReplyDeleteSamantha wrote a great book that is heartbreaking and sexy. I loved reading that book and would never compare it to anything else!
AMEN Laura!!!! I'm so sick of the 50 shades of Bullshit hype, this story is very well written and great characters, it has real love and relationships, NOTHING like that crappy trilogy.
DeleteLori
You misunderstand, dear reader. I was not comparing the writing to Fifty Shades. Especially since I have not read it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I meant was that it is going to be the next breakout success, much like Fifty Shades was a breakout success. See the difference?
xx
I see the difference, but I would compare it to Gabriel's Inferno or something else. 50 Shades just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
ReplyDeleteIt's #1 on Amazon right now! :) A huge congrats!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview, Samantha, and awesome blog, Laura! Woot!
ReplyDeleteI don't personally think that Sam would write a smut book! I know that all of her novels are well written and amazing! I just hope that her success is not going to impact the prices of her digital books! Good job Sam and we wish you better than the best! You are an amazing author!
ReplyDeleteGreat advice! I agree with the 50 shades comments. I also have not read them, way too explicit for me. But I'd done a little research before these books became HUGE. They were popular, but when they switched publishing houses, they suddenly became HUGE HUGE HUGE! How does that happen exactly? I mean no disrespect toward the author, but for a story like this, where most women wouldn't read this kind of thing if it weren't for social pressure, I think it means that our publishing and marketing system circles around peer pressure. When something like this is THIS BIG, we automatically think we should read it, whether the content really appeals to us or not. It makes me sad.
ReplyDeleteI love an author with the mindset that a novel must be character driven. That alone tells me the book will be good.
ReplyDeleteThis book was such a fun one! Definitely give it a go!
Delete