All That Twitters Isn’t Gold

We interrupt this blog to report that the coolest thing just happened… Dennis Cass, the creator of the awesome YouTube sensation “Book Promotion 2.0,” just emailed to thank me for posting his video on my blog. How nice is that? Thanks, Dennis! And I’m keeping an eye out for your debut on Rock Band!

Now, back to the blog…

If you were paying attention to Mr. Cass’s video, you probably caught some funky promotional words you may not have heard of before like, “Dig, Delicious, Twitter, etc.” And I’m happy to report that I have joined the technological masses and created a Twitter account.

What is Twitter, you ask? I’m not gonna act all superior and pretend that you should totally know this already. Because about a week ago, I’d never heard of it. But alas, here I am twittering. So, here goes. Twitter is basically a blog where you can only post two sentences at a time. The intent is to let people know what you’re doing, in that instant, in short bursts.

Now, on the surface it seems like a silly idea. After all, I already have a blog, a MySpace account and I’m a member of several writer-related message boards. But as I’ve mentioned before, a lot of friends and family seem curious about what I do all day. So, I’m looking at Twitter as a way to answer those questions.

If you really want to know what I accomplish, professionally, on a daily basis come read all about it at: http://twitter.com/dianarwallach.

You also might see a few familiar faces in my “followers” section. You know who you are :)

And if you really can’t get enough of me—or if you just find it frustrating that I post these blogs randomly with no set schedule making it hard for you to keep up with—you can now SUBSCRIBE to my blog on my website. We’ve added the “RSS Feed” feature on the right-hand side of the page (the little orange icon). For the technologically challenged, if you click on icon, you can then choose to “subscribe” to my blog and get updated every time I post something new. Enjoy!

Also for anyone hoping to get a sneak peak inside “Amor and Summer Secrets,” I took my techie interests over to another popular website, Wordle.net. I cut and pasted my entire manuscript into their submission field and in return I got this awesome image of the “most popular words” used in my novel. The bigger the word, the more I used it. Make of it what you will. But “Lilly” and “Vince” seem rather popular, so do “Puerto” and “Rico.” Go figure.



POP-CULTURE RANT: Breaking Dawn

The final installment of Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Saga comes out this weekend. I’m a 30-year-old woman obsessed with this teen series. I preordered my copy from Amazon a month ago. But you know what’s annoying? Despite having four weeks notice, Amazon will not be getting my copy to my doorstep the day that it’s released. Instead I have to wait until the shipping department gets back to work on Monday to process my order. This means I probably won’t get my book until Wednesday. Come on, Amazon. You can send me emails detailing everything I ever purchased and recommending “things I might like.” But you can’t get me my book the day that it’s released? Really?

Breakfast at the Waldorf Anyone? My Meeting with my Editor...

I was back in my old stomping grounds on Monday. I gotta say, it’s amazing to see things in New York unveiled that had been under scaffolding the entire time I lived there—like the new subway entrance near Penn Station and the new Borders near Madison Square Garden. I worked at One Penn Plaza for nearly three years and when I walked out of the train station two days ago, I was almost confused because the area looked so renovated. Of course, when I worked there it was immediately following 9/11, so most of my memories of those sidewalks were of standing aimlessly waiting for our “Fire Safety Warden” to clear the building of the “suspicious alarm” that was triggered. Ah, the memories…

Anyway, I headed up to NYC to meet with my editor for breakfast and then with my former college roommate who’s on maternity leave. It was a full day. And I got a lot of free food, including a $22 two-egg omelet at Oscar’s Restaurant at the Waldorf. And you know what? It tasted like eggs.

Personally, I think it’s always good to a get a little face time with people who are crucial to your career. I met with my agent when I first signed with her (coincidentally, I had already planned a vacation to L.A. that perfectly corresponded with her offer for representation). But now I get to picture her whenever we talk, and I really feel like I know her better. If it weren’t for that meeting, she’d be some strange version of “Charlie” on Charlie’s Angels—a mysterious voice on the phone who gives me advice on missions (or books).

So, likewise, it was great to meet with my editor again. We had already had lunch together when I had first signed the contract, and at the time, I got to talk about edits and meet with the art director who’d be designing my covers.

This time, my editor and I discussed book promotions. This is the hard part of the process, because authors don’t have a lot of control over what happens here. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m doing my part. I’ve mailed all of my ARCs to reviewers, I’ve gone around to local bookstores to introduce myself and give away bookplates, and I’ve even sent out my own press releases to schools and reporters.

But I can’t control things like print runs, or publicists, or Walmart. And this type of stuff can drive you crazy; so consequently, I’ve decided to take a cue from mass cards everywhere and learn to “accept the things I cannot change.” It’s more fun to focus on the writing, and my book launch party, and my MySpace page. Besides I’ve got a really cool WIP that my agent is reading right now. That’s why I got into this business. I’ll let my husband handle the sales stuff. It’s what he does. ;)

Thankfully after my fancy lunch, I got to spend the day with my former college roommate and her new baby. I’d post his picture here (he’s adorable!), but I doubt the Internet is a safe place for baby pictures. Don’t worry, Margit, I’ll try not to forward those cell phone pics to too many people! Hehe.

But, the little man gave me a nice way to end the day. Plus, I got him the cutest new outfit—a black onesie with a sketch of a wagon that says “That’s How I Roll.” And of course, being an author, I also got him a board book. If you know anyone who has kids in the city, they’ll love this, “Urban Babies Wear Black." I don’t know how many copies I’ve given as gifts, and I have no affiliation with this author. Truly. It’s just a really cute book.

POP-CULTURE RANT: Reruns

You know the summer line up sucks when you find yourself scanning the “Free Movie” section of On Demand. Have you looked at some of the movies there? I actually watched a few minutes of “Village of the Damned,” because I’d never heard of it yet it starred Christopher Reeves, so I thought it had to be good. Wrong. Very, very wrong. I miss Lost already. How long until the new season starts?

The First Review Is In! Drum Roll Please……

When you’re unpublished and you sit down to write your first novel, you don’t think much beyond, “Hey, I wonder if I can write a whole book.”

You’re not thinking about anyone else reading it. At least I wasn’t. It’s more of a nagging story in your head that comes to you some way or another (in my case, a dream) and presents a challenge: can you actually do it?

Then once you’ve finished, you start thinking that maybe this little story is pretty good. Maybe you could get some money for it. Maybe you could even get it published. So you start Googling, “How to get your book published.” You go through the steps: you land an agent, you go on submission, you stress, you panic, you curse every rejection letter, than….MIRACLE! Someone likes it. An editor makes an offer! You jump for joy, or in my case, dance around at a Mardi Gras parade on Fat Tuesday in New Orleans.

But still, even though you’ve got an agent, an editor and a publisher, you’re still not thinking of people actually “reading” your book. Instead you’ve got deadlines to worry about. You’ve got edits to complete. You’ve got proofs to look over, a website to build, a blog to write, sequels to finish, etc.

Then reality sets in. Your pub date gets closer (say two months away). You start seeing your book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, and even MTV.

Now, it’s all REAL. And, of course, with that comes your first review. Shudder.

So, low and behold, without further ado….Ladies and gentleman…I present to you…my first review!

This fast-paced and tension-filled story pulls the reader into Mariana's world, as she experiences her first adventure off her own turf and finds love. Amor and Summer Secrets is an enjoyable read, and once you pick this book up, you won't be able to put it down. The first of three books, it will leave you wanting to read more from this talented new author.

Reviewer: Alice Berger

You can read the whole thing at: http://bergersbookreviews.blogspot.com/2008/07/amor-and-summer-secrets_07.html

I can’t tell you how nerve wracking it is to know that people will now be reading and judging my work. But it’s great that the first one’s out of the way and it’s GOOD, YAY!

And to add to the good news, I’ve decided to release the covers and titles of the two sequels in the series. So if you can’t get enough of Mariana Ruiz after “Amor and Summer Secrets,” keep an eye out for:

AMIGAS AND SCHOOL SCANDALS, November 2008



AND…

ADIOS TO ALL THE DRAMA, January 2009



POP-CULTURE RANT: Twilight Series

So, I’ve been rereading the Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer in anticipation for the launch of the final installment, “Breaking Dawn.” I’ve already pre-ordered my copy and I can’t wait until August! Anyway, I love this series, truly I do, but….

SPOILER ALERT (do not read further if you haven’t read the series)…

I. Hate. Jacob. Black.

I’m sorry Stephenie, but I have to say it. This character makes no sense to me. The entire series is centered around this tortured true love affair between Bella and Edward. I love them. I want more of them. And as I re-read “New Moon,” I’m almost reminded of the sixth season of Buffy. You know, when she comes back from the dead all depressed and suddenly starts sleeping with Spike. Viewers everywhere were like, “WTF?” Aside from the musical (best episode ever BTW – I have the ripped soundtrack), it was a really dark season that veered off course—away from Buffy and Angel, her true love. I feel almost the same way about “New Moon.” It’s a great book, and exceptionally written, but man, it’s really depressing. And the end leaves me not liking Edward for leaving her like that. Sure, Eclipse ultimately redeemed him, but still—really depressing.

You CAN Judge a Book by its Cover

It’s hard to get published. Duh. There are oodles of writers out there who are (regrettably) slaving away on manuscripts that will never land at a bookstore near you. And a common piece of advice offered by many published authors is that there is no magic trick to expedite the process because when it comes down to it, “it’s all about the writing.”

Yeah, turns out that advice is only true when landing an agent and an editor. Once your book sells, the letters can practically drip off the page like alphabet soup because it’s all about the marketing, folks.

Clever titles catch readers’ eyes. Pretty covers get primo placement in bookstores. The words inside? Eh, leave that for the critics who will only review your book if it has a pretty cover and catchy title. Or if it was written by a celebrity.

Worst part about it? Authors have zero influence over the glossy image that graces the manuscript they practically bled on. We don’t even get much of a say in our own title. Seriously.

We sit, panicky, in front of our computer monitors waiting for that email with the cover art and praying that we don’t hate it. Because if we do, oh well. Too bad. The sales team loves it.

I’m currently waiting to receive the cover image and final title approval for the third book in my series. I’m praying that I love it (Is there a patron saint of graphic designers? Font choices? Color schemes?).

So, here’s hoping it’s as awesome as my first book cover, which I LOVE. You’d be surprised how many single guy friends ask me if I can introduce them to the gorgeous model. Pervs. She’s, like, fifteen! And no, I don’t know her. Though I would love to randomly run into her on the street one day.

Hey, this is a MySpace world. The girl probably has a page somewhere. So if you’re reading this and you’re my cover model, totally leave a comment! I’ll even put you in my top friends. :-)


POP-CULTURE RANT: Tom Cruise

So did you guys see his two interviews on Oprah? He’s totally sane again! I’m so happy. He acted almost like a young Tom Cruise, circa A Few Good Men. He and “Kate” (as he calls her) seem so happy. And talk about a piece of gorgeous property. Never been to Telluride, but I’m so adding it to my list. And didn’t you love how he leather-bound all his scripts with his hand-written notes. I’m already thinking about doing that with my manuscripts, though I doubt they’d catch as much at Sotheby’s as his would. Cheers to Oprah for asking the hard questions we’d all want to ask, and cheers to Tom for answering them!

Authors can only control the writing

I’m a Type A over-achiever. This means I put immense pressure on myself and I worry a lot (thanks mom for passing down those genes). I stress about everything from money to Christmas dinner to dentist appointments. I’m also crazy competitive. In the 10 years that I’ve been in a relationship with my husband, I’ve beaten him in Scrabble—a lot (“Riesling,” 77 points, all-time high). I even catch myself in Zen-inducing yoga classes oddly competing with the Cirque du Soleil contortionist next me even though my muscles clearly are not made out of rubber bands.

So when it comes to dealing with the publishing process, I can stress myself into a bout of TMJ. Because as an author, you can’t control beyond the last word you put on the page.

You can’t control whether the book gets sold. You can’t control the shifts in the market. You can’t control whether it gets reviewed by People. You can’t control how it’s perceived in the marketplace. And you can’t control whether it gets picked up by the Goddess of Oprah. You can only control the writing.

It’s a lesson I learn everyday. It’s how I keep my Type A tendencies in check. I write. I always have something new in the works, because writing is what I love to do.

It also helps that I have an agent who gets me and an editor who loves my work. Plus, I have a background in public relations, which means I get to spend the months between now and September (the book launch) obsessively focusing on ways to sell my book. Sure, I can’t control how many teens go out and buy it. But I can control how many schools I speak at, how many book stores I contact, and how many press releases I promote. Plus, I have a husband with a background in marketing who works for an interactive advertising agency. That doesn’t hurt.

So I know what needs to be done and I’ve never been one to sit back and wait for things to happen. If I were, I wouldn’t have gotten this far; I wouldn’t be an author.

“I majored in marketing, baby, and so did my husband. We came to play.” –Regina King in Jerry Maguire

POP-CULTURE RANT: Elections

I have an odd obsession with CNN’s election coverage. I love that board they draw on like they’re John Madden. But what I love even more is that it all comes down to Pennsylvania, baby! Since I have been of voting age, the primaries have all been decided by the time they got to my home state. Why does PA vote three months after Iowa? I have no idea (Rendell should get on that). But now all those “expert pundits,” who were ready to hand Obama the victory after a single state’s election, have to wait until the keystone state weighs in. Seven weeks of nonstop stumping in Philadelphia! I wouldn’t be surprised if Chelsea Clinton shows up at my niece’s Communion to stir up votes (hint, hint).