Laura Howard: Six Questions with Kelley York

4/20/13

Six Questions with Kelley York

I think Spring has finally decidedto awaken in the Northeast, so it's a happy Saturday here in New Hampshire! 


My Six Question star is author Kelley York. Welcome to Finding Bliss Kelley!



Was there a certain book or author that inspired you to write?

I wasn't honestly reading much when I wrote my first book. Writing got me back into reading, which is something I had done a lot as a kid and young teen, but had gotten out of. I began picking up a lot of books that were similar in tone to what I wanted to write. Hannah Moskowitz, Sean Olin, etc.


Do you plan out your novels or just fly by the seat of your pants?

Half and half. For the first 50% of a book, I usually just write to my heart's content. It's around that halfway point I slow it down and begin outlining to figure out how to take all the threads I've created and tie them up neatly.

How do you edit?

I'm am, thankfully, a very clean first drafter. I'm good at catching the big mistakes early on, which really cuts down on the amount of revision I have to do. So when I edit, it's mainly me going through with a careful eye, reading passages out loud to check for sentence structure and flow, characterization, overuse of dialogue tags, repetitive words, and any inconsistencies me or my beta readers might have missed.

Did you build a platform before releasing a book?

I sure did try! I got involved in social media, commenting on blogs and attempting to at least get involved so people would remember my name when my first book came out. I'm a shy and withdrawn person, so putting myself out there, even on the internet, is still something I struggle with.

How have you found the right readers for you?

Very carefully, haha. I have an extremely niche audience because I tend to write dark, and not everyone will pick up a book with an LGBT character. If I see someone I'm acquainted with who enjoys books similar to mine, I'll tentatively put in a recommendation. I'm also very grateful for the circle of friends I have who are always talking about my books to others. They're lovely. When I find readers who have enjoyed one of my books, I latch on for dear life. I interact with them. I've befriended quite a few of them. I want them to know how much I adore them to itty bitty pieces, and as such, I've gained myself—maybe a kind of small—but very loyal fan base.


If you could start all over, what would you do differently?

I don't think I would have done anything differently. I know Hushed came out just a little early to hit the New Adult trend that is growing rapidly now. I think, had I waited even just a few months, it would have gotten more acknowledgment. Not to mention LGBT books are growing in popularity, as are 'dark' and 'edgy' novels.

                 


Thanks for stopping by today Kelley! I love dark and edgy too, I just don't seem to be able to write them. What is a genre you'd like to try that is out of your comfort zone?

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