On Marketing Your Debut Book: Debut Author Adrian So Interview and The Groundworld Heroes Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m super excited to have debut author Adrian So here to share about his MG chapter book The Groundworld Heroes. I’m really thrilled to have Adrian here. He’s 15 years old and is already a published author! I know he’s going to have lots of great advice to share. And his chapter book sounds like an action-packed story that’s relevant to our world today. I’m looking forward to reading it.

Here's a blurb from Goodreads:

When Groundworld is on the brink of extinction, it takes one mole with courage to save the day.

When Benjamin, a junior mole digger, witnesses a human invasion of his homeland, he must find his long-lost courage and unite two culturally distinct realms to fight the intruders and save his kind from extinction. What perils lie before him as he ventures into the unknown? Can Benjamin go up against a rough bunch of illegal animal trappers before it's too late? 

Meet the Groundworld heroes as they defend their country's sovereignty and save their fellow citizens from capture and extinction. 

Perfect for fans of Kate Dicamillo and Roald Dahl. 

 

Follower News

Before I get to Adrian’s interview, I have Follower News to share. Melissa Maygrove has a new release of her western historical romance, Battered Pride. Here’s a blurb: When a Mojave clansman insists on helping a struggling widow whose husband was scalped and murdered, survival isn’t the only battle on the frontier. Here are a few links: Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DJ1MRFDZ Website: http://www.melissamaygrove.com/

Interview With Adrian So

Hi Adrian! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

My name is Adrian So and I am a high school student from Markham, Canada. I began writing when I was in grade 5, during the pandemic when there was nothing much to do. I soon discovered that I quite enjoyed making up stories so I kept at it, until I wrote The Groundworld Heroes.

2. Where did you get the idea for The Groundworld Heroes?

The idea for The Groundworld Heroes came when I was working in my backyard, where I saw some holes in the lawn and wondered how some animals could manage to live underground. So I started typing away at my laptop and it didn’t take long until I finished the first few chapters of my manuscript.

Your Writing Process

3. It’s cool how we writers get ideas from random things in our life that we ask questions about. Did you plot out or were you a panster for The Groundworld Heroes? Will you change your plotting process for future manuscripts?

I have always been a pantser when I’m writing this book because I usually couldn’t stick to a strict plot outline and thought the most effective way would be to write first, then edit later. This gives me more room for creativity and ensures that I don’t limit myself when I draft.

4. You have to follow certain guidelines on vocabulary, chapter length, and the overall length of the book when writing a chapter book. What rules did you use to be sure your story was a chapter book vs. a longer middle grade story? What tips do you have for other writers wanting to write a chapter book?

At first I thought I was writing a middle grade story when I finished the first draft of my novel. But when I submitted it to my current publisher Dr. Jennifer Lowry, she told me that it would be more suitable for younger chapter book readers. So after we signed our publishing contract, the editing team at the publishing company helped me with changing the vocabulary and tailoring it to fit a younger readership. We made the sentences shorter and easier to comprehend and added more action scenes throughout the book to grab the kids’ attention easier.

My biggest piece of advice for other writers who want to write chapter books is to try to add humour if you can. When I was younger, I enjoyed reading books that are comedic more than books that are not. Also try not to talk down to your readers because kids actually know more than you may think.

5. That’s great that your publisher helped you with changing your story to be a chapter book. And thanks for the great tip. You’re in high school. How have you juggled your writing deadlines, writing a new manuscript, and marketing your debut book with the demands of high school?

I was lucky that The Groundworld Heroes is released during summer break, this allows for me to focus more on my book without worrying about studying as much. But normally when I’m in school, I tend to prioritize school work over my writing hobby, and all hobbies. When I do need to market my book, I usually do it during weekends or in my spare time, where I could do interviews like this or talk to potential book buyers.

Your Road to Publication

5. It sounds like you have your priorities straigt. What was your road to publication like and how did you get your publishing contract?

The road to publication for me is quite difficult, but when compared with other authors, I actually think I had it easy. It took me a little more than a year shopping my manuscript around until I found the right home for it. The Groundworld Heroes first garnered no interest at all because I was too quick with querying it. I remembered submitting it to literary agents and publishers before I even completed the draft. I was, and maybe still am, an amateur writer, I used to always make the most fatal mistakes when it comes to writing, such as telling instead of showing and using too many adverbs. But I did finally get my publishing contract after I learned how to query the hard way, and one day, after a few back and forth rounds of revising and resubmitting, Monarch Press said they are interested in acquiring my book. 

6. How has it been working with your publisher, Monarch Educational Services? What advice do you have for other writers considering working with a publisher on their own?

My publisher Monarch Press was really great and professional. They assigned me two highly skilled editors, Ashley White and Haley Hwang, who helped me all the way from major structural edits to copy edits to final proofreads. We also had a supportive community of authors who help each other out with all things publishing-related. I also had a publicist, Carol Baldwin, who created press releases and sent them out to different media outlets on my behalf. The Groundworld Heroes has been selling quite well since its release on August 6, and it’s all because of these people.

My advice for other writers considering working with a publisher is to get your manuscript in the best form possible before sending it out. Submitting your work too early would actually do more harm than good to you.

Promoting Your Book

7. That’s great you had so much help. And Carol is awesome. I’d like to talk about how you marketed your book because Carol Baldwin, a blogger friend mentioned in a guest post for The Insecure Writer’s Support Group that you’re the king of marketing and spreadsheets. Can you start out by sharing your basic marketing plan and what you felt worked and didn’t work?

I made a spreadsheet with Ms. Carol Baldwin, where we listed key contacts to reach out to, categorized into different groups, such as library contacts, reviewer contacts, influencer contacts, podcaster contacts, media contacts, and a lot other categories. The categories that worked out the least are the media and the library, with only a handful of responses and even less interest in covering/acquiring the book. The reviewer and influencer contacts worked out the best, with about a 50% acceptance rate to be featured.

8. Tell us about the marketing spreadsheet you created. What information do you think authors should include in theirs?

List the contacts that you think may be useful or relevant to your book(s) and maybe you can use the categories I talked about as reference.

9. How did you discover bloggers and book influencers on TikTok and Bookstagram who might be interested in your book? Do you have recommendations of ones we should connect with or follow?

What I did was I searched up books that are similar to mine, then saw which influencers or reviewers promoted them. Then I can get a rough idea on who to contact about my book and I thought that trick worked pretty well.

10. That sounds like a good approach we could all try. How did you decide on which libraries to contact and how have you reached out to them?

I mostly start local. I think about the libraries in my city, my province, and my country. To a lesser degree, I also reached out to libraries that are in English-speaking countries to see if they would be interested in adding my book to their collections. I usually find the person who is in charge of collections or acquisitions and contact them instead of the average library clerk. 

11. What are you working on now?

I am currently working on another children’s chapter book called Mr. Troublemaker. It’s another fantasy book for an even younger age group than The Groundworld Heroes is for.

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Adrian. You can find Adrian at https://x.com/Adrian62852188

https://adriansotheauthor.my.canva.site

The Groundworld Heroes could be found at:

https://www.amazon.com/Groundworld-Heroes-Adrian-So/dp/195765662X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.k5-dEVttFzQAjCjqNDzpVg.QRsPP6n0mCHmOlC2tbtDXVQHCBMXVeDQF6YYuchJTTU&qid=1713741971&sr=8-1#detailBullets_feature_div

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-groundworld-heroes-adrian-so/1145464831?ean=9781957656625

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211903613-the-groundworld-heroes

Giveaway Details

Adrian is generously offering a paperback of The Groundworld Heroes for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by October 26th. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Adrian on his social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S.

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Wednesday, October 16th I have an agent spotlight interview with Samantha Wekstein and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, October 16th I’m participating in the Silly Pumpkin Giveaway Hop

Monday, October 28th I have a guest post by author Abbi Lee and a giveaway of her MG Ghost Town Treasure Hunt

Friday, November 1st I’m participating in the Thanks a Latte Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, November 6th I have an interview with author Jan Gangsei and a giveaway of her YA Dead Below Deck and my IWSG post

Saturday, November 9th I’m participating in the Super Stocking Stuffer Giveaway Hop

Monday, November 11th I have an agent spotlight interview with CoCo Freeman and a query critique giveaway

Saturday, November 16th I’m participating in the In All Things Give Thanks Giveaway Hop

I hope to see you on Wednesday!