I've been all over the place in the writing world. My first days of writing happened by pure accident when I found a link to a RPG-forum board (think Fan-Fiction but instead of you writing the whole thing other people contribute as other characters) and joined on a whim. I loved it so much that I started to keep all my writings in folders like trophies. Senior year of High School is when the writing bug really bit me, and I hit the ground running with it as far as I could go.
2) Do you specialize in any particular genre(s)?
My friends on WritingForums
told me I could really knock into fantasy and YA romance. I read nothing
but YA, so it was only natural that I write YA Fantasy/Paranormal and
dash in a little Romance for kicks.
3) Tell us about your most current project, Illumine. Is this your first published work?
Yes,
Illumine is the first of many books I have planned to write. I guess you
could say I'm sort of hoarding them and building massive piles in my
head. Illumine is the first in the series (The Illumine Series) about
Essallie Hanley, your regular run-of-the-mill girl who almost falls
victim to a demonic sacrifice ritual! She moves back home with her older
brother Jayson to get past the horrors she left home, only to find that
they followed her there with a vengeance. It's a bit of a head-turner.
4) How did you choose your publisher? Describe that process.
I chose to self-publish after
many months of looking at all the facts. We're in a moving world where
readers don't like to wait a year for a book, and they don't like paying
an arm and a leg for it either. I knew deep down self-publishing would
be the way to go in this technology-thriving world, where I could
control where my book went and the writing inside of it. I'm proud of my
decision and wouldn't change it for the world.
5) Tell us about your blog. What inspired it?
When I started my blog back in
May 2011, I really just had the intent of posting my book was out,
where to buy it, stuff like that. I never would have imagined just how
powerful of a tool it would be.
6) How do you promote your work? What strategies have been the most successful?
I
promote my work in any way I can without feeling like I'm trying to pawn
it off on people on the corner of the street. So far so good! My best
strategy that I could tell anyone who is promoting their work is to be genuine.
People love when you are you, it stands out! It's like comparing the
singer Adele to everyone else on the radio. Most artists use auto-tune
and in the end it all sounds the same, but Adele just rocks it with her
raw voice, her raw power. Use your raw power!
7) What do you plan to accomplish in 2012?
2012 is a HUGE year for myself
as a writer this year. The second book to Illumine, called Obumbrate,
is scheduled to be released July 7th! That's huge for me to put out a
book in six months. I'm already writing like lightning and, not to
tease, but if you liked the first you're going to love the second.
8) What advice would you give to budding writers?
Don't call it a pipe dream. So
what if you're not successful overnight, was J.K. Rowling? No! How
about Amanda Hocking? Certainly not! Push yourself to the point where
you don't think you can go on, and then keep going.
9) What is your definition of success as a writer?
Success as a writer is when you can be proud of your work. The minute you hold pride in what you've got, that to me is success.Author Bio
Alivia
Anders was thirteen when she fell headfirst into the world of internet
fanfic and RPG-forum board sites that showed her the 'back door' into
the world of writing. Four years and many hours spent glued to a
computer screen later she found her true calling in writing.
Alivia currently lives with her family in her hometown of Coopersburg, PA. She frequently admits that if she wasn't so intolerant to dairy she'd live at her local ice cream shop called The Inside Scoop.
Alivia currently lives with her family in her hometown of Coopersburg, PA. She frequently admits that if she wasn't so intolerant to dairy she'd live at her local ice cream shop called The Inside Scoop.
Wesbite: http://aliviaanders.blogspot.
Twitter handle: @aliviaanders
Blog link: (Same as website) http://aliviaanders.blogspot.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.
Great interview. I especially liked the advice about promotion, to be genuine. Relax and be yourself and trust things will work out, and then write a LOT so people have something to read :)
ReplyDelete